It was time, another month, another new Greenie. The leader of the Gladers, Alby, along with his right hand, Newt, and Gally, Keeper of the Builders, stood at the Box, waiting for it to finish its journey to the Glade. All the other boys stood back, talking amongst themselves, wondering what the newbie would be like. A few moments went by until the large doors slid open, the box stopped with a loud clang. But Gally and Newt didn't open the grate, they didn't move; they just looked down into the Box, confused. The Gladers jostled about behind them, forming a circle, trying to see. "What the bloody hell?" Newt whispered, leaning forward not believing what he was seeing. Alby kneeled, peering through the grate holes at what lay inside. "Open it," he said, his voice deep with worry. Gally and Newt flung the grate doors open. The other boys started panicking, backing away from the Box. "It's… it's a girl!" "Was she dead?" "Why was she tied up?"
The girl lay deathly still on the floor of the Box, her hands bound by thick rope. She had bright, blonde curls, which spilled all over. She wore all black with a gold dog-tag necklace that hung from her neck. She was breathing, but only just. Alby and Newt looked at each other, worry plain on their faces. Alby sighed, deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose from stress. "Gally, go get her." Gally nodded at his leader, then jumped down, carefully approaching the girl. He smirked, slightly. She is beautiful, he thought. He took her hands and used his free hand to pull out a knife, cutting the ropes. Gally winced when he saw the injuries on her wrists. "We'll need the Med-jacks, she's hurt." Suddenly, the girl stirred, her eyes struggling to open, but it was enough for Gally to see them. Deep pools of blue that made him catch his breath. She looked at him a moment, then fell asleep. "Gally," Alby addressed him, warning lacing his tone. Gally shook his head, lifted the girl into his arms, and held her high enough for Alby and Newt to grab her. The Med-jacks, Clint, and Jeff examined her for any other injuries. "Take her to the Med-Hut. Everyone else, Council Hall. Now!" The Gladers winced at the angry growl in their leader's voice but obeyed. Newt glanced at Alby nervously, then followed Gally and the other boys.
Once everyone had filed into the large hut, Alby closed the door with a loud bang, then turned to address everyone. He stood with sharp eyes, crossed arms, and spoke with venom in his voice, "If anyone, anyone, touches the girl, they'll be spending the night with the Grievers. Banishment immediately! Understood?" Everyone shuffled about, discomforted by this unknown anger from Alby, but they all nodded in answer. He turned to Gally and the other Builders, "I want you all to figure out a new hut for her. I'm not putting a sleeping girl around a bunch of boys." One builder snorted, but instantly hung his head when Alby looked at him like he'd kill him. Gally nodded, then asked, "Where is she gonna sleep until then?" "Newt and I will figure it out." Newt looked over and nodded once. "One of us should guard her or something while she sleeps," he suggested. Alby pondered this a moment, then another boy spoke, "What are we gonna do about a Keeper?" "Do I look like I'm worried about that right now, shank?" "Now everyone shuck it and go back to work!" Alby snapped, causing the Gladers to run out the door.
Newt placed his hand on Alby's shoulder. "I know this is wacked, but you need to calm down a little." Alby nodded. Then Newt smirked and said, "I'm proud of you for worrying about the girl the way you did." The two boys chuckled and smirked at one another when the door flung open. Clint stood there and spoke quickly, "She's awake, but she's freaking out." Then a loud cry of pain sounded throughout the Glade, followed by Jeff yelling. The boys, as well as all the Keepers, bolted over to the Med-hut. Clint went to walk in first, but Jeff all but fell out, bumping into him. "She's tucked herself into a corner and won't move, and that was after she fell off the bed and dragged herself. Threw a container at my head." There was a line of blood on his face, which he wiped with a cloth. Alby, Gally, and Minho, Keeper of the Runners, being the strongest of the boys, stepped forward. "Everyone but Newt go back to work, we don't need to crowd the girl." Newt, Clint, and Jeff followed behind, peering around the hut. Jeff pointed over to where the beds were, and there she was; pressed into a little ball, breathing heavily and wincing. "Hey, are you okay?" Alby asked gently, taking a step forward. The girl grabbed a scalpel and held it out in front of her. "Woah, woah, woah! Put that down, it's okay!" The boys started yelling, backing away. "Alby, what do we do?" Gally asked. "Stay away from me!" the girl yelled. They all glanced at her, surprised. "We're not gonna hurt you," Newt said. "Yeah, right!" Gally grabbed Alby's shoulder and whispered to him.
"And if she starts swinging?" he asked Gally. "Yeah, I don't think this is a good idea," Minho said. "How else are we gonna get near her? And if she's got other injures, she needs to be cared for," Newt spoke. "I got this," Gally said. "Maybe I should do it instead. No offense Gal, but you're shucking intimidating; you might just make it worse." Gally glared at Newt. "Shuck it. Besides, she saw me earlier, I'm going." And with that, Gally started walking over to the girl. She started swinging the small knife, but Gally reached out, no hesitation, and grabbed her arm. "That's enough," he growled. Shockingly, the girl didn't move. She sat there, looking at him. Recognition sparked in her eyes, and she blinked rapidly. "No one is going to hurt you; we just want to help. Jeff said you got other injures, so we need to…" When he said this, the girl panicked and pulled her legs closer to her, wrapping her arms around her. She cried out in pain and tears sprung in her eyes. Gally glanced back at the other boys. Newt and Alby looked concerned, Clint and Jeff stood as far as possible, and Minho looked ready to charge, in case the girl tried to hurt Gally. He looked back at the girl, feeling bad that she was scared enough to protect herself, despite being in pain. He softened his grip on her arm, gently stroking it with his thumb. "Look, I get that you're scared, but we really want to help you. Your legs hurting?" he asked gently. She sniffled and nodded. "Where?" She looked at him again, staring, then pulled up the bottoms of her jeans to show random bruises. Then she placed her hand on her upper right leg and rubbed it softly, wincing in pain.
"Can our Med-jacks come look at these?" he asked her. The girl sat there, looking at her injuries, then at the two boys from earlier. She shrugged. Gally gestured for Clint and Jeff to come over. They grabbed bandages, aloe, then slowly walked over. Once they crouched down to look at her legs, Gally went to stand up, but the girl grabbed his shirt. Her eyes were wild with fear, and she looked ready to cry. Gally looked at her, frowning, wondering why she wanted him to stay, then figured it was because he was at least familiar. He sat back down and put his hand on her knee, reassuringly. The Med-jacks started spreading aloe on her bruises, talking to her quietly about how long, roughly, her wrists should be healed. When they finished, they went over to Alby and Newt. Gally asked the girl if she wanted to get up, and if she could stand. She said yes, but that her legs felt heavy and swollen. "I can carry you, if you want," he offered. She thought about it, then nodded. Once again, he carefully scooped her up, then sat her on the bed. Jeff handed her the aloe and told her to put it all over any bruises they couldn't see. They left a bowl of water and rag for her too in case she was bleeding. "We'll all be outside, so let us know when you're done. Okay?" She nodded at Alby, then asked Gally if he could lift her legs up, so she could lie down. Once he helped her, he followed everyone out.
"Safe to say she doesn't trust us, and I don't blame her." Alby said. He told Minho he could leave, then turned to Gally once he'd gone. "I want you to go back to work too. Start worrying about the hut for her." "I guess, for now, she'll sleep here. Newt, you had the right idea about a guard, so I'll take a sleeping bag and camp out here." He looked at Clint and Jeff. "Not that I don't trust you guys, but until she starts trusting us, I'm not taking any chances with any of you." They nodded. "I'm done," the girl's soft voice said from inside. The boys walked back in to see her rubbing at her leg. She looked tired and sad and didn't look at any of them. Newt looked the most concerned. "I'll stay with her; I don't want her by herself." Alby glanced at Newt, chewed his lip, then dipped his head toward the girl, turning to leave. "I'll be out here then." The Med-jacks left to get some food, Gally followed Alby out, and left for the Builder's hut. Alby sat, pondering everything that happened, when a few of the Gladers approached him. "Hey, she's got supplies of her own. There're a few boxes of stuff labeled, "For her" on them. We went through them after getting our usual supplies out." Alby cocked his eyebrow. "What kind of supplies?" "Clothes, some box labeled "Women's Health Only" so we didn't touch that. And a bunch of big, empty books with pencils and writing stuff, not sure what it's all for, or why they sent them with her, but they're for her," Winston, Keeper of the Slicers, told Alby.
He sighed and told them to bring it all over here. As Alby watched them, he glanced, nervously, behind him. What did it all mean?