Secrets | TMR | One

2:5

A/N - this chapter mentions death so... yea

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Thirty days have passed since Kenny was exiled from the Glade.

Life has moved on for the most part, many of the Gladers believe that it was his own fault, and have successfully managed to continue on without giving it much more thought. Of course they are upset about the entire situation, but they feel no need to dwell on the past. Not when there are so many more things happening all around them.

But the runners? They took it the worst, especially since they have no idea what had happened to him in the maze. Each one of them are on high alert whenever they step foot into the concrete labyrinth. All thoughts of escaping have been entirely forgotten, and instead, they each search for answers.

None of them have seen the creatures that lurk within the maze. Not even through the window that was discovered by Adeline and Nick. The runners have spent countless hours looking through the glass, before and after their days out there, but not once has any of them seen even a hint of movement in the dark corridors.

The identity of these monsters remains a mystery to all except for Adeline, who knows all too well what they look like. She has tried to explain as best she can, but there is only so much she can describe them.

That is why the runners continue to race through the maze everyday. Regardless of how terrified they are to come face-to-face with one of the beasts. They need to see it for themselves, they need to know exactly what happened to Kenny.

They need some closure.

On this day, however, Adeline had decided not to join the rest of the runners, but to stay and help with the supplies which are due any minute now.

That is why, instead of being out where the action is, the young girl finds herself sitting at one of the tables just by the kitchen, next to George, and across from Henry and Alby.

Lunch time has not long ended, but the four remain seated where they are, chatting away about anything and everything while they await their delivery.

Alby appears restless, something which Adeline notices almost instantly. She regards the way he keeps checking the time on his watch, and the way his eyes switch between his wrist and the hole in the middle of the Glade.

"Alby, are you alright?" she eventually questions, leaning forward on her chair and looking over to the boy.

"What?" Alby responds before quickly shaking his head to himself, "yea, sorry, just thinking... well, we should have heard the bell for the supplies by now, shouldn't we?"

Adeline furrows her brows at the boy. Lightly dropping her cutlery onto her plate, she wiggles her wrist a couple of times so she can get a better view of her watch. "Yea" she confirms, "you're right."

"Has it even been that long since our last set of supplies? How can you be sure they're even due today?" George pipes up from beside them.

"I keep count" Alby and Adeline say in unison, the two of them glancing to each other as they do.

"Come to think of it, I don't remember ever hearing the box go back down..." Alby confesses.

Adeline leans forward in her chair, only just realising that she does not remember hearing it either. "Actually... me neither. It's usually quite loud."

It is at this moment the pair decide to make their way over to the box. The two of them stand up, mimicking each others actions as they gently place their cutlery onto their plates and hand them back to Frypan to clean.