Variables → Group B [AU]

01 → "PITCH BLACK"

part 1: the maze runner

01 → "PITCH BLACK"

THE GIRL WAS staring upwards into what seemed to be an empty void of pitch blackness. She was laying on her back, but she had not awoken that way. She had awoken curled up in a ball on her side, and it was not long until she started coughing and spluttering as if her lungs were full of water. There was a lurch, and she felt herself fling into a hard metal wall. With a groan, she rolled onto her stomach and placed the palms of her hands on the ground, using her body strength to push herself onto her knees. Once she gained her balance, she was finally able to grasp an idea that she was in some elevator type room that was moving upwards.

Memories danced along her vision like a movie, only for them to become less clear, until finally, they were gone. And just like that, she could not remember anything about her past or childhood. Once familiar faces became a blur. It was like her memories were being swallowed up by a black hole. The girl strained her mind, searching for anything left that she could remember before she woke. Anything she could hold onto that made her, her. But, of course, she remembered nothing. The only thing left she could remember was a name-her name, as it seemed- although it didn't feel right to her. Like someone replaced her name with this.

Adeline.

The elevator came to a sudden stop, making Adeline tumble to the ground. Instinctively, she covered her face before she could hit the metal floor. While she got herself up, a bright light appeared. The light expanded, and from above she saw someone pulling open two metal doors. Adeline peered up, curious, meeting the gaze of a girl with reddish blonde hair and pale skin. Suddenly, a group of girls crowded around, peering down at her, smirks on their faces.

"Look at the Newbie." Someone snickered. "Wonder what job she'll get."

"She'll be useful scrubbin' the toilets, no doubt." another girl added in. Adeline raised her eyebrow, watching the group of girls snicker down at her. Another girl with darker skin stood by the edge looking down at her, before she threw down a rope with a loop.

"Hold on tight." the dark skinned girl called down to her.

Adeline grasped the rope, and before she knew it, she was pulled up and out of the box. Her feet landed on lush green grass. The group of girls crowded around her, their facial expressions mostly smug, like watching the new girl arrive was the most entertaining thing they've ever seen. Adeline rotated in a circle. There had to be at least sixty girls, no boys, with different hair and eye colours. Somehow, some of their voices sounded so familiar ...

"Hey there, Newbie." Adeline's eyes averted to the dark skinned girl and the girl with the reddish blonde hair and pale skin approaching her. The group of girls has cleared a path for them to get through. Obviously these two girls had some authority over the other girls here. "I'm Harriet, and this is Sonya. When I'm not around, she's in charge." Sonya gave a slight wave.

"Welcome to the Sector." Sonya welcomed.

Confusion overcame Adeline. Why was she here? Why couldn't she remember anything? Where was here? And more importantly, who sent her to this place?

"Why can't I remember anything?" Adeline quizzed the group of girls staring at her. "Who sent us here?"

Sonya and Harriet shared a glance before Harriet smirked at Adeline, stepping forward and reaching out to place a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry 'bout that." Harriet reassured. "None of us remember anything. You're not alone on that. What's your name, Newbie?"

Adeline didn't reply. Instead, she was too busy trying to get a look at where she was. Through a crack in the crowd of the girls, she found something that had caught her eye. Curiousness overcame her, and she pushed her way through the crowd of girls who were blocking her. As she descended from the crowd, her mouth dropped, gaping at what she was seeing. The area they were in was surrounded by four, towering stone walls. The walls were covered in thick green ivy, and each wall had a gap in the middle. From what she could see, there was something behind those walls, leading somewhere. It looked like a long corridor. It was all so overwhelming. Adeline didn't know what to think, her mind buzzing in confusion and fear. Swallowing the lump forming in her throat, Adeline turned on her heels to find each girl watching her take it all in. Each face was morphed into amusement.

"Alright, everyone back to work." Harriet ordered. "Let the Newbie be. You've had your entertainment for the day."

The crowd of girls disappeared back to their jobs, and Harriet sent Sonya back to "whatever she was doing before the Box arrived", which were Harriet's exact words. Harriet turned towards Adeline, steering her towards the direction of a tall wooden house that looked as if it was falling apart slightly.

"I guess I should give you a quick tour of the place." Harriet said. "But, first, you're gonna have to tell me your name, as I don't want to keep calling you Newbie."

Adeline nodded. "My name's Adeline."

"Well, Adeline." Harriet grinned. "Welcome to your new life."

—

A/N:

Here is the first chapter of my Group B AU, where Adeline arrives in Group B, not A. Just wanted to say, that some of the things that happened in Group A, are slightly different in Group B. You'll see later in the story, but I wanted Group B to have some things different when things started changing. Also, this book will be split into Part 1 & 2. Part 1: The Maze Runner and Part 2: The Scorch Trials.