All I heard was the sound of chains moving and the noise of a box being lifted. My eyes stung from the sunlight that was slowly filling the box. I started to hear voices above me as the sound of metal crashing filled my ears
"What is it?"
"Another Greenie or just supplies?"
"Greenie."
I slowly opened my eyes as nausea flooded into my system. I felt awful couldn't remember anything. But I remember throwing up water on a blond haired boy.
"Seriously. I try to help the new ones and this happens." The boy said with disgust as he got me out of the metal cage
Instantly I was observing my surroundings, I was curious. Surrounded by people who I've never seen before filled me with such fear. I started trembling as I look around only to see concrete. Concrete walls to be exact surrounding what looked like a tiny village, then there was it. My way out, an opening. I started for it running as fast as I could.
"No way that the newest member whose a girl can be a runner." I heard someone say
"LOOKS LIKE SHES A RUNNER!" I heard someone shout as I hopped over the stones to avoid tripping
"Ben get her before she dies in that maze." I heard a concerned voice yell out as I started to hear footsteps behind me pushing me to run faster
"Jesus what the hell is this place. What the hell are you people." I shouted
"Look just slow down don't go into the maze." I heard the voice behind me grow closer
"I'm not gonna stop are you insane!" I shouted as something latched onto my legs as I just entered inside what was called "The Maze". I felt the hard surface against my face. I instantly tried to get up and away from whatever had caught me but it was to late.
"LET GO OF ME!" I screamed at the top of my lungs
"Will you stop kicking me!" The voice that had picked me up said to me in a harsh tone
"Not until you let me go." I replied back
"And if I don't?" The boy questioned
"This." I said as I let out a scream and instantly the other boys surrounded me
"Ben what the bloody hell. I said to stop her from going into the maze. Not to attack her and make her have blood curdling screams!" The boy with the blond hair yelled
"Look Newt it was either tackle her or let her be killed your choice." The boy I assumed was Ben said as he dropped me.
"Look don't do anything stupid okay?" The boy named Newt said as he came close to me and extended his hand towards me
"Don't even think about touching me." I said as I moved out of his reach and stood up
"Have it your way then." Newt replied
"At least tell me one thing where the hell am I." I said with a harsh tone as I looked around at everyone who was surrounding me
"Hell. Utter complete hell." The boy behind me said as he stepped towards me
"Don't even take another step." I said as I moved away from the boy with black hair walking towards me
"Look my names Thomas. I'm not here to hurt you. None of us are. We all don't know where we came from or how we got here. But the one thing that comes back to us is our names." Thomas said as I saw a boy start to run out of the maze. He had no emotion on his face. He had been crying I could tell.
"Hey listen to me. Do you remember anything at all. Any messages?" The boy named Thomas asked me as he stepped towards Newt
"No. Nothing I don't even." I started to say before nausea flooded my system again and I started to throw up water again. I felt a hand on my back and start to move in slow circles to get me to stop. He started to talk with me. His voice was more deeper than the others he seemed different.
"Look it's okay. Just take a deep breath this is all normal. The voice started to say to me as I threw up more water as I felt the hand begin to move around my back again. My names Alby, I'm what we call the leader around here. Within a couple of days or even hours you will hopefully be able to remember your name." The man named Alby said to me as something came into my mind...
"Grace." I said as I slowly sat up to look the man in the eyes who had been so kind to help me. I couldn't help but say the name again out loud to him as a smile came to my face.
"Grace! That's what my name is." I said with a smile on my face as I looked around again only to have the smile wiped right off and the joyous feeling being replaced with fear. The type of fear that makes your not only makes you scared but makes your whole body tremble. And no matter what you try you can't catch your breath. You feel like your trapped.
"Grace hey look at me." The man Alby said to me as I lifted my head to him as I started shaking uncontrollably as he eloped me in a hug as I felt the nausea come on again and had to push away as the water started to come up again.
"Thomas get Newt now!" Alby shouted across the field as I heard footsteps run off into the distance
"Alby. I... I don't" I started to say as I felt dizzy and wasn't sure what to do. I remember seeing the grass around me and Albys face coming towards me and someone kept yelling WHERE IN THE BLOODY HELL IS NEWT SHES NOT OKAY! I couldn't move I felt cold but I could tell my head was warm. I couldn't help but try and shut my eyes but I was just shook by Alby who kept telling me I couldn't close them. Not yet, not now.
"Alby what's the... Jesus Christ." Newt said as he ran towards me. I could see his face above me and he was talking but I couldn't hear him that well anymore. I felt like I was just going to die in that moment and instantly I felt something stop inside me. Everything went black. I don't remember quite well what had happened next but I do remember gasping as I woke up as my ears were ringing and I felt someone's lips on mine and I opening my eyes to look who it was but no other then Newt.
"Well hey there." Newt said with a smile on his face as he looked me in the eyes. I immediately felt filled with anger and how this boy just randomly kissed me and I had no clue why.
"What the" I started to say as Ably and newt both helped me sit up as I heard Alby start to talk.
"Now look, before you go and punch him, he literally just saved your life. You stopped your heart and he gave you mouth-to-mouth." Alby said with a laugh as I could feel a disgusted look come to my face as I just looked at Newt dead cold.
"Hey it wasn't that bad. I mean I did save your life." Newt said as he put on a puppy dog face that made me want to punch him so bad. I didn't care about the fact that he saved my life. I would rather die then be stuck in utter complete hell.
"You're such an ass wipe." I said as I glared at him and heard the group in unison go ooooooo. I just got up and started to walk towards maze. I was studying it looking at why someone would even make this. It didn't even occur to me that it could be dangerous. I heard footsteps start to run towards the maze.
"Thomas are you coming or not!? The boy whose footsteps stopped exactly where I was. The boy just stared at me. He was attractive I could say that about him. He was tall about a foot taller than me. Well built but very muscular.
"Minho lets go!" Thomas said as he noticed me just standing. I saw Minho run off as Thomas chased after him leaving me thinking about what I had saw before. Was Minho the one I saw crying as he sprinted out of the maze? Or was it someone else? All of this was a lot for me to even handle I couldn't even process what was going on and started to feel dizzy as I heard Newts voice.
"Here it's okay I'm not gonna hurt you or kiss you. Unless you want me too. But by the look on your face I can tell that's obviously not an option. Newt said with a nervous laugh as he put his hand around my waist and I fell into him not in a loving way but just because I couldn't take the pain I was feeling. Hey, it's okay I'm not gonna do anything stupid. Just relax lets just take you into the village okay."
"Okay just don't let go okay. I still hate you for kissing me but I do owe you a thank you." I said to newt as I started to try and walk along with him but wasn't really keeping up with his pace.
"Look just put your arms around my neck I'll carry you okay. Newt said to me as I was just to dizzy to even put up a fight. I felt him lift my legs and just buried my head into his shoulder and started to feel nauseous. Don't worry I'm taking you to Teresa, she will get you help." Newt said to me
"What is this place that were in called? I said newt half mumbled since my head was still buried into his shoulder. We call it the Glade. And we're the Gladers." Newt replied to me as I started to hear people which meant we were far away from the maze.
"So she's the new Greenie that is basically a runner and needed mouth to mouth her first day? I heard a female voice ask as Newt started to loosen his grip on my legs and I was laid down on a bed.
"Don't call her that. She has a name its Grace and I'm pretty sure we're going to be making her a runner once she gets her strength back." Newt replied as he sat next to me on the bed which made me uncomfortable so I tried to shift away from him
"Newt. Just get off the bed you're making her nervous. Teresa said to Newt as she looked at me and came over to my side with water that I didn't want to even take but was forced to. Newt was starting to walk away before Teresa spoke. Newt has she even met Minho yet?" Teresa asked
"No. But she's seen him and is quite curious. I can tell they are going to get along well with each other." Newt said as he gave a wink to Teresa and kissed her on the cheek and walked away leaving Teresa and I alone.
"Well Grace welcome to the Glade, and congrats on becoming a runner." Teresa said with a laugh as she brought over a small box of crackers. They smelt like saltines but didn't look like them at all which made me think twice about eating them.
"The sooner you eat them, the sooner you get to go back out there and look around. Ill go with you that way I can show you the important things around here." Teresa said to me as I forced one of the crackers into my mouth and gagged at the flavour it had. Teresa starting laughing at the face I made after I ate one of the crackers which made a question pop into my head
"What the bloody hell are these?" I asked as I spit out what was left of the cracker. I still had the awful taste in my mouth. It literally tasted rotten, it made no sense why the crackers could even taste like this but I forced myself to eat them.
"Okay look they are crackers but we have no clue why they taste like that. But good thing you're finishing them, because I really want to help you do something." Teresa said as she found her knife that was kept in her belt loop. I couldn't help but be filled with fear again at seeing the sight of the knife. I was more curious about it then I was fearful. I had no clue why she had pulled it out but she grabbed my hand and helped me stood up as we walked out of the little tent and made our way towards the maze again
"This is the most special place in this village that we have. It's where you mean something to us. See the names, that's where I finally felt accepted here." Teresa said to me as she pointed out her name and I walked towards the wall. And traced my finger around her name. It made me more curious than ever to notice the name Minho was the one carved the deepest into wall.
"Well it's your turn." Teresa said to me as she placed her knife in my hands and I looked for a spot to even write my name and I decided to place mine next to Minho's. As I was carving it I managed to somehow put it just as deep as Minho's which made no since to Teresa or myself.
"Newt's completely correct about the fact that you two are basically made for each other." Teresa said with a smile on her face as I saw Thomas and Minho run out of the maze. Minho ran towards the village but Thomas came towards Teresa and I
"She's one of us now?" Thomas said with a smile on his face as he looked me in the eyes curiosity filled my mind. I wanted to ask him so much about Minho but I just wasn't even sure how, what was the point anyways.
"Minho, he's the Keeper of the Runners he's quite keeps to himself. Nobody's been able to get through to him but for some reason I think you would be the key to open his heart." Thomas said with a grin on his face as I pushed some hair behind my ears. I was more curious about Minho now that Thomas had told me he's never been one to open up to people.
"Thomas why don't you show her the tree house." Teresa said as she put her hand on Thomas' shoulder before she started off towards the village. How she was so confident and wasn't afraid of being here made me stunned. I couldn't figure it out why the people who lived here didn't mind the fact that they were trapped within these concrete walls.
"I know that your probably thinking we are all insane here but it's okay you'll warm up eventually." Thomas said as he started to run, I had no choice but to follow him and surprisingly I had the strength to run next to him.
"Newt's right about making you a runner. You aren't afraid to run, and you can keep up with my pace which means you can keep up with Minho's." Thomas said with a laugh as he started to slow his pace as a tree slowly started to come into my sight. I look at it in awe and was somewhat confused about how the planks of wood were even staying on the tree but I decided not to question it. But I did need to ask Thomas things. I decided to wait to ask him until we were up in the tree.
"Watch your step on the way up." Thomas said as he started climbing and I started after him. We reached the top of the tree house and my breath was taken away at what I saw. Almost the top of what they kept referring to as the maze. It just made me angry and curious at the same time.
"Thomas what's the story behind Minho?" I asked as I kept my face towards the maze as I felt a tear roll down my cheek only to have it wiped away by Thomas.
"Don't start crying over this. We will be finding a way out. But the story behind Minho like I said nobody knows. He just shuts himself down. Nobody can get through to him but when you saw him today and the curiosity you had on your face, I can tell that something goods going to come out of it. Maybe not at first." Thomas said as he patted the top of my head which just made me look towards him with no emotion on my face as I slowly sat down on the floor. I pulled my knees into my chest as I continued to ask Thomas more questions.
"Look how long have you been here?" I asked Thomas with a curious look on my face as I started to see Newt climb the stairs which made me move my body towards the corner of the tree trunk to avoid being next to Newt
"I've been here for about a year. And look Newt's not going to hurt you. He's one of the most trust worthy people here I promise." Thomas said as he held out his pinky towards me and I wrapped my pinky around his and gave him a smile as Newt came into the tree house.
"Making promises I see?" Newt asked as Thomas started to get up opening up the spot next to me which made me uncomfortable but I had to trust Thomas about Newt. Although I didn't want to I knew it was the only way I was going to survive this place
"Look I've talked to Minho about you joining the runners. He says the jobs yours if you want to join. He's not that talkative but he'll warm up to you I know that for sure." Newt said with a smile as more curiosity filled my mind about Minho. I wanted to find out about him but it seemed like nobody knew what to say about him.
"Newt, how long has Minho been here?" I said as I turned and looked Newt in the eyes. I could see Newt processing what I had just asked him and then he moved closer towards me.
"I'm not going to kiss you its just so nobody here's our conversations. Newt had started to say. Minho's been here for three years. He hasn't even told Alby about himself, like I've said he just doesn't trust anyone at all to open up to them but I'm telling you that you are going to be the one to change that." Newt said with an honest look on his face. When I looked in his eyes as he was saying all of this about Minho I saw passion and hope about what he was saying. I couldn't help but think more about Minho as I started to hear something closing that startled me.
"What's going on." I said with panic in my voice as I started to see the concrete walls of the maze start to close
"They close at night, that's why the runners come out early." Newt said as he stood up and extended his hand towards me. I decided to take it and put trust in Newt against my will but again I knew it was the way to survive.
"When can I meet Minho?" I asked Newt with a serious tone. He looked at me with a weird smile on his face and started laughing
"You don't just meet Minho. It just happens." Newt said as he started to descend from the tree house and I followed him down. The sky was slowly becoming dark and someone had lit a bonfire and that's when everything started to begin. That's when I knew that I was a part, I had to find out why I was put here. I had to find out why everyone thought Minho and I were made for each other. I just had to.