The next morning I woke up to someone shaking my shoulder. I suddenly sprang up out of my ball I had been sleeping in and nailed someone in the head.
"Ow!" pain shot through my head as it bashed into someone else's. I veered my head back holding my forehead. I pulled my hand away and opened my eyes to see one of the boys sitting there holding his own forehead. It took me a moment to recognize him as the boy I had bumped into, who come to the aid of the sick boy with Alby.
"Well, that hurt," He said pulling back so he was far enough to get a better look at me while he rubbed his head.
"What's going on?" I asked sitting up so I had a better looked at the boy.
"I'm here to wake you. Time to start your first day of work greenie." He said standing up and offering me a hand. I took it and he helped me up from where I lay on the sleeping bag on the floor."Names Newt, I'm the keeper of the fields, which is where you'll be workin'."
"(Y/N)." I said and shook his hand, "Pleasure." He led me through the room of sleeping badges and pillows away from where my own sleeping spot was hidden away from everyone else.
"What's a keeper?" I asked as we made out way outside and I shielded my eyes from the early morning sun.
"Someone who runs a specific work group. Makes sure everyone stays on task, does what they're supposed to. Keepers are in charge of training the greenies and stuff like that. So on and so forth." He explained I expected to be brought straight to the fields but was brought to the dinner area first having forgotten breakfast I was happily surprises. I gather my food the same way Chuck had shown me the day before. I took a seat at an over crowded table and the boy, Newt took up a seat across me. I didn't realize how hungry I was until I started to eat something. Surprisingly the food was very good and I wasted no time eating.
"He might not look it but frypan really is a miracle worker," Newt said to me and I couldn't help but laugh. Then we continued to eat for I didn't have anything to say.
"What exactly will I be doing in the field?"
"Depends on what needs to be done. Could range from planting to harvesting. Might need you to bring some things to frypan who knows." I nodded not to concerned with the affected the job would take, sounded easy enough.
"Now I know it doesn't sound like much, but considering your doing it all day in the hot sun it becomes exhausting."
"Thanks for the warning," I said trying to muster a halfhearted smile. It was quiet until I finished my food and let question after question pass through my mind.
"Good that." He said standing up from the table "Should we get going then?" I stood up and followed him out the door. He led me to the fields just where Chuck had shown me yesterday. There were already a few boys there but they were just sitting around, that is until Newt came to the group they then spring to their feet and got to work. He walked up and talked to one of the boys I still remained behind. I reached where he was talking to a tall dark haired boy.
"(Y/N) this is Zart he's supposed to keep the others in line when I'm not here." The boy sheepishly looked at the ground and stuttered a hello. Newt then put me straight to work, picking peas from the long row of vines that we're all tangled around poles. It wasn't hard but having been bent over the whole time made my back ache. I did menial jobs mostly picking things. I was then told to Collect rot from around the plants and distribute it amongst the others. Then I was sent to dig up weeds from amongst the plants when I looked down the rows all I saw were weeds. I was handed a buck and trowel and told to get to work, this Newt guy wasn't as gentle a boss as I first thought. After my second hour had passed of pulling weeds from the tagged mess of underdeveloped carrots I plopped myself down in the grass to give myself a short break. The entire back of my shirt was drenched in sweat along with my forehead. The hot sun had been shining down just as I had been warned. I was so tired my arms were sore from pulling and digging and my legs hurt from begin bent over, not to mention my back. As I looked to the sun I was begging it to fall down below the walls and deem the work day over. But it still remained high in the sky almost taunting me with the hours I still had left. I let my eyes wander back to the stone door and I watched as a pair of boys came jogging back into the Glade. Runners, I thought Chuck did say they were the only ones allowed to leave the Glade. I couldn't help wondering what was outside the walls what kept us in here.
"Good work Greenie." Someone said from behind me and I quickly scampered from my sitting position to my knees, to see Newt standing there, smirking.
"It's alright you've earned a little rest." He said with a laugh. I shut my eyes and sighed with relief, as I plopped back down.
"Thank you," I muttered sounding tired as I felt.
"Too bad, you still got lots to do." He said with a smirk as he walked away. I couldn't help but glare at him angrily as I watched him walk away not doing much work himself expected to tell everyone else what to do. Must be nice being a keeper, I thought. I looked down the rows of plant life again and saw how much I still truly had to do. The entire row covered and the two after that were the same. I hadn't bared to look behind me and see what I'd missed. With an exhausted groan, I fell back into the grass and draped my hands over my eyes. Why did I listen to Chuck? I pulled myself back up and pulled off the sweat covered shirt I was wearing and tied it around my waist. It felt better wearing just the tank top I had underneath. A lot cooler for sure. I continued digging and pulling until the oversized bucket was beyond full. Newt was nowhere to be found so I found the other boy, Zart.
"What do I do with all these weeds, I can't fit any more in." He looked up suddenly from where he had been working. Looked from the bucket then to me, then the bucket then to me again.
"Uh, we normally g-give them to the farms." He said pointing to where the animals roamed inside wooden pens.
"Thank you," I said he gave me a nodded the quickly went back to his work. With both arms holding the bucket I dragged it over to the farm. One of the boys saw me and wasted no time to take the buck and give it to the animals. He looked very content with the amount as he dumped it in a feeding toff. He handed the bucket back and continued to pet one of the pigs as they enjoyed digging into the feast of pesky plants. I then jogged back to the fields and got back to weeding. I got past one row and started into another bucket already half full I kept running into sharp thorny weeds I'd prick my fingers in the edges but managed to use the trowel and avoid injury. Upon digging under barry bush I grabbed a particularly large weed and yanked it from the ground, but I didn't know was how close my hand was to one of the sharp weeds. When I pulled my hand out with the weeds I sliced the top of it along a thick thorn. I yelped and dropped the weed once I pulled my hand free. There was a long sketch on my hand it was indeed bleeding. I winced and pressed my hand to the thigh of my pants while I bit my lip waiting for the pain to lessen.
"What happened?" asked someone from across the line of bushes.
"Just scratched my hand," I said waving off the other boy.
"Is it bleeding?" He asked I looked down and saw the steady flow of blood from the cut.
"Just a little." I lied.
"Here." He said tossing me the cloth.
"Wrap it in that, then get back to work." I was wrong about the thought of concern the boy had it was a just annoyance. Using the cloth I bandaged my hand and tied it tight using my teeth and other hand. I then got back to work, looking under every bunch before I started pulling. I looked up as saw the sun starting to make its descent downward and I could help but smile. When I looked around I saw the others not doing much most were sitting there talking with one other, watching as two others were hacking at a tree stump. When I heard footsteps to the right I saw Newt heading back to the field.
"Alright everyone, you can finally leave now." He said with a smile as all the boys stood up with a hoot and smiles as they split off in different directions, all away from this place. Relieved I stood up and stretched my legs that ached I could hear a light piping noise as I bent them. I picked up the bucket and put it back where I had first found it on a table. I turned around about to make my way to the bathroom for a much need shower when I was stopped by none other than the keeper himself.
"Is the bucket empty?" He asked trying to hide a smirk.
I sighed running one hand through my hair
"No," I said and turned around to pick up the bucket.
"What happened to your hand?" He asked, this time, sounding concerned.
"Nothing just scratched it on a thorn," I said looking down at the white fabric and seeing the heavy red color bleeding through. He studied my hand for a moment.
"Go see Jeff, when you're done. Looks like it hurts." He said and turned and left. I had no comment for him after that, headed straight for the fame and dumped the weeds in the troff. I had no intention of going to see Jeff until I thought I could ask him about being a Med-Jack. Instead of gathering my things back at homestead I went up the set of weak and frail stairs. At the top, I was blocked by a dark hair boy who wore an angry scowl.
"What are you doing here?" He asked defensively.
"I'm here to see Jeff. Cut my hand, I was told to have it looked at." The boy glared at me then at my hand.
"Looks like your fine to me. Who told you to have it looked at?" He asked.
"Newt did," I said just wanting to get past this boy. He waited still starting at me with the same hateful glare before he stepped aside.
"Go ahead." He sighed "Jeff!" He shouted and the skinny dark skinned boy popped his head out of one of the rooms. He smiled when he saw I was there to met him and her welcomed me into the room.
"Didn't think I'd see you back for at least another day. So tell me what did you do." He said with a smile after shutting the door behind me.
"I cut my hand while working in the field. Nothing major." The boy nodded the went about the room snooping for what he needed. I took a seat on one of the empty cots and looked to see the other boy, the one I had bandaged up still sleeping away.
"What's the guy in the hallways problem?" I asked.
"Who? Gally? He's just an uptight shuck-face is all. Don't take anything he said personally. He's like that with everyone." I nodded looking around the room.
"Jeff, I wanted to ask you about becoming a Med-Jack?" He stood up from the table with a bottle and cloth in each and a confused looked on his face.
"You want to be a Med-Jack?" He asked sitting down on the cot across me and unwrapping the makeshift bandage I had.
"Yeah. I just spend a whole day out in the field and think I'd be a much better Med-Jack than a farmer. I mean I was able to patch that one boy up, Nick I think someone called him."
"You did a good job on him I'll give you that but I'd have to talk to Alby about it. It would be nice to have some help around here, though. Ever since I lost my partner I've been doing two times the work." He said wiping the blood away with the dry cloth.
"You know what I'll talk to Alby see what I can do." He smiled as he dumped the contents the bottle onto a cloth.
"This might sting a little." He said before pushing the cloth to my cut. The second the new and unknown liquid touch my cut a severe stinging feeling buzzed through my whole hand.
"Ow." I yelped it hurt almost as much as the cut its self.
"Sorry but this will-"
"Keep it from getting infected I know," I said clenching my teeth.
"How do you knew what?" He asked looking amused. I stopped and thought about it for a minute unable to come up with an answer.
"I'm not sure, just do. Like how I know to apply pressure to a bleeding wound and how to properly dress one." He nodded then got up
"Alright, I'm going to go get some bandages. Do me a favor. Check on Nick there I want to know if his fevers worse than yesterday." He said as he walked from the room. I kept the cloth balled up in my hand. I got up and walked to the boy who was sleeping on a cig across the room. He looked worse than yesterday skin a yellow color, his eyes had deep purple circles around them. I notice the odd color of the veins on his neck deep purple and blue. I reached out and felt his forehead. It was much warmer than the day before. He looked like he as in pain. I looked back to the veins on his neck and pulled the side of his short caller down to see where they seemed to meet. His skin grew from a yellow to purple and blue and I saw a small make in his skin where everything seems to meet. Like he has been injected with poison and it was taxation out from that point. I learned in to get a better look at it when an arm shot out and grabbed my throat. I was thrown backward onto the floor. Nick had both hands on my throat I felt him squeezing so hard I could berth let alone make a sound. I was kicking and at him and tried to pry hands off my throat with my own. His eyes were crazy bloodshot and almost yellow and red in color. I looked beside me for somethings anything. Blackness was starting to cut in around the edges of my vision. I was clawing and fighting with all my might but this boy was crazy it was no use. He kept pushing down on my throat I knew he was trying to kill me. I heard a shouted but even it sounded weak. My fingers wrapped around something I wasn't sure what it was but I brought it up hard with all my might against the boys head. But he grabbed my by the throat and bashes my head to the floor. Most of my vision was becoming black now but I was still fighting with all I had. I color hear anything anymore just the pounding of my heart in my chest. I saw a pair of hands rip the other boy away from me and his grip released from my throat. I gasped for air and rolled onto my side. Coughing and heaving. My arms were shaking all of me was. Before I could tell what had happened I blacked out and darkness became everything.
"When I woke up I had a splitting headache. Slowly I managed to open my eyes. I was staring up at the ceiling of homestead. I looked slowly tries to pull myself to a sitting position. I brought one hand up to my head and felt the few layers of bandage wrapped around my head.
"You're awake!" I heard a voice exclaim. I looked over and saw Jeff he happily took up the chair beside the cot I lay in.
"What happened?" I asked feeling the sore pain that came with the movement of my neck. At this, the boys smile faded.
"You passed out." He said looking at the ground. "You've only been out a few hour." He told me leaning back in his chair. I looked out the window and squinted past the candle light to see that darkness has overtaken the glade. "How are you feeling?" He asked filling the silence that had grown between us. I turned and looked to him again.
"Alright, I guess. My head hurt and so do my-" I was cut off by a terrible whaling from down the hall. Screams of pain and anger followed behind it. Jeff mumbled something under his breath then jumped to his feet and ran to the door. I remained in my room and listen to more screaming. I knew it was the boy, the one who had attacked me. The horror of his screams pained me. He shouted like he was dying but from the looks of his wound he probably was. I waited there in the dimly lit room waiting for more screams to follow, but none did. They stopped. Voices did, however, cut through the thin walls. It sounded as though they were in the next room, I couldn't make out words just different sounding mumbles. One was high and meek, I thought it was Jeff. Another sounding strong and deeper. no one else spoke when he did, Alby. Another angry and loud, I didn't recognize it but my best guess was it was the boy from earlier, Gally. There was only one other voice, somewhere between the other with that distinctive accent, none other than Newt. They all sounded like they were arguing, getting louder and louder with each turn. Then someone shouted.
"Enough." It was loud enough that I knew it was for sure Alby, all the others quieted down. There was more talking and I leaned into the wall to listen as best I could but heard nothing. It has grown very quiet and the tension in the room must have broke. It was started by a loud gurgling noise and felt beyond stupid when I realized it was my stomach. I then stood up from the bed and felt my head sway a little as I got to my feet. I made my way to the window and saw the kitchen still had light shining from it. There was still a chance to get something to eat. I made my way to the door when I stopped by none other than Newt. He looked at me suspiciously.
"Where are you going?" I was taken aback for a moment unsure of what to do.
"Uh. I was going to get some food. Haven't eaten since breakfast." I told him.
"Well, then that makes two of us." He said and turned back to the hall. Confused I remained in the room.
"Are you coming?" He called and I rushed from the room and down the flight of stairs to catch up. He led me to the kitchen and I saw it was distressed, not a single other glader there. He went around the counter where we normal collected food and dug around below like Jeff looking for supplies. He came back with a bowl of something. It seemed to be like a small rice and bits of vegetables and dried meat. Great full I took the bowl and began eating. It reminded quietly for a while. Then I looked out past the building to the walls the large towering stone that trapped us there.
"Whats outside the glade?" I asked not taking my eyes from the large stone.
"The maze." He said without hesitation,
"Maze?" I asked looking back to him.
"Yup, one giant stone maze. It never ends and there is no exit."
"What happens in the maze that gets people sick?" He looked down at his bowl shoving the food around.
"They're called grievers, they're the reason only runners can leave the glade and the reason no one's ever survived a night in the maze." He paused thinking about something.
"They will tear you to shreds if they ever catch you. If you're fast enough you can get away you can live but if you get stung you go through something called the change and if you don't get back here to be treated you'll die."
"You treated Ben but the other boy, Nick he's he been treated yet?" He looked down into his bowl deep sadness overtook his expression.
"No. We can't help him now."
"I'm sorry," I told him looking to his eyes but he wouldn't raise his won to met mine.
"So am I." He looked up now and met my eyes. They were a deep brown color that seemed to forever go on. I realized I had been staring a little too long and looked away fast.
"Best be getting you back to homestead. I'm sure Jeff's worried about where you are." br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Why can't I go back to my sleeping area?" br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Jeff orders. Says he wants to keep you there for tonight." I nodded and he stood up and grabbed the bowls and brought them back behind the counter.
"I'm giving you tomorrow off." He said as we made our way back to the towering building.
"I guess possible brain damage earns anyone a day off." He laughed.
"Don't think I give days off easily. You can ask any of the boys about that. You'll be surprised to know not many of field works like me as a keeper." I couldn't help but laugh out loud at this.
"No, I believe them," I said as we walked through the tall grass.
"Am I really that bad?" He asked sounding overly offended.
"Yes and no. You're nice, you just pile on the work is all."
"Alright." He said with an overzealous nod. "I'll keep that in mind." Quietly we made our way into homestead and up the fragile stairs. I went back into the room I had walked in and expected to be alone but Newt followed me in. I sat down back in the bed and untied my shoes and pulled my feet up into the bed. He took a seat in the chair where Jeff had been sitting.
"Shouldn't you be getting to sleep?" I asked.
"I can't and I won't sleep probably not until this situation with Nick comes to an end."
"I guess that makes two of us," I said with a smile as I echoed his word.