The First Runner

Glad I'm not alone anymore

A month had passed since I first arrived in the Glade. It was hard to believe how quickly time had flown, and yet every day felt like an eternity. The memories of my previous life were hazy at best, and I'd given up trying to piece them together. Instead, I focused on surviving and adapting to my new reality.

I'd fixed up the Homestead as well as the kitchen so both were now functional. The garden I'd planted now had some fresh crops growing, and I'd completed both the chicken coop and the pig pen.

We had lost a couple of chickens due to the inevitable hunger a human experiences, and it's safe to say that killing animals is not for me. What can I say though? I am definitely not a vegetarian. Luckily, the Box brought up new supplies weekly, so there was a steady stream of chickens coming in for me to eat. I hadn't quite had the heart to gut any of the pigs yet though.

I stood at the edge of the Glade, looking out at the massive stone walls that towered above me. I'd spent every other day running through the maze. Yes, that's right, it was a maze, and from what I'd worked out, the Glade was at the very center of it. The maze was a sprawling, ever-changing labyrinth that seemed designed to confuse and trap. But I was determined to understand it, to find a way out. 

I wasn't entirely sure why, but no matter how hard I tried I kept getting drawn into the maze. Running seemed like something I was born to do, it came so naturally, and over the last month I'd gained a lot of endurance so I enjoyed it even more.

Bark came trotted up beside me, his presence drawing me out of my daydream. "What do you think, boy?" I asked, scratching behind his ears. "I've known you a whole month now."

Bark wagged his tail, and I gave him a pat on the head. Usually, I would have already been out running. Today, however, I had a different plan. Instead of running the maze, I wanted to mark this milestone in a more permanent way than just the tally marks I'd carved into one of the barn doors. I headed to the Homestead and picked up a pick, its blade sharp and gleaming in the sunlight. Looking around, I spotted the mallet and picked that up as well.

"You gonna come with me, Bark?" I asked the dog, whose tail wagged enthusiastically. Together, we set off for the southern wall where there was a clearing. The ivy parted, revealing the perfect space to leave my mark.

I took a deep breath and began to carve. The stone was tough, and my hand shook slightly as I made the first chip, but I pressed on, carefully etching each letter into the stone.

I carved my name slowly until I was happy with it and then took a step back to look at the letters freshly carved into the wall.

JESS

"If anyone ever finds this, they'll know I was here," I murmured to myself. It wasn't much, but it was something. A piece of me left behind in case I never made it out of the Glade.

Bark sat beside me, his warm presence grounding me as I took in my work. The name etched into the stone felt like a small victory, a claim to my existence in this strange place. 

With a deep breath, I turned and walked back to the Homestead, Bark trotting loyally beside me. I felt a strange mix of satisfaction and sadness, knowing that while I'd made my mark, the uncertainty of our situation remained. But I was determined to keep pushing forward, to keep fighting for a way out of this maze. One day at a time.

I pushed open the Homestead door and started walking up the stairs to my room when I heard it. A piercing siren echoed across the Glade. I frowned and started walking back down the stairs and exited the Homestead. 

I recognized that siren. It was the same siren I'd heard when I woke up in the Box. My heart raced as I hurried outside, Bark close on my heels. The Glade was eerily quiet except for the blaring siren. I made my way to the Box, the source of the sound.