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By the time Scout woke up the Glade was already alive with activity. She could hear Frypan banging things together in the kitchen, Gally yelling at the new greenie, and Chuck's bright, sweet laugh.
It wasn't uncommon for Scout to be the first one up. In fact, it happened so often that she had taken to running around the entire Glade a few times to 'Scout' out the surroundings, hence her nickname. It was also not uncommon for Scout to find herself in a bit of trouble for doing so.
Scout pushed herself off the knitted hammock, feeling as slight sting as the material grazed her sore backside. Standing up she looked around, noticing that all the other hammocks were emptied, what time was it? How long had she slept? Making her way outside, Scout had to put her hands in front of her face to allow her eyes to adjust to the bright sun. She jumped when feeling a hand on her shoulder, rubbing at her eyes in order to see who the stranger was.
Alby chuckled at the little girls reaction. Her hair was matted up on top of her head, creating a mane around her face. A year ago Minho had fixed her a brush out of a few branches and a piece of wood from an animal crate. It had worked for a while but then mysteriously disappeared when it was used on her bottom after a particularly horrendous tantrum. Now Scouts hair was a ratted mess most of the time, brushed out only when Scout and Chuck would sit quietly by the fire before bed, with Chuck absentmindedly picking out all the dirt and twigs from her long hair.
Alby crouched down to look at the little girl who had now regained her sight. He sighed, looking at her with raised eyebrow.
"I heard you got you got yourself in a bit of trouble last night didn't you" Alby said, wrapping his arms around her small frame and lightly tapping at her bottom.
Scout pouted and pushed his hands away, "I didn't mean to…" she muttered under her breath, refusing to look up at him.
Alby stood up, looking down at her with softer eyes, "I know," he agreed, "but no more running away after dark, you here me?" he said, raising a questioning finger at her.
"Yeah Alby" she acknowledged, a second later her face lit up and she found herself running in the opposite direction, "I gotta go find Chuck!" she called, "see ya Alby!" Alby scoffed and chuckled to himself at the same time, knowing that was the closest thing to an understanding he was likely to get.
Running through the Glade, Scout looked around for her chubby, cherub looking friend. Looking through the kitchens, the builder's huts, and being chased out of the gardens, Scout finally found Chuck down by the creek, washing pans from the kitchen.
Chuck was humming the tune of a song that Newt would sing on nights that he would drink too much of Gally's special recipe, jumping around and allowing Scout to climb on his back on occasion.
"The fox went out on a chilly night,
He prayed for the moon to give him light,
For he'd many a mile to go that night,
Before he reached the town-o, town-o, town-o,
He'd many a mile to go that night,
Before he reached the town-o.
He ran til he came to a great big pen,
Where the ducks and the geese were put therein,
"A couple of you will grease my chin,
Before I leave this town-o, town-o, town-o,
A couple of you will grease my chin,
Before I leave this town-o."
He grabbed the gray goose by the neck,
He threw a duck across his back,
He didn't mind their quack, quack, quack,
And their legs a-dangling down-o, down-o, down-o,
He didn't mind their quack, quack, quack,
And their legs a-dangling down-o.
Then old Mother Flipper-Flopper jumped out of bed,
Out of the window she cocked her head,
Crying, "John, John! The gray goose is gone,
And the fox is on the town-o, town-o, town-o!"
Crying, "John, John! The gray goose is gone,
And the fox is on the town-o!"
Then John, he went to the top of the hill,
Blowed his horn both loud and shrill,
The fox he said, "I better flee with my kill,
Or they'll soon be on my trail-o, trail-o, trail-o!"
The fox he said, "I better flee with my kill,
Or they'll soon be on my trail-o!"
He ran till he came to his cozy den,
There were the little ones, eight, nine, ten,
They said, "Daddy, better go back again,
'Cause it must be a mighty fine town-o, town-o, town-o!"
They said, "Daddy, better go back again,
'Cause it must be a mighty fine town-o!
Then the fox and his wife without any strife,
Cut up the goose with a fork and knife,
They never had such a supper in their life,
And the little ones chewed on the bones-o, bones-o, bones-o,
They never had such a supper in their life,
And the little ones chewed on the bones-o."
It was enough to give Scout the chills. When Newt sung it he had always done so so cheerfully, giggling and dancing about, but watching Chuck quietly hum the song while sitting by the creek in the dark forest suddenly gave it a different meaning, and Scout didn't so much like this version. She fidgeted nervously, wondering if she should go back.
"Scout?" her name was enough to snap her out of her anxiety.
"I…" she faltered, "I just came down to see ya, I wasn't watching you or nothing".
Chuck smiled, "Ya I know, wanna help?" Quickly Scout hurried down the hill and grabbed the pot that Chuck was holding out to her, stopping short to give him a good smack on the head.
"Owww!" Chuck exclaimed, reaching his hand back to cup at his abused scalp, "wha' was that for?!"
Scout stuck her tongue out to him and made an obnoxious face, "You told on me yesterday you little shuck, I'm not going to play Greaver and runner with you anymore…" she added under her breath. Chuck looked down, ashamed.
"Only cause I didn't want you to get hurt, come on you promised me you let me be the Greaver today, you always catch me too fast when I'm the runner". Greaver and runner was a game that they had made up years ago. It was a simple idea that almost exactly mirrored the game tag, only in their version, one person was the Greaver and one person the runner. If the Greaver eventually caught up with the runner, it would result in a dramatic death scene that involved the runner falling to the ground, frothing from the mouth and then eventually lying still until the Greaver claimed victory. Some of the other boys would frown down at them for it, but it was one of Chuck and Scouts favorite games.
As mad as Scout had become by Chuck's actions yesterday, she found it impossible to ignore his pleading eyes and regretful posture. He was a stupid shuck but she loved him.
"Fine." Scout stated, "but if you don't catch me you have to do all my chores for this whole week," she challenged.
Chuck let out a rye smile, then bit his lip saying shyly, "If I win you have to marry me when we're big".
Scout shoved her friend so he stumbled a little in the creek, "You won't catch me shank!" She called behind, running out of the forest and into the glade.
"You just watch," Chuck called after her, laughing. Scout was faster than Chuck, that much was clear, but Scout's task was to find a hiding spot to wait Chuck out as he search around, that was most important when facing a Greaver.
Scout had slept so long that it had already started to get dark. She heard the quiet chatter from the workers in the Glade and the steady gusts of wind flowing through the woods. Scout smiled as she brushed her hand against the wall as she ran, getting farther and farther from Chuck's sight. She had to win, she couldn't marry Chuck! Yuck! Sure they were best buddies but boys were gross and she didn't want to have to take care of him all the time.
Reaching the opening to the maze, Scout ran through just to the very opening of it. This way she could hide from Chuck but if she spotted anyone coming she could quickly duck out, avoiding the harsh punishment that came with entering the maze.
Scout giggled as she heard Chuck come closer, his coughing and heavy panting revealing himself. Chuck put his hand up to the wall as he tried to steady himself, causing the wall to shake somewhat. The movement startled Scout but wasn't enough to stir her from her hiding place. The wall shook again and again, and Scout became annoyed.
"Stop Chuck," she told him, as she was starting to get frightened.
"What?!" She heard him call to her. It was then that Scout realized it was not her friend that was making the wall shake but the wall itself. Scout began to panic as the walls began to close. She tried to escape feverishly but quickly found that her hair had become entangled in one of the vines wrapping around the wall.
"Chuck! Chuck!" she called out, "I'm stuck help me!" The walls were almost completely shut now, sealing Scout in a concrete tomb. The walls rattled as they made there way towards each other and Scout closed her eyes as the bang of the doors closing echoed around her.
"Scout…" she heard a small voice. She opened her eyes and saw Chuck, her Chuck, her best friend in the entire world had locked himself in the maze as well, following her cries. He look frightened, almost confused at to what he had done. Chuck now realized just as much as Scout that there was no escape, they were both certainly going to die. No one had ever last the night in the maze.
Scout burst into tears as her friend helped free her from the vine.
"I'm sorry Chuck I'm sorry! It's all my fault! I'll marry you I'll marry you I'm sorry!" she sobbed as he clutched onto him. Chuck was silent for a few moments. "Shhh…" he whispered almost inaudibly as his breathing grew heavier. Then they heard the familiar click click click of a Greaver's feet on concrete.
In the morning when the doors would open the entire Glade would be waiting there, hoping that there was some tiny chance of survival for the two smallest members of the camp. They stood ridged as the walls began to creak open. Alby did not wait for the others, and as soon as there was enough room he shoved himself into the maze. His hand covered his mouth and he stared down in horror. Chuck's eyes were glazed as they stared up at the sky, a tiny trickle of blood, came out of the corner of his lips, a Greaver leg lodged into his abdomen. He lay on Scouts lap as she stared down at him, petting his curls and not daring to look away. She was crying and singing a tune that Alby recognized.
"Then the fox and his wife without any strife,
Cut up the goose with a fork and knife,
They never had such a supper in their life,
And the little ones chewed on the bones-o, bones-o, bones-o,
They never had such a supper in their life,
And the little ones chewed on the bones-o."