This Conspiracy

Chapter 28

Author stuff: Hey, friendlies! Sorry for posting this almost a week late. Couple of things happened in my personal life — mostly work related.

The one coworker who works overnights has COVID. The other woman who works overnights doesn't want to work anything other than her assigned nights (she spends the rest of her time out partying and comes in hours late). The backup for overnights picked up her old shift at her original location, so we won't have her to rely on.

On the positive side, I have a new manager to help me out in my department and a few people have been hired to work the front desk. Training is all they really need now, which that's a huge weight off a lot of our shoulders.

Another thing is the fact that I decided to try out how I take my vitamins. The website I get them from recommends that you take it on an empty stomach. Despite the fact that it is in a fat soluble capsule. (It also suggested taking the water soluble vitamins with food — which I don't recommend.) Nope. Not good. Messed with my whole being.

So, I'm back to taking the vitamin that helps with stress with the other fat soluble capsules.

Between that nonsense, I've just been feeling more depressed recently. It probably has to do with the fact that I'm working nights and not getting enough vitamin D, like I used to. I added it to my monthly vitamin package.

Anyway, I'll also update tomorrow as normal. I just had to take a little break for my mental health.

Chapter 28

In Which There Are New Runners And There Is A Major Time-skip. Also, Runnie-undies!

Archie counted the amount of hands still raised in the air. He counted again and again and again and again, going off his memory when Nick gave the final tally.

He couldn't believe it. He really, really couldn't.

He looked over at Adne, whose face was twisted in a pucker while she thought. She was surprised by the outcome, just as much as he was.

"Alright," Nick said, nodding. "Adne, unless Archie gets everyone to vote for him, it looks like you'll be our next Runner."

There was clapping from everyone who had voted for – it had been practically unanimous. Only one person had voted against her, Billy.

"Nick, you can't be serious," the Keeper of the Baggers said. "She's a girl."

"She surpassed my training expectations," Minho said. "And Alby and Newt agree. She's our first choice."

"What's next, you make Flossy a Runner?"

"Flossy wants nothing to do with the Maze," Adne said, speaking up for the first time. "You know that. Besides, no one here would let her go anywhere near it."

Archie caught the way her eyes flicked over to Gally as she spoke. The Keeper didn't seem to notice, however. He did seem to prickle at the mention of Flossy though.

Voices rose up from the other Keepers and Alby – who was there because he had trained them and to take Minho's place, drowning out all possibility of him thinking much further on the subject. Most of them were speaking in Flossy's defense and chiding Billy for bringing up such a ridiculous idea.

"We still have one more to vote for," Nick said over them. They quieted down as he spoke, his voice lowering as he did. "Right, we have Archie. You all know him, one of the G Tri-Force –" Clint snickered, "–and a Builder. Gally, you're his Keeper, start us off."

Gally stood up and looked around. Honestly, he wasn't sure what to expect. Lately, Gally has been in a rotten mood. He wasn't sure of the cause, but he hoped it wasn't because of him.