𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗨𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗥 𝗚𝗜𝗥𝗟 ᐅ 𝙣𝙚𝙬𝙩

𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗿

After minutes of comfortable silence as I calm myself down, a dark thought swims into mind. "What happens if we were all criminals? If that's the reason we're put here?"

"We'll never know," he hesitates. "Don't think you could have done much worse than steal something, anyway."

"Excuse me? Want to rethink that statement before I prove you wrong?"

"Not like that, Greenbean," he snaps at me playfully. I don't return the notion. "Don't take it the wrong way. I don't think ya would have hurt anyone if we were all criminals."

"I beg to differ."

"I don't."

"I wouldn't hesitate to kill you."

"Thats the most comforting thing I've ever heard," he says wryly. "You don't have the skill to change my mind."

"Our memories were wiped," I contradict simply. "We aren't the same people as we were before the Maze. And I have many skills."

"Like?" he scoffs, setting my teeth on edge. I really do not like this boy. "You've only known y'self a day and yet you have lots of skills? This I'd love to see."

"I'm fast."

"Not as fast as Alby," he counters.

With a smirk, I decide to taunt him. Not like he deserves anything less. "Faster than you."

"I don't count."

"Why not?"

He shakes his head. "Never mind. Point is, we ain't criminals. Y'think Chuckie could have done anything? Lad's barely twelve."

I let out a small laugh, the first one since arriving here. "Probably set animals free and caused a stampede. But I wouldn't overlook him. That kid's got enough sass to kill someone. I don't think he'd have any problem killing you."

Newt laughs at me, his face lighting up. "Take it back."

"No can do. Gally would've definitely killed someone," I say as Gally trudges past us, shooting me a dirty glare which I return without hesitation. I still despise him, though not as much as I did to begin with. Gally, although a nuisance, is completely harmless.

Newt rolls his eyes and scoffs. "More than one I'spect. Alby, too."

"What about me?" Alby's voice says as his body materialises from the trees near us. I shoot Newt an amused look before smirking at Alby, who's confused when he reads my expression. I'm still shaken from what happened in the Bloodhouse, but perhaps if I pretend that I'm fine I'll actually feel it.

"Nothing, Alby. Just taking about how ya run the place," Newt answers for me.

"Any questions, come to me, not this piece of klunk," Alby says, not unfondly, slapping Newt on the back. Newt smiles at him.

"A very tempting offer," I say sardonically, not forgetting how rude he was to me the other day.

"Slim it, you—"

Newt jumps in before Alby says something too harsh, though I am intrigued as to what he'd call me. "Sometimes you're hurtin' more than helping, ya'know?"

Alby rolls his eyes, but then he fixes on something in the distance, making Newt and I turn round to see the source. A figure comes running out of the Maze, drenched in sweat, doubling over and catching his breath. My heart skips; he must be a Runner. "Alright, Minho?"

Minho. Newt told me about him last night, I think. Last night? It feels like I've been here all my life. Well, in a way, I kind of have. I have no previous memories of the world before the Glade... everything comes as a surprise to me. How sarcasm comes naturally, almost an instinct... and how I don't trust anyone. Conversation by conversation, I'm starting to get to know myself more. It comforts me.