That evening, all the Gladers sat down at the bonfire. Sarah sat down, next to Ernest and Niels, and watched the dark haired girl across the bonfire. "Who is she?" she asked Niels. Niels followed her gaze, and shaked his head. "I have no idea to be honest," he told her. Sarah took in the crowd, and noticed they were the only two girls in the crowd. "Did you came in pairs too?" she asked Ernest. But he shook his head too. "No, all of us were boys, and we all came alone. I hope our leader will tell us more about your arrival. It's different from the others, and some Gladers are afraid. Even though you are extremely nice," Ernest told her, and another boy gave them a look that probably meant something like: 'Shut up!'. A tall, old boy stood up, and made a gesture with his hand. Immediately everyone stopped talking, and watched him. "That's Alfy, he's our leader, and will probably welcome you," Dimitri said, who was settled on Niels' other side. Alfy looked at Dimitri, and he became silent again.
"This is a day none of us will ever forget! This is the day the game is changed. And yes, apparently, this is all a game to the ones that created this Maze. We received a note from the makers, from W.I.C.K.E.D. It said that these two girls will change the game, they are the last ones they will send up, and they will ensure our safety, some way. The note also told us that we would get nothing anymore. No food, no supplies, we are supposed to keep ourselves alive, and the girls are our price. They wished us good luck with them," Alfy said, and he paused, creating an awful silence. "None of you pigs will touch these girls! They are Gladers now, and not your playtoys!" Alfy warned them, and Sarah realised she was lucky to have been taken by Niels, Ernest and Dimitri. Some other guys looked at her with far more intensity in their eyes. For the first time Sarah looked at the other girl, and wondered if she had been so lucky too. "I also heard whispers that these girls are indeed different. At least one of them has already learned her name. Please, girls, come forward and introduce yourself." Sarah looked at the boys, and they looked happy. "Go on, it's okay. We'll be here," Dimitri told her. Slowly Sarah rose from her spot at the edge of the bonfire, and she walked over to Alfy, seeing that the other girl did so too.
Sarah looked at the girl, and asked her softly, so soft none of the others heard it, if she wanted to go first. The dark haired girl stepped up, and spoke. "My name is Jessie. I have just turned 15, and I love working outside," the girl, Jessie, said. Alfy gave her a hug, and changed his view to her. "I am Sarah, I am 15 too, but I will turn 16 in two months. I love biology and I love being social," she told the group of boys. Then Alfy walked over to her, and gave her a hug. "Welcome, and don't let the boys get to you," he told her. Then Alfy took their place, and spoke again to the whole crowd. "Welcome Jessie and Sarah, and protect them like you would protect your brothers here! They are part of our family, and we will respect them like we respect each other. Any whisper of Jessie and Sarah feeling uncomfortable by any of you, and I will have you whipped by them. That is, if they want to do it themselves. Now, let's hear it for Jessie and Sarah, and welcome them!" Alfy shouted those last words, and when the cooks offered them drinks, he first came to them. Alfy took a cup, and handed it to Jessie. Then he took a second cup, and give it to her. At last, the cook took a cup, and gave it to Alfy. The cook went by everyone of them, and as soon as all the boys had a cup to, they raised their cups with Alfy. "To Jessie and Sarah!" Alfy said. "To Jessie en Sarah!" the crowd echoed.
Alfy nodded to the girls, allowing them to take the first sip. As Sarah did, the drink burned down her throat. "What is this?" she asked, and looking at Jessie, she didn't enjoy her drink either. "It's something Davis made himself. We only drink it on special occasions, like the joining of two pretty girls," Alfy explained. "It's alcohol," the guy next to them explained. "I'm Verin by the way, welcome ladies," he said, before turning to his friends again. "Alcohol? You give young boys alcohol?" Sarah said, and she gave her cup back to Alfy. "No way, I'm gonna drink that!" she told him, suddenly angry at the lack of his morality. "It's okay. We don't drink it often, but tonight we can celebrate! It's a party!" Alfy tried to explain, but Sarah just turned around and left them at the bonfire. She started walking, not caring where she went, and her mind was racing, spinning. How could their leader be so irresponsible? He was supposed to lead them! Not get them killed! Who would even give alcohol to boys at the age of 12. Or any boy that is, not even a 15 year old should drink it! She walked, and wandered, and heard a voice behind her.
It was Niels, he'd followed her down the forest. "Sarah, are you alright?" he asked her, o so carefully. "Yes? No? I don't know. I just don't understand this place! Who would do that? Party when two more people are thrown into this awful place without exit? Make the girls seem special, only so that the older boys will hunt us down and want us for their own? And his grin, didn't you see? Alfy looked at me like I was his, whether I wanted it or not! He gave me the creeps. I just want out Niels, I don't want to be here!" Sarah said, and started crying halfway. Niels hugged her, and told her everything was gonna be alright, as they slowly walked back to the field, where Dimitri and Ernest were waiting for them with sleeping bags and pillows. Sarah took them gladly, and found a place to sleep, save under a willow. She closed her eyes, and tried to forget where she was.
