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Chapter one, 𝑫𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆?
︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵
It had been exactly one year since Birdie had arrived in the Glade. Her journey from a scared newcomer to an accomplished Runner had been marked by countless challenges and triumphs. Today, she found herself on top of a wooden tower— one she had helped build herself. The vantage point offered a perfect view of the Glade, the maze, and the sprawling fields that stretched out in all directions.
Birdie sat on the platform, focused on carving a large stick into a spear using her trusty butterfly knife— the same knife that had been with her since the beginning.
As she worked, she heard the familiar sound of footsteps running up the ladder. She looked up to see Chuck, his face flushed with excitement.
"Birdie!" Chuck called out, barely containing his enthusiasm. "It's time! The new Greenie is coming!"
Birdie's eyes brightened at the news. "Already? What's the word? Is it a boy or a girl?"
Chuck shook his head, breathless from his run. "I don't know. But they're on their way. Alby's asking for you.
Birdie stood up, carefully placing her carving and knife aside. "Got it. I'll be there."
She made her way down the ladder and quickly headed towards the entrance of the Glade where the elevator would arrive. It was a role she had taken on occasionally— replacing Gally during the new arrivals, especially when there was a possibility it might be a girl. It was part of the new responsibilities she had juggled over the past year, from being a Runner, helping with the arrivals, and the occasional weapons carving.
As she approached the entrance, she joined the group of Gladers who were already gathered. The anticipation was palpable, the familiar mix of curiosity and anxiety filling the air. Alby stood at the front, flanked by Minho and Newt, all of them waiting for the elevator to descend.
The metal box finally clanked to a stop, and the doors slid open. Birdie stood beside Alby, ready to welcome the newcomer.
As the figure inside the elevator came into view, Birdie's heart raced with the same mixture of excitement and nervousness she had felt when she first arrived.
Seeing the Greenies always hit Birdie like a truck. Each time the elevator doors opened, it brought her back to her own first moments in the Glade— confusion, fear, and a desperate need to understand. Today was no different, but it was also disappointing. The Greenie wasn't a girl as she had hoped, but a teenage boy. Still, there was something strangely familiar about him, a nagging feeling that Birdie couldn't quite place. His clothes were soaked, his hair plastered to his forehead, and his eyes were wide with terror. The combination of wet, terrified, and confused was a look Birdie knew all too well.
