Gally lay face up on his hammock, looking up through a hole in the tent covering. The tent covering spanned the space of three hammocks, his own, Newt and the new Greenie. As he stared blankly up at the stars sparkling above him, he had nothing better to do than think.

Some new Greenie; a girl? Why a girl?

Alby had no idea and seemed to be acting as if nothing had changed. But it had! A girl after seven boys? Was this some sort of new pattern? If so, what was the point? No matter what Alby said, girls were still not as useful as boys were. They couldn't lift anything heavy and they weren't too great with knives. What would she be able to do for them in the Glade?

Gally tilted his head to the left and looked over to where the girl lay now. After they had left the Med Jack hut, he had slung up her hammock just as instructed. She had crawled into it without another word to either of them. Newt had warned him not to say anything else to her; Gally had huffed out his reply, he had nothing else to say to her anyway.

He could just see her head poking out from under the blanket Newt had given her. It was a cold night and she was tiny enough to need all the coverage she could if she was to stay warm. One hand was visible, gripping the side of the hammock, her knuckles white. Gally scowled and looked away, turning on to his side to get to sleep.

As he closed his eyes, he pictured her once again in the Box, her hair a mess and fear in her eyes. She had looked just like any other boy had when they first came up out of the Box. The screaming had set her apart though. Picking her up had been nothing, she hardly weighed more than the crate of chickens. She would have to bulk up if she expected to make it around here. Her tiny waist and thin shoulders would not help them if they expected to build up a society here.

That was what Alby was going for, right?

A place that vaguely resembled a home. Alby meant to ease the blow of the bizarre new existence and constant confusion with order, routine and discipline. So where did the girl fit in?

The idea Alby had teased him about earlier suddenly crawled its way back into his mind and he felt his face burning up. He tossed off his blanket and lay flat, his chest bare to the wind.

The one thing that a girl could do that a body could not. That was to bear children. That was what Alby had meant when he differentiated the genders and he expected Newt, Minho and himself to watch out for her. The boys could get lonely and the idea of a girl…

Gally sat up, swinging his legs over the right side of the hammock to touch the solid ground; he needed to breathe. He rubbed his hands over his face and looked out to the Door. It was shut, of course, closed off for the night. Hopefully, Minho could shed more light on that tomorrow; Alby had finally decided to let him go. The groan of the walls shifting almost seemed like background noise to him now. He had been here five months now and he wasn't exactly overjoyed about being accustomed to the strangeness of it. The idea that this place was a maze, a puzzle they were meant to solve, raised more unanswered questions. Gally could not help but kick the ground angrily. Was it all a sick joke or was there some deeper meaning here?

"Gally?"

The voice startled Gally out of his thinking and he whipped around, suddenly aware of his bare chest. Eve had poked her head out of the blanket and was staring at him. Her wide eyes were unblinking and strangely bright in the darkness.

"Did you hear something?" He was surprised her whispered words reached him. He recovered from the surprise and turned away, rolling his eyes at the fear in her voice.

"No," He meant to add, mind your own business, but he decided that less was more.

Silence.

"Oh,"

Gally rolled his eyes and turned back around, throwing his legs back under his blanket.

"You afraid of the dark or something? There isn't anything to hear," He stopped as he looked at her, about to say more. She looked so tiny wrapped up in the blanket. Something about her face reminded him of all the feelings he had experienced on his first night in the Glade. He had been just as scared as she had been. Everyone took it differently; that's what Alby had said. Gally covered his body once more, his right hand under his head. He looked up at the sky once more, refusing to turn to her.

"Go back to sleep," he tried to keep his voice as soft as possible, but it was tense through grit teeth. He did not get a reply and after a few minutes, he snuck a look over her way. She had once again burrowed under the blanket and he could only see the top of her head. He scowled and turned around, falling asleep soon after.

The morning dawned grey over the mist-soaked Glade. Not many of the boys were awake yet; the sun had barely peaked the wall. Gally, Newt and Alby were gathered by the open Doors with Minho; the black-haired boy was strapping on his harness backpack, checking over each clip once more. The tiny contraption contained water, some food, a scrap of paper and a stick of charcoal. Alby made it clear that he was only going in to look around.

"Map anything you can and be careful that you don't get stuck. Mark your way so you don't get lost and be back here an hour before those Doors close, understand?"

Minho nodded. He was excited at the chance to finally explore the walls beyond the Glade. But he knew the risk at hand and he was wise enough not to take chances.

Newt stepped forward and handed Minho his knife. The blade was a bit rusty and the handle was starting to mould, but it was one of the first that had come up.

"That's for… just in case," Newt shrugged and took a step back. Minho nodded and stowed the blade at his side.

Gally chipped in all he could.

"If you find one of those… things. Don't bring it back here,"

Minho nodded once more. He understood and was ready to take off. He waited for the last word from Alby. The first in command nodded, his arms folded across his chest.

"Godspeed Minho, get back safe,"

Minho smiled and turned to face the open Door. The mystery of the path ahead was only enhanced with a distant cry deep in the walls. Minho looked back once more to nod a short goodbye before jogging past the doorway and beyond. Alby and the rest stood by the Door until Minho slowed to turn right at the end of the passageway. Then he was gone.

And they could only hope he would make it back.

Alby shook his head and turned away.

"Winston should have gone with him,"

The two of them going in together had been the original plan. But Winston had sustained a deep cut on his face from his scuffle with Gally last night and Alby decided he did not want to risk the smell of blood beyond the Glade. It seemed like overkill, but Alby was covering all his fronts.

"Don't worry Alby, Winston will join him tomorrow. Minho is smart, he knows what he's doing. He won't try anything stupid," Newt, ever the voice of reason, took a few steps away from the Door.

Alby nodded his head and followed his lead. The rest of the boys were beginning to wake up, ready to start yet another day in the Glade. Gally strode ahead, catching the attention of Winston and the two made their way toward the woods. Now that Winston was free, they were going to continue work on the roof; there was no time to waste. Newt broke off to the right, in the direction of the garden. He was working on another section for more tomatoes, new wood stalks would need to be cut down to size. The job would most likely take him the rest of the day and into the next.

Jeff was just coming out of the Med Jack hut and Alby steered in his direction, catching his eye as Jeff looked around the Glade. The two met in the middle.

"You checked Eve last night?" Alby had not yet had a report from the Med Jack and was eager to hear it now.

Jeff nodded, rubbing the back of his neck with his right hand, the other on his hip as he looked in the direction of the hammocks. The girl could just be seen, laying in her hammock.

"She's fine. Nothing broken, everything seems to be in order. I mean, she's even got a resting heartbeat now,"

Alby smiled, but waited for the Med Jack to continue; there was more. Jeff sighed and let his hand drop.

"She won't eat. I mean, she's not refusing, but she's already tried to eat breakfast once. She couldn't keep it down," Jeff lowered his voice as if someone was listening.

Alby raised an eyebrow, looking over to Eve. The girl looked so peaceful, but he trusted the Med Jack.

"She hasn't eaten anything since?"

Jeff waved vaguely in her direction.

"I told her to try to get something down, but I don't think she's having any luck with it. I mean, it's nothing to worry about, she's in shock. Her body needs time to adjust. I'm just a little worried,"

Alby was getting frustrated with Jeff.

"Why?"

Jeff ducked his head and gestured again to Eve.

"Well, I mean, look at her. She's as thin as a twig. If she doesn't eat more soon, she's gonna end up getting sick. You know how cold it can get at night. If she doesn't bulk up soon… well, she won't be able to work if she's sick. She'll be dead weight…," Jeff's voice trailed off and he looked back at Alby. He was chewing on his thumb, taking in the Med Jack's words.

"Have her eat as much as she can today and we'll get her blood pumping as soon as we can. After some work, she'll get hungry. I won't force anything on her, but you're right. She needs to build some muscle if she's going to survive. Thanks, Jeff," He tapped the Med Jack's shoulder before turning in the direction of the gardens. When the girl was ready, he would take her to Gally.

It did not take long for Eve to eat a small portion of her breakfast and relax enough to let it settle. That was all she was able to take for the moment and Alby took it as 'good enough'. He was able to explain to her as much as he could about the Glade. The boys, the Box that came up every month and the walls surrounding them. He did not use the word 'maze' as he was still not quite certain of that definition yet. So much of the outside was still unknown, even to him. But he assured her that they were figuring it out and Minho would be back tonight with more information.

"So, you don't plan on staying here?"

Alby shook his head. He and Eve sat atop the rocks by the dead fire from the night before. She sat a few feet from him.

"No, we believe there is a way out. Somewhere beyond all these walls. But we can't say for sure where it is,"

Eve nodded, looking down at her feet.

"So you aren't settling here for good?"

Alby looked at her sideways. She shrugged her shoulders.

"It looks like you're settling," she sounded concerned as if she had more on her mind. Alby explained further.

"We're doing what we need to make it as comfortable as possible while we're here. We need shelter, food and order. Without those, we would not have made it this far. It's a temporary situation,"

Eve nodded and looked at her feet again.

"So you don't think I'm here to... help you settle?" Her voice had dropped so low that Alby hardly heard her. He sniffed and looked up at the sky; he could understand her worry.

"I don't think so. I think this whole place, the walls out there, it's some kind of puzzle. We're meant to solve this problem. Then we get to leave. I can't prove it, but why else would we be sent here? If they planned for us to settle, they would have sent up more than one girl. You don't have anything to worry about,"

Eve nodded but did not look comforted.

"Well, it's like Gally said. What can I do?"

Alby shook his head.

"Gally is headstrong and speaks before he thinks. Hell, he does before he speaks," Alby chuckled for a moment before he continued. "He's as confused as anyone as to why you're here. But he doesn't think that. What kind of place is this to raise a civilization? It's far too small for any more than thirty people,"

Eve relaxed, her shoulders sinking visibly. Alby could tell she had harboured Gally's accusations to her heart. Only just now beginning to believe that she had been thinking the worst. Alby smiled at her.

"Don't worry. It's one of the first rules of the Glade. Never hurt another Glader. No one will harm you here,"

Eve nodded and remained silent. Alby let the silence pass for a few more minutes before changing the subject.

"Now, we have to figure out where you will fit best. I talked to Jeff this morning and he told me you're as healthy as can be," he left out the part about her trouble eating. "Fry Pan could probably use some help with food and meals, but I had a hunch this morning. You're pretty light, but you've got long arms. What would you say to some climbing?"

Eve perked up, the idea of being useful seemed to cheer her.

"I can certainly try it. What am I climbing for?'

Alby shrugged.

"There isn't much in the way of food in the trees, maybe some fruit in the far back trees, but we find it too sour. But some of the best building branches are further up the tree and Gally is too heavy to climb the trees. You could work with him and Winston and pick the branches for them,"

Nervousness filled Eve's eyes.

"What if I'm too heavy?"

Alby shrugged.

"I don't think you are. Gally is twice your weight. Don't worry. If you do fall, Gally or Winston can catch you,"

Eve did not seem to warm anymore to the idea, but she nodded her head determinedly. Alby smiled back and stood up.

"I'll hand you over to Gally for the afternoon and I'll check up on you at the dinner meal, alright? Don't worry, you'll be in good hands,"

"She's going to be doing what?" Gally, already frustrated at being a few days behind his initial schedule, rolled his eyes. Now he was going to have to babysit the new Greenie? What was Alby thinking?

The girl stood behind Alby, the four of them in the midst of the forest. The moisture of the trees and dead leaves underfoot attracted all kinds of bugs and gnats. They pulsated through the air like a life force. The frustration alone of the place was enough without adding a useless girl to the mix.

Alby gave Gally a look that discouraged argument.

"You know you're too heavy to get to the top branches and you and I both know those are the best for the roof. Eve is light enough to get up there without it being a hassle. And I'm sure she can learn how to cut them down to size if you can be patient and teach her. I taught you and now you can pass it on,"

Gally scowled, but Alby merely crossed his arms.

"This isn't up for discussion Gally, you need help and she needs a place. If it doesn't work out, she'll work with Fry Pan. Deal?"

Gally nodded sullenly, not looking up at the girl as Alby nodded to Winston and left the three of them alone. Eve stood still, awaiting instructions; she looked like a skittish deer.

Gally rolled his eyes. Just as he thought, she had no idea what to do. He pulled his knife off the side of his waist and tossed it towards her. Eve scurried back and let the knife hit the ground before her, her eyes widening in surprise.

Gally raised an eyebrow at her, his hands on his hips.

"Really?"

Eve frowned and bent to pick up the knife, grasping it firmly in her palm. Gally grunted under his breath and pointed to the closest tree, one that he had been planning on climbing himself before Alby had arrived. Winston watched on in silence as Eve eyed the tree warily.

"We don't have all day!" Normally he would have used the name Greenie, but he felt as if she did not quite deserve the title. Eve flinched and quickly approached the tree. She looked up into the branches before turning back to look at Gally.

"How am I going to climb with the knife in my hand?"

Without wasting words on her, Gally took off his knife belt and tossed it to her. Surprisingly, Eve was ready this time and she caught it, ducking her head to avoid the lash. Gally remained quiet, his arms over his chest, as she tied the belt around her own waist; it was nearly two times her own girth. After she had fastened the knife into its slot, Eve took one more moment to size up the tree, determining the fastest route up. She finally grabbed hold of the lowest branch of the tree and hoisted herself up. After a moment of struggle to steady herself, she reached up and grabbed hold of the next one; soon enough she was hardly visible among the foliage.

Winston crossed his arms over his chest.

"Wow," was all he said. She was faster than he had expected.

Gally did not comment as he moved to stand underneath the trunk, watching as Eve made her way up the tree. After a few more branches, she stood among the thin, spindly branches needed for the roof. She looked down at Gally.

"Which one do you want?" Her voice was raised enough for him to hear in the distance, but she did not shout. It was different from the boys, obviously. Gally found that it was soft and almost like a song. But he didn't have time to think about that. He examined all the branches that he could see and finally pointed to a cluster just above her head.

"Those ones,"

Eve followed his finger and nodded her head. She crouched for a moment, holding onto the branch as she took out the knife. Standing once more, slowly and carefully, Eve reached above her head, clasping her fingers onto the closest one. She began sawing at the branch, steadily so as not to jerk too much.

Gally watched from below; frustrated that she could not move faster and angry because he knew he could not fault her for it. After a few minutes, Eve called out to them.

"Watch out," Gally backed up and Winston stepped up to stand beside him.

"She's pretty good actually,"

Gally growled under his breath.

"She's alright,"

The branch fell through the foliage and landed with a soft thud in front of them. Winston stooped to pick it up and move it away. Gally stepped forward and looked up; Eve was already working on the next branch. At least she caught on fast.

It was around midday by the time Eve had climbed her ninth tree. A thick pile of sticks lay between Gally and Winston, the latter of which was already starting to chip the sticks down to size. Gally held a stick in hand as he directed Eve above them, he was without a knife and could not do much more. But they had enough to finish a decent portion of the roof. Eve had been surprisingly helpful and Gally was now left with a frustrating task. He had to accept that she was not as useless as perceived, despite his foreboding to work with her in the first place.

"We have enough now, you can come down," He was not even comfortable using her name quite yet.

Eve heard him and finished off her last branch. Gally knew he had to give her some kind of encouragement, but he was not in the mind to let Winston listen in. He instructed the brown-headed boy in a rushed, slightly demanding tone.

"Take the sticks back out and start tying off the finished ones with the twine. Take as much as you can and I'll handle the rest,"

Winston looked at him quizzically for a moment before obeying. He picked up a large bundle of the sticks and started picking his way, partially blinded, back to the Glade.

Gally turned back to catch a glimpse of Eve's descending figure as she hopped from branch to branch. After so many trees, she had become accustomed to the climbing and now could move quickly. Alby had been right about it being a good fit for her. Gally slowly walked up to the bottom of the tree and waited for her, as he had done at each tree. He was not waiting for her to fall, as he might have been, but merely there in case. She had slipped a few times, but he blamed that on the damp state of the forest.

"I'll tell Alby you're a good fit for the job," Gally looked down at the ground; it was all he could think to say. The girl did not reply and he looked back up at her.

Eve was on the last branch and stood looking down at Gally, who stood directly in her pathway. Gally was about to take a step back to let her down, when, without reason, he stepped closer and reached out his arms to her. Eve stared at him; he hadn't helped her out of any of the other trees. Gally felt his face begin to grow red and resorted to his only backup.

"Come on, we don't have all day!" His sharp tone hid the fact that his face was flushed.

Startled into obeying, Eve knelt and took hold of Gally's outstretched arms. She jumped and Gally caught her easily. Swinging her around to drop her, unceremoniously, beside him. Ruffled, Eve took a step back from him.

"Grab some sticks and let's go," Gally brushed past her without another word, reaching to pick up half the pile Winston had left. Eve, her cheeks red, ducked down and did as she was told, collecting the remaining sticks from their pile. Following Gally through the woods, she began to squint as the sun came back into her eyes. Gally did not check back on her as she moved faster to walk beside him. He turned away from her abruptly as they approached the dugout site. Winston sat on a small log, three sticks laid across his lap as he tied them together with some rough, brown twine. He looked up as Gally threw down his pile next to his own. Gally, without turning to her, stuck out his hand. She was not quite sure what he meant until he jabbed the air again with his hand.

"I'll take my knife back,"

Eve jumped and started undoing the belt around her waist. She handed the leather band over to Gally. The blonde gestured away from him.

"Find a log and bring it over here. You can take Winston's job and tie them; he'll show you how it's done," Winston smiled as Eve looked from one to the other. He was slightly confused as to why Gally did not want to show her himself but decided not to ask. He gestured to the log not far from him.

"Take a seat,"

Eve, grateful for a friendly face, sat down next to Winston. She listened and watched intently as he explained how to twist the twine over the sticks and had her try. Her nimble fingers were perfect for the job and she soon had a bundle going. They worked for a few more hours this way: Winston cutting down the sticks, Eve tying them together and Gally fitting them on the roof. Soon enough the light was beginning to fade. It was getting closer and closer to the time when the Door would shut.

Minho was due to arrive any minute now and anxiety rode high among the Glader's. Gally and Winston soon called it a day and Eve joined them as they gathered together with the other boys, in front of the Door. Alby was at the front, waiting and watching. The silence was heavy, despite the groaning of the walls before them. Alby was thumbing his hand against the side of his leg, clearly agitated. It was nearly past an hour before the Door would close and Minho had not appeared. The boys stood together, looking at each other but not speaking. There was nothing to say and Alby would only quiet them anyway. He was listening for footsteps.

After another ten minutes of nothing, Alby was about ready to walk in himself, even though he knew it would be foolhardy. He had almost convinced himself when they all heard the telltale sound of feet hitting the stone floor before them. Not long after, Minho appeared, dirty and sweating. He flew through the Door and bowled right through the boys in his attempt to slow his pace. He stopped a few yards away from them and turned around. His next words were breathless but brought life back to the Glade.

"It's a Maze!"