I woke the next morning in an uncomfortable hammock, with the definite sounds of snoring coming from all around me. Groaning, I rubbed my eyes, slipping out the death bag that was my new bed, lacing up my combat boots as I decided to go for a walk. Funny, I didn't remember the clothes I was wearing from yesterday, I had never owned anything quite like it. They were far more acclimated for outdoor ruckus, definitely more athletically demanding a well. In Maze B I was so used to having my trusted white lab coat with simple slacks and blouse. Stepping out of the Homestead, I padded over towards the kitchens, deciding to get my food early. The kitchen was completely deserted, besides the large boy would cooked the meals, I believe someone said his name was Frypan?
Mornin' Lilli! Up already!?" I smiled, nodding as I yawned.
"Snoring woke me up." I lied. Frypan chuckled, serving me my eggs and bacon as I sat down at a table alone. The truth was that I was used to waking up at this time. It was expected of us in Maze B, we had to be working by 5am sharp, and we didn't stop until noon for lunch. After exactly 10 minutes of break, we go right back to our jobs until 10pm, then we stop and have 10 minutes to get ready. My thoughts of the "good ol' days" were interrupted by a figure sitting down beside me. Newt.
"Hey there, Greenie. Why up so bloody early?" He chuckled, setting down his tray of breakfast as he instantly dug into the warm comfort food. I smiled, shrugging.
"Just woke up, that's all." He nodded, obviously not fully convinced, but satisfied with that answer.
"Well hey! You should be excited for today! You get to try out your first job! You'll be tryin' 'em out all week, and then the end of the week we all decide together which one you should get. Good that, great bloody fun I always thought." Newt smiled cheerfully. Even in his cheerful eyes, there were traces of pain, ancient and scarred, but pain none the less. I ignored it for the time being, smiling in response.
"Sounds interesting. So, what job am I starting off with?" Newt smiled, a bit of a cheeky grin on his face.
"Well, I know how annoying this is gonna be for you, shank, but you're with the Builders today." At first, I was confused. Why would I be upset about being with Gally. I furrowed my eyebrows together, about to retort that I was actually surprisingly pleased, before I caught on to the sarcasm dripping off of his words. I chuckled, blushing slightly as I shook my head.
"Oh, c'mon Greenie. Don't play innocent with me. Really, there's no need to. I think it's kinda cute how you drool over him." He chuckled, winking as I scoffed, slapping his arm lightly in mocking shock.
"Newt! I do not! Jeez! We're just friends, ok?" I chuckled, shaking my head as we finished our food. Newt smirked, shrugging.
"Hey, it's no skin off my nose, Greenie. I just call it as I see it." He winked. I smiled.
"Oh, well in that case, you wouldn't mind if I mentioned to Thomas how you've been ogling him?" I raised an eyebrow, as Newt blushed like crazy.
"You keep your bloody trap shut, Greenie." Newt threatened jokingly, as I smirked playfully, heading off towards the Builders.
Once I had arrived towards a meeting the Builders were just finishing up, Gally lead them all over towards a damaged wall in the back of the kitchen which we were going to be repairing today. I smiled, eager to start, despite my obvious lack of physical strength. Gally smiled, walking up to me as the others walked of to start in on the repair work.
"Ahh, yes. Alby told me you'd be working with me, today." Gally said, smiling a bit as he crossed his arms across his chest. I smiled, putting my hands on my hips.
"Alright then, where should I begin?" I said, gesturing towards the kitchen where the others had gone. Gally snickered, shaking his head.
"Not likely, Lilli. We're running a shuck load behind schedule, so I think it'd be better if you just stayed out of the way. Now don't take that personal, it's just a simple assessment of physical build, in comparison with the amount of weight you could carry around here, alright? The fact is we both know you're not 'physically inclined', to be shucking nice about it, so how about you just go collect us some twine and tools, and that can be you contribution, good that?" Gally said, smiling despite his obvious seriousness towards the situation. I furrowed my km eyebrows, crossing my arms across my chest as I shook my head.
"Listen, I'm not gonna lie, I'm obviously not as strong as any of you guys, but that doesn't mean you just blow me off like that, ok? Jeez, I can be helpful around here as well, you know? I'm not just going to fetch twine and tools for you guys like some dumbfounded puppy! Now listen, Alby promised a fair chance with each job, and they won't even consider me for this job if you don't let me show you what I can do! I mean, it's only one day Gally, it's not like the Council is going to assign me this job anyway." I said, attempting to reason with him, attitude evident in my voice. Gally chuckled, shaking his head slightly, almost in defeat. He nodded finally.
"Fine, you're right, it's unfair of me, considering you might actually need to know these skills one day. Alright, you can shucking help. Just, try not to mess anything up, alright Lilli?" He said, trying to hide his grin through an aggravated posture. I nodded, smiling as I tried not to be too gleeful with the tiny victory. Gally smiled, waving me over towards the kitchen.
"Alright. Take this here, and help these slintheads tear down the wall. But make sure not to destroy the stud boards, we need those to re-craft the wall. Plus, they hold up the shucking wall. Got it?" I nodded, grabbing a sledge hammer and joining the other builders as we began to tear down the wall.
I had to admit, building was definitely not the job for me. It was far to tiring, the labor required ten times the muscle mass that I had, and I sweat so much I think at one point I actually couldn't see. Despite all of these things, however, I did manage to hold my own, despite the obvious lack of skill and talent. By the end of the session, I was just proud I didn't break anything.
"Alright, ladies! That's good for today! Good work, let's go get water, eh?" Gally said, smiling lightly as the builders dispersed, off to the creak in the Deadheads to wash off I think. Gally lingered, however, leaning against the doorway of the wall we had just finished constructing. And by we, I mean 95% of the labor was the other builders, while I attempted to get a single nail into place.
'So, how do you think you did today?" Gally said, slight traces of a smirk appearing on his gloating face. I rolled my eyes.
"I never said I was going to be the world's best builder, now did I? I only said I deserved a fair shot." I mimicked in defense. Gally smiled, genuine this time, nodding.
"I know, I'm only messing with you. Listen, you actually did a lot better than I thought you would've done. I'm impressed. I know you're not all that strong physically, but man your willpower and stubborn nature really shone through, Shank." Gally chuckled, and I smiled a bit, thanking him.
"Thanks, Gally." I nodded, smiling before I went to leave the kitchen, maybe clean up a bit before dinner. Gally stopped me, however, a serious look on his face.
"Listen, Lilli. I know you get a chance to try all of the jobs like the rest of us, but listen to me. Running is the hardest job there is. People might tell ya it's building, but they're wrong. Now listen, I know you're all buddy buddy with that other Greenie Thomas, and the Keeper of the Runners, Minho, so you have a good chance at a recommendation. Plus, everyone saw you running yesterday when you first arrived, and I'm not gonna lie, you could probably outrun almost any of these shuckfaces here, but you've gotta hear me out. Out there, it's not safe, Lilli. There, there are things out there that I didn't mention to you on the tour yesterday, I didn't mention them for your own protection. But I should have. The truth is, Lilli, just because we're safe inside these walls, doesn't mean we're safe out there. And I know you already know that, but I don't think anyone really told you exactly how dangerous it really is in the Maze. There are, things out there. We call 'em Grievers..." This time, I raised an eyebrow. The rest I had all heard before, and seen before, it was nothing new. But Grievers? No, never heard of them. Cranks? Sure, they were basically like a second, really demented and creepy family to me! Was "Grievers" their word for Cranks? That didn't make sense though, all of their other words were identical. Shuck, Shank, Slinthead, all of it. What was so special about Greivers?
"What the hell are Grievers?" I said, my voice coming out shakier than I had intended. Gally sighed, crossing his arms over his chest.
"I didn't want to have to do this, but I guess it's for your own good. Come on, there's something you need to see." I gave him a confused look, but he just shrugged, walking out of the back room without checking to see if I had followed him.
"Where are we going?" I asked insensitively. Gally just smirked, slowing a bit so I could catch up.
"The Window. It allows us to see into the Maze, without actually going in. Most of us aren't runners, so we don't actually know what it's like in there. This Window is our peek into that world. Some sort of unbreakable glass though, Grievers couldn't get through if they tried." Gally said flatly. A Window? Maze B didn't have a window? Although, I guess we didn't need one considering the Cranks kind of roamed around wherever they wanted, day or night. As Gally and I approached one of the now closed entrances into the maze, he made a quick turn, avoiding the once gaping oasis in front of him by swerving to the right, almost as though the walls kept him in a state of perpetual fear, despite the fact that they were shut tight for the evening. He dragged his hand along the ivy covered wall until finally he stopped. Pulling back the ivy, he revealed a small peep sized window, just big enough to get a decent look inside the maze, without seeing too much. He didn't look with me, as there wasn't enough room for both of our heads, so he just held the ivy back for me as I peeked inside. By the way he was acting, I was terrified to think what kind of monstrosity lay beyond their walls. I swallowed hard, waiting patiently as I stared through the evening light, awaiting the infamous Griever. Finally, I saw a shadow, large and mechanically driven. Wait a minute, these things were bots? As I peered closer, I noticed the "Griever" coming closer and closer towards the peep whole, making it's way straight past the window as it strolled leisurely through the Maze. I swallowed hard, but not out of fear for this iron beast. Despite it's outer layer of mucky flesh and leathery exterior, it was obvious to see that the internal workings of the monster were entirely mechanical. Not only that, but they were entirely too familiar. I suddenly felt a burning desire to break through the glass, to go up and touch it, but I knew I couldn't. I couldn't break my character, because unfortunately I knew Ava all too well to think that my actions of revealing my knowledge on these apparently foreign creatures would result in anything other than severe punishment. I gasped, trying to appear as shocked as possible, which honestly wasn't that difficult considering that I wasn't expecting something so...primitive in mechanical complexity. That, and I wasn't expecting something that I had helped to design.
"W-Wow...it's so..." I was at a loss for words. Thankfully, Gally just nodded, obviously used to that kind of answer, although usually for different reasons.
"I'm sorry you had to see that." He said stoically, with just the slightest trace of regret and sorrow. I almost wanted to laugh, but it would be beyond disrespectful, not to mention a giant hole in my cover.
"It's ok. I think it's better I know. Thanks for showing me." I said sympathetically. And that wasn't a lie, I really was glad to know, and thankful that he showed me. I placed a hand gently on his fit upper arm, which my his tense demeanor seem to relax slightly. His eyes softened as he smiled, just a hair, nodding.
"You know, you took it a lot better than any of these other shuck faces here. Hell, you even took it better than I did. That takes guts, once again you leave me impressed, Lilli." He said, smiling cheekily as I blushed slightly.
"Pssh, yeah, well I tend to have that affect on people." I smirked, but the truth was I was only using sarcasm and humor as a way of masking how blatantly obvious it might be that I didn't fit in with the rest of this clan. And not for the obvious reasons of gender or size, but the reasons more pressing and dyer involving knowledge of life prior to the Maze, the Creators, who they were, what they were doing, all of that information that they craved- and I possessed. Gally just smiled, but I knew he could tell something was up. Either way, he didn't push it, as we walked back towards the kitchen for dinner together.
"Have you ever been out into the Maze, Gally?" I asked sincerely. He shook his head.
"Nope. And I don't chucking plan on it. To be honest, the thing gives me the creeps, Lilli. And not just like the kind of jitters or discomfort that these other shanks feel. It's different. More...intense. I don't know, I just, sometimes I swear it's...calling me. I know I'm probably just going a little crazy, but- well, I don't know." He trailed off, hanging his head as though in embarrassment. I shook my head in concern.
"No, no I don't think you're crazy, Gally. I- I felt the same thing when I first saw the entrance. I felt it, that same feeling." Again, it wasn't a lie, I just felt it for a different reason. Or at least, I think it was...
"Really? Wow, I guess I just never thought I would find someone else that.." He didn't have to finish his sentence, I knew what he was going to say. I just smiled, nodding.
"Me either."
That night, I dreamed. And not one of those phony, meaningless irrelevant dreams that you forget the next morning, this was different. This was the other kind of dream, the kind that sticks with you for days, haunting your every thought, plaguing you with doubt and uncertainty. I dreamt of my childhood. If you could even call it that, I worked tirelessly in the labs under the direct supervision of Ava, I was raised with the knowledge off the world, why it had happened, and what we had to do to stop it. I was programmed from the very beginning- to be like them.
Author's Note:
Thank You guys soooo much for reading! It literally means the world to me that you guys are reading and enjoying more story!!! I also don't mind constructive criticism, as long as it's not simply hate. :) ILYSFM and I hope you enjoy my story, I've been working really hard on it! Also, I apologize if there's a few spelling errors (lol I'm not perfect). Thanks again!
- Anna*