TW: VOMIT (the greenies can't keep it in their stomach)
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𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘦𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘰𝘯𝘦; 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘸𝘰? 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯.
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Days had passed the exact same as the rest, water the plants, check the building, and run. Run as far and fast as he could handle and map out the Maze to the best of his abilities. He was ashamed. He couldn't do much, each step forward feeling as if he were going backwards two with the changes in the maze every night.
Food was lasting but how long until they inevitably spoiled is a different question. As time passed Arthur grew more worried. His farm was taking too long to form crops, not that he expected anything better with his skills.
Being by himself meant the supplies lasted longer but Arthur wasn't sure whether he preferred that. Being alone ordained him to be consumed by never-ending silence and had to talk to himself to keep himself sane, but even then the boundless silence never did so well for him. It came point where the only noise was the goats, which he had found a few days into his perpetual stay in this new reality.
He had started making a small tally on a rock. They had grown marking every day he was here. There were twenty-nine on the wall with a thirtieth line about to be engraved into it by his hands wielding the knife. It was so important to him. Each line showed each day he had worked, had run. It showed that despite everything he had lived to do this and he had done it all with the knife he had started the maze with.
Arthur had a schedule. He did things the way he had done for thirty days and he was content.
Day thirty. Arthur spent one day a week out of the maze, he spent that one day caring for everything, spending that one day a week making sure everything was stable and worked. Day thirty was the day that marked a month. He had been here for an entire month and had survived.
A peaceful day. A day where the silence didn't eat at him as he chipped away at the wall, carving out the final day of the month when this loud sound of grating metal disrupted the quiet air.
Standing up in shock he looked towards the maze opening. "There is no way." His voice was a small whisper of disbelief but when it didn't move his face scrunched up into a look of pure confusion. "Then what?"
Then the box opened and Arthur pocketed his knife and ran toward the box, curious as to what it had in it. Maybe more supplies, maybe clothes maybe even different animals but he did not expect another boy to be sitting in the box, looking confused and terrified.
Skidding to a stop, Arthur looked at the boy with pure confusion and blinked.
The two just stared at each other before Arthur noticed the green tinge to the boy's face and kicked into action.
"Okay, you alright Greenie, you know because you're kind of green, holy shit! Are you okay?" Arthur jumped down into the box with him and the jolt it sent seemed to be the thing that set him off because the next thing the 'Greenie' was throwing up down the grates.
With a grimace, Arthur began lifting the supplies out with one eye on the Greenie, unsure of what he was supposed to do in a situation like this.
Once the noises had stopped Arthur had turned to look at him once more with an uneasy smile.
"Hey, you okay now?" He debated patting the boy's shoulder but the thought had sent an uncomfortable shiver up his spine. The idea of contact scared him too much at the moment.
"Who are you? Who am I? Where are we?" The boy just fired questions and Arthur furrowed his eyebrows at the boy.
"Well-" He took a breath and tried to get his brain back in order. "-I'm Arthur, you are new? I'm not sure, I think you will get you're name back after the first day or so, it's what happened to me but that's it. You don't get anything else back."
Arthur picked up the last thing and placed it outside the box before looking at the Greenie once he started asking more questions.
"Where am I?" The boy seemed calmer and less sickly but Arthur didn't trust it. How does he know the boy is real? That he isn't just a fake trying to get his hopes up and destroy everything.
"I haven't named it yet... maybe you can help me with that once you get out of this box." He looked at the boy and did one last glance over the floor before pulling himself out with the Greenie following soon after.
"When did you get here?" The questions returned but Arthur couldn't help but feel glad at the second voice that filled the silence that he had reluctantly grown used to.
"A month ago exactly, thirty days. I have a tally over there" He pointed to the rock where the tallies were, the two of them heading toward the sleeping place where a lone hammock lay.
"What about the rock with the name?" Looking back at the Greenie, Arthur could only watch his hand as he pointed towards the rock with Arthur's name on it.
"Well, you can write your name on it if you want when you remember but you have to know if you do that it's official." He hummed as changed his course towards the Maze entrance.
"Official- What would be official?" Greenie looked at him with a bewildered look that was all too familiar to Arthur.
"You will help me, Two is better than one." Arthur shrugged with an easy smile which went against the feeling of fear that the newbie would reject him which punched him in the stomach.
"You got it, Arthur, I'll help. Two is better than one." Despite the boy's straight face, Arthur broke out into the first real smile he could remember. A grin that crinkled his eyes and showed his dimples fully.
The two were standing in front of the maze where Arthur was looking all too amused and the Greenie was looking curiously at the Maze entrance.
"What am I looking at exactly?" The boy looked at Arthur in the corner of his eye, raising his eyebrows when he grinned more.
"The Maze," Arthur answered the amusement present in his voice.
"Right. The Maze. Why am I looking at it?" The male asked both of their eyes now on the opening.
A gust of wind blew making them shield their eyes and train their attention onto the maze doors which had now started closing with a grinding stone noise. With one final whir, they sealed shut leaving Arthur and the Greenie in the green alone.
"Shit man."
"Shit man indeed mate." The two turned and began walking back to the fire where Arthur had spent his first night.
"So what do we do? I mean did you do everything yourself?"
Arthur sat down on the floor with his back against the wooden logs. "Yeah, I did everything myself but it's cool, what would be great is if you could take some things away from me responsibility-wise. I'm not the greatest at that thing." Arthur chuckled as he looked at the fire feeling like a vulnerable person person once again, something he had buried weeks ago.
"Yeah, I can do that Arthur, what do you need." Arthur shifted as the question, turning his head to face the Greenie before sighing.
"Are you any good at farming, or even building because I think we may need to expand." The boy let out a low hum as he thought before shrugging.
"No idea but it couldn't hurt to try." Arthur let out a short laugh before nodding.
"You're brave, you have guts. I like that." He stood up and stretched before looking at the Greenie. "I gotta make your hammock mate. You coming?" Now the other male had calmed down fully and was listening to Arthur's voice he could hear an accent so strong that he was caught off guard and he let out a laugh as he stood up and followed.
"Why are you laughing Greenie?" He raised his eyebrow at the boy who had let out a laugh as they walked.
"Sorry, are you British?" He had calmed now but the laughter was still in his voice. Arthur's jaw had dropped by now and looked at the Greenie over his shoulder. "Yes, I'm- Sorry why is that funny Greenie?"
"Not Greenie, Alby. That's my name. Alby." There was a silence before Arthur laughed and gave him a thumbs up.
"That's great Alby! I'll let you off making fun of my accent this time then." They continued walking, the two bickering playfully like little kids. Maybe they would have to grow up and keep an eye on everyone but for now, they didn't. They just had each other and that was enough.
When Alby was woken up the next morning he was woken up by the faint sound of a knife against stone. Rubbing his hands against his eyes and looking around trying to place where Arthur was he finally spotted him, standing against the tally stone and chipping away at it, forming yet another thin line that would mark the start of a new month. Swinging out of his hammock that Arthur and he had made late last night, he walked toward the brunette who was so engrossed in counting the tallies that Alby was so sure he had done many times in the one day he had known him.
Now standing next to the boy, Alby could see the frown on his face as he stared at the wall and suddenly he wasn't so sure that he was counting tallies anymore.
"Morning Arthur." Watching him jump out of his skin made the boy's lips quirk up as he saw a glimpse of how dramatic the boy really was.
"Shit Alby, a warning perhaps?" He glanced at the still-closed door before fixing his top and placing the drink in a bag as well as food.
"Yeah, maybe. Where are you going?" Alby eyes Arthur's attire as he waits for the boy to speak. Arthur looks between his shirt and Alby before settling on the line that shows the welding where the two walls meet.
"The Maze, Alby. the Maze." Arthur's face is a soft smile which put Alby on edge seeing as how fast he had changed from that look in his eyes.
"You're going into it? That thing that closes every night? What if you get locked in?" Alby watched him with hesitant eyes, as Arthur looked at him.
"Yes, I'm going in. I've been doing it for fifteen days now give or take, I know when it closes, and if I get locked in, well I get locked in." He shrugged as if he didn't just speak of something that was terrifying to even think about. "I have time, Come on Greenie let go carve your name in the name wall." With one final gesture, Arthur held his personal knife handle first toward Alby with a grin.
Alby nodded and took it. He started chipping away at the wall with a determined expression with Arthur standing behind him with his smile slowly falling as he came to terms with the idea he couldn't be reckless anymore. He liked Alby, he was comforting and he now knows he can't leave him alone, not like how he was alone. He couldn't do that to Alby.
Arthur watched as Alby finished chipping his name and held his hand out for the knife. "You can find something to do right? Sorry I missed yesterday and I don't want to delay the run and miss anything more. You understand right?" He looked toward where the walls were beginning to separate, suddenly desperate to escape the interaction.
"Yeah, I do. I got it don't worry." He placed the knife in Arthur's hand and immediately the boy let out a rushed goodbye before running into the now-open maze.
As soon as Arthur steps a foot out of the maze he is ambushed by Alby who had come up with an idea.
"You said you don't know what this place was called right?" Arthur looked at him with raised eyebrows and nodded slowly as he walked out of the maze. Alby took this answer and carried on.
"Well, why not name it the Glade? I mean it looks like a glade with the green and the trees and it just fits I think." Alby looks to Arthur knowing that even though the other male isn't the best under pressure he still deserves to have a say.
"It's great Alby. I knew you could do it. So, what do we call the people that live in it, the gladers?" The two brainstormed and put their heads together trying to come up with an idea that could relate to the Glade. This went on for a while, the two growing evidently closer with each passing day.
"We need to get working. More people are going to come up, I don't know when but maybe every month, maybe two?" He shrugged but it was obvious he cared a lot. He didn't want anyone to feel uncared for and that was his main concern.
"Right, that seems reasonable. So what do we do?"
"I have a big ask okay? But it's important and I know you can handle it." Arthur debated placing a hand on the man's shoulder before going against it and instead holding his own hand and intertwining his fingers.
"Okay? What is it, Arthur?" Alby watched as the brunette struggled as if trying to find the words.
"Do you... I'm sorry this might seem like a lot and feel free to say no, but do you want to be the leader? By that I mean you are the big in charge guy." Arthur was dead serious and he looked Alby in the eyes. Despite Arthur struggling, Alby knew he meant so well. Everything Arthur did benefit future Gladers or Alby himself.
"If you want me to of course Arthur." Arthur reached into his pocket and pulled out a knife and presented it to Alby with a smile filled with relief.
His eyebrows furrowed with confusion as he turned the knife around after taking it from Arthur. While similar to Arthur's knife he took it everywhere this felt different. It held in his hand well and he could see the small carving with his name on it. Alby knew how much Arthur's knife meant to him and this one was obviously handmade. The effort that went into it made Alby take a deep breath before nodding thankfully at Arthur.
"Thank you, Arthur." His voice told Arthur everything he needed to know and with a firm nod, they had come to an agreement.
"If you need me-" Arthur had begun speaking but was quickly cut off by Alby who nodded at him showing he knew what he was going to say.
"-You will be there. I know Arthur, to me, however, you will always be the person who helped me find my feet whilst still finding his own." No argument was made on the other side of the conversation and as the two stared at each other they knew. They knew they had to have each other's back.