TRANQUILITY - Newt

✦Chapter II✦

Eleutheromania - an intense and irresistible desire for freedom

The night soon arrives and the bonfire is lit with aflame sticks. "Light em up." Alby exclaims and the surrounding boys throw the sticks onto it, the whole bonfire becoming a blaze.

With that, everyone cheers and starts chanting.

A few of the boys began to play the drums and one of them even starts flipping. I grab a drink, one of Gally's trade secrets, which by the way are really good. You just have to get used to them. Everyone joins the drinks for a cheers.

Then, everyone begins to walk off into their groups. Usually, I would go back to my shack, but I was feeling like staying out today. I just had a feeling that something was going to happen.

I didn't know who to be with, because I've never actually stayed this long. Everyone had their groups, I was on my own.

I saw the greenie and Newt talking. I narrowed my eyes at them when I saw New laughing at the greenie. He spat out Gally's great drink. Pussy.

I walked over to them. If they didn't want time to sit there, I would leave and go back to my shack, alone. So, I hoped I would be too intruding.

Just as I got there, Newt said, "He saved you life today. Trust me, the maze is a dangerous place."

"Hey, can I sit with you guys?" I ask. I know I dislike Newt, you could say, but I think Gally's secret recipe has got to my head.

The two nod and I sit on the tree they were leaning on. The maze began to move, clicks could be heard in the distance.

"We're trapped here aren't we." the greenie says.

"For the moment," Newt answers. "But, you see those guys, over there." He points behind him, the three of us turning to where he looked. I wanted to know what he was going to say. "They're the runners and that guy in the middle there, that's Minho. And every morning when those doors open, they run the maze. Mapping it, memorising it and trying to find a way out."

I, however, knew they had already mapped the whole thing. They weren't going to find a way out that easily.

"How long have they been looking?" the greenie asks. When is this shank going to stop asking questions?

"Three years," I say. I started looking, right in the beginning. It was me, then Alby. We went into the maze once and we saw a griever, we ran as quickly as we could and I didn't want to ever go back in there.

"And they haven't found anything?"

"It's not easier said than done, listen." The maze moved again, this time louder.

"That's the maze changing, every night it changes." I explain.

"Impossible," the greenie mutters under his breath.

"You can ask the people who put is in here, if you ever meet the bastards." Newts accent was evident as he spoke, smiling at the end of his sentence. "Look, the truth is the runners are the only ones who really know what's out there. They're the fastest and the strongest."

"It's a good thing too, because they have to be back here before the doors close and if they don't, they are stuck in there for the whole night. You can't survive a night in the maze." I commented.

"What happens to them?"

"We call them grievers." Newt voiced. "Right well, that's enough questions for one night," thank god someone got him to stop asking questions, "You're supposed to be the guest of honor." Newt puts his arm around the greenie's shoulder. "I'm going to show you around. You coming?" He asks me.

"No, I'm alright. I'm getting really out of it from this drink." For once I had a smile on my face when talking to Newt.

The two walked off, Newt telling the greenie each position and what they do.

I was watching Gally fight until he threw someone and they had fallen onto the greenie.

"How about you, greenie, want to fight?" Gally began. The greenie made no move to answer, just started at him, then moved closer. Gally took that as a yes and the two circled each other in the sand.

"Alright, the rules are simple greenie. I push you out of the circle or you try to last more than five seconds," he explains and the rest laugh. Gally immediately runs at the other, shoving him into the surrounding boys, who in turn shove the greenie on the floor. "Come on greenie, were not done yet."

"Stop calling me greenie." he states, which causes everyone else to "ooh".

"Stop calling you that? What would you rather me call you? Shank?" that got everyone laughing again.

The boy runs at Gally, they have a push battle, but Gally is stronger and pushes him back on the floor. "Yknow what, I think I've settled on shank."

They again begin shoving at each other but Gally is on the floor this time. The greenie unfortunately says, "not bad for a greenie?"

This causes Gally to kick at his feet, twisting the greenie onto the floor. His head hits the ground harshly.

He seems to have a moment until saying, "Thomas, I remember my name Thomas!"

Everyone gets closer to him, congratulating him. I swear I've heard that name before. Or on one of the papers.

While everyone was talking to Thomas, I walk away to my shack. I need to look over the papers again.

The papers are sent from the box, which I think I've figured out are from W. C. K. D. Some sort of organisation. It's a fitting name for someone who's put a bunch of kids in a lethal labyrinth.

As I walk, I hear the screeches of the Grievers.

"You're safe in these walls..."