Left Behind -Gally-

Chapter 1

Three weeks ago, Emma entered the Glade. The adjustment was hard. It took a long time to process everything.

The Glade was her home now. She was the only girl, which nobody understood. However, they would never get an answer. It would remain a mystery. At first, that bothered her. However, as time passed, Emma began to realize there were bigger issues.

Her home, which she was thrust into memoryless, was surrounded by a Maze. Inside the Maze were Grievers. They roamed around at night. Luckily, the doors closed at night, keeping them safe. It was a lot. It was scary. Emma didn't want to be here, but she didn't have a choice. This was the situation she was in.

Runners explored the Maze every day. They mapped their findings in the Map room, a place she wasn't allowed because she wasn't a Runner. That wasn't her job. Emma was a Gardener, not a Track-Hoe. They did similar work but were two different things. Alby was specific about it, but Zart said it didn't matter as long as the work got done. It wasn't her ideal job, but Newt was insistent. Alby wanted her to train as a Med-Jack, believing it would stop the wandering eyes. Newt argued against it. She was closest with him. So, Alby agreed. She became a Gardner on her fifth day in the Glade.

That was weeks ago. She got into the grove of things pretty quickly. She befriended others, mainly other Gardeners. She knew a few Keepers because of Newt. The two stuck to each other like glue. They ate together. Worked together. Spent their free time together.

Life in the Glade became easy once everyone adjusted to her presence. Alby said the Creators, the people who put them in the Maze, were probably testing them—wanting to see how they reacted to change. It made the most sense. Once people realized she wasn't any different than them, they relaxed.

Although, some weren't as trusting. There was one person who had it out for her. That was Gally. He didn't trust her. Often commenting under his breath how she couldn't be trusted. He hated her.

Emma tried to befriend him. She tried to strike up a few conversations with him, but it never went well. Typically, he would sneer, glare, and walk in the opposite direction. Newt said he was just overly cautious. He had been in the Glade a long time and had difficulty trusting others. He didn't like change. It made him uneasy. Emma wanted to hate him but couldn't. Unfortunately, she understood. If roles were reversed, and she spent years in a Maze with other girls and a random boy showed up, she would be uneasy too.

She tried not to let it bother her, but it did. Emma didn't like being unliked. In fact, she hated it. Newt found the entire situation amusing. Her desperation to make Gally like her only seemed to push him away more. He was the only person who outright hated her.

"You're dazing off again, Greenie," Newt snickered. "Daydreaming, are you?"

Emma glanced at him. "Maybe. What's the harm in it?"

"You're slacking," he said. "Pick up the pace, or you're going to be left weeding all on your own."

She playfully rolled her eyes. "I'm still going faster than you." That was true. She had already weeded more of her section than him or Jack. "At this rate, you'll be stuck here while I'm eating double at dinner."

"You wouldn't dare eat my dinner."

"I would." Emma would happily have double at dinner. Newt threw dirt at her. "Hey! What are you, five?"

He laughed at her words. "Maybe."

Emma didn't bother with a response. She resumed working on pulling out weeds. Being a Gardener was not ideal. Working outside was the worst. It was constantly hot, and she was always sweating. The work was hard, but it bettered the Glade. Every job mattered. At least, that's what she told herself every morning when she dragged herself out of bed.