#themazerunner

There was a turning of heads. Some shouting. But your vision was blurry, your hearing unsound.

“Whoa, what the hell…?”

“Guys!”

People were calling attention to you. A boy, looking roughly around your age, and looking very confused, was now running toward your direction.

Actually, a whole crowd of them was starting to run toward your direction. They looked just as confused as the first one, but their expressions were also masking the sense of danger crawling underneath. Caution. There was a lot of shouting. Some concerned, noticing the state you were in, and some more… aggressive.

"Something just came out of the maze!” The first boy called out again, motioning for others to join him.

“Something? A Griever?!” Another boy called out, coming out of a hut in the distance.

“No, someone. A girl.” He was looking at you, looking down, like he wasn’t expecting a response. Like you were an animal.

“A what?!” Another teenage boy yelled. He headed over too, faster than the rest. You finally tilted your head higher to take in the scene, to take in the people heading toward you. It was a sea of teenage boys, and nothing else.

What the hell…

You were surrounded within seconds. Your hands lifted away from the ground, and your body automatically tilted backward to land more comfortably on your butt.

“Hey you, can you hear me?”

You should run. But you can’t.

“Someone call Alby.”

“He’s busy at the pit.”

“Well then, someone call Newt.”

“He’s coming. Jeez, calm yourself a little.”

“Calm myself?? Are we looking at the same thing in front of us?”

You didn’t speak. You were too confused, too disoriented, and definitely not in a good place physically. And what would you say?

Someone else in the back caught up to the crowd. He seemed to be the only one making his way toward the scene walking. A slight limp accompanied him. Making his way to the front, people moved aside wordlessly. He knelt down beside you, the first to actually take a good look at you.

“You alright? Can you stand?” He asked, noting the blood lining your side and the slightly faraway look in your eyes.

Honestly, no. But I would appreciate less people looking down on me right now.

It seemed like a different question than what he really wanted to ask, but your lack of response was enough for him.

Someone approached you, reaching out to touch. You noted the stain covered apron he had on.

Oh, God. Are they going to eat me? Is this some sort of weird cult I’ve stumbled into?

“Fry, watch out.”

“Watch out? For what?” He sounded panicked.

Cool name.

The other boy (no apron) motioned toward the deep red and brown still staining your clothes as your arm clutched your side again.

“She’s injured.”

“...Oh.”

A pause. “Get Jeff over here. She needs medical attention.”

“I’ll get him.” A different boy left the crowd. He was rather fast, too.

He’s the only one wearing some sort of harness.

Your eyes flicked between him and the blonde one beside you, who was now standing up and brushing himself off.

“I’m going to get Alby.”

“Newt, wait!”

Newt. Who was leaving for the moment.

The rest were looking at you like you were all wrong, probably for a number of reasons. One, it looked like there wasn’t a single girl in sight, and two…

“Nothing ever comes out of the maze.”

A taller boy stepped away from the crowd, right in front of you. There was an air of aggression. You were guilty before proven innocent. Guilty with what, you didn’t know.

“Who are you?”

“Gally, calm down. Maybe she doesn’t know.”

Gally is his name. Do they all have names that they remember?

“I don’t.” The first thing you said. Your voice came out rough, being that you hadn’t really used it since you had woken up the night before. You cleared your throat. “I uh… I can’t remember anything.”

“She speaks.” Was all he said.

You scrunched your nose, frowning with your reply. ”That’s right.”

Someone else spoke up. “Wait, you can’t remember anything?”

“So, she is like us.”

Like us.

They gossiped.

“That must mean she survived a Griever attack, right?”

“...Well, maybe they didn’t come out for one night.”

“Seriously? I doubt it.”

The boy with the harness had just come back alongside a different guy.

The medic?

“Guys, she’s right there. Why don’t you ask her yourself?”

All heads turned to you.

“Wait, so you saw a Griever?”

Your brows furrowed. “Griever? You mean those monster spider things?”

“Spider things?? Oh God, I did not want that visual. So… you saw a Griever and got away? And it attacked you?”

You blinked at him and let go of your side for a moment, side eyeing the injury you had. “Obviously.”

“And you survived.” Gally said flatly. He sounded disappointed, more than bewildered.

“Everyone move.”

The crowd immediately quieted. It was clear this new presence carried leadership.

He shifted his way through the maze of boys as a path was cleared.

“What’s going on?”

“Alby, there’s a new Greenie. It’s a girl.”

Alby.

They were addressing him with an underlying question. What do we do?

Alby looked at you, brows furrowed. “The Box came up early?” Was all he said.

“That’s the thing. She didn’t come from The Box. She came from the maze.”

𖣠

“Alright everyone, there’s nothing to see here. Just go back to work.” Alby waved everyone off. “We have a new Greenie on our hands.”

Why do they keep calling me that?

Disgruntled, people stayed still for a moment. They were confused. Eventually, they started going back to what they were doing, though some heads remained turned toward you as they headed away.

If Alby says there’s nothing to see, then there’s nothing to see.

Three people remained. Newt, Jeff (I think?) and another one who decided to open his mouth and express what everyone else was clearly thinking.

“That’s it? Just ‘go back to work’?” Gally tossed up his hands in protest.

“Yes.” Alby said flatly, not taking complaints. “This is routine, Gally.”

“Why are we all acting like this normal?” Gally continued, agitated. “I think we should all meet right now and discuss what to do with her.”

“I think we should let her rest. In case you’ve forgotten, she took quite a beating out there last night.” Newt crossed his arms in reply.

“Yeah, which neither of you guys seems to be questioning! Why was she out there in the first place?”

“Those are questions for later.” Alby said firmly. “And not here.”

Not here. Where everyone is looking.

You decided to lay down flat on your back in the comfort of the slightly scratchy grass as Gally continued to complain about you. The rest of the boys peered at you, taken aback or amused as you closed your eyes and breathed deeply.

“Is she… are you even listening??”

“She needs medical attention.” Jeff said flatly. “Which I would love to be allowed to do right about now.”

“Let’s get her to the hut. You can't walk, right?” Newt said, his eyebrows pricking up.

It occurred to you that you did not want to appear too vulnerable among this new crowd. So, no matter how much strength and energy you needed to muster, you needed to walk. You should.

“No, I’ve got it. I just… need some help getting up.” You said.

Newt and Alby met each others’ gaze. They placed themself on either side of you, grabbing your elbows and hoisting you onto your feet. Your body creaked and you resisted a pained cry. It occurred to you that okay maybe this was a terrible idea but you’re in too deep now and if you fall flat on your ass Gally might jump you.

Alby nodded toward Newt, then grabbed Gally’s arm and hauled him away. Jeff tilted his head toward the medical hut, and you stalked off, following.

𖣠

You were lying on a cot. You had to peel off your shirt (which was already on its last legs. Well, I guess a shirt doesn’t have legs. Anyway, you know what I mean) in order to receive the medical attention you needed, keeping on your cotton tank underneath. Considering the circumstances, you were given ample time alone to shrug off your near death, being stung with alcohol, covered in some sort of poultice, and wrapped in bandages.

Then, the questions began. Newt had come in first, Jeff leaving the hut right after.

“Seems like there’s a lot of uproar outside.” You remarked as he approached the cot, pulling up a chair to sit beside you.

“Yeah. They’re just…”

“Angry?”

“Confused.”

“Right.” You replied, letting out a sigh. “Well… so am I, I guess.”

That’s one thing I seem to have in common with everyone else. ‘There’s a new Greenie. It’s a girl.’

The elephant in the room.

Newt exhaled through his nose and stood up. “Is there anything you need?” He asked.

“Answers.” You replied.

He chuckled and headed over to the corner of the hut, grabbing a jug. “Will a glass of water do for now?”

“Sounds good."

He handed you a sorry excuse for a cup with water inside. You took it from his hands and took a small sip, the liquid soothing your throat and clearing your head.

“What do you want to know?”

What is this place who are you who am I what are we doing here what is that thing in the maze what is that maze why did I wake up in there why are you all men etc. etc. etc.

You settled on one. Maybe he didn’t know the answer, but it was worth it to ask. This question might contain the answers to most, if not all, of your other questions.