Murder In The Maze (Maze Runner Fanfiction)

Chapter 18: Another Greenie

FOUR WEEKS LATER:

     Gladers bustle into the canteen, clamouring together.  Dashing to the back of the line, I wait eagerly anticipating breakfast.  At first, nothing seemed worse than a meal from Frypan, but now nothing seems to taste better, even Chuck's renowned sandwiches cannot compare.

"Hurry it up, Princess,"

     A voice scoffs from behind, bringing me out of my daze.  I shuffle forward, getting closer to the front.

     "Watch it, Drew!"  Gally snaps from in front of me.  A small smirk rises on my face.

     "Next," Frypan shouts.

     I plod to the front, handing him an empty bowl. 

     "What are you grinning at?"  He jokingly remarks.  A heaped ladle of porridge lands into my bowl, sloshing over the sides.

     "Nothing..."  I mutter, gnawing at my lip.

     Chuck drops a bubbling pot of food beside him.  The kid sighs, wiping his forehead.   Fry hands him a wooden ladle, "Don't let it go cold, Greenie."

     Chuck nods, promptly serving up the porridge.  "Doesn't cook too bad for a Greenbean," I remark while reaching for my bowl.

     "You should'a seen the mess he made earlier."  Frypan scoffs, "Nah, he does a good job, but he talks a lot."

     "I can imagine," I say, grabbing my breakfast and a spoon.

     A spare seat lies at the end of one of the tables.  I saunter towards it, sitting down on the bench adjacent to the table.  

     Endless chattering erupts from a Glader beside me, half-chewed food flying out of his mouth.   Tilting my head away, I scan the area for familiar faces.

     Jeff waves from over at another table, a cheesy grin riddling his face.  I nod back whilst continuing my search.  Minho sits over with a couple of the other runners, Newt slumping in a seat near-by him.  Even from this distance, green and yellow bruises still cover his neck, slowly fading.  I clench my jaw, immediately shifting my gaze down to the table.

     "You alright?"  Gally asks from beside me.

     "Uh, yeah, I'm fine," I mumble, sticking my spoon into my bowl.

     Gally eyes me suspiciously, "Don't look it."

     I sigh, releasing a large puff of air, "I-it's Newt. Ever since--what happened, happened, things haven't been the same."

     He raises his eyebrows as if expecting me to elaborate.  

     "Whenever I see him, i-it reminds me of..." I crunch down on my teeth, cocking my head to the side, "...when I found him. I just can't get that image out of my head."

     Gally frowns while shrugging his shoulders, "It'll be fine, ain't nothing to worry about."

     "Thanks...I think." I respond, shoving in a mouthful of porridge.

     "Hey, guys!" Jeff remarks. He squashes up between Gally and another guy, "I just thought I'd come by and say hello!"

     "Hello," Gally groans, mockingly impersonating him. 

     Jeff rolls his eyes before continuing, "Oh, uh, Tanya, don't forget about the supplies coming up today, you better not run off, again."

     "Yeah..." I say guiltily.

     Jeff's eyes widen, excitement dazzling his face, "What do you suppose the new Greenie'll be like?"

     "The new Greenie?" Gally asks, just as confused as me.

     Jeff quickly nods his head, "Yeah, don't you remember? Every month a newbie comes up."

     "It's that day already?" I groan, rubbing my eyes.

     "Forget about that day, it's that time. The box should be arriving any minute." Jeff says.  Just as the words leave his mouth, the alarms blare, ringing across the Glade.  

     Gladers begin to rise from their seats, murmuring to each other as they walk towards the elevator.  I follow, excitement bustling through me.   Sadness soon quenches my happiness, the thought of having another friend turns to dread at the prospect of someone else being stuck here.

     I push the thought from my mind as I approach the lift.  The metal doors come into view as I squeeze through the throng of Gladers.  The distant cranking of the elevator is barely audible over the whispers of the others.

     Chuck stands beside me, his short stature making him almost unnoticeable.  He stares at the doors, tears welling up in his eyes.

     "Are you okay?"  I ask, stooping down to his eye level.  He shakes his head, his gaze still fixed to the lift.

     "It reminds you of when you came up, doesn't it?"  I inquire.  He nods in agreement, a small tear trickling down his face.  I stand up, placing my hand on his far shoulder.  He burrows his head into my side.  Shocked, I hesitantly pat his head, a swell of pity rising inside me.

     A piercing screech comes out from behind the doors, getting louder with each passing second.  Gally strides up to them, tightly gripping one of the handles.  The doors rattle, followed by the noisy sound stopping.

     One boy from the front of the crowd breaks the silence, shouting for Gally to open it.  His eyes land on me, promptly being torn away as he looks back down to the doors.  Nick grabs the other handle.  They tug at the handles, causing the hatch to swing open.

     A shadowed figure lies in the corner of the box, blocked from my view.  The cage shakes as Gally jumps inside, propelling the boy out of the box.

     He scrambles to his feet.  Dark hair sticks to his forehead, shining in the sunlight.  His brown eyes fearfully dart across the group.  Sweat drenches his shirt, sticking to his toned body.  Some of the Gladers snigger, others teasingly spook him.

     Shoving past them, he bolts through the group, sprinting towards the East Gate.  Cheers emerge from behind me.  Leaving Chuck, I jog after him along with Newt and Alby.

     Immediately, he trips, tumbling to the ground.  Zart snorts beside me, followed by some gladers scoffing.  He forces himself off the ground, his mouth draping open when he sees the Maze walls.  The crowd of boys wander over to him.

     "Thought you could leg it, did ya?" Newt remarks with his stark accent showing.

     "W-what did you do to me? Why can't I re--remember anything?" He asks, his voice trembling with every word.

     "It's okay...just...calm down," I state, "...none of us can."