Joyful Pains

2

The Glade

The word ping-ponged through my brain as I searched for any memories that could explain what 'The Glade' was. Or even better, why I was in it?

"Alby, that's my job." The boy from the box chastised as he pushed his way to the middle of the circle. 

I felt someone graze my hair and I reeled back only to knock into a different boy. 

"Sorry." He mumbled, pushing me away. 

"Quit touchin' the greenie." Alby, I assume, scolded. He glared at everyone as the boy from the box gave me a warm smile. "Get back to work shanks or I'll have Frypan make stew tonight!"

The boys around me collectively groaned and then started to walk away slowly. Many of them looked back at me and started whispering amounts themselves. I hugged myself with my arms and curled my shoulders in on myself. I didn't like this one bit, everything around me felt foreign. 

"Hey, I'm Nick!" The boy from the box said, extending a hand toward me. 

But I was too distracted by my surroundings that I could finally take in. I was standing in a field, with large trees growing to my left and many shaky structures sprinkled around. But the thing that captivated me most was the large stone walls that extended hundreds of meters toward the sky. They were covered in ivy and I felt like they could only have been made by Gods.

The heat of the sun burned at my uncovered skin as I finally looked at the boy who had introduced himself as Nick. 

"Hi," I mumbled, yet again. 

"Alby, go ahead and call a meeting for tonight. And make sure no one causes any trouble." Nick ordered, a concerned look crossing his face. "I'll show our new Greenbean around."

Greenbean?

What's with these weird words and names?

Nick places a hand on the top of my back and I flinch away, jumping a little.

"Oh sorry," Nick lets his hand fall back to his side, " just follow me."

I nod softly and follow him as he makes his way toward a less crowded part of whatever this is. We walk in silence for a minute and the reality of these past few minutes dawns on me. Maybe this was all a dream.

Suddenly, Nick turns around. He walks backwards as we cross the field. Sometimes his gaze snags on something behind me but ultimately he just keeps staring at me. 

"Sorry about everything," He sends me a sheepish smile and scratches his neck awkwardly. "We just ain't ever seen a girl come up in the box. You are our first female glader."

My stomach flops and I think I'm going to be sick again. No girls? And there were so many boys surrounding me earlier, surely there was a mistake and they'd send me to wherever the girls were.

"Enough about that. Welcome to The Glade," He forces a happy smile to his face as his arms swing out, "Home of the gladers, for now at least."

"Huh?"

The more anyone speaks the more confusing the situation gets. First, there's a 'Glade' then this boy, who couldn't be older than seventeen, is telling me I'm the only girl in this place. But how is any of this remotely possible?

"Listen I won't overload you with the details just yet, but here are some ground rules." He turns towards one of the stone walls and points. "You see that gap between the walls over there? You never, ever go through those. Only our Runners, the strongest of the Gladers, are allowed through those doors."