Polaroid Film

• Part 1 •

Newt sighed, staring up at the stars in the night sky. He was sitting against a tree just outside the Deadheads. The doors were closed and everyone had settled down for the night. Crickets chirped and quiet murmurs from gladers coalesced into a soft and comforting hum. The Glade was so peaceful at times like these, one could almost forget about the horrors lying just outside those ancient stone walls. Almost.

But Newt had something else on his mind. The day before, Alby had told him that Minho had proven to be the fastest and bravest out in the Maze, and that he planned on promoting him to Keeper of the Runners. Newt had said that they should have a Gathering, but he requested that they do it in secret, without Minho knowing. When Alby asked why, he explained that he had an idea: he wanted to have a surprise celebration for his best friend.

So, when all of the Runners had left for the day, a Gathering was held. Despite him not being a Keeper, Thomas was there, since Newt and Minho were his best friends. "Okay, so I want this to be a real surprise. If we're not careful, knowing Minho, he'll catch wind of it somehow, or some shank will open his mouth," Newt said, a glimmer of excitement in his eyes.

He really needed this. He'd been feeling a little down lately, and this was the perfect thing to brighten the mood. Thomas and the Keepers all nodded, sure that if someone did accidentally slip and give something away, they'd face a harsh scolding from the 'Glade mother,' as some of them had endearingly nicknamed Newt.

After about an hour of brainstorming, talking, and planning, everything was set. They would have the celebration in a week, since in a couple of days, the Box would come up with more supplies that they could use. Then they'd have the other three days to prepare. Despite Alby being the leader, Newt was in charge of the event, assigning each Keeper with a task to take care of.

The Keepers had made a joke, saying that Newt was now the 'Keeper of the Planners.' Gally and the Builders were in charge of the decorations, Frypan and the Cooks the food, Zart and the Track-hoes the flowers since they had a knack for gardening, and Winston and the Slicers were in charge of providing the meat for the grand meal the cooks were going to prepare. The rest of the Keepers also had their tasks, and Alby and Thomas said that they would help in any way they could.

Newt was quite pleased at how smoothly everything was seeming to go, but he had a feeling that he was forgetting something obvious. Then he realized what it was.

A gift! He had completely forgot about a gift for Minho! What would a celebration be if there wasn't a present? But there was one problem: how would he put a request for something in the Box when it was supposed to come up in less than twenty-four hours? That was something he should've done when the Box came up the last time.

That's what was troubling Newt at this time. He was frustrated that he hadn't requested a gift for Minho sooner, and that he might have to wait to give one to him for another week. Newt kept telling himself that really couldn't have done anything, since he wasn't aware of the event a week ago, when the Box came up last.

It still frustrated him though.

A sudden rustling noise made Newt flinch and look back at the small forest behind him. A beetle blade skittered down a near-by tree, it's little legs making small clicking sounds on the bark. That's when an idea sparked in Newt's mind.

It was a long shot, but he suddenly knew that he only had this one chance at getting Minho a present. And he knew exactly how he would do it.

He'd have to catch a beetle blade.