Memories | TMR | Two

4:4

The Glade.

Against his better judgement, and every fibre of his being telling him to stay, Alby does as instructed. Quickly turning around and charging out of the bedroom, only managing to make it halfway along the hall before having to stop and grab onto the wall for support.

He had a plan. He was going to go in there, and they put the last twenty-four hours in the past and forget all about it, and everything would go back to normal, and Alby would try to do better, and Nick would try to do better.

So what the shuck just happened?

How did it go so... so wrong?

What did he do wrong?

His mind is on the precipice of unravelling, like every single thing that has happened over the past year has condensed itself into a tiny ball. A grenade, prepped and ready to be thrown at any given moment. And, until this point, Alby has managed to keep a firm grip on that grenade, never letting it go and never allowing anyone close enough to pull the clip or to destroy the walls he has built around his entire being.

But now? After that conversation? After Nick just asked him if it would be such a bad thing if he were dead?

Well, Nick has snatched that grenade right from Alby's clutches, and he now toys with it within his grasp. Taunting the leader with the threat of releasing the safety and ruining all the work he has put in to keeping his mind free from anything that could infect it.

He feels as though he is no longer in control.

Hearing the sounds of multiple Gladers calling his name from outside, Alby whips his head up to look at the door, twitching his head and trying to blink away the daze he had found himself in before shaking his shoulders out and heading towards the door.

But although he has dragged himself back to reality to the best of his abilities, it is not enough, for his entire walk out of the Homestead and across the Glade seems to pass by like a fog, and before the leader is even aware of it, he is stood at the front of the crowd, staring down at the newly arrived box and waiting for someone to open the hatch.

''Hey!'' one boy scoffs, but Alby does not bother to find out who, ''there's the rest of that rope!''

He does, however, recognise Gally and his next comment, followed by Henry's light scolding.

''At least we know what would have happened to Nick if he went down there yesterday.''

''Gally, do you ever shut up?!''

''Oh that's rich, coming from-''

''Can we please-'' Alby starts, counting to ten in his head and drawing his fingers up to rub the bridge of his nose as he exhales a deep breath, ''can we please just open the box? I'd like to meet the Greenie today.''

Although his eyes are fixated on Gally and Frypan as they step forward and go to unleash the Greenie on the Glade, Alby can still see the figure of Henry in her peripheral, and the way the builder timidly steps towards him whilst the others are too busy concentrating on the box hole.

''Alby, are you alright?'' is what he hears next, and it takes every ounce of will power Alby has not break down right there.

Instead, he does not even cast the boy a sideways glance as he pulls his arms tightly around his chest and shuffles his feet on the grass. ''I'm fine.''

''Okay...'' the boy responds, dragging the word out slightly, ''how did it go with-''

''I said I'm fine, Henry, so please, just drop it'' the leader spits out, sending a quick and light glare towards the builder before looking back down towards the box, just in time for the hatch to be opened.