𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓑𝓻𝓾𝓲𝓼𝓮𝓭 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓑𝓻𝓸𝓴𝓮𝓷 - [EDITING]

Chapter Five - Addy

After working in the gardens for a while, I'm sent to work with Clint, a Med-jack. I don't mind the gardens, but I don't love it either. Too dirty and social. Chuck follows me around, helping and chatting. I'm grateful for it. He helps make the change less scary. I know I can trust him.

We spend the afternoon learning how to clean wounds and wrap bandages, occasionally practicing on the Slicers. The blood makes my stomach knot, but I like working with the Med-jacks more than the Track-hoes. It's just Clint and Jeff. Both seem kinder and more patient than the other boys. They treat me normally instead of giving me side eyes or cat calling at me. I keep Chuck by my side at all times so the boys will be less likely to try anything.

Chuck wraps a bandage around his head and moans like a mummy. I giggle and Clint smiles and rolls his eyes, but our fun is interrupted by screams. A small boy bursts into the room and urgently says, "Med-jacks, quick, Ben got Stung!"

Clint and Jeff run after the boy with no hesitation. I look at Chuck, bewildered. His face is white and he doesn't seem to want to follow the older boys. "What's going on?" I ask. "What do they mean by Stung?"

"Er, well, Newt will have to explain. I don't know much about it. Let's get out of here before they come back," he says, bustling out of the Homestead.

"Why?" I demand, stumbling after him. I look further into the Glade and see a crowd of boys at one of the large openings in the wall. Clint, Jeff, and Alby come charging out of the mass of boys carrying someone. I don't get a good look at the boy before they carry him into the Med-bay, but from what I see, he's convulsing and discolored. Newt charges after them, slowed down by a slight limp that I hadn't noticed before.

"Newt!" I call.

He turns around to face me quickly. "Not now, Addy. Go find Winston. You can work with the Slicers for the rest of the day," he directs, turning away.

"But Newt," I say, still following. "what's going on? What's wrong with him?"

Newt stops at the door of the Homestead and firmly says, "Just go."

He marches off, leaving me puzzled and hurt.

"Has old Newtie hurt your feelings, sweetness?" A voice from behind me says. I turn to face him and see a scrawny black haired kid with a repulsive nose and eyebrows that looked like the Nike swoosh had been tattooed to his face upside down.

"What do you want?" I say, crossing my arms.

The boy sneers and looks to his friends as if to say, 'can you believe this shank?' "I'm just looking out for you, sweetness. Newbies aren't allowed to see someone who's been... taken. Newt and Alby won't allow it," he says with mock kindness.

"Leave her alone, Gally," Chuck says.

Gally laughs, "Got yourself a body guard, eh Greenie? Little Chucky isn't gonna do you much good, sweetness."

"My name is Addy. Stop calling me sweetness," I demand, feigning confidence.

"Whatever you say, sweetness." Gally's making me incredibly uncomfortable and with Newt gone, there's no one that can control him around. Chuck does his best, but it's obvious Gally won't listen. Suddenly, the boys attention is drawn elsewhere.

A sweaty Asian boy comes sprinting out of the Maze. "Where's Newt and Gally?" He asks, panting. "Go get me some water, shank."

Two boys scramble off in different directions, one getting Newt and Alby, and the other fetching the boy water.

"What are you doing back, Minho? What happened?" Alby clomps down the stairs. I perk up and catch Newt's eye as he follows Alby down the stairs. So this is Minho.

Minho guzzles the water and says, "I found a dead one."

"Huh?" Alby asks. "A dead what?"

Minho smiles. "A dead Griever."

A Griever? I think, confused.

"Now ain't a good time for jokes," Alby warns.

"Look," Minho says, words laced with annoyance. "I wouldn't believe me if I were you either, but trust me, I did. Big nasty fat one."

Minho looks proud of himself and Newt runs a hand over his chin without saying a word.

Alby continues to argue with Minho about it, constantly questioning the Runner about whether he actually saw one. I take this opportunity to ask Newt about what's going on.

"What are they talking about? What's a Griever? What was Minho doing out there?" I can't stop the questions from flowing out of my mouth.

"Easy there, Addy. I'll explain it all to ya if you shut your trap long enough," he teases. "I was gonna show you tomorrow morning, ya know, give you some time to adjust before scaring your pants off ya, but I guess the universe wants you to know. Out there," he says pointing. "Is the Maze. Everything we do revolves around the Maze. Every lovin' second of every lovin' day we spend in honor of the Maze, tryin' solve the bloody thing. Grievers are the creatures that roam out there. Nasty buggers. Those walls close every night, and for good reason too. You should never, never find your butt out there, Greenie. You don't want to get Stung by one of them Grievers. I'll show you one in the morning."

"So that's what happened to Ben? He got Stung by one of them? What does Minho do out there? Isn't it dangerous?" I ask, frightened by the severity in Newt's voice.

"Yeah, Ben got Stung. Middle of the day too. Grievers usually aren't out at daytime, but when night comes and those doors close, they're always out. You don't wanna get Stung. Those who get Stung have to go through the Changing, bloody painful I've heard. After the Changing they ain't the same anymore, but without it..." Newt explains.

"And the Runners? Why are they out there if it's so dangerous?" I ask, eager for more knowledge.

"Best of the best those guys. Have to be. Everything depends on them. The Runners go out there to map the Maze all out, trying to find a bloody way out. We've been at it for two years. This is the first time we've ever found something significant." Newt focuses his attention on Minho and Alby, who has finally accepted that what Minho is saying is true. "Well what are we gonna do about it?"

"Shuck it," Alby says. "Someone's gotta go check it out. I guess Minho and I will be headed out there tomorrow. "

"What if that's too late? The Maze will have changed by then!" Minho exclaims, appalled. "This could be the most significant discovery we've found in years!"

Alby opens his mouth to reply, but he's cut off by a booming, ringing alarm that sounds from all directions. I clamp my hands over my ears, terrified and shout, "What is that?"

"That's weird," Alby mutters. He doesn't look scared. None of the boys do, just confused.

"What's going on?!" I ask again. "Alby? Newt?"

"The Box, shuckface! The Box!" Alby says, stomping off towards it quickly.

Newt starts to follow him, but I grab his forearm before he leaves. "It means a bloody Newbie's coming up. We've never had two in the same month much less two days in a row!"