I woke by a stern nudge and I looked up and saw Minho standing there he looked impatient and nervous.

"What's going on?" I asked sleepily looking around the still dark homestead.

"Come on. Alby wants to talk with you." I froze as I struggled to get up.

"Did he find out?" I asked

"Sorta it's a long story, though." He said and began walking me through the crowd of sleeping boys. It must have still been very early. He led me away from homestead and I got nervous where was I meeting Alby? I wanted to ask Minho questions but the tension in the air was tight and thought I better leave it alone. We came to a small but like stretched the one Chuck had identified as the mapping room. We waited outside the door and I heard talking, there were others than just Alby in there. Some sounded angry others totally furious.

"Just tell them the truth and only say something when it's asked if you. There will probably be a lot of arguing between us all. Most of us are on your side, think." He said running a hand through his jet black hair, before looking down at me.

"Ready?" He asked

"It's that bad huh?" I asked listening to the other fight.

"Could be a lot better, that's for sure. Could be worse. Come on." He said and opened the door to the hut and the others in the room fell silent. There were three boys in the room not counting Minho. Alby, Newt, and Gally. I was ushered to where they stood off to the left of the building. I was told to sit on a chair pushed against a wall. Minho took up a stop beside Newt, and as the three looked at me I felt like I was being integrated. I crossed both arms over on another and let them sit in my lap. I stood straight in the frail wooden chair, it squeaked at every shift in my weight.

"I'm guessing you have a pretty go idea why your here." Said Ably firmly.

"I have some ideas, yes," I respond with as much confidence as I could manage. He nodded and crossed his arms over his chest.

"You've broken one of our rules, by now you must know we can't just let that go by unnoticed." He continued I didn't know what to say fear creeping is as my mind raced to all the horrible outcomes of my current and quite pressing situation.

"I know," I muttered looking at the ground.

"However." He said his words lift my almost crushed sites of hope. "You did something no one else here has ever managed to do. Tell me what happened with the geriver from the moment you saw it to when Minho found you." I said struggling looking for a straight answer. I nodded swallowed and tucked a piece of hair behind me ear.

"I had lost site of Minho when I heard how close it was, I panicked. Ran over to the nearest wall and buried myself beneath the vines. Seconds later it came around the corner, it slowly began to go by me, I prayed it would keep going. But it didn't. It scanned the area with a red light and without warning grabbed hold of my ankle dragging me from where I as hiding. It began to pull me, farther, away. It got me close enough to it, it tries to stab me with what looked like some long needle thing, I rolled out of the way. I cut it with one of the knives I had it let go and jumped to my feet and tried to run away. It grabbed me again in no time at all. I grabbed at the vines trying to pull free, it didn't work and the vine broke from the wall. This time, it didn't try to stab me just kept dragging me like it was taking me somewhere. I grabbed one of the knives I had stabbed at the arm until something broke. It let go and jumped to my feet and just tried to fight back. Stabbing and cutting at whatever I could. I had to jump away to avoid a likely painful collision with its arm. I found myself behind it and there was this flap of skin almost like a tail that hung off. It was stood out and for whatever reason I stab it. The thing let out a loud while then went limp. Not long after that Minho came around the corner and found me." I finally finished. The boys looked like they were thinking over everything I had said. Like they were trying to see if it made any sense.

"Alby no one's ever kill one of those things before, ever. How do we know she's telling the truth?" Asked a suspicious Gally I opened my Mitch to say something but was swiftly cut off by Minho.

"Because I saw myself. Dead geriver plain as day."

"Yeah but how reliable are you? After all, you thought you saw a dead geriver once before and look how that turned out." Minho stood there a dark look in his face before he lunged forward grabbing and swing his fist at Gally. Alby jumped between them shoving Minho and standing in front of Gally. Newt was holding Minho back until he calmed down.

"It was dead if bet my Shunkin life on it!" He shouted at the other boy.

"Relax Minho, Gally that was low watch yourself," Alby said the voice of reason.

"Look, I'm sure she's telling us the truth what reason does she have to lie?" Said Newt finally it was the first thing I had heard him say this whole time.

"I don't know. We can't just let her get away with breaking the rules like this. But no one else knows what happened and it will raise suspicion of the others if we throw her in the pit with it an explanation."

"Change her post." Suggested Gally. Arms folded over his chest.

"How is that any help?" Alby asked turning to face the dark haired boy.

"You put her with the builders. Hard labor should be punishment enough. Plus under my command, I guarantee she'll learn the importance of rules and respect. Something I doubt she learned picking fruit in the field." He said a cocky smile as he looked at Newt who looked quite angry.

"Shut your mouth, Gally. You talk about respect but do you have any?"

"More than you." He spat at the tall boy. Who then jumps forward angrily looking like he would gladly do what he had stopped Minho from doing. His arm was grabbed my his friend and he was held in place. He took a moment to calm down before speaking.

"What's your opinion on this?" Alby asked the blond haired boy.

"I think you should have her work with Jeff. She's good at it, bandaged Nick up well and seems to know what she's doing. While working with Jeff there will be someone to keep any eye on her and it helps Jeff likely needs."

"That ridiculous. Working with Jeff won't teach her discipline." Gally said wavering an arm in the air to make his point more pronounced.

"She's smarter than to go out there again. She's earned our trust here, done nothing but what's was asked of her since day one." Snapped Newt

"We can't just let her get away with breaking the rules because you have a crush on her." Gally barked back.

"Alright, that's enough!" Alby said rather loud. I kept my eyes on Newt though his ears turning a light red color and he ran a hand through his messy hair. Alby turned to Newt and looked him straight on. "Do you trust her?" He asked his second in command.

"Completely." He said without flinching Alby stood thinking about this for a moment.

"Alright. She starts work with Jeff today, but she will spend the rest of the morning in the pit, no breakfast." I felt relieve for what felt like the first time since I had walked in there. Minho was trying to hide a smile. He turned to me again,

"You will not break the rules again. This is hardly a punishment, you should be getting far worse." He said in a frighteningly calm tone. He turned to Newt again.

"Newt take her to the pit. Minho you stay here we're not finished yet, and Gally." He said turned to face the angry looking boy.

"Go do something else." With a huff, he walked from the building. The taller boy came up at my side and showed me to the door. Outside I still couldn't see the sun or the lighting sky. I wondered what time it was.

"How early did you guys wake up for this?"

"Never went to sleep." He said with a weak smile ad we walked the grassy plain.

"Say have you been avoiding me?" He asked catching me off guard.

"N-no." I stuttered as we came up to the stone building. I spared a quick glance at him and he was already looking at me with disbelief.

"Alright I was, but only because I was afraid of how you knew I went in the maze." He sighed and offered me a half smile.

"That's what I thought." He said as he unlocked the door to the cold stone building.

"In you go." He said swinging his arm inside the building. I looked at him not wanting to go inside. "I'm sorry but you have to." I waited another minute before stepping closer to the dark room. Slowly I stepped inside and watched the door get locking in place behind me. I expected Newt to turn away and go back to homestead to sleep. But instead, I watched him lean back against a wall and slide down it until he was sitting in the grass.

"Shouldn't you be going back to homestead to get some sleep?"

"I'm wide awake now. By the time I acutely fall asleep I'd have to wake up again." I didn't say anything after at. I didn't know what to say, I was locked in a room and he sat there with the key. But he got me a lesser punishment and by the sounds of everyone's ideas, it was likely the best.

"Thanks. For helping me out back there. I would have probably been in some pretty hot water if you hadn't." I said sliding down the wall to sit on the opposite side of the wall where Newt sat.

"You're welcome." He said and it got quiet again.

"Killing a geriver, that's incredible. If I'm being honest I think the reason Gally was being such a shuck-face was because he didn't get to do it himself." I laughed but the horrible image of the geriver still burned in my mind. Chasing me forever.

"About what Gally said in there, he's just a shank I'm sorry if any of it made you uncomfortable." He said and I felt blood bubble into the tops of my ears.

"No I-I was totally fine," I said sounding far more awkwardly happy then I wanted to.

"Oh, okay." He said sounding surprised. I dropped my head to my knees. What was happening here? After a while, the quiet grew tense like one was wait for the other to say something first. I yawned leaning my head back against the wall. I was still very tired from begin woken up early. I let my eyes fall shut and waited to hear someone talk.

"Do you think we'll ever get out of here?" He asked and my eyes shot open. The very same question I had been asking since I first got there.

"I hope so."

"I stopped hoping a long time ago."

"How long ago?"

"Two years give or take a month."

"How long have you been here?"

"Coming up on my third year." He said with a hollow laugh like it was a joke.

"How many people have died?" I asked seeking an answer I probably wouldn't get.

"Too many. I've lost count. But we can't slow down because of them. We'll mourn them after we've survived all of this." He said like it was something he lived by. The tense began to grow again and I jumped on the first question I had.

"Do you ever have weird dreams?" I asked regretting the stupid question as soon as I asked it.

"If by weird you mean seeing a tap dancing geriver then yes." I couldn't swallow my laughed, it felt nice to laugh not like the normal hollow mood I had.

"No I mean like, when you hear voices. Like a song, you can't get what they're saying out of your head."

"I can't say I have, what does this voice say?" He asked sounding like some kind of doctor.

"They just kept talking about the cliff, it is the cliff."

"What is the cliff?" He asked repeating my words.

"I don't know and that's what bothers me. It's stupid but then that's why I went in the maze."

"It's not. I can surely tell you in your current situation I would have done the same thing." I smiled.

"Thanks." It got quiet again and this time, I thought it would stay that way the tension was gone and a gentle feeling of warmth filled it place.

"You have a very nice laugh by the way." It caught me off guard.

"What?" I asked far too loudly for it to have been subtle curiosity. He cleared his throat sounding almost uncomfortable that I pressed it.

"Your laugh, it's pretty, sweet. Not like the wicked cackle you usually hear around hear." I laughed again then slapped my hand over my mouth.

"See." He said with his own chuckle.

"Well, yours isn't a cackle. It's nice, too, your laugh." Oh my god why? Why did I say that? Dropping my head into my hands I heard him laugh maybe it wasn't overly stupid.

"Smooth wasn't it?" I asked laughing to myself.

"Better than me. And likely half the other guys here." He said trying to make me feel better about my failed attempt at whatever this was. There was a call from across the field, Newt and I recognized it as Minho. He stood up and I looked at him through the barred door not bothering to get up.

"I better go see what he needs. I'll be back to let you out soon." He said, but paused as he got up and looked at me through the barred door.

"Please don't avoid me again. Things are better when you're around." I didn't get to respond before he began his jog towards Minho. With the rest of the morning left to wait, I let myself lay down and shut my eyes tight, pretending I wasn't in a cold, dark, cell-like building.

when I woke up, it was lighter and the sun was beginning to make an appearance above the walls. I groggily got up to sit, thinking about how my day might go. I heard something not too far away and turned to see Newt walking back to the pit swing the keep on his finger. As he approached the pit I quickly stood up scrambling to my feet and waiting in front of the door.

"Well, your time is up." He said unlocking the door. I wasted no time before almost jumping out. "You ready for your first day as a Med-Jack Greenie?" He asked with a smile as he tucked the key back in his pocket.

"Definitely, especially if it means leaving that shuncking place," I said looking over my shoulder as we walked away from the gray stone building.

"Here." He said handing me something wrapped in a cloth. I took it and unfolded the rag from around whatever it was he had handed me. A large bun was amounts the cloth. I looked up with a confused smile.

"I thought I wasn't getting breakfast?" I asked looking down at what was likely a very good and tasteful loaf.

"You're not." He said with an over exaggerating wink. I managed to laugh before tearing off some of the bread and plopping it in my mouth.

"Thank you," I said after I swallowed my first bite.

"You're welcome, best finish that before you run into Alby." He said scanning the grounds for the boy he named. I was led to homestead and met with Jeff before Newt left. He was overjoyed when I explained everything to him. I believe his exact words were along the lines of

"About bloody time they give me some help around here." But I knew he was glad to have a friend around, he was too social a person to be alone all day. The gladers might have been a rough bunch but the day was slow and barely anyone came in with any injuries. I spent most of my day just talking with Jeff. He gave me the low down of how everything worked and how to treat typical injuries. He said I would be learning on the job, this was far better than working in the field. Jeff and I sat on empty cots across from each other. He had me measuring out herbs and medication.

"I can't believe I got off so easily. I thought I'd get something way worse." I said quietly.

"I've asked you a million times now and I still can believe it. You're lucky you have friends in high places."

"Yeah well it was still a fight. Gally certainly doesn't like me and Alby just needs to stay neutral."

"Well, you have both Minho and Newt on your side. Newt is second in command now, you're lucky he keeps such a close eye on you."

"I'm sure he'll give up on watching me after the next Greenie comes in."

"I'm not so sure about that. He likes you, more than you've cared to see."

"Everyone keeps saying that over and over. It's like that's the only thing to talk about here, is this silly roomer."

"If enough people are saying it, it might just be true."

"Do you think that another Greenie will come up again?" I asked breaking the silence I wasn't aware had grown between us.

"Of course, I mean after Chuck the box came up with only supplies. Then it came up with you. It should be coming up in a couple of days. Not only that but it will symbolize our third year here."

"Is there any kind of celebration?" I asked with climbing curiosity. Jeff smiled,

"I hope. Last year we were given the day off. This year who knows." He explained. I finished up with the medication and put everything away.

"Jeff?!" Called a painful and sore voice. Jeff stood up and I followed him down the hall to the room where the boy, Ben was. He was laying there tugging at the restraints. Jeff walked over to him and the boy looked at him clear. No long looked sick he had healthy eyes.

"Can you unhook me?" He asked tugging on the straps again. Jeff lifted the boys shirt and looked to where he had been stung. No odd coloring nothing just a small scab from the needle mark.

"You look good to me." He said and began to undo the boys restaurants. He sat up and stretched.

"Go get something to eat, I'm sure there'll be a warm welcome for you down there." He said walking the boy from the room. I waited at the door and saw the boys confusion upon passing me.

"Wait a minute." He said and turned to face me.

"What exactly have I missed?" He said one eyebrow raised.

"Right, Ben this is (Y/N) our newest Greenie," I smiled and said hello to the dazed boy.

"The one time something acutely happens and I miss it. Who do you belong to?" He asked and my smile fades away fast.

"I'm sorry, what?" I asked sounding harsher than intended.

"Sorry, I didn't mean any offense. But you're in a pit full of guys, surely one of them has shown interest." I crossed my arms over my chest.

"No, acutely they haven't," I said looking to Jeff who just shrugged and continued to walked Ben out. I walked back into the room of cots. Jeff came back in soon after. I hovered around the room doing small jobs before Jeff finally dismissed me and we headed down to dinner. I was still greatly bothered by that boy's comment. We gathered down food and I waited for Chuck to find me like he typically did. Surely enough the curly haired boy found me and Jeff and took up his seat.

"Where have you been? I almost thought you had gone in the maze again."

"What made you think I hadn't?" I asked pointing my spoon at him.

"Minho hasn't gone out today. And you're not crazy enough to go out there alone. Are you?" He asked concerned. I couldn't help but laugh.

"No, I don't think I'm that crazy."

"Maybe." Said Jeff as he sipped water from his glass and I shot him a confused look. Chuck smiled, hiding his laugh.

"But where were you?"

"Well for the morning in the pit. The rest of this morning I've been helping Jeff."

"Why were you there all day?"

"Right no one knows." Said Jeff with a smile "(Y/N)'s my new assistant." He said happily like it made him better than me.

"I think I'm more like your partner," I said shooting him a glare.

"Wow okay, so you can say I'm sick and get me out of work." Chuck beamed

"Not if I have any say in it." Correct Jeff as he looked at the boy suspiciously.

"Well, you missed Alby telling everyone about the calibration next week."

"What?" Jeff and I exaggerated confused looks.

"Three years in the glade is worth celebrating. Alby said it'll be nothing big, large fire some wrestling, also we only have to work half a day that day." He announced giddily.

"Well it's time somethings fun happened here." Was all I could think to say.