Hello reader! Thank you for being here! This story is an experiment for me as I have not yet read the books. This is a fan fiction starting from the very first gladers, based solely on wiki articles and references from the movies. As such, I'm sure it will be hard to tell what details I have changed on purpose, and which I am simply unaware of...
(Side note: chapters will be from POV of the OC)
That being said, I hope you enjoy!
There was nothing before this. When in later moments I would reach back into my memory, searching, grasping for what came before. I always came back empty handed.
The first thing I felt was hard cold metal mashed up against my face. Grate flooring that trembled and shook violently. The deafening rattle and the roar of passing wind and gears assaulted my ears. The smell of rust, oil, and sweat. I sprung up, gasping for breath, drenched in sweat. Bright flashes of light assaulted my eyes; bursts rushing downwards past me and disappearing farther into the darkness. In the gaps of light I could see boxes and the shapes of other people immerging around me. Coughing and shouts of confusion joined the din.
I tried to stumble to my feet but lost my footing. My head banged into the corner of some large crate. I started to cry out in pain but my dry throat caught and I began dry heaving.
What was going on? Where was I? Whatever kind of... box this was, it was going upwards, quickly.
The cries for help, the shouts of confusion and fear. I needed to get away from them. Escape. It was too much, too overwhelming. I tried to get to my feet again. I found the grated wall next to me. Sweaty fingers clung to it and I started to pull myself up. I looked up, trying to see an end to this hellish tunnel but it just kept going. How long had thus box been rising for, hurtling upwards past bright lights on the unwavering track.
I stared up into endless darkness one moment, the next, a large metal door slammed into place above me and the box lurched to a halt. Short cries of fear sounded then silenced. I almost fell over, corners of the grate digging into skin of my fingers. It burned, but not as much as the light that suddenly cracked open from above, splitting loudly and fiercely as if the heavens were tearing open the metal shell encasing my little box. I was forced to look away.
The heat was sudden that came with it. I tried to crack open my eyes, just a bit, to see what lay above. The latis work patterned the harshness of the glare as I looked up. Escape.
My hand reached up almost of its own volution and grabbed the box's fencing. Muscles strained as I pulled up, feet finding hold on the metal, and began to climb.
I reached the top of the box and pushed up. It was heavy, but not unmovable. I was right by the middle and able to push the corner of one side open enough to crawl out. Hand bare hands scrabbled over dirt and grass, trying to find a handhold. With one more heave I pulled myself up out of the box and breathed in a deep breath of air. It was fresh. As my eyes adjusted to the light and I found my feet again, I saw surrounding me a large clearing. A small hedge of trees stretching off to one side of... A wall? Four. Covered with ivy that made it about halfway up. I had escaped the box only to be put in... A larger box.
I found my small glimmer of relief immediately leave me.
Around me, others were beginning to climb out of the box. I pulled the doors wide open and started helping these other children out of the box. They couldn't have been more than thirteen or fourteen. They were scrawny and looked just as scared as I felt.
With the light from above, I could finally see the smaller box from which I had come from. It wasn't large. There were a few crates of different sizes and a few more children still cowering in the corners. There were one or two kind souls trying to help them out.
The voices began again. Crying, confusion, shouts for help. It was maddening. I began to stumble back. I had gotten out of one box. There must be a way out of this one. I start off towards one of the walls, but an arm grabs my arm.
"Wait! Everyone stop! Quiet down!" Only a few nearby children stop. I am among them. I look back to see a taller boy with blonde hair. He looks older than the others, like you could make out the dusting of hair on his chin. He looks annoyed with the general chaos. "HEY! SHUT IT!" Finally everyone stopped and turned to look at him. I yanked my arm away from him now that things were still.
A black kid pulled up a smaller Indian kid getting the last of the people out of the box. Now everyone was standing in the clearing staring at the tall blonde kid standing next to me.
He took a deep breath looking people in the eye one at a time. "Does anyone know what's going on?" The silence was deafening. The boy nodded, as if expecting this. "Does anyone... Remember anything? Before waking up in the box?"
A crushing weight settled upon me as I realized for the first time... I didn't. Remember anything. I should remember, things. Something. That's how things were supposed to be right? You don't just show up places. Something happened before. So why don't I know what happened before all of this?
As I look around for answers. Everyone else looks a mix of blank faces and horrified realization.
"Alright." The blonde boy nodded. "We're all on the same page then."
An Asian boy spoke up from next to me. "Great. So what do we do?"
"We find out as much as we can." The boy answered immediately. "Split up into four groups and each take a wall. Find out as much as you can then report back here.
"Five groups." The black kid in the back spoke up.
Blondie glared at him. Regarding silently for a moment. "What do you mean five? There are only four walls?"
"There's stuff down here in this box." The black kid argued, he seemed a not older than the others as well. More put together. "We need a fifth group to drag these out of here and see what's inside, we'll need supplies."
Blondie regarded him for a moment. "Fine. Five groups. You four with me. You in the back, you can take two to help carry boxes." Black kid pointed at the Indian kid he had helped before and a taller lanky kid with weird eyebrows. Blondie split the rest of us into groups of five and we set off.
It was time to explore our new box.
Chapter 2 will be coming soon! Feel free to drop a review below, I love hearing from my readers ^-^ Y'all are fantastic!
