Another Girl (Book 1)

Chapter One- Running

I laid in a box not knowing where I was. It was a rusty elevator shaft filled with supplies. And me, of course.

Where am I? I thought. I couldn't remember anything--where I was, what I look like, my age, my birthday.

Samantha, my name is Samantha. I thought, but that was the only thing I could remember.

I stood up and backed to a wall. Above me, there was a sky, but I couldn't see anything else. To the mom or dad who gave me my height genes, why'd you have to be so dang short?

"Another Greenie." I heard from above and cowered to a corner. About fifty boys and one girl were standing above me.

"Teresa's got a friend now."

"Is it going to be girls from now on?"

So many comments made me stand in a daze, mesmerized. One of the boys caught the look on my face and yelled to the group, "Slim it!"

Everyone silence. I stared at the boy who crouched as low as he could. I observed his blond hair and brown eyes. "What's your name?" I noticed his British accent.

"Samantha." I told him. I realized I needed to show them I was tough so I got off the wall and stood in the center of the shaft.

The British boy hopped down and helped me out of the pit. Two boys helped me out, too. One was dark-skinned and another had brown hair and brown eyes with a tan skin tone.

"The name's Newt." The blond guy said, once I was standing. Not acknowledging what he said, I looked around. There were handmade buildings out of logs and wood and lots of materials. I noticed how gray walls stood tall and surrounded them. Each wall seemed to be split in half a few invhes.

"Where am I?" I asked Newt.

"The Glade," he responded.

"Usually we want Chuck to give you a tour, but since you're the second girl we decided Teresa can give you a tour." Newt told me.

Teresa. I heard one of the boys say that earlier. I was snapped out of my thoughts by Newt talking again. This guy's chatty, isn't he? I thought.

"Alby, will you get her?" Newt asked the dark-skinned boy and he nodded. He turned around and jogged towards Teresa.

"Oh, and this is Thomas." Newt said, nodding his head at the other boy who helped me out. I nodded slightly and hoped Alby and Teresa were coming back soon.

As if some miracle happened, Alby quickly returned with Teresa. I noticed Newt and Thomas watching them two walk over. I glanced at the open wall. I could escape. I took a step to the side. Thomas glanced back and I stayed still until he looked back at Alby and Teresa. Now.

I turned and sprinted towards the Door. "Hey!" I heard Alby yell as he saw me running. It didn't take an idiot to figure out Thomas and Newt were chasing me. I ran as fast as I could, the Door a few yards away.

Suddenly, I had a pleasant meeting with the floor while a body fell on top of me. I groaned in pain as they turned me over, straddling my legs so they couldn't move and pinning my arms above my head. I was trapped. I sighed in defeat and looked to see Newt's brown eyes staring right back at me.

"Why the bloody hell did you run?" Newt panted. I looked away from him as if I were saying I don't know.

Newt carefully got off of me and held my arms behind my back.

"Maybe Minho should give her the tour, in case she runs again." Teresa announced as Thomas, Alby and her caught up to me and Newt.

"She needs to clear her head in the shuckin' slammer." Alby muttered, but I could hear him well enough. I definitely would've ran again had Newt not tightened his grip everytime I fought him.

"You know, I prefer English. What the hell does shucking mean?" I asked him. Newt gripped my arms a little tighter. I glared at him quickly then faced the rest of the group.

"Doesn't matter." Alby said. "Newt, put her in the Slammer. I'll decide when she should come out."

Newt nodded and pushed me towards the Slammer.

"Calm down, I have two feet, I can walk." I told Newt. Newt didn't reply. "Why won't you let me run through the Doors?"

"Because you don't want to go in there alone." His voice was grim as if he had bad memories with something behind the Doors.

"Why not? What's behind the doors?" I asked.

"The Maze." Newt said, barely loud enough for me to hear him.

"The Maze?" I repeated.

Newt looked at me and looked back at the Glade. "Are you deaf? Yes, the Maze containing Grievers."

I sighed. "It's like your speaking a different language. Talk to me as if I were a toddler."

"There is a very scary place behind those Doors and there are scary monsters that will kill you and rip you to pieces." Newt said slowly.

"See? That I can understand." I replied. "What do Grievers do?"

"They have stingers that can kill you unless you get a serum. If you don't get as soon as possible, you'll die." Newt explained, shuddering slightly.

Newt stopped abruptly and I saw about six, what looked like, cages. He unlocked one and helped me in. He locked it and gave me one last look before walking away.

"Hey." A voice said, startling me. I turned to see Teresa standing behind the...Slammer. Whatever it's called. "I know what it's like to have no idea where you are. When I woke up from my coma, I climbed to the top of something and held a weapon daring anyone to come up. I wanted to kill them. Then Thomas helped me and I realized we were in this together. Everyone didn't know where they were or why. But we worked together. If you don't run anymore, you'll be alright."

I was quiet. I didn't speak a word, I just stared right at her. She glanced at me once, then turned away.

"Teresa," I called out. She turned around to face me. "Who's Minho?"

"The fastest runner we have here in the Glade. Try not to get locked up again in the Slammer and Minho can help you." Teresa responded.

Maybe she's right. I leaned against the wall of the Slammer and closed my eyes. I fell asleep.

"Samantha," she said. "Don't fight."

"Don't do this to me!" I screamed. "I don't want to do this!"

"Take her, Braiden." she said. He grabbed my wrist tightly and put me in a tube and away I went.

"Help me!" I screamed, each word ripping my throat raw.

"The future is up to you, Samantha."