The Fighter 》 The Maze Runner

Eighteen

Emptiness.

That's what it feels like around the Glade the past week.  You'd think the Creators would leave things alone, but no.  Last night, one of the Gladers found a glass coffin on the ground with Nick's mangled corpse in it.  There was even a message on top of the coffin when he found it.

Just as a reminder.

The Glade hasn't been the same.  No one laughed, no one was doing their jobs.  It maybe sunny every day, but everyone isn't all sunshine and rainbows.

Even Chuck being here hasn't cheered me up.  He didn't even get a proper job trial.  They already decided he was going to be a Slopper.  No questions asked.

"So, are you like...the mother here?"  Chuck asked as we walked around.

I shook my head, "No."

"Do you know why you're the only girl here?"

"No."

I brought him over to the wall that had our names carved.  I smiled at him as I passed him the knife and he looked at me funny.

"What's this for?"  He asked.

"Well, Chuck, you need to carve your name on the wall.  It's tradition here, whenever you learn your name, you carve it."

He looked at the wall, "My name?"

"Yes."

He nodded his head and began carving.  His tongue went out as he was concentrating on the carving.  He picked his spot right next to mine and this brought a smile on my face.

He handed me the tool, "Since we're brother and sister."

I ruffled his hair and brought him close, "That we are."

》》》》

I walked into my room of the Homestead.  Newt was staring blankly at the wall, not moving a muscle.

"Hey."  I mumbled.

He didn't say anything and just stared into nothingness.  I sighed before sitting next to him.  I grabbed his hand and immediately he laced our fingers together.  I lay my head on his shoulder and we just sat like that.

I broke the silence, "What's gonna happen now?"

Newt shrugged, "I don't know.  Alby was Second Command.  He's the new leader."

"But, Alby's been different ever since that day."

It's true.  Alby - the most caring guy in the Glade - closed himself off from everyone.  His smile's gone and it's been replace by this permanent scowl.  He would snap at anyone who would try to talk to him.

"He's grieving for his best friend.  We all are, but we just grieve differently."  Newt said.

"I know.  We all loved Nick and - from what you guys told me - he and Alby have been best friends from the start.  But, he needs to step up.  No one's doing anything.  I thought you guys said that we stick together.  Nick would want us to find a way out of here."

He shook his head, "It's not that easy."

I got up, "Then, I need to do something about it."

"And what are you going to do about it?"

"I...don't know.  But, I need to snap Alby out of it.  The Glade might fall apart before we even had the chance to escape."

Newt looked like he was going to argue with me, but decided against it, "Just don't do anything stupid."

I smiled, "I won't.  Thanks, Newt."  I kissed his cheek before running out of the room.

Alby needed to run things.  I know he'll do an amazing job.  He just needs to realize that.

》》》》

So far...nthing.  I've been sitting on the boulder near the walls and I've come up with nothing that could get Alby into leader mode.

"What cha doin?"  Chuck asked.

I sighed, "Thinking about ways to get things back to normal."

"Then maybe you need to stop.  You look like you're about to klunk yourself."

I smiled, "Says the one who did.  Four times."  I held my fingers up to prove his point.

He groaned, "I'm never gonna live that down, am I?"

"Not a chance, Greenie."

Chuck smiled, "Maybe you need a break from thinking and help me."

I raised my eyebrow at him, "With what?"

"Let just say we're going to need a lot of grease."

》》》》

"Chuck - I might be the only one to say this - you're a genius."  I smiled at the work we've done.

So, Chuck wanted a big batch of kitchen grease.  So I had to distract Frypan while he got it.  Then, we had to wait for him to leave so we could grease up the floors.  So, if someone wanted to take a step...they're going to be in a slippery slope.

"Thanks, Elle."  He said.

I froze from my spot behind the door, "What did you just call me?"

"Elle.  I didn't want to call you Danny, Danielle, or even Tiger.  How did you get that nickname anyway?"

We heard footsteps coming from the outside, "Ask Minho."

We peaked through the door that led to the kitchen as we watch Frypan coming in with a tray of gravy.  Once he stepped on the floor, he slipped and he fell back.  Another person came in and - since he was behind Frypan - he got soaked in gravy with him.  They slid across the floor.  Chuck and I had to cover our mouths so they wouldn't hear us.

Then Minho came in with his tray and - just like Frypan and John - he slid across the floor, his food landing on him.  One by one more Gladers came piling in and slipping.  Some bumped into each other while others got their food on them.  Chuck and I couldn't take it anymore and began laughing our butts off.

We opened the door and looked at our handy work.  I laughed even harder at the sight.  So hard, I held on to my side because it started hurting.

Gladers were all over the floor.  Food was everywhere; the tables, the walls, floor, their hair.  Some were spitting out their food that landed in their mouths while others were wiping it away from their eyes.

The door opened again and we all stood silent when it was Alby with Newt behind him.

He looked like he could beat klunk out of us, "Which shank is responsible for this?"  No one answered.  "I won't ask again, which one of you shanks is responsible for this?!"

Automatically, all the Gladers pointed at Chuck and me.  "Thanks a lot slintheads."  I mumbled.

Alby came up and glared at Chuck and me, "You two are going to clean this up."  And he looked at the Gladers.  "As of right now, I'm the leader.  And I've decided that Newt's going to be Second Command.  If I see any one of you not doing your jobs tomorrow, they're going straight to the Slammer.  Do you understand?"

Everyone nodded their heads before getting up.  They picked up their trays and left.  But, there was still food on the floors and the walls.  This was going to take forever to clean up.

When they all left - except Chuck, Newt, and me - we began to laugh.  It was really funny, I wish I had a camera to replay it.  And it worked.  Not the idea I had in mind, but it worked nonetheless.

Nice one, Dan.

》》》》

A/N:  One, two, three, four, I declare a prank war.  And I hope you guys are ok with this Alby instead of the Alby portrayed in the movie.