The First Runner

You have got to be kidding me

Rewritten

The next morning, I was up early—earlier than usual, even for me. The sky was still a sleepy shade of blue, just beginning to blush with the first hints of dawn, and the compound was wrapped in the kind of hush that made the birdsong feel like it echoed. I pulled on my running gear, tugged my boots tight, and slipped out of the Homestead with Bark padding silently beside me.

To my surprise, light was already spilling out of the kitchen windows. I pushed the door open and found Nick and Alby sitting at the long wooden table, both looking bleary-eyed but clearly trying their best to appear useful.

"Morning," I said, grabbing an apple from the counter. It was crisp, cold from the night air, and the crunch echoed sharply in the quiet room.

Nick looked up from the mug of tea in his hands and gave a lopsided smile. "Morning, Jess. You're up early."

"Says the guy who beat me to the kitchen," I replied, raising an eyebrow.

He laughed lightly. "Couldn't sleep. Figured I might as well do something instead of just lying there staring at the ceiling."

"Same," Alby added, rubbing his face. "Nick dragged me out of bed. Said if we're stuck here, we might as well start pulling our weight."

I nodded, appreciating the effort. "That's good to hear. You two feel up to handling breakfast today?"

Nick stood and stretched, then started pulling pans and eggs from the fridge. "Yeah, we got it. You want the usual?"

"Something edible would be a miracle, honestly," I said with a smirk. "But yeah. Usual's fine."

"You heading into the Maze again?" Alby asked as he cracked eggs into a bowl, careful not to get shell in them.

I took another bite of my apple, then nodded. "Yeah. I'll be gone most of the day. Hopefully back before sundown, if I don't get eaten or lost or both."

Nick looked up, trying to sound casual but not quite hiding the edge in his voice. "You go in alone?"

"Well it's only been me up until now," I said, shrugging. "Bark doesn't come with, refuses to leave the Glade, so I'm by myself basically all the time."

There was a brief pause as they glanced at each other, then Nick cleared his throat. "Can I come with you?"

I raised an eyebrow, studying him for a moment. He wasn't posturing. He didn't sound like he was trying to prove something. Just... curious. Brave, maybe, or foolish. Still, there was something honest in the way he asked.

"Sure," I said, finishing off the apple and tossing the core into the compost bucket. "If you think you can keep up."

Alby snorted. "Nick gets winded climbing the ladder out of the Box."

"Hey!" Nick grinned, pretending to be offended. "I was under a lot of emotional stress, alright?"

I chuckled under my breath and turned to the pantry. "Alright, before I forget—Box comes up today. Supplies, maybe a note, maybe junk. Just make sure it all gets unloaded and put away. If any of the others want to help, let them. If they don't, boss them around until they do."

Alby nodded. "Got it."

"Also, Alby—there's a clearing by the barn. Might be a good spot to start working on that builder's hut. I figure we'll need a better space soon if more of you keep showing up."

"On it," he said, suddenly sounding more awake.

"And," I added, grinning, "if anyone feels brave enough to gut a pig, I wouldn't say no to some bacon when I get back."