First Impressions

Following the group of six boys (and dog) outside, the girl was met with an orange and yellow sky. However, the source of those colors was unseeable. The sun was nowhere to be seen, and the only thing she could see… was an enormously tall stone wall covered in vines. The girl took a full three-sixty look around the place, seeing that the wall went in a perfect square. Within the square was perfectly green grass and trees, wooden huts in all directions, and multiple boys sitting around a campfire. All of them turned to look at the girl immediately after she exited the hut, but unlike the last few times, the girl didn't seem to care. All she truly cared about was the setting in which she had somehow found herself in. It felt so unreal, and yet… the confusion and worry the girl felt was so real.

"I-I know I already asked this," the girl turned to Alby, "but where are we?"

"We call it the Glade," Alby replied in a calm tone. "We eat here. We sleep here. We grow our own food. We build our own shelter. Whatever we need, the box provides. The rest is up to us."

The girl tilted her head. "'The… box'?"

"The metal box that brought you here," Chuck chimed in, pointing to the 'box' off in the distance. "Y'know, the thing that you fainted in... Ow!"

"It's sent up once a month," Alby continued after Frypan hit the back of Chuck's head. "It sends up fresh supplies and a new Greenie. This month, for some reason, that's you."

"But… But, well…" The girl gulped after taking another look around. "It doesn't seem like… there's many girls here."

"'Cause there's not," Newt acknowledged, looking her up and down. "You're the first one ever. The dog, too."

"We're still gonna call you Greenie, though," Gally said as she crossed his arms over his chest. "We're not gonna change our ways here just for a girl."

"I-I understand that," the girl quickly stated. "Although, again, what even is 'here'? What's," the girl motioned her finger around the Glade, "this?"

"It's a maze," Minho said without hesitation, causing the girl's eyes to widen like saucers. "Every morning, the walls open up and give us a way in. And, every night, it closes again. During the night, the maze moves. Changes. We've been trying to find the way out for years now… And, obviously, we haven't found it."

"N-No way," the girl scoffed in complete bewilderment. "So this is the starting point of the maze, and on… the other side of these… walls, is the end of it? Th-They imprison people, take away their memories, give them limited resources, just so you all can solve…a maze?"

Minho raised an eyebrow. "You catch on quick. I remember having to explain that multiple times to the others."

"B-But you said that… you've been trying to figure this maze out… for years now?" the girl also questioned, causing Minho to merely nod in response. Likewise, glancing around and seeing the sadness on all of their faces, the girl's heart twisted in sympathy. "Wow, I'm… I'm so sorry…"

"Why're you apologizing?" Gally asked. "If they put you in here, then it's not your fault."

"Still, it… it must be tough, right?" the girl stated in a soft tone. "I-I mean, stop me if I'm overstepping here, but however long you're in here for, you will never know the answer. You said that all they let you remember is your name, right? So, you… you will never know why you were put in here. This place is daunting by itself, but the question as to why you're in here, is even more daunting to think about. Plus, if you haven't been able to figure out that maze for years now, then… With the fact that none of you remember anything, and the fact that you're trapped here, it must feel… suffocating."

No one replied to her words. All of them just stared at the girl or looked away from her. But regardless of either reaction, the dread was there. The honesty that this girl had just spoken was raw and powerful. Most of the time, the Greenies cried or freaked out when they learned the truth; they were so petrified that every action they took was to forget about the terrible cage that they had found themselves in. But this girl… This strange, strange girl… saw this place for what it was. And, the most strange thing was that… she seemed to accept it.

"How… How are you not freaking out?" It was Newt who had spoken up first. He was one of the boys that hadn't looked away from the girl, being someone that had really taken her words to heart. Newt remembered his first day in the Glade, and it… it wasn't the fondest of memories for him. "How can you say all that when… you're now one of us? Aren't you scared or… angry even?"

"W-Well… I just…" The girl looked right back at Newt. "Well, the thing is, I am scared. You said you've been here for years now, suck in one place, never being able to find a way out. That is undoubtedly scary a-and anyone who wouldn't find that scary would be scarier than this place. Still, after seeing this place and seeing how you all react to it, I don't feel that… I don't deserve to cry or complain or get angry. If anyone deserves to cry or complain about this place, it's not someone who's been here for less than a day. It's someone who's been here for a month, two months, three months, years even. People that have been forced to accept life trapped in a Maze. So, no, I don't want to faint in fear again or lash out in anger when you… you all have endured this prison for so much longer."

The girl then continued after showing the six boys a sympathetic smile. "Look, this situation is bad. Like, worse than bad. Bad can't even describe this. However, I don't want to cower in the corner and cry when cowering and crying won't solve anything. Moreover, since there probably isn't anything that I can solve, then at least I'm not wasting my time being scared. I want… to be helpful, y'know? Alby said that you all lived here, so I… I want to be a useful part of that life."

This time, instead of dread, the six boys looked at the girl with wide eyes. Wide eyes that symbolized the shock and surprise they felt upon hearing this girl's words. They didn't know her, and she didn't know them. Yet, after only knowing her for a few minutes, this girl had no doubt changed the boys' outlook of her. She was unlike anyone who had ever come up that box, even without the fact of her gender. Not only did this girl understand their feelings in such a short amount of time, but she also understood her own feelings.

Alby thought she was just another person to help adjust.

Gally thought that she was just another Greenie.

Minho thought she was going to be as weak as her body.

Chuck thought that she was only pretty on the outside.

Frypan thought she was just another person to feed.

And Newt thought that the scared girl that'd fainted in his arms was going to faint again after hearing about her new predicament.

But maybe… Just maybe… they were all wrong.

On the other hand, however, the girl took their shocked silence as a bad thing. Within her stomach, she felt an emotion that wasn't quite fear. It was like… anxiety and embarrassment: almost like she felt like she had done something impolite. Hence, when the girl spoke next, both of those emotions showed in her speech. "I-I'm sorry! Did I overstep?! I don't even know why I started blabbering like that! I'll try not to annoy you like that again, I promise! I'll just keep my mouth-!"

"No, no, Greenie…" Alby stopped her. "It's fine. I think we're all just… still confused about… you being here."

"You're a girl and… you got your own pet," Gally furthered. "It's never happened before and… it's weird."

"O-Oh, yeah, that… that makes sense," the girl agreed, still feeling a little embarrassed. "But… Despite how weird I am, I hope that I can be of use to you all. I'll try my best."

"...Seriously," Frypan sighed, "what kind of girl are you?"

"A strange one, that's for sure," Minho added. "I don't get any of this."

Newt continued to stare intensely at the girl. "Yeah… She's a mystery for sure."

"Well, I think I just solved a mystery!" Just then, Chuck abruptly spoke up after a long pause. Almost instantly did everyone look over at him, and they all saw him kneeling down in front of the dog with a smile on his face; he'd gone over there after his curiosity had gotten the best of him. "The dog isn't called 'dog'! It's Hugo! It says on this… thing."

"Wait, really?" the girl asked before walking over to Chuck and kneeling down beside him. In response, Chuck showed her the shiny golden pendant attached to a brown collar, making the girl smile for a second time. "Wow. He has so much fur that I didn't even notice… Thanks, Chuck."

Chuck smiled bashfully at the girl. "I-It's nothing."

"And nice to meet you, Hugo," the girl then greeted the dog. "I don't know why you were sent up with me, but I'm honestly thankful you were. At least I'm not alone, huh?"

"Woof!"

"Haha!" the girl let out a giggle after the dog licked her cheek. Similarly, the laugh wasn't very loud, but it did seem to catch a lot of attention. The six boys that surrounded the girl slowly widened their eyes in spite of this unfamiliar sound. They hadn't heard something so light and innocent-sounding in such a long time. Her laugh danced through the camp like a melody, causing some to stand still and others… to move closer.

"...Hey, Alby!" a boy with red hair shouted. "You gonna introduce us to the new Greenie?!"

"Yeah, don't hog the newbie all to yourselves!" another boy added. Once everyone turned to those voices - the girl and Chuck standing up - they all saw a group of boys walking toward them. The boy who had just spoken walked right up to the girl and showed her a friendly smile. "I'm Jeff: a Med-Jack. If ya feel any sort of bad, just come straight to- Hey!"

"And I'm Zart," 'Zart' greeted after pushing Jeff out of the way. "I'm the head gardener 'round here, so if you find yourself liking to farm, I'm the right man for- Ow!"

"Gardening is lame, Fart!" another-another boy cut in. This one had the same cheeky smile as the rest of the boys. "I'm Winston, Miss. I work as a Slicer, so I'm really good with my kni- Ow! Frypan, what the hell?!"

In response, Frypan simply smiled at his friend after just throwing a spoon at his forehead. "Whoops."

"U-Um…" All the while, the girl sheepishly smiled at the three boys arguing amongst themselves: Jeff was yelling at Zart, Zart was yelling at Winston, and Winston was yelling at Frypan, and Frypan… was just enjoying himself. "It's nice to meet you, too."

"I'm… sorry about them, Greenie," Alby apologized, prompting the girl to turn around and face him. Only Alby had an apologetic look on his face, however, as Newt and Minho were laughing their asses off behind him. Gally merely rolled his eyes. "I know it's going to take some time to get fully used to… us, but I still hope you know that no one here will hurt you. I promise you."

"Even though I don't have any memories, I don't think I'm one to judge people harshly. Or, at least, think that they're bad people at first glance," the girl explained to him. "Under the circumstances, you all seem to be quite lively and friendly. So, if anything, I think that's a good thing. I think you're good."

"I want to call you naive, but it's also refreshing to see someone adapt so well under our 'circumstances'," Minho acknowledged once he'd stopped laughing. "Still, what is wrong with you? You're really not going to cry? Or freak out?"

"Oddly enough, no. No, I don't think so," the girl replied and then smiled sheepishly. "Th-Though, does that make me even weirder for saying that?"

Gally managed to snicker. "Think so, Greenie."

"Regardless, you should celebrate with us," Alby said while placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. "I think you'll have fun."

"W-What do you mean 'celebrate'?" the girl questioned, prompting Newt to walk closer and hold out his hand to her.

"C'mon. I'll show you."

After looking down at his outreached hand, the girl looked back up at Newt's face. There, she saw a boyish smile and deep brown eyes; his dirty blonde hair was messy, yet it seemed to fit him quite well. That smile of his, too. The girl had noticed that many of the boys there were good-looking - scarily so - but Newt was… Newt had a charm about him that the other boys didn't. Maybe it was his accent, which was different from all the other boys. Or maybe it was the fact that he was second-in-command and had this authority around him. Either way, those brown eyes and powerful aura of Newt's made the girl deliberately lift her hand to his.

Similarly, the moment their hands touched for the first time, Newt swore he felt sparks - sparks that signaled the beginning of something. Nevertheless, Newt buried that feeling and walked the girl into (probably) the craziest night of her life.

"That was… insane," the girl said after entering the hut. "You guys are amazing."

"We do what we can," Alby said, leaning against the doorframe. "During times like these, we need things that can distract us."

Regardless of the prison those boys had found themselves in, they sure knew how to party. Newt had brought the girl into a celebration, in which the boys cooked up a feast and drank themselves crazy; they all cheered, danced, and even flipped around a raging fire underneath the night sky. They were so full of life and laughter, and the way that they obviously enjoyed each other's company, warmed the girl's heart. Their happiness showcased their strength through such tough times, so it made the girl feel happiness as well. She ate her fill, smiled along with everyone else, and simply enjoyed herself despite not taking a single sip of alcohol (she just didn't want to faint again, y'know?).

It inspired her. Their happiness inspired something within the girl. Deep within her heart, she felt something as fierce as the raging fire. Those boys… This girl… She wanted to help them. She wanted… to see them smile again.

Now, after the party had ended, Alby brought the girl back to the place she had woken up in: the infirmary. Alby said that she could use it for the time being, because he wanted her to have privacy. Of course, the girl tried to tell Alby that she didn't need any special treatment, but he was adamant on giving her this. Therefore, not wanting to argue with him, the girl found herself standing within her new home with Hugo still right at her side.

"...Thank you so much for everything, Alby," the girl eventually spoke up after sitting in the bed. "I can tell you've done this greeting-thing for a long time now, and I'm thankful for all the work you do. You've made me feel really welcome. Safe, too."

"It's the least I can do for everyone," Alby remarked as he crossed his arms over his chest. "It's never easy waking up in this place. I just want to help make it a little easier."

"Well, my "easy treatment" ends tomorrow, okay?" the girl ordered with a smile on her face. "I want you to be of help to you all. As an equal."

For a few moments, Alby simply leaned against the door frame with a smile on his face. He stared into the girl's eyes, seeing something so new within them. Her blue eye on the left was so sincere, strong, and supportive; then, her brown eye on the right looked calm, concerned, and compassionate. This girl was unlike any Greenie that those bastards had sent up, and the question as to why, burdened Alby greatly. What did her presence mean? What was her significance? Who was she? Nonetheless, Alby smiled warmly at the girl - he liked those intense, brave eyes of hers.

"You're no normal Greenie," Alby said, "but I'll respect your wishes. By tomorrow evening, you will know everything about us and our ways of life. I hope you're ready."

Without wasting a second, the girl nodded with a bright smile. "Yeah. I'm looking forward to it."

"Good," Alby said and then turned away to leave. However, right before he exited the hut, he stopped himself in his tracks. He looked over his shoulder and pointed to the corner of the room. "Oh, hey, I almost forgot. You came up with a backpack on your back."

"W-Wait," the girl stuttered, glancing a confused eye over at the normal-looking backpack. "That's mine?"

"I think so. And, if it isn't, just give the supplies to us," Alby explained and then waved to her. "Well, I'm off. G'night, Greenie."

"Night, Alby." The girl waved back right as Alby closed the infirmary door behind him. The girl herself, though, didn't stay in one place for long: she immediately stood up from the hammock and walked over to the backpack. Hugo followed right behind her, sitting beside her when she kneeled down. The girl looked at him expectantly. "This was on my back when we came up?"

"Mph," Hugo let out a gruff noise in response.

"Wow, I… I didn't even feel it…" the girl muttered. "Still, we should open it, right?"

"Ruff!" Hugo growled, making the girl let out a snicker.

"Okay, okay. No more suspense, I got it."

Zzzip! The girl opened up the backpack with the zipper, and the girl and the dog quickly took a peek inside it. In there, they found a couple extra clothes, a comb, some hair ties, and one other thing… that startled the girl to the core.

"This is," she took the 'thing' out of the bag, "a piece of paper?"

The paper itself was folded, and in spite of her curiosity, her fingers quickly opened it up. But once it lay flat in her hands, the girl's eyes widened in amazement and puzzlement once she'd read over the note.

'Have hope and protect them.'