Disconnection • Newt • Maze Runner

1 - Keep to Yourself

His head slammed against the bottom of the box, waking him aggressively. His eyes shot open, only to be met with the soft red lighting and a heavily panting boy. His heart began to race, having no idea where he was or who he was, only knowing that his name was Aspen.

The blinding light hit his eyes as the box was pulled open, a large group of boys staring down at him and the other person in the box with him. The one at the forefront jumped down into the box, Aspen backing up against the wall, cowering.

The boy glanced between the two of them, and his brows furrowed as he spotted Aspen in the corner of the box. "Day one, Greenie. Greenies. Rise and shine."

They were pulled up from the box, Aspen quickly standing and checking his surroundings, only to be met with an astonishing conclusion. The tall concrete walls were all around him, covered in thick vines and standing high against the full grassy Glade. Tree's expanded across the place, and Aspen was at a loss for words. The other boy seemed to be drawing more attention to himself, as the majority of the boys flocked around him.

"We got a runner!" He ran, seemingly with no actual direction of where he was going, before falling and rolling through the grass. Laughter spanned across the Glade, and the boy seemed to finally grasp the situation at hand, as he glanced every which way, to the tall walls, the openings, the trees, everything.

He was tossed into the pit, Aspen along with him. It seemed unfair that Aspen was to be placed with the boy, seeing as he wasn't the one who ran, but still, Aspen had been yet to say a word, merely following the command of those around him, and getting into the pit. The other boy stood warily, looking out at the Glade, curiosity taking a grip on him.

"Who are you?" Aspen asked blatantly. "And why in the hell am I in here with you?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

Aspen chuckled, "Well that's easy, I'm Aspen, and I don't have a fucking clue why they tossed me in here, seeing as I didn't run, or fall."

The boy rolled his eyes looking back out at the Glade before someone stood in front of him, blocking his view and surprising him "Hey" He fell back into the pit, just narrowly missing Aspens feet.

"Hey there, Green Bean. You're not gonna run again, okay?" Nodding to himself, the dark skinned boy simply said a quick, "Good." Before unlocked the door to the pit and introducing himself, crouched down. "My name is Alby. Can either of you tell me anything about yourselves? Who you are, where you came from? Anything at all?"

The boy shook his head, hands intertwined as his mind struggled to come up with something, only to come up blank. "No." He practically whispered.

"Can you tell me your name?"

He was clearly struggling to accept his lack of memory. "No. I, uh- I can't remember anything." He was shaking, hands restless in front of him. "Why can't I remember anything?"

Alby tried to calm down the heavily breathing boy. "It's okay. Hey, relax. Relax." He glanced to Aspen, secure in the corner of the pit, twirling a twig between his fingers. "You?"

"Aspen."

Alby seemed confused, eyes narrowing on the boy and his posture becoming more curious, guarded up. He looked back towards the frantic and scared boy in front of him. "It's normal. It happens to us all, well, it usually does." He looked back towards Aspen, who rolled his eyes, why was he getting singled out just because he could remember his own god damn name? "You get your name back in a day or two, it's the one thing they let us keep."

That sparked Aspens attention, the twig steady in his hand, eyes glancing up towards Alby, brows furrowed.

"What is this place?" The other boy asked, calmly compared to his previous frantic nature.

Alby extended a hand, an offering. "Let me show you."

It was amazing, everything they had built for themselves solely with the materials the box provided. The box also provided the new 'Greenies'. Though, it usually only brought one, it had never brought two before, but things were changing, the Glade being one of them.

Aspen kept quiet as Alby paid more attention to the other boy. He asked question upon question, most not peaking Aspens interest, but when he began to ask who put them here, that did. Aspen was curious in nature, yet not one to bring it up or ask questions. He thought it better to stay down low, keep to yourself where no one would question you, where you could be alone with your own thoughts yet still acquire information. That, it seemed, was working quite well in this moment.

"Hey, you alright, Alby?" Aspens head shot up at the words laced with a soft but noticeable British accent. A tall blonde boy made his way towards them. He was particularly interested in Aspen, but remained his gaze on Alby as much as he could.

"Ahah, Green Beans, meet Newt. When I'm not here, he's in charge."

Newt shook the other boys hand, before walking towards Aspen. "Hey, I'm Newt." He extended a hand, Aspen looked down at it, licking his lips before denying it silently.

"Aspen." His hands remained at his sides, Newt chuckled lightly before retreating his hand, accepting the denial, biting his cheek with a small smirk. Newt was different to Aspen, the rest of the boys here seemed to just simply be there, they didn't feel like they had substance, aside from being placed on the Glade. Newt, on the other hand, seemed like a real person, someone who'd had a life outside of the Glade, someone who was true.

Newt looked back towards the other boy, "Listen, that was some dash you made earlier. You know, for a second I thought you had the chops to be a runner... till you face-planted."

Aspen paid no mind to the conversation at hand, as he glanced around the Glade, in particular at the opening in the concrete wall. Beyond seemed to be more concrete, typical, but it seemed like more. His head titled before Alby and the boy began walking again, and he headed along with them, Newt walking the other way. Aspen glanced back at the boy, meeting his gaze, before looking back to where he was walking.

After climbing up to the top of what was essentially a glorified tree house, Aspen eyed the place in front of him, making note of each and every detail, before a laugh was heard from below, and Aspen realized he'd zoned out, and had been staring directly at Newt, stood below the structure Aspen stood on.

"Like what you see?" He asked, head titled in amusement. Aspen shook his head, his gaze moving to the boy that stood beside him. He was small, far younger than Newt, and Aspen. He appeared to be the youngest here, at least out of what Aspen had seen so far.

Newt's gaze remained fixed on Aspen. He was new, a breath of fresh air, it seemed. Everyone here was the same, and Newt always hoped someone would come along and change that, this appeared to it. Aspens defined bone structure and soft, subtle, yet commanding movements interested him. His silence yet clearly attentive nature was ressuring, he was msart, smart enough to know when to keep low. Aspen was different, and Newt was growing an affinity for that.