Darkness.
All I saw was darkness when I opened my eyes. I was in some sort of metal box.
I sat up, only to be met with a painful headache. God that hurts.
Trying to regain my senses, I noticed I was in some sort of cage-like metal box. It was being pulled up by metal chains at a fast pace.
Adrenaline starts pumping in. My breaths were getting shorter and shorter. Tears welling up in my eyes as I frantically look around.
I was scared.
Where am I? Who put me here? Why can't I remember anything? Not even my name.
I stood up, banging on the cage a few times.
"Help!! Somebody please help me!!"
I yelled over and over until my voice was all hoarse and dry. Feeling hopeless, I just sat back down hugging and burying my face into my knees as tears streamed down my face. I was a sobbing mess.
"Please...Anyone...Help me." I whispered out.
The cage came to a halt. Surprising me. The metal box opened. Light suddenly shining in, blinding me, I closed my eyes and put out my hand to block my sight from it, but slowly opening it so I can adjust my sight to the sudden brightness. Finally being able to see clearly in the sunlight. I saw a bunch of boys staring down at me from the top.
"Holy shucks. It's a girl..."
"A girl?! In the glade?!"
"Pipe it down Frypan!"
Multiple voices rang in my ears. Still in shock, I start crawling into the corner of the box. Hoping to hide myself away from the crowd above me.
"George, go down and get her, would you?"
_____________________________________
I woke and quickly sat up from my sleep. I was dreaming again. No. It wasn't dream. It was a memory. When I first came into the glade. When I first met...
I groaned inwardly and ran my fingers through my hair with frustration. Looking around I saw that everyone was still fast asleep. Guess I woke up a little earlier than expected.
But wait, where's Alby and Thomas? Their hammocks are empty. I got up and walked around to the front of the homestead and saw from a distance. Thomas was carving his name in the wall of the glade with Alby beside him. He's finally a part of us.
Not wanting to disturb them, I decided to go take a walk around the deadheads. I stopped in my tracks and mumbled to myself.
"I should visit him."
I head deeper into the forest, strolling and feeling the peaceful silence of dawn, I plucked up a daisy on the way and played with it for a bit before finally arriving to the destination I had in mind. I let out a pitiful smile and sighed. My gaze looking downward for a moment before looking back up at the makeshift grave in front of me. The grave had someone's name carved into it.
"Hey George..."
I sat on the ground a few meters away from the grave and placed the daisy that was in my hand on it.
"Good to see you again....You shank."
I let out a small hard laugh.
"It's been a while since you've been gone but...I'm doing okay.."
I grinned a bit.
"We got a new greenie. His name is Thomas. He asks a lot of questions but he seems like a nice guy....I was kind of like that when I first arrived, didn't I? Definitely asked less questions though...Gally is doing fine by the way...At least from what I see.....We miss you..."
I tried to continue but the sadness erupting in me stopped me from doing so. I ended up just sitting in silence and closing my eyes to feel the nature around me.
"Thought you'd be here."
I jumped and turned around to see Alby standing there with his arms crossed.
I calmed my racing heart down after seeing who it was.
"For shucks sake Alby, you scared me."
I said to the man who in return just let out a chuckle.
"Sorry about that Flora. Mind if I join in for a moment?"
I simply let out a small nod before he sat on the ground beside me. We sat in silence once again before I spoke up.
"I saw him again...In my sleep."
Alby just turned to focus on me.
"The nightmares are back again?"
Nightmares. It was something that happened to me quite often a few years ago.
"No...This time it's not nightmares but...Memories, like I suddenly started dreaming back when I first came up in the box two years ago. Why am I suddenly remembering that Alby?"
"Well, what do you think?"
I thought for a moment before answering him.
"I guess, maybe I still can't help but feel guilty about what happened back then, it affected everyone that was in the glade. It affected you too..." I looked at him.
"And Gally...He doesn't show it...But I can tell he blames himself in some parts of it too. He think's it's his fault. When really, it was mine..."
I hugged my knees tightly. Jaw clenching and eyes squeezed tightly. I didn't notice the tears streaming down my face.
Alby sat silently for a moment before putting a hand on my shoulder.
"Flora...Listen to me very carefully."
I looked up, teary eyed.
"What happened back then, none of that was your fault, or Gally's. We didn't know what was happening back then or how to handle it."
"But-"
"You almost got killed Flora. Things could have gotten worse if Gally didn't came in." He said with a direct voice but still had a hint of compassion in it.
"Those were dark days Flora, I know it's hard but...You don't have to forget about it completely, but I want you to at least to still be able to move on. So, let's try to put it behind us yeah? All of us." He lifted his hand away from my shoulder.
Not knowing what to say anymore after that, I just nodded while quickly wiping the tears from my face and let out a sigh. He was right, I can't keep blaming myself, like always, I have to try.
Alby stood up and gave me out his hand. I took it and got up from the ground. He gave a pat on the back.
"Come on, walls are almost opened. Minho and Ben are probably getting ready right now, why don't we go send them off?"
I grinned slightly, Alby always tried to make sure everyone was alright, considering he was the first one to come up in the box, I'm not surprised, we've all been through a lot.
Answering his question, I nodded and walked out of the deadheads with him.
__________________________________________________________________
Arriving near the walls, I saw Minho and Ben warming up. Minho stopped his actions to give me a wave.
"Well well well, for once our sleepy shuckfaced daisy is up early."
I scoffed at Minho's comment and gave him a light shove. Not that he'll feel it anyway.
"What he's trying to say is 'Good morning'." Ben added while in the middle of stretching.
"But seriously, you're up early today. Did something happened?" Minho asked
Before I could respond, Alby already beat me to it. Basically covering for me.
"She just felt like waking up a bit early today to send you guys off."
He said while giving me a pat on the back. I decided to just go along with it.
"Yeah, it's been a while since I last seen you guys off for the run, so I thought why not?" I chirped out.
It's like he said back in the deadheads. We all have to put it behind us. Even though we'll never be able to forget it completely.
We had a bit of small talk for a few minutes before a mechanical roar came out from the entrance.
The walls have opened once again. Staying behind the line of the entrance, I gave the two runners a wave. In which both of them returned.
"Be careful out there." I said
"Don't worry." Minho replied
"We will." Ben added. "We'll be back before lunch."
And with that, they turned around and sprinted into the maze.
I stood in front of the now opened walls for a moment.
"Flora, come on, time to get to work."
Alby, who was now walking back halfway to the homestead yelled out.
I turned to him. "Yeah, I know, be there in a minute!"
I replied back and looked back at the wall entrance once more. I always wondered how big the maze is out there. But then again, it's also a dangerous place.
Shaking my thoughts off, I finally walk back to the glade to get ready for another day of work.
I mumbled to myself.
"Don't bother Flora, the glade is the safest place you can be right now."