𝐁𝐎𝐑𝐍 𝐓𝐎 𝐃𝐈𝐄

𝐓𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐋𝐄𝐃

THE NEXT morning began the same as it always did: Getting up early, showering, having breakfast, and working in the Gardens—except for Thomas's presence. I was situated beside Zart and to the right of Newt. Thomas stood to the left of Zart, zoned out. "Has anyone tried climbing to the top?" he suddenly asked. We all turned to look at him.

"Tried it. The ivy doesn't go all the way to the top," Newt answered. I turned to him before my eyes moved to the walls. I could've sworn it did. "And besides, where are you gonna go from there?" he continued. I returned my gaze to the soil and planted a seed, covering it with the soil I had pushed to the side earlier. I guessed Thomas wasn't finished with his questions as he opened his mouth again.

"And what about the Box?" I sat still as I remembered what Newt had told me. "You know, next time it comes up," Thomas continued, but I interrupted him. "Tried that already." I knew his gaze landed on me before he turned back to Newt. "It won't go back down with someone in it," Newt finished for me. Didn't Newt mention that an accident happened when they tried it? That they lost a George from it? I remained quiet and let Newt handle his questions. I hadn't been here as long as Newt, so it was better if he used his knowledge to answer Thomas's questions.

"Okay, what if we," Thomas started again. Newt halted his movements before making eye contact with the Greenie.

"No, we tried it all, alright?" he replied, ending the conversation. A laugh sounded from his throat as he spoke, but I knew it was out of annoyance. "Twice," Newt continued. "Alright? Trust me. Anything you think of, we've already tried." Silence followed his words. Zart and I looked at each other, knowing where this conversation would go. "The only way out is through the maze."

I took another seed and began dropping it into the soil. "Now, look, you wanna be helpful? Here," Newt instructed, throwing a bucket at him. Zart began to laugh, but I only watched. "Go dig us up more fertilizer." I patted the soil over the planted seed and stood up to stretch my legs. Zart was still laughing his ass off, and Newt had returned to his work. I could see Thomas heading toward the forest to collect the fertilizer, and it was only then I realized I had run out. An irritated exhale left my mouth, and I called out to Thomas, "Wait." He turned around in confusion and stared at me. "I'll come with you," I said, grabbing a bucket and shovel of my own. I looked at Newt for a second, and he looked back at me, a furrow in his brows. I pointed at my bucket and hoped he understood, then turned to walk with Thomas.

The walk was awkward, and I hated it. It was the silence I was used to. We walked in unison, buckets and shovels in our hands, making noise as our steps required more force. We were sheltered by the tall trees, hiding away from the sun. I could hear little rustles in the trees, but I ignored them. Thomas's face held a grimace, and I couldn't help but find it funny.

It wasn't long until we found a good spot and stopped to collect the fertilizer. I dug my shovel into the dirt as I tried to ignore Thomas's mocking of Newt. He was like a man-child, muttering words and sloppily completing his task. Another rustle sounded from above, and my curiosity turned in its direction. I caught sight of mechanical legs, skittering away in a spider-like manner. I stopped collecting fertilizer and stood up, looking around. I couldn't see it anymore. Was this another hallucination? I bit the inside of my mouth as I slowly returned to my previous task. It's probably nothing. Just nothing.