― ❝ in which wicked wipes kids memories and puts them on trial to find a cure for a deadly disease. only some of them make it out alive. the others who do are hit with the cruel reality of what the world is now like when they are on their journey to...
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Later that night was the bonfire they had for each Greenie when they arrived. They surrounded a big pile of wood that was lighted. Each keeper of every job had a stick with the end of it on fire.
"Alright, boys, light 'em up!" Alby exclaimed, throwing the stick he was holding into the fire and the others as cheering was heard around the Glade.
It was just like any other bonfire night, except thankfully, Lizzie wasn't asked to dance again. She was sure she made a fool of herself almost every time she danced at these things, even though Minho always says she doesn't.
Honestly, nights like this one was probably one of her favorite thing being in the Glade. It was a night where they didn't have to worry about anything and have fun.
"So, what do you think of the Greenie?" Minho glanced over at Lizzie with a raised brow.
Lizzie, who sat beside him on the same log, shrugs her shoulders. "He seems nice. But stubborn, and asks way too many questions if you ask me." She commented as she took a sip of Gally's special drink he always made for bonfire nights.
She cringes at the awful taste, putting the drink down. "I don't know why I always get a drink. I should know by now that it's awful."
"Yeah," Minho chuckles lightly and shrugs. "But it's a tradition now. It would almost be weird if we didn't have it at these nights."
A comfortable silence fell between the two, and Lizzie glanced to her right, seeing that Newt and the Greenie were looking in their direction. She figured that Newt probably was talking about Minho and the Runners because she saw him point towards the doors.
Lizzie looked at the walls whenever she heard the loud noise of the maze change.
"Do you ever hate being a Runner?" She suddenly asked, which surprised Minho. He didn't think she would ever ask him something like that. He was silent as he stared at the fire.
"Sometimes, yes." He admitted after a few moments of silence.
He glances over at her, seeing that she is looking at the fire. Somehow she looked even more beautiful with the light of the fire reflecting off of her.
"But that's only because of the fear of not making it back in time before the door closes." He also wanted to say, 'and the fear of not seeing you anymore', but he felt like that would make things weird between them, and he didn't want that.
The two of them looked over towards where some of the boys were wrestling. They noticed that the one in the ring had bumped into the Greenie, who was walking near them with Newt.
"What'd you say, Greenie?" Gally asks with a smirk forming on his lips. "Wanna see what you're made of?"
She mentally scolded Jeff whenever he started chanting 'Greenie', and everyone else joined him. But she, Alby, Chuck, Minho, Gally, and Newt were the only ones who weren't chanting for the Greenie.
She and Minho shared a loo, both knowing that something bad could happen. Then, they got up and walked over to the ring where the Gladers had gathered around. The Greenie stepped into the ring with Gally as Lizzie and Minho had pushed their way to the front.
"Okay, the rules are simple, Greenie, I try to push you out of the circle, you try to last more than five seconds." Gally explained with a smug expression on his face. Some of the boys chuckled at that, but Lizzie just rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. She wasn't that amused with what Gally said.
Gally was the one to start the fight. First, he pushed the Greenie backward roughly, and he would've fallen if it wasn't for some of the boys who caught him and pushed him back into the ring. Then, just as the Greenie was back on his feet, Gally shoved the Greenie on the ground.
"Come on, Greenie." He challenges. The Greenie looks back at him with a glare. "We're not done yet."
The Greenie stood up and pulled his shirt down, continuing to glare at Gally. "Stop calling me Greenie."
Lizzie 'oohed' along with everyone else, surprised that he spoke that way to Gally. "Stop calling you that? What do you want to be called? Shank?" Gally asked with a laugh, and some of the boys laughed along with him.
"What do you think, guys? Does he look like a Shank?" Gally taunted.
Lizzie's eyes widened when the Greenie ran at Gally and tried to push him down. But Gally got the upper hand, which resulted with the Greenie up on the ground. Lizzie honestly wanted to wipe off the grin that was on Gally's face. Sure, she gets along with Gally sometimes. But at the moment, he was being a little annoying and a bit of a jerk. She watched as the Greenie ran forward, trying his best to push Gally down, and for a moment, it seemed like he was about to do it.
A grin tugged on Lizzie's face, and she cheered for the Greenie whenever he managed to push Gally on the ground. Minho glanced over at her whenever she cheered, and he couldn't help the smile that formed on his lips. He looked back at the Greenie when he spoke.
"Not bad for a Greenie, huh?" The Greenie quipped.
Lizzie thought the fight was over, but then Gally kicked the Greenie's legs out from under him, making him land roughly on the ground and Lizzie winced.
"That looked like it hurt." She muttered and Minho nodded in agreement.
It was silent for a few seconds before the Greenie mumbles, "Thomas..."
Lizzie's eyebrows furrowed together with confusion. Then she grinned and excitedly slapped Minho's arm when she realized he must've remembered his name. Minho chuckled at her and rolled his eyes, grabbing onto her wrist to make her stop slapping his arm. She sent him a sheepish smile and pulled her arm away.
"Thomas." The Greenie, named Thomas, said louder as he quickly stands. He laughs, happy that he remembered his name. "I remember my name. I'm Thomas!"
Silence filled the air for a few moments. Alby was the first to say anything as he points at Thomas with a wide smile on his face. "Thomas!"
Lizzie joined in with everyone shouting Thomas' name, and some even went up to congratulate him. Remembering your name is a big deal because you remember nothing when you come up in the Box. However, some were lucky enough to remember their name when they came up. Lizzie was one of them.
Sometimes it takes a few days, maybe even a week, before you remember your name. It's the only thing the Creators let them keep. They don't know anything else. Honestly, it annoys Lizzie sometimes that she doesn't remember anything about her past. She doesn't remember what happened to her before she was in the Glade. She hated the emptiness feeling. But being with the Gladers, being reminded that she wasn't alone in this challenging journey, made it better.
"Welcome home, Thomas." Frypan smiled, handing Thomas a drink.
Everyone cheered while Thomas took a sip of Gally's special drink he made. Lizzie jumped and, out of instinct, grabbed onto Minho's arm, startled at the sudden screech of a Griever. She hated Grievers. Lizzie never saw one and hoped she never will. Because if they're as scary as they sound, she doesn't want to see how scary they look.
"What was that?" Thomas inquired, looking around at everyone with wide eyes before he stared at the walls.
"That, my friend, was a Griever," Gally replies. "Don't worry, you're safe here with us. Nothing gets through those walls."
"Alright, guys. Let's tuck it in for the night." Alby announced.
"It was a good night." He commented as he clapped. A few of the boys clapped along with him. Everyone said goodnight and then separated to their hammocks to go to bed.
