My first day at the Glade was over. I wake up the following morning surprisingly refreshed. Not a dream. Not my own bed. Still here. Crickets sound throughout the tranquil Glade. A lot of people are asleep. In fact, everyone is asleep, except for the boys sleeping next to me. Both of their hammocks are empty, and curiosity wins me over and I decide to slip-on my shoes and look for them.
There is so much I don't know about this place and how it works. I search the kitchen, no one is there. I search the rest of the homestead. Nothing.
Looking high and low, they are no where to be found.
One of the last places to look is the map room. Newt had explained that it is where they map the Maze and look for a pattern, a way out. It is strictly off limits, especially for a greenie like me who might screw everything up. Well, thats not how he said it, but that's basically what he meant.
But for some reason, I push open the door anyways, expecting to get chewed out by the head Gladers, but its silent. No one is inside. Normally, I would take a long sigh and continue to look, but instead I walk further in.
There are stacks of paper everywhere, climbing up the walls, taped to the ceiling, even spread across the floor. Its so cluttered it makes me nervous.
mBut the biggest thing I see is sitting on the huge circle table in the middle of the room.
A model of the Maze sits atop it. But with wood and rock materials, it shows every corner of the Glade and every hallway of the maze. Its so much bigger than I imagined it. Walls going here, there, everywhere.
It amazes me.
I probably stare at it for five minutes straight, taking it all in, memorizing every inch of it. Then I turn to the papers all over the room. I piece them together, try and figure out what the runners couldn't. I am careful to not touch anything, for in a few minutes I need to sneak away and let it seem as though I was never here.
I learn about each area of the Maze, or sectors as they seem to be called. Newt was right, the Maze has been changing every night for three years, and there is a slight pattern, but it always gets mixed up by something else. Whoever put us here were freaking geniuses. I am reading about sector 7 when I hear my name.
Crap.
"Olivia?" Alby says angrily as he stomps over to me. "What the hell are you doing in here? This room is OFF LIMITS!" He says, raising his voice.
I am about to tell them that I was just looking for them, because I felt nervous alone with all the other boys. But then something else pops into my head. Something so strange, and so drastic that it confuses me why I would even think of it. Its absurd. Its scary. It makes no sense whatsoever. But I say it anyway.
"I want to be a Runner."
Its quiet. Alby and Newt stare at me in disbelief.
"That's funny." Alby states, but he is not laughing.
"I'm serious."
"Hell you are."
"Why can't I?"
"You haven't even been here a full twenty-four hours!"
"Yeah but I know enough to wanna be a runner."
"Greenies can't be runners."
"My name is Olivia. Not Greenie."
"You can't be a runner! Drop it."
"Is that even your choice to make? What if I ask Minho and he says yes?"
"Shut up! And get outta here. If I catch you in this room again, I WILL banish you, girl or not."
I look to Newt for support, but he won't meet my gaze. I push angrily through them and slam the door behind me. Stomping through the field, I find a tree and slide down under it.
Newt is limping towards me. I never noticed his funny way of walking. But it was kind of cute.
What are you saying, Olivia? You barely even know the guy!
He takes a seat next to me. We sit in silence together.
Thats one thing I have noticed about this place. There is lots of silence. Nice moments filled with noting but quiet. The only voices are the wind and the trees.
I strain my mind to remember my last time like this, in my past life. But no matter how hard I try, no matter how hard I push, past memories are unreachable. It makes me want to cry. I don't remember my family, my friends, my birthdays. All I know is my name and my present state of being. I can't believe some of these people have lived like this for three years. It would drive me mad.
My thoughts are cut off when I realize Newt has been watching me all this time. I look at him, his deep eyes locked into mine, his bangs falling slightly over his eyes, and his hand is on my knee. It gently massaging my leg, reassuring me its all going to be okay. I feel like I have known him for a thousand years. God, I want to be close to him. I him to hold me and cradle me and I want to absorb his warmth and fall asleep in his arms.
But I can't.
Instead I wait for him to say something.
He does. "Alby is not gonna let up on you being a Runner. He doesn't like the idea of you being alone with one of the other Gladers in the Maze."
"Even Minho?"
"All of the boys here are hormonal."
"Even you?"
He laughs. Its the cutest laugh and makes me feel warm and just want to have a stupid smile on my face. "Yes, I suppose. But I am more mature than these shanks."
"I bet." I say with the smile plastered on my face.
"We need to find you a job."
"How about cook? Girls belong in the kitchen." A voice says.
I stand up quickly to face Gally, who's been standing there for who knows how long.
"Shuck off slinthead." Newt says, now standing by my side.
"Aw, are you gonna protect your little girlfriend? How cute Newt." Gally snickers. Both of our faces go beet red. But Newt doesn't respond. He just looks down, embarrassed. He's embarrassed.
"Leave me alone Gally, before I kick you in the balls."
"Like thats possible,"
"I'm not scared of you,"
"Oh yeah?" And with that he quickly pushes me up against the tree, pinning my arms above my head, body pressed against mine. Our faces are only inches apart, his breath trickling down my neck. "Scared now?" He whispers. I can't hide my trembling lip.
"Step away from her," Newt shouts from behind him.
"I've seen you Olivia. I know who you are and why you're really here. I'm not fooled like these other shanks." He spits in my face.
He is pulled off of me quickly. Newt now stands in front of me, arms outstretched, protecting me.
"Leave Gally." He says firmly.
"Don't let her trick you Newt. I saw her in the Changing. She just wants to kill us all!" Gally screams, his eyes filled with anger.
"LEAVE GALLY. Before I put your ass in the slammer!" Newt yells back.
"The creators sent her. She's one of them." Gally says, before walking away.
Newt turns to me. "Olivia," Is all he says before embracing me in a hug as we sit on the ground. I lean into his chest and wrap myself in his blanket of comfort, making silent sobs into his chest.
"Shh, shh, its okay," He whispers, kissing my head and running his fingers through my hair. "I'm here with you."
Author: Did you likeeeee it? Haha.