Chapter 5
Charlie's POV

I woke to the sound of light snores coming to an end. It was methodical and relaxing after awhile and the sudden stop jerked me from my sleep. I blearily opened my eyes and scanned the room. I was still here with Newt. Why I wasn't in the medjacks hut I had no idea but I was rather grateful. I hated that place after spending so much time there. I saw Newt stretch and then start to leave his hammock. He limped heavily to the door and grabbed a spare set of clothes then left. I sniffed my arm and grimaced. I hadn't showered in awhile and I knew sooner or later I would be forced to by the others. They couldn't find out. I struggled out of the bed and limped over to the shelf by me. I found a spare tank top orange in color compared to my current red and a pair of brown pants. I looked around a bit more and found another towel. I opened the door and crept down the stairs and outside into the early morning light. It seemed as if almost no one was up. I knew Newt had headed to the showers and I could only hope he would have left by the time I made my way there. I only saw three other gladers up and about as I found the building with the showers. I opened the door and listened. Shuck. The water was running. Someone was still there. I sighed. Damnit. What do I do now? I waited and after five minutes I couldn't take it any more. The stench coming from my unwashed body was unbearable. I groaned and entered the showers. I scanned the area and found one of the 'stalls' in use and went to the farthest stall from theirs. I turned on the water, stripped and took the fastest shower I could remember ever taking. I dried off and threw on the clean clothes. I picked up my others and took them to the washing sink now fully clothed. I passed the occupied stall and made sure to keep my eyes averted and keep the limited privacy the place had. I started washing my clothes. Halfway through I heard the shower turn off. The footsteps of the person padded closer till they were standing next to me only a towel covering them. It was Newt. He started to wash his own clothes in the sink next to mine.
"Good morning greenie. How's the leg?"
I focused on my clothes and tried my best to keep my face neutral. His might be a weird position for a girl but it wouldn't bother a guy, I couldn't blow my cover.
"Little sore but actually fairly good. Yours?"
I froze. Why had I asked that? I stole a glacé and saw his face darken for a second before he turned away and busied himself with his own clothes. It took a moment before he answered.
"I think it's an off day but I'm fine."
I nodded. I wrung out my clothes and turned to him.
"Sorry, that wasn't my place. And I assume these are your clothes right?"
I gestured to the new tank and pants I was wearing. He turned to me and a small smirk spread on his face.
"Ya they are. I don't mind though. You don't have another set do you? Just the one right?"
I nodded.
"Don't worry about it then. Just don't steal them from me."
He winked and left. I stood there frozen. Did he suspect? Winking? No. No he did that to the others right? Damn this was all so stressful. I pushed it from my mind and grabbed my clothes then left the showers.

That day I went to join the Baggers in their job. We drug a large cow corpse into the forest and got to work burying it. When we had finished they led me to the pit and told me about how they were also the 'police' of the glade. They would lock up those who broke the rules and stand here guarding them. All in all it seemed like a fairly easy and honestly I preferred it over the others. When we had free time we could choose where to go and help out a bit. I found my self in the gardens after a bit of wandering and helped set up the next hanging garden. Whenever I was near Newt I could feel my face starting to heat up a bit but blamed it on the heat not the image seared into my mind of him at the showers winking at me earlier today. Stop it. This is stupid. You're supposed to pretend to be a guy! For crying out loud stop jeopardizing everything over a stupid crush. It was cliche to say the least, surrounded by guys of course a crush would happen. I frowned. I had to keep my head about me no mistakes. If they started to suspect any thing more than they did about my mysterious arrival there would be no one to keep me from being banished. And I knew with this shuck leg I wouldn't last the night. It was a shucking miracle I was even alive. The day ended quickly and I trudged back to the room I shared with Newt. Oh god. That factor had completely flew my mind. Before I could think on it more I felt a presence next to me.
"Hey there greenie, so did you like he Baggers?"
I turned away to hide my red face. After a couple breaths I responded.
"Honestly. I think I like them the most. Then I help out around where I feel like as well when there isn't much to do."
He nodded. We continued walking and eventually made it to the door. He opened it and gestured inside. "Ladies first greenie."
I froze my eyes wide. SHUCK! No. No shucking way. How the shuck did this shank find out. He started to laugh.
"What's with the look greenie it was just a joke. Calm down ya shank."
I breathed a sigh of relief and cracked a smile to keep up a semblance of cover and walked inside. I curled up on the bed and pulled the blanket up to hide my mortified and dark red face. I heard a few more chuckles and Newt climbed into his hammock. Before he went to sleep he said one last thing.
"Don't forget to put your foot up. Night greenie."
I shifted slightly and put my foot in the hanging loop then closed my eyes.

Dream
Whispering interrupted my peaceful sleep. I cracked my eye open and held in the gasp as I took in the glint of a knife by my face and the ropes that were being drawn closer to my wrists. I shot up from the bed and lunged for the knife. A cry of surprise escaped the boy who held the weapon as I twisted his hand till I had obtained it. The other two wasted no time in lunging at me with the ropes and I tried to dodge and keep my distance but the second managed to wrap my legs and trip me. I lay on my back the wind knocked from me. I curled and slashed at the one currently tying my legs together and scored a deep slice along both his lower arms. He cried out and let me go only to be replaced by the other. The first boy who had originally owned the knife returned and brought Alby with him. I froze. The leader was allowing this?
"We came to check on him and he attacked us with a knife. We tried to stop him tie him up but he keeps attacking."
I looked at Alby shocked.
"That's not what happened!"
He shook his head in disappointment. He gestured to the injured boy's arms that were staining the floor a deep Crimson.
"What is that then? Never harm another Glader. Our number one rule. We only have three and you've broke the most important one."
He shook his head again and sighed. Waving his hand at the three he nodded.
"Tie him up."
I sat there shocked, and watched as they roughly wrapped my wrists and ankles with the scratchy ropes. They jerked me roughly to a standing position and pushed me toward the door.
"Please Alby, you've got to listen to me."
"Shut it!"
I hopped over and tried to keep pace with everyone so I wasn't shoved. They led me closer to the open door. We reached the hole and continued on inside the maze. I was shaking. What would they do to me? Eventually we came to what at first seemed to be an exit. After a longer inspection I realized this was what Alby had called the cliff. I swallowed thickly. Everyone stood still and waited. I stared at Alby willing him to understand, to know that I didn't harm the guy in anything other than self defense. It was no use. He walked forward and gripped my shoulders and faced me toward the drop off. Then we started walking. It took forever and was too quick at the same time. We reached the edge and I blinked the tears from my eyes. My toes hung off the edge and I was still being slid forward.
"Please. You don't understand."
"I will hear nothing from your shuck mouth."
I took a deep breath and willed myself not to scream as I felt myself tip and fall. I fell for hours, minutes, years, time had no relevance. I couldn't see a bottom it was all the same. Then a final smack as I hit the invisible ground.

I flew from my bed and cried out as I swung from my leg which was still attached to the sling on the ceiling. My breathing was fast and erratic my eyes wide and I was still shaking. I took in my surroundings from the floor, my leg still raised up in a painful angle as I was slumped there slowly realizing I wasn't dead and it was all another horrific dream. The door opened and I jumped. I twisted around trying to look behind me at the door but was stopped by a pair of hands grabbing my shoulders and pulling me up. I was placed back on the bed and the hands reached up to release my trapped leg. I stared at the clothed chest of Newt. A chuckle sounded deep in his chest.
"How you get in these bloody situations I'll never know but it helps keep me on my toes that's for shucking sure. You're a crazy slinthead you know that?"
I sat there trying to get the shaking under control. He placed a hand on my arm and knelt down to look me in the eyes.
"You alright Charlie?"
I nodded. He furrowed his brow and studied me for a minute but I had gotten the shaking to stop so he just nodded in response.
"Good that. Come on it's time for breakfast, courtesy of Frypan."
I stood up and limped after him to the kitchens. I watched the giant doors open with the grinding rumble I'd grown used to. I shivered at the memory of the dream. I never wanted to walk down those corridors to that cliff. A hand in front of my face snapped me from my thoughts.
"You're starting to worry me greenie."
Newt stood there his brow still furrowed in concern. I was standing in an empty line as everyone had gone around me when I didn't move.
"Nothing's wrong. Just an unpleasant dream is all. I'm fine."
I walked forward and accepted the plate handed to me from the also worried Frypan. Seems they were calling to me for awhile. I walked ignoring the questioning stares from the other gladers till I reached a table that was currently unoccupied. I sat down and quickly ate the scrambled eggs we had for breakfast most days. When I had finished the meal I deposited my plate at the kitchen's sink then started toward the gardens for the second weeks work day. Once again I got absorbed in the easy patterns and barely heard the screams. I looked up and saw a group of builders dragging another glader toward the medjacks hut. I saw Clint running from the homestead to his position with the injured glader. I wondered briefly what had happened but brushed it off as a possibly bad cut during the slicer's day, or perhaps one of the builders got injured. I wasn't going to pry into their business as I didn't want anyone prying into mine. I seemed to be the only one with that mind set as the other trackhoes jumped up and ran over to join the growing group around the hut. I sighed as I watched them, then shook my head and went back to work. The screaming didn't stop though. It increased in desperation and fear. I looked back up at the surrounded medjacks hut and shivered as another gut wrenching scream echoed around the glade. Whatever was wrong with that boy must be really painful. I winced as I smashed my leg into a rock I hadn't seen. I decided as another scream ripped through the glade that I had to find out what was causing him so much pain. I pictured a griever ripping apart that kid in my dream and shuddered at the thought. Could it have been a runner? Could they be laying up there ripped apart but still suffering through the pain? I picked up my pace till my limping gait turned into a painful run. I met the edge of the crowd and listened to the whispers.
"What happened?"
"Who was it?"
"I heard it was John"
"Why was he out there?"
"Was he stung?"
"A griever got him?!"
"Shhh they're coming"
I looked up and saw Newt and Alby exit the hut. No one said anything. Another scream came from the hut and the anguish in the voice echoed and reverberated this close to the source. I restrained myself from covering my ears.
"As most of you probably already know, John was stung. Why he was outside in the maze, we don't know. You all know the rules, no one goes in that room. Now clear off and get back to work you shanks."
With that the whispers started again as the crowd dispersed. I stayed behind and stared at the building where yet another scream emanated from. Newt walked over and pulled my shoulder till I was walking with him back to the gardens. We went in silence then got back to work on the hanging garden. I flinched with each deranged scream but pushed it from my mind each time. I didn't want to picture the grievers or their play toys any time soon. Zart called the end of the work day and I watched as everyone headed to the kitchens for dinner. My stomach flipped and I swallowed the bile that rose in my throat. No way was I eating anything tonight listening to those screams. I walked away and picked up my clothes from the room then headed to the empty showers. I finished quickly and changed then washed my grimy clothes before returning to the room and laying there staring at the ceiling. I head footsteps outside the door and I quickly put my leg in the sling then closed my eyes feigning sleep. Newt walked in and climbed into his hammock. When his breathing evened out I pulled my leg from the sling and sat up looking out the window to the right of the bed. Another scream rang out.
"He's goin' through what we call the changing."
I jumped at the sound of newt's voice. I turned to look at him and saw he was still laying in the hammock. His eyes were moist and he couldn't stop messing with his hands.
"What happened to him?"
He shook his head.
"For some bloody reason the shank was outside the glade. A griever got him. They sting you, inject some sort of poison. If you get back in time the medjacks have a serum that's sent up from the box it saves their life."
He paused as another scream echoed.
"It's a very painful process though. And the shanks are never the same after it. Hence the name."
I nodded.
"How many have gone through the changing?"
"Those who are still alive? About five, the other four have either been killed by the maze or . . They couldn't handle it."
I was stunned.
"They remember things sometimes. Things they wish they could forget, and instead of telling us they . . . They took the information away, permanently."
"He turned to his side facing the wall. The conversation was over. I laid back down and contemplated the information I had just received. I was almost nodding off when newt's voice rang out again.
"Don't forget to put your leg up greenie."
I smiled and slipped my leg into the sling.
"Night Newt."
"Night."
And I drifted off into oblivion.