*3 years later*
The Glade had been growing and growing and less names on the wall had been recently crossed out.
We had decided we didn't like hiding our developing relationship, so we came out to a few people.
For example, Alby knows, Minho, I also think Ben found out somehow.
Our newest arrival had been quite young. Of course we didn't actually know how old any of us were. So we assumed he was about 12. His name was Chuck, he's quite the joker. And annoyingly chatty sometimes.
Now, today was Greenie day, I'm guessing y'all know how this works.
A Greenie's sent up here every month with fresh supplies. As a long story short.
Ever since Newt's incident, they usually have three people go into the maze at each door, incase someone does get hurt and one person isn't enough to drag them back to safety quicker.
I was deep in the maze with Minho and Ben. Sadly, It wasn't one of those lucky days where I happen to be at the Glade when the box comes up, and frankly, Gally's ways of handling the greenie is not the best.
But what can I do?
Today was like every other day spent out in the maze, we run, we find nothing, we come back, we eat then go to sleep. As a summary.
We kind of knew that we most likely aren't going to find anything. We had finished a pretty accurate model of the maze, and each section search usually ends up with a dead end.
I pulled my long sleeved shirt down as I ran and readjusted the runner backpack, which was digging into my side.
"It's getting late, Minho. You'll know Alby'll have our heads if we cut it too close. Besides it's Greenie day. Leaving the poor shank with Gally would be pure torture." I said, coming to a stop close to the closed door of section seven, and causing the others to look around at me.
"Suppose you're right." Ben agreed. "Gally is pure torture." He added, chuckling, I rolled my eyes smiling and I saw Minho chuckle smally aswell. "The poor shank."
"C'mon shuckface." Minho finalised, leading us back the way we came.
"Don't tell Gally I said that."
I scoffed lightly, knowing he would throw us into the maze as banishment despite the rules if he found out. "Yeah yeah."
Finally making it back to the Glade, with the sun high, we jogged through the walls of the Glade and past Chuck and the green bean.
Minho just kind of, glared at him. Where as Ben greeted them as he went past and I stopped fully.
"Hey Chuck." He said spritely, "New Greenie? How does it feel to be promoted?"
"Feels great Ben." He replied, holding a thumbs up.
I watches them run off to do whatever they were going to do and decided to introduce myself.
"Hey, Greenie. Chuck." I said, placing my hands on my hips.
"Alex." Chuck greeted. " how was the run?"
"Same old. Same old. It's why we're back earlier, besides you know I'm not supposed to tell you much." I glanced behind the two and decided I had some stuff to discuss with the other runners.
"Right, great talk Chuck, but I'ma have to leave you. Later greenbean."
I began jogging off to the runner shack, I had heard Chuck's "Later Alex." In the back ground.
"Sorry for the hold up, guys." I apologised, walking into the shack and shutting the door behind me.
All eyes were on me, Minho nodded, accepting my apology, and I joined them at the table.
"We've found nothing." He continued, " and we haven't for nearly six months now. I am starting to think there actually is no way out."
"Look, there has to be some sort of passageway. If we can't climb up that wall and even if we built a ladder, where then? The corridors of the maze are way too wide for us to jump over. It would be way too dangerous. Those Grievers have to have somewhere they go during the day. We find the den, we're one step closer to finding a way outta here." I stated my input.
"Well yeah but we've been searching for almost three years now..." Ben started, "we must've found something to do with those Grievers."
"Where do they go then? Huh?" I stated, begining to get slightly annoyed. "Do they fly away? Hmm? Or maybe they bury themselves into the ground."
"Alex..." Minho said sighing, "calm it."
I gave a thin lipped smile, "sorry, I'm calm."
"We'll talk more about this tomorrow." Minho informed, "go have a break, you great ugly shanks." He smiled playfully.
Exiting the shack, I met up with Newt, who works in the farms, I gave him a small peck on the cheek as a greeting, he was about to ask if we'd found anything interesting, but was distracted by Gally's figure pushing the Greenie out of the way from the door.
He looked like he was about to stroll in there.
Quickly, we ran over, Newt getting there first to calm him down, then me not far behind.
"The hell is wrong with you guys." Greenbean bellowed. He was tall, tanned with dark hair.
"Just calm down, okay?" Newt tried, but the greenie wouldn't settle.
"No. Okay. Why won't you tell me what's out there?"
"We're just trying to protect you, man." Alby said steadily.
"It's for your own good."
"You guys can't just keep me here." He argued, seemingly not understanding.
"I can't let you leave." I stated strictly, taking a step forward and crossing my arms.
"Why not?" He snapped.
As if on que, the grinding and grumbling of the stone doors echoed, Greenie steadily turned around. We let him watch the gust of winds, the slow winding of the heavy doors close with a final thud.
"Next time," said Gally, "I'm gonna let you leave."
"Welcome to the Glade." Alby said deadpanned.
I walked forward to say some.
"Once those doors close, they don't reopen, and no one survives a night out there. I'm sure you've heard." I stated grimly, before walking away and rolling up my sleeves. Newt and Alby not too far behind.
Later on that night was a celebration night. We would all light a bonfire, have fun, let loose and relax.
I watched them throw their fires onto the wood pile, which they shaped in a stick figure and placed a skull on top. Only a little morbid, but I went with it.
Everyone cheered and laughed and were enjoying themselves.
I, usually, would do as well, but I've felt drained recently. It might be the extra work we're doing in the maze.
I sat talking with Minho for a bit. I noticed Newt talking to the Greenie.
"Hey, Alex." I heard the British accent.
I glanced over at Newt, who, as I said, was sat with Greenbean behind a log.
I excused my conversation with Minho and jogged over. Taking the glass jar of Gally's wierd recipe, I seated myself next to Newt and took a quick swig.
"How's the maze going?" Newt asked, looking between me and the greenie.
"Oh god," I sighed, "terrible. To be honest."
"Newt said you runners actually know what's out there? In the maze?"
I gave the 'look' to Newt, who just smirked.
"Right, listen greenie. I'll tell you this. We haven't found anything new. For over 6 months. Nothing. I don't usually go round blabbing that stuff but Newt here's second in command and there's something about you. Like you know it shouldn't be happening. Now anyway, even if there was an exit, one would assume we should've found it by now. The bloody bastards who put us here made sure that we didn't happen to stumble across it." I ranted. Then taking a deep exhale to calm myself.
"Usually I don't tell people that. It drains their hope and faith in us. So don't go blabbing your shuck mouth."
"So, uh, that's what the Grievers are for?"
"That's what the Grievers are for." I confirmed, handing Newt the jar back.
"Right well," Newt said, finishing the Grievers conversation, "That's enough questions for one night. Come on. You're supposed to be the guest of honour."
Greenie shook his head.
"No! No, c'mon. Let us show you around."
We began pacing slowly around, Newt explaining things to the greenie everytime we pass a certain group.
"And over there, we got the builders."
Newt states, pointing to them.
"Very good with their hands..."
"But" I interrupted, "not alot goin on upstairs, if you know what I mean."
"Then we got Winston. The keeper of the slicers." He carried on.
"then we got our two med-jacks, Clint and Jeff."
They greeted us as they went by.
"They spend most of their time bandaging up the slicers." He chuckled slightly.
I scoffed, knowing it was very true.
"What if I wanna be a runner?" Greenie asked.
"Have you listened to a word we just said?"
"No one just wants to be a runner." I informed.
"And besides, you gotta get chosen." Newt finished, I leant my arm on Newt's shoulder, slightly amused at the scene at hand.
"Chosen by who?" He asked, but before he could get an answer, he was shoved forward.
Gally, who had been in the fighting ring, would always try fighting against the Greenie.
"What'd you say, Greenie? Wanna see what you're made off?"
"Greenie. Greenie. Greenie." The chant began around the circle.
"Okay. Alright. The rules are simple greenie. I try to push you out of the circle, you try to last more than five seconds."
Bursts of laughter rippled across the group. This was our source of entertainment, right here.
Gally advanced on him, pushing him into the crowd, but was thrown back in and face planted the floor.
"Come on Greenie." He urged, "we're not done yet."
He got up, pulling his shirt down,
"Stop calling me Greenie."
"Stop calling you that?" He taunted, "what'd you wanna be called? Shank?"
The cheers and laughter echoed once again.
Greenie's not making it easy on himself. They'll make him a slopper quicker than you can say 'Grievers got ya tongue'.
"You know what?" He said after the routine of charge, push, face-plant, "I think I've settled on Shank."
Somehow, after all that, Gally had been swirved and pushed to the floor.
"Not bad for a Greenie, huh?" He said, but before he could say anything else, Gally had swung his legs round, knocking Greenbean off his feet.
You could hear the impact on his head when he landed. He mumbled something before scambling up.
"Hey! Thomas!" He announced, "I remember my name. I'm Thomas,"
There was a beat of silence before Alby announced him to the group before things got too awkward.
There was a series of welcomes, even from Gally, and he had pretty much chugged a small jar of Gally's stuff.
Before celebration got too much, a screech from the maze silenced everyone, we all turned to the maze.
"What the hell was that?" Thomas mumbled.
"That, my friend, was a griever." Said Gally.
"Don't worry. You're safe here with us. Nothing gets through those walls."
"Alright. Let's tuck it in for tonight. Come on. It was a good night."
I slowly steadily made my way to my hammock, after hugging Newt goodnight, of course.