This Conspiracy

Chapter 8

Author stuff: More filler!

This pillow is nothing but filler!

...I wish I was back in bed...

Trigger warning for this chapter. Talk of killing animals to be eaten is throughout this chapter.

Chapter 8

In Which The Greenie Observes Quite A Bit

It turned out that Flossy could kill a chicken. That... that frightened him. And a lot of the other Gladers, when they found out. The vast majority thought she could do it, it seemed. She really wasn't into it, but she was more than capable of doing so. She didn't eat any of the chicken at dinner, however – sticking to the rice and mixed vegetables. She managed to impress Winston, something he hadn't really vied for but wanted to.

None of them would be Slicers, it was decided – though Winston was willing to take Flossy on if she wanted the job. She, of course, didn't.

Their second day of trials they were placed under the eye of Billy, Keeper of the Baggers. It was one of the most boring things he'd ever had to do – which was saying a lot because he couldn't remember doing anything else. Billy had him posted at the West gate with Jackson, who fell asleep while on guard duty. Leaving him with no one to talk to or fill his time. No one was stupid enough to run off into the Maze, other than the Runners.

Flossy spent the day with Billy. Apparently, the two of them had a practically philosophical conversation, because they carried on at lunch and dinner. Archie didn't pay much attention to what it was about, but the pair seemed really into it. And it seemed to annoy a few others, namely Alby.

Graham spent the day at the South gate with Reed. Graham didn't speak much on what happened, but by his rather blank expression, Archie surmised it had been just as boring as his.

At breakfast on their third morning of job trials, Graham and Flossy sat next to one another. Archie could easily point out the similarities between the pair, and he knew his hypothesis about them being related was more than likely correct. They hadn't brought it up and neither had he, so he let them be for the time being.

It did make him wonder if he looked like them as well. It wasn't completely tossed out but, as Graham had said, the likelihood that the Creators would put people who were related into the Glade together was slim to nil. He didn't want to rule it out of the realm of possibilities, however.

He didn't get much more time to ponder those thoughts, as they had work to do. They were with the Sloppers on their third day, which he soon found out, was almost as bad as being a Bagger. The Gladers were messy. Dishes were stacked haphazardly, clothes were muddied beyond belief, tables were stained with – how old was that gravy? Was it even gravy?

He could barely handle it.

Graham helped him and a few others with the dishes. Flossy and several others took on the clothes – which he didn't pity her for. That afternoon, they all cleaned the restrooms and showers. It was worse than any other cleaning they'd had to do. Honestly, he didn't know how any of them were handling it.

On the fourth day, they were with the Bricknicks. They spent a good portion of the day repairing a wall to the Kitchens that had started to rot through. It was tedious.

The fifth day, they were with the Builders. Gally kept everyone busy at all times. Graham was off gathering wood in the Deadheads and would later help with another project, Flossy was helping Gally with some trellises for the Gardens, and he was stuck making a few new tables for the dining area.