𝐑𝐞𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐲 - Maze Runner, Newt

Chapter one - The Box

Nora's POV

I gasped for air as if I was drowning before. Feeling a hard ground under me, I caught my breath. I was in a dark metal cage and I could barely see anything. After a while my eyes got used to the dark and I looked in the cage. Boxes filled with fruits and clothes surrounded me. I crawled to a corner, away from the boxes.

I moved my knees up to my chest and just sat there, in the strange cage. Suddenly it started moving up, making me fall onto the ground. I quickly crawled up again and had to hold onto the wall, so I wouldn't fall.

What is happening? Why am I here? What is this? Who am I?

Especially the last question got me wondering. I couldn't remember anything, not even my name. I didn't have any memories but I did remember usual stuff, like objects and animals. I remembered that dogs are pets, but I didn't remember ever having one. My mind was blank.

Suddenly the cage I was in stopped going up and I fell down on the ground because of the sudden movement. Red lights above me turned green with a click. Daylight shined into the cage and I had to cover my eyes, trying not to get blinded.

'What do you see in there, Newt?'

'I bet they clunked their pants.'

'Yeah, just like you did when you came up in the box.'

'Hey! You were the one who did that, not me!'

'Shut your mouths, you slintheads!'

I heard voices all around me, it sounded like they belonged to boys.

'Now seriously, what do you see, Newt?' Another boy asked.

I removed my arm from my eyes and looked up. I saw a perfect blue sky, the rest of my vision was being blocked by at least twenty boys looking down at me.

I was still sitting on the hard ground when suddenly, a boy jumped in the cage and got closer to me. I started moving back, until I felt my back hit the cold metal wall.

'It's a girl.' The blonde boy said.

'A girl?'

'You're lying!'

'Let me see!'

'Is she hot?'

'I call dibs!'

'Shut it!' The boy with the blonde hair looked at all the boys.

'You heard him, guys. Go do your job.' I heard another, deeper, voice say.

'You okay there?' The blonde boy looked at me again. I noticed he had a thick British accent, I didn't hear if the other boys had it too.

I looked at the boy who reached out his hand. I hesitated for a moment and then grabbed it, the boy pulled me up. I saw that the boy was a taller then me.

'Where am I?' I heard my voice for the first time I could remember.

'Welcome to The Glade.' The boy smiled but I didn't find anything fun about it.

I had so many questions I wanted to ask, but I decided it would be better to wait for a while. I wanted to know who these boys were and what they wanted from me.

'Let's get you out of here.' The boy got himself out of the cage, that was at least 3 feet deep. He held out his hand and I grabbed it. The boy easily pulled me out of the cage too and I quickly got on my feet.

I looked down and saw that my black shoes were standing on green grass. Then I looked around me and almost gasped. Four giant stone walls that were covered in green ivy surrounded me.

'What is this?' I looked at the blonde boy.

'The Glade.' He replied again. 'Come on, I'll show you everything.' He motioned for me to follow him.

As we were walking I looked around me. I saw maybe ten small huts and one big hut. The big hut looked very unstable and it was made out of wood, most likely handmade.

Me and the boy walked past some other boys who were giving me weird glances.

'Have they never seen a girl before?' I said more to myself.

'Well actually, they haven't.' The blonde boy said as we kept walking, towards the big hut.

I didn't say anything else and followed the boy.

'This over here,' The boy pointed at the big hut. 'That's the Homestead. Most of us sleep there. And you see those small huts? Some Keepers sleep in the huts and we have a gathering hut. That one is the med-hut, basically a hospital room.'

'Do people get hurt here then?' I asked when the boy said hospital.

'Sometimes,' The boy seemed to hesitate. 'Most of the time just a small cut the Slicers or Builders accidentally made.' The boy explained a bit nervous. 'Speaking of Slicers and Builders, I'll explain the jobs to you.

I nodded.

'Everyone does their own job. Tomorrow you'll get to try out some and we decide which one is the best for you.'

'What if I don't like the job?'

'Then it sucks for you, Greenie.' The boy shrugged. 'The jobs are: Builder, Cook, Slicer, Track-hoes, Med-jack, Slopper, Bricknick and Bagger.'

I frowned at all the weird names the boy said.

'And Runner.' The boy added quietly. 'Now, let's move on.' The boy started walking over to the Homestead. I noticed he had a limp. 'You understand it a bit, Greenie?'

'Yeah, I think so.' I sighed. 'What's a Greenie?' I added.

'That's what we call the newest arrivals. Once a month a new Greenie gets sent up by The Box by the creators.' The boy motioned at the cage I was in earlier.

'Creators?'

'Yeah, the people who put us in here. Now, let's move on. We have a gathering.'

I nodded and quickly caught up with the boy.

'Why a gathering?'

'You'll see.' The boy replied.

I didn't completely understand everything yet. Like why we were put in this strange place and who sent us here.

'Just sit there.' The boy opened the door into the gathering hut and motioned at a wooden bench. A few other boys were already sitting in the hut and they gave me some glances.

After a while three more boys had joined and the gathering could begin.

'Today's gathering is about the Greenie.' A dark-skinned boy motioned at me and I felt my cheeks get red.

The boy never mentioned that this gathering was about me.

'We think it's strange that we never got a girl before, and now we have one.'

'I didn't choose for that.' I looked at the dark-skinned boy.

'Sure, sure.'

'Alby,' The blonde boy that had gave me the tour looked at the dark-skinned boy. 'I think we should talk about where she sleeps. We can't let her sleep with the other boys in the Homestead, but we don't have an extra hut either.'

'Does anyone have an idea?' The dark-skinned boy, Alby, looked around in the crowd of ten boys.

'Someone can give up their hut until a new one is made.' A dark-skinned boy with an apron said.

'Great idea, Frypan.'

Frypan? Is that his name? Interesting. He seems nice, though.

'Anyone else go something to say?' Alby looked around. 'No? Alright.' He looked at me. 'Do you remember your name?'

'No.' I shook my head.

'Okay, is there anyone willing to give up their hut voluntarily?'

'I'll do it.' The British boy said.

I didn't agree.

They don't have to give up their owns beds for me.

'Okay. I think that's it. Gathering ended. Go do your jobs.' Alby said.