Left Behind -Gally-

Chapter 5

The day that the new Greenie arrived came quickly. Emma was looking forward to no longer being the Greenie and the bonfire that would take place in the evening. Jack and Brandon hadn't stopped talking about it. They were thrilled. Their excitement fueled her excitement. Having a night to relax and have fun after a month of working hard was all she wanted.

The sound of an alarm blaring caused Emma to jump. The shovel in her hand fell from her grasp, hitting Zart in the back. "Ow," he stood up.

"Sorry," Emma rushed out. It was an accident. The sound had frightened her.

"Greenie's here." Newt dusted his hands on his pants. "Come on. Let's go." Emma followed them toward the box. Several others were doing the same, but not everyone. The alarm was loud, incredibly loud. It bounced off the walls. "You excited, Greenie?"

"Not the Greenie anymore," she spoke proudly. "Remember?"

Newt shrugged, a large grin plastered on his face. "You're right." They came to a stop at the edge of the group, not getting too close. Newt left them, pushing closer to assist wherever he was needed. Zart stood close by as they waited for the Greenie.

Emma watched through the bodies as Frypan and Gally bent over and pulled back the gates. They then two moved down and pulled open the set of doors. Once they were opened, Gally jumped in. Curiosity got the better of her, and she moved closer. Part of her hoped the Greenie was a girl, but that seemed unlikely.

Gally crawled out of the box a minute later. A brown-haired boy with dark skin followed him. It took him longer, but he managed to get out. Her shoulders fell slightly. Zart noticed, "you okay?"

"Hm?" She glanced at him. "Oh, yeah, sorry." Emma looked away. "I was hoping it would be a girl."

Zart frowned, patting her shoulder. "Sorry." He had no idea how to comfort her. He couldn't imagine what it was like to be the only girl. It had to be uncomfortable.

"It's fine," she said because it was.

Whispers began at the sight of the boy. He was tall but shorter than Gally. He looked older than a lot of the others but still young. The boy looked around. It was a lot to take in at first. Arriving in the box was the scariest moment of the entire process. Emma never wanted to experience that feeling again.

The boy looked fine. He wasn't crying or freaking out. For a moment, Emma was impressed. Then the boy bent over and vomited. The other Gladers jumped back, trying to get away.

"That happens a lot," Jack whispered to her.

She looked up at him. "Did it happen to you?"

He smirked. "Nope. I was entirely collected."

Zart snorted, shaking his head. "He was a crier." Jack paled. Emma laughed at the revelation.

"All right," Alby yelled as Newt guided the new Glader away, probably to find clean clothes. "Get back to work. Days not done yet." As instructed, everyone went back to work.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Torches ignited the bonfire. The flames danced beautifully. The smoke from the fire disappeared into the night sky. Emma watched as the Gladers around her drank from glass jars and ate chicken on a stick. It was relaxing. It was fun. It was everything she needed.

"What do you think, Greenie," Newt questioned her. "How's your first bonfire?"

Emma tapped her chin. "Great, but I'm not the Greenie anymore. We got a new one." It was hard to hear over the laughing, talking, and chanting that came from the fighting ring.