The Princess and the Maze: Trials and Decisions
AN: And welcome back again, fellow Gladers! *big sigh* I know, I know… once again, I turned back on my promise that I would upload quickly, but I was nearing such a depressed and meltdown-y state these last months that I got scared and I forced myself to take a serious step back in order for my brain to get some rest before slipping into way uglier territory. Fortunately, Christmas and New Year helped me with stabilizing my moods again and I've even been writing here and there. Apart from this, there won't be a lot of posting in January because I need an intense university course to pass, but I have a break in February which I intend to use for uploading. Hopefully it will work as intended.
We recap: Stephanie has gotten the tour through the Glade and got into some serious fight with Alby. Plus, she met her first Griever. Will she be as anxious to get into the Maze? Let's find out. This is where Stephanie's life in the Glade becomes different from that of Thomas. Chapter 4 is a rather character-focused chapter, but Chapter 5 will be where some familiar action begins… *hint, hint*
OC is mine, the rest are James Dashner's babies!
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Just as Newt had assured Stephanie, it was anything but easy to integrate into the Glade. The first Job she attempted was Slicer… and she regretted it very quickly. It started off cute and easy, feeding the animals and helping out on the farm, but then Winston showed her the other side of the coin. He didn't expect her to slaughter the animals, but he explained the different cuts, ordered her to clean the Bloodhouse and made her deliver the meat to the kitchens.
Stephanie was glad that the cook, Frypan, immediately picked up on her distress after overhearing her puking and bawling her eyes out one day and served her vegetarian options. He didn't mind it, he guaranteed her, as a bunch of Gladers were vegetarians as well. After he had told Winston about it, the boy was a bit more lenient and made her work extra hard around the stables and animals. Winston was a tall thin boy with tanned skin and dishevelled black hair. But even though he was kind, his humour and demeanour were sometimes a bit weird and so, Stephanie was a little relieved when her time as a Slicer was over.
Next up was working with the Builders. Their leader was a sturdy boy named Gally, who was a good head taller than her and always looked as if he were suspicious of everyone. He didn't bother with small-talk and kept them on their feet as much as he could. Builders and their subcategory, the Bricknicks, were tasked with building and repairing the huts and houses in the Glade. Stephanie awoke with grievous back pain after just two days of work with them and quickly decided that she was not made to be a Builder either.
Things looked better for her when she worked as a Cook. As she already knew Frypan, the girl felt welcome and happy. The tall dark-skinned boy with a few pounds too many chatted and joked with her and the other boys constantly. Stephanie admitted that she loved chopping up the food and combining it to bring out amazing flavours. After a while, she even became accustomed to work around and eat meat again, something that pleased Alby greatly since she would be needing all of her strength to work in the Glade. The only downside to being a Cook was that she often had to stay up until late at night washing dishes and organizing the food for the next day where she had to wake up early. When her test days as a Cook were over, Frypan assured her that he would love to have her as a team member, but that he also wished her a long night of sleep.
The next job Stephanie attempted was Track-hoe. She made a face at the name at first, causing Newt to laugh for ten minutes before explaining to her that it simply was Glader slang for gardeners who were in charge of planting all the natural produce they could. The leader of the Track-hoes, a sturdy blond boy with a round, kind face named Zart, was a mix between Gally and Frypan to her. He, like Gally, expected them to work hard and as long as possible, but he also had the same relaxed and caring attitude as Frypan. He was patient with her as she learned the different seeds and made the hard work bearable by cracking jokes and telling her stories of the Glade. But although his company and the work pleased her, Stephanie decided quickly that her hurting knees and back were not worth it in the long run.
As her time came to try out for the Baggers, the teenager had to admit that she was a little scared. Their connotation with death made her remember Alby's fight with her and the graveyard in the forest all too vividly. But when she got introduced to the boys, whose Keeper was Billy, he and his buddies Jackson and Tim quickly made sure that she also learned of their other functions- to act as police, patrol and guards around the Glade. True, they constantly told each other dark jokes and creepy stories, most of which gave her nightmares for a bit, but as her shift ended, Stephanie was pleasantly surprised by them and kept that job in mind.
When it came to the next job, Sloppers, where Chuck worked, she immediately decided that she did not want to spend a second longer at it than necessary. The Sloppers were tasked with all the things that no one else wanted to do; taking out the trash, cleaning the toilets and showers and more tasks that Stephanie didn't want to think about too closely. It was clear that the Sloppers were not popular with the majorities of the Gladers who tried to make their life harder than necessary, though the others told her that they were being spared a little because of her presence. Though Chuck begged her to join him, she was 100% sure that no one would vote for her to become a Slopper.
But everything seemed to click into place when Stephanie turned to Jeff and Clint for her trials as a Medjack. She already knew the two since her first day in the Glade and had come by their infirmary a few times, especially after being a Builder. They greeted her warmly and were eager to teach her all about the procedures, instruments and medicines. Stephanie became enamoured with healing herbs and natural remedies. When Gladers came into their infirmary, they usually asked for her, which made her a tad uncomfortable, but Clint and Jeff only smiled at her proudly. When the girl left them, her big grin already told Newt and Alby that she had experienced the best few days of her life.
When Alby told her that her trials had ended, the girl was a little perplexed. "But what about being a Runner? Isn't that a job, too?", she asked, pointing at Minho and another Runner who were just crossing the huge doors. "No, greenbean.", Newt answered calmly, "No first-time Glader ever becomes a Runner. See, they are the best of the best. The smartest, the fastest, the strongest. You have to prove yourself for months before even beginning to be considered. Besides, have you forgotten the Grievers already? Trust me, an untrained greenie wouldn't even survive a day in the Maze, nothing against you…"
"Of course.", she replied. "So what happens now?" Alby explained: "Now we and the Keepers meet up to evaluate you. Based on where you did best, we'll put you into that profession. You can rest now until the meeting is over. I have to say, great job on trying out, you had a good run. We'll leave you now." Just as the boys were about to enter the Homestead, Newt turned around again and gave Stephanie a package wrapped in brown paper. "Before I forget it, I have something for you…", he smiled, "Hopefully it serves you well." It was a leather-bound thick notebook with a black pen beside it. "Thanks, Newt, you're the best!", Stephanie thanked him enthusiastically before the blond disappeared into the big house.
While the girl eagerly waited for the results, she sat down with Chuck to put her new notebook to use. First, she quickly sketched out the Glade and proceeded to jot down the different professions with their respective Keepers, not forgetting Alby and Newt. "So, now I need your help, my little man.", she then turned to Chuck, "Can you teach me all that slang you have? I feel so excluded not knowing what everything means…" The boy's face lit up like a star and soon there followed a one-hour crash course on Glader slang. The girl wrote down every expression carefully, feeling more and more like she truly belonged with each word that left Chuck's mouth. And then she heard Alby's whistle.
"It's time to face your destiny, greenie.", he called her, his face not betraying any decision. The teenager leapt up and ran to her leader who led her into the conference room of the Homestead. The Keepers were expecting her, sitting on chairs in a circle. After she and Alby had taken the two empty seats, Newt began to speak: "A few days ago, we received you in our midst, Stephanie. As strange as your appearance may have been, today you will become a certified Glader. You had to prove yourself to our Keepers. Some jobs evidently didn't suit you, others fitted you almost like a glove. But we've come to a unanimous decision…" He stopped briefly and then concluded with a proud grin. "Welcome, Stephanie, our newest Medjack!"
END CHAPTER 4
EN: Hurray, Jeff and Clint have a new companion! And you have a new chapter. Once again, I apologize for leaving you hanging for so long, but my brain was really in need of rewiring and relaxation. I hope I can present you a new chapter in February, maybe two if we're lucky.
I love you all so much!
Kisses and cake,
Yuna McHill