teenage wasteland ;; the maze runner

2.30

florence stood frozen, the name barely leaving her lips as if saying it aloud might make the moment disappear. she was staring at a ghost, gone for as long as she could remember.

the man before her was older now, his features sharper, his build broader, but there was no mistaking him. his hair was shorter than it used to be, his face weathered by time and hardship, but his eyes—those same piercing, thoughtful eyes that always seemed to know what to say—were unmistakably grey's.

as she stared at the boy she'd once called her brother, now a stranger, she suddenly felt as though she was four years old again. before the entire world went to shit, before she lost every member of her family, before she learned what grief really meant.

she stood barefoot on the wooden dock of cedar bay, a typical vacation spot during her tranquil childhood summers. in front of her, the sun was setting, leaving a sky full of watercolors in its wake. grey, who was only six or so at the time, was already a head taller than her, and like any big brother, trying to commandeer her fishing rod.

"flo," he griped, a pout settling on his lips while he scrutinized her hands. "you're holding it all wrong. let me help you!" he reached towards her, and in her high-pitched voice of four years old, the girl shrieked and tugged it away from his hands.

"no!" she whined, eyebrows pinching in frustration from where she stared up at him. "it's mine, grey!"

but, grey only laughed, eyes lit up in amusement as he watched her continue to wrestle with her pole. his laughter had always had that sound to it—carefree, enough to elicit a laugh of her own. "fine," he said with a helpless shrug. "you can have it, but don't blame me when the fish laugh at you."

florence gasped, her face contorting even tighter as her annoyance rose. "they don't laugh!" she stomped her foot in defiance.

but, grey shook his head, a teasing smile on his lips. "oh, they definitely do," he corrected, wiggling his eyebrows at her. "especially at little girls who can't cast a line."

"i can too cast a line!" florence shouted back, her tiny fists clenching around the pole as if her life depended on it.

grey snickered, leaning forward until he was practically nose-to-nose with her. "prove it, then."

she puffed out her chest, determined to show him she wasn't the little girl he always teased. with a dramatic flair, florence whipped the rod backward, preparing to cast the line out into the shimmering lake.

except... she whipped too hard.

the reel tangled, and the line snagged. before she could adjust, the rod jerked out of her grasp, flopping into the water with an unceremonious plop.

for a moment, the siblings stood in stunned silence. florence's face twisted, her eyes filling with tears. "grey..." she whimpered, looking at him like her whole world had just ended.

grey, on the other hand, burst into laughter, doubling over as he clutched his sides. "oh my gosh, flo! i told you—"

"you're mean!" she shrieked, stomping her little foot again, the tears now streaming down her face.

grey straightened up, his grin softening at the sight of her crying. with a long-suffering sigh, he shook his head. "alright, alright. don't cry. i'll get it for you, okay?"

before she could say anything, he tossed his shoes aside and dove headfirst into the lake, his splash sending ripples across the glassy surface.

"grey!" she yelled, panicking as she scrambled to the edge of the dock. "be careful!"