Sacrifice

Chapter Three

          One Year Ago

Newt decided not to start the girl out with the Builders. It was probably a good idea to keep her away from Gally for a couple days until he got used to the idea of her being in the Glade. He started her out with the Slicers. Winston wasn't bothered by her presence, so it seemed like a safe bet. Unfortunately she fainted at the sight and smell of the dead animals. She spent the rest of the morning in the Med-Jack tent and could barely stomach her lunch. 

Once she recovered, Newt took her out into the fields. She got to work with Jack and Zart, whom she recognized as the one to help her climb out of the Box. He seemed nice and didn't treat her just as "the girl." He was straightforward when he explained the job and didn't assume she was stupid, but also let her ask questions. It also helped that Newt was also in charge of the Fields, so she got to work among friends. 

Another Fielder named James also helped her learn the job. He was very easy going and would often crack jokes and would help make the day go by faster. He was good at talking to Greenies, making them feel at ease. The girl also noticed that James spoke in a similar way to Newt. They were to only Gladers that had accents different to everyone else. 

After the work was done for the day, the Fielders all cleaned up and headed to dinner. Newt and the girl hung back from the group. 

"Did you have a good day?" he asked.

"Yeah, it was great. I mean, it was hard work, but it was good," she said. "Definitely more my thing than being a Slicer." 

"I'll keep that in mind," Newt said. "Just keep an open mind about the other jobs, Girly." 

"Claire," she automatically corrected. 

Both of them stopped in their tracks. 

"What did you say?" Newt asked. 

"I remember!" she exclaimed. "Newt, my name is Claire!" 

Claire embraced him. Her happiness was so contagious Newt couldn't help share in her excitement. Newt hugged her back. 

"It's nice to meet you...Claire."  

"Come on, let's go tell the others." 

************* 

          Present Day 

The Greenie followed Alby up the look out tower. It was a recent edition that the Builders had only put up a couple months ago. The tower was just above the trees, so it had a view of the entire Glade. 

"This is all we got," Alby said. "Worked hard for it. If you respect this place, then you and I will get along just fine." 

"What's out there?" the Greenie asked, pointing at the open wall, to the door way that led to the passage outside the Glade. 

"We only have three rules," Alby explained. "First, do your part; no time for any freeloaders. Second, never harm another Glader. None of this works unless we have trust. And most importantly, never go beyond those walls. You understand me, Greenie?" 

The Greenie looked at Alby uncertainty. What the Glader was saying sounded reasonable, but the Greenie still felt uneasy for some reason. 

"Oh, and one more thing," Alby said. "See her?" he pointed to a blonde girl carrying a large basket across one of the fields. 

"That's Claire," Alby continued. "Make sure you're respectful around her." 

The greenie was able to read the underlying threat: touch Claire and all the boys here would take turns punching him, and Alby would probably be at the front of the line.