Sorrows and Stories

"I'd like you to meet someone, Hope.

"Someone very special to me.

"And I know that she'll find you special, too.

"This is…"

"A toy."

Despite the constant voices in her dreams, Hope had a good first week in the Glade. Three days after becoming a cook, the girl was still at it with Frypan: they prepared Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner together, so most days, Frypan was the person that Hope saw the most. Of course, though, she enjoyed his lively company and his knack for making her smile. Even Hugo enjoyed spending time with Frypan, because the boy would always give the dog little treats from time-to-time. The three became amazing friends, and everything seemed to be working out just fine. Or well, until something…

Changed.

On the seventh day, Hope noticed something strange with Frypan. He was less talkative, always looked like he had to force himself to smile, and merely seemed… distant. At first, Hope didn't want to think anything of it - she didn't want to be rude and point it out. However, the day after she'd started noticing this change, Alby pulled her aside during Breakfast to talk to her.

"Sorry for springing this on you, Hope, but I gotta ask," Alby looked straight into her eyes, "is there something going on with Fry?"

"Oh, thank goodness it isn't only me," Hope sighed in relief, making Alby show her an uneasy look.

"So you've noticed too, huh?"

"W-Well, since I haven't known him for long, I didn't know for sure, but… Yeah, I've noticed he's been a little…"

"Grumpy?" Alby ended for her. "Yeah, it's not only you. Even Gally and Newt have noticed that something's up. Fry's been on edge for a few days now. It got really bad yesterday, though."

Hope gulped. "Oh no… Did he lash out or something?"

"You could… say that," Alby muttered. "You know the fridge in the kitchen, right?"

"Mhm."

"Well, even though it's against the rules, the boys like to… take things from there. Snacks and stuff."

"And lemme guess: Frypan doesn't like that?"

"Usually, he just yells at them. He's not actually angry, just annoyed." Alby then started shaking his head. "But yesterday, one of the boys took something from the fridge, and… Fry got really mad. Like, fumin' angry. He even threatened to beat the boy up for it."

"Oh my gosh…" Hope said, looking into Alby's eyes with her own uneasiness in them. "A-And you don't know why he's acting like this?"

"No," Alby huffed. "Which is why I was hoping you did, but… I guess not."

"Is there something we could do for him?" Hope asked hopefully. "Anything to make him feel better?"

"I don't know. Frypan's a pretty secretive person," Alby explained while putting his hands in his pockets. "All any of us know for sure is that he loves cooking. It's his passion. However, that has its own setbacks, because-"

"Because he's the best cook here," Hope nodded, "and cooking something to help him feel better is kinda impossible."

Alby nodded right back. "Exactly. Still, I'm worried. Frypan's never acted like this before, and I don't know how to handle him. Asking him flat-out if there's something wrong would be bad, so…"

"Yeah, I… I get what you're saying," Hope empathized and then showed Alby a smile. "But, um, I should probably get back to the kitchen now. We're preparing lunch right now."

"Oh, yeah, of course." Alby started walking away. "C'ya later, Hope."

"Bye, Alby," Hope said with a wave. She then walked away herself to go back to the kitchen. Once inside, Hope saw Frypan chopping up some vegetables and dumping them into a big pot. Almost immediately, Hope strode up to him with a nervous yet kind smile. "H-Hey, Frypan. Is there something for me to do?"

"Your pile is over there," Frypan stated, pointing at a pile of vegetables off to his right. The action wouldn't have been so worrisome, however, if Frypan had actually looked away from his own pile; he just kept his eyes down, almost like Hope wasn't there. "Get to work."

"Al… Alright…" Hope murmured as she promptly went over to her station. Furthermore, for a few moments, the only sound within the hut was the chopping of vegetables. Usually, Frypan and Hope would be talking about random things. Anything, really. But, today, there were only knives, vegetables, and cutting boards. Hope glanced over to her left, seeing Hugo laying against the wall with a sad look in his brown eyes. Hope shrugged, not knowing what to do.

"Mph." But Hugo knew what to do. Once he let out an irritated grumble, the dog stood up on all fours and walked closer to Hope. He jumped his paws up onto the counter, surprising Hope, and then pointed his nose up toward the ceiling. "Ruff!"

"W-What is… Huh?" Hope let out a confused noise after noticing what Hugo was motioning toward. Hanging from the ceiling were five strange-looking… things. They didn't look like vegetables or fruits; really, they didn't look like food at all with their long, bumpy shape. Regardless, the moment Hope's eyes caught hold of them, something within her brain… snapped.

"They might not look it, but…"

"Hey, Frypan?" Hope eventually mumbled. "What are these?"

"Trust me, when done right, cacao beans are amazing."

Frypan let out a scoff, but looked over at her nonetheless. And upon seeing the brownish-red food in Hope's hand, Frypan let out yet another scoff. "Dunno. The box brought 'em when you came up, and I haven't figured out what to use them with. They're pretty gross."

"You just need to try."

"Could… I still use them, though?" Hope asked hesitantly, causing Frypan to give her a weird look.

"Why?"

"I just… wanna try something."

"Go ahead, I guess," Frypan huffed, continuing his cutting. "I got nothin' to do with them."

"Okay…" For some reason, Hope smiled. "I'll try my best."

"All you have to do, is…"

It was strange.

Somehow, in some way, Hope knew exactly what she was doing. The moment she saw those beans hanging from the ceiling, Hope knew what she was going to do with them. And sure, it was extremely strange that that woman's voice was telling her everything she needed to know. Every step, every fact, every part of the process was told to Hope by that mysterious voice.

"First, you have to cut the bean in half."

So, Hope cut each of the cacao beans in half.

"Second, you have to take out those gross insides."

So, Hope used her hands to take out the white, slimy insides.

"Third, you put the insides into a bowl. Any bowl will do, you just have to make sure to cover it up."

So, Hope put the seeds of the fruit into a bowl and covered it with cloth.

"Now, the fourth part is tricky. Not because it requires skill, but because it requires patience."

So, Hope placed the bowl in a secure, secret place.

"You have to wait a whole week for the seeds to ferment. And yes, it might be a little annoying. However, trust me when I say… it's worth it."

So, Hope kept the bowl a secret for a whole seven days.

"You're a very smart girl, Hope."

But every night, Hope would still hear her voice.

"No, no. This is how you do it."

Every.

"Hope… What happened?"

Single.

"Here. Come closer."

Night.

"Let me help you."

And, honestly…

"You're my toy!"

It started getting hard to sleep.

Still, Hope carried on through the week. She worked with Frypan (whose mood hadn't bettered), talked with Chuck, sometimes found herself talking with Alby or Newt, watched with relief when the Runners ran back into the Glade, and merely started her journey of fully settling into a routine. She had started getting a little less timid around all the boys, but was still quite nervous around them. It wasn't that she disliked them, it was more or less that… Hope believed she wasn't used to so many people being around her.

But besides that, on her fourteenth day in the Glade, Hope's seeds were finally ready. Therefore, after hearing her next instructions from the woman in her head, Hope lit a fire, placed the seeds onto a tray, and started roasting them. As they did, Hope looked up at the blue, cloudy sky. Her fire was placed in a pretty secluded area, so other than birds chirping and bugs buzzing, Hope didn't hear much.

She took a deep breath in and out, trying to wrap her head around this woman she called 'woman'. Who was she? Why was she hearing her voice? Were her dreams trying to tell her something? Why was she even having those dreams in the first place? Wasn't she not supposed to remember? Although, the more Hope thought about it, the more she realized that - maybe - no one had truly forgotten. Not everything, at least.

Frypan didn't forget how to cook.

Jeff or Clint didn't forget how to bandage up or treat wounds.

Zart didn't forget how to grow crops.

There was also everyone's personalities to think about. Despite forgetting their pasts, their distinct personalities stayed. Likewise, no one had forgotten how to speak or how to walk. No one had forgotten how to count or how to spell their own names.

To Hope, none of it made a lick of sense. This maze, those boys, their own minds made no sense whatsoever. It was almost like their minds were trying to tell them something, especially Hope's. Their brains tried and tried to help, but there was just something blocking it.

"What does all of this mean…?" Hope asked, turning her head to look at Hugo sitting beside her. "Why are we here, Hugo?"

However, before Hugo could respond-

"I've been askin' myself that same question for years." Just then, a familiar voice spoke up from behind Hope. Initially, the girl jumped and whipped her head around in surprise. However, after seeing Alby standing there with that soft smile of his, Hope's shock turned into embarrassment. "Heh, sorry."

"N-No, I'm sorry…" Hope stuttered. "I don't know why, but I, uhm, get scared easily."

"…Would you mind if I sat next to you?" Alby asked, making Hope shake her head.

"I wouldn't mind at all."

"Thanks," Alby said, stepping forward to sit beside Hope on her log. He then pointed his smile down at her roasting seeds. "What's this?"

"I'm…" Hope gulped. "I-I'm trying a new recipe?"

"With nuts?"

"J-Just trust the process."

"You're not giving me a very straight-forward answer, Greenie."

"Well…"

"Is it a surprise?"

"K-Kinda."

"For who?"

"For," Hope sneaked a guilty glance at the all-knowing Alby, "Frypan."

"Ah. Wouldn't have guessed," Alby stated, prompting Hope to quietly sigh in response. "Still, I won't ask what it is. I'll just 'trust the process'."

"Thank you…" Hope gave him a small smile and then looked back down at her cacao seeds. "So, um… W-What brings you out here?"

"What?" Alby smirked. "You don't like my company?"

"…W-Wait, what?!" Yep. It only took one sentence to drive Hope into full-panic-mode. "N-No! That isn't it at all! I-I enjoy your company, Alby! I swear! I-I just asked because I truly wanted to know! I'm sorry if that was rude of me! I-!"

"Pfft! Haha!" But Hope stopped her rambling when she heard Alby burst out laughing. With his hand covering his mouth, his body shaking with amusement, Alby could barely keep his feelings within. "Pfft, I'm so sorry for laughing! I just- Haha!"

"Al…" Hope tilted her head in utter confusion. "Alby…?"

"You're just so open with your feelings!" Alby wheezed. "And, I'm sorry, but I kinda - pfft! - did that on purpose!"

"Wait." Hope deadpanned. "So you… wanted me to freak-out?"

"Not necessarily, but… kinda?" Alby said while he finally started to catch his breath. Likewise, once his breath was even again, he showed Hope an apologetic smile. "I-I'm sorry, Hope. I've just had a really busy day, and I… I needed the distraction."

"Tch," Hope managed to snicker. "I'm happy to be of service."

"Yeah, I think… I think you're good for this place." But when Alby said this, Hope's eyes widened as she watched Alby's smile deepen. "I mean, of course, it's no miracle that you're trapped here. It'll never be. However, I'm still glad that someone like you is here. Someone so… generous."

"Hey, I'm…" Hope looked away bashfully. "I-I'm nothing special."

"But you're going out of your way to help someone else," Alby argued. "You're taking the time out of your morning to try and make Fry feel better. You didn't have to, but you did. You are. Something like that deserves recognition."

"I-I appreciate it, but really, this is nothing special," Hope continued to protest. "I-I mean, I don't even have the guts to flat-out ask Frypan what's troubling him. I'm just sitting here, taking the coward's way out, and maybe… Maybe I'm just…"

Alby looked straight into Hope's sad eyes. "Just what?"

"M-Maybe I'm doing this to… to just… make myself feel better," Hope ultimately confessed. "Maybe I'm selfish. Maybe I'm doing this for my own gain. Or maybe I'm just…"

"You're my toy!"

"Hope…" Alby placed a hand onto Hope's shoulder after she'd trailed off. "Hope, are you okay…?"

"A-Am I just," Hope's lip quivered, "something to be thrown- Hey!"

"Ruff, ruff!" Hugo barked after he had suddenly licked Hope's cheek. "Woof!"

"W-What did you do that for, Hugo?!" Hope questioned, placing a hand onto her now wet cheek. "You scared me!"

"I think he was tryna make you feel better," Alby acknowledged, causing Hope to turn back to him. Furthermore, while she stared into Alby's deep brown eyes, something within her… started to… "Hey, can I tell you something?"

Hope blinked. "L-Like what?"

"A story," Alby replied. "A story about… us."

"Only if you want to," Hope said with sadness still within her blue eye and brown eye. "I wouldn't want to… Y'know…"

"Hope, this place… wasn't always like this," Alby started, looking around at the trees and up at the sky. "In the beginning, we lost a lot of boys to chaos and fear. And although we eventually became controlled and calm, it will never change the fact that we're trapped. Every single time we look up at these walls, we remember that we can't get out. And, sure, we smile and we laugh together. Sure, we work hard and we make a life here. However, the fact we are effectively trying to get out, reminds us that this isn't our home. This is our prison. Our cell. So, every single time we laugh or we smile, it's to forget about the walls keeping us in. But again, we… we always remember. We always have to wake up to these walls surrounding us. So even though most of us don't show it, we're haunted by the maze."

Alby then looked down, a deep pain in his eyes. "However long you've been here for, even if you were the first one here, you can never escape. Not the Glade, not the maze, and especially not the feeling of dread that you have to wake up to everyday that you're trapped here. It is suffocating, Hope. It's really suffocating."

"Al-Alby, I…" Hope stammered, feeling intense sympathy and dismay run through her veins. "I'm so sorry…"

"And that. That right there is why we need someone like you here," Alby said, and when his eyes met Hope's, there wasn't any more sadness in them. Within his eyes, Hope saw… hope. "None of this is your fault. And Frypan being angry probably isn't your fault, either, but here you are. Here you are apologizing and trying your best to make someone feel better. So… So it doesn't matter if you think you're 'selfish' or whatever. All that matters is that you're selfless enough to try." Once more, Alby lifted his hand to Hope's shoulder. "So please, don't put yourself down like that. Just be you, Hope - that's all this place needs."

However, before Hope could respond, Alby stood up and walked away. Hope watched him leave, never taking her eyes off him until he was fully out-of-sight. Her heart was beating rapidly, while her body felt numb with emotion.

"Just be you, Hope."

'Have hope and protect them.'

Hope didn't know where her abrupt depression had come from. She didn't know why talking about helping Frypan to Alby made her feel so…. selfish. She didn't know anything, and yet after hearing Alby's words, Hope felt…

"Okay! Let's do this, Hugo!" Hope announced, taking a rag and picking up the hot tray of seeds. "I'll have to continue this later tonight, but I won't give up! And, tomorrow, we'll start the final parts of my plan!"

"Ruff!" Hugo barked joyfully while he followed behind Hope's determined stature.

Although, it seemed that Hope's newfound confidence wouldn't mirror itself within her constant dreams. After she'd finished grinding up the cacao seeds and adding sugar, Hope went to sleep like every night. And, as every night entailed, Hope had another one of her dreams. A dream where hope… was a nonexistent burden.

"Toys are meant to be thrown away.

"You can't be good forever.

"And you can't be selfish about it."

A/N: SnowyDragon250, Newt's limp will be addressed later, as well as Tommy's arrival (I'm trying to be a little secretive :+}). As for their ages (in this story, at least), Alby is 19, Minho is 18, Newt is 17, Frypan is 17, Hope is 16, Gally is 16, and Chuck is 13. Oh, and thanks for reading/reviewing! (^_^)