The Other Maze (Group B)

7

Eliza opens her eyes and sits down looking at the sky, then she shakes Rachel's shoulder making the girl groan.

"Wake up Rach, we need to get started." Eliza says and Rachel nods slowly standing up.

Eliza takes Rachel to the washroom so that she can be more alert, since her first job requires it.

"You ready?" Eliza asks and Rachel nods. Then they start heading towards Sonya.

"Mappers already left," she says looking at the door, "move on to the rest of the jobs please." Sonya says and Eliza nods feeling Sonya's pressure.

As they are about to walk away, Eliza looks at Sonya and gives her a questioning look. Sonya responds with a shake of her head and a reassuring smile, but something seemed a little off.

                                                                 ***

The booming alarm interrupts Rachel's first day trying out the different jobs. Eliza stops on the spot making Rachel bump into her.

"What is that sound?" Rachel asks covering her ears.

"It's the box." Eliza says frowning.

"The one that delivers the supplies?" Rachel asks and Eliza nods.

Eliza starts walking towards the box and Rachel hurries behind her. "Is it not supposed to come up?" Rachel asks and Eliza shakes her head.

As they reach the crowd that is forming near the box, Eliza signals Rachel to wait for her.

Once the alarm finally stops, the stade is filled with silence, fear and anticipation.

Harriet signals to open the box and Beth immediately frowns when she looks in.

With her curiosity taking over, Eliza approaches the front of the box.

"What's wrong?" Sonya asks now standing next to Harriet.

"Not sure." She says.

Ximena goes into the box and takes a closer look. "It's......its.....a boy?"

"What?" Some of the girls exclaim trying to get a look.

"Slim it sticks." Harriet says.

"It doesn't look like he's alive though." She says shaking him slightly.

"Eliza." Harriet says. "Can you take a look?"

Eliza nods and jumps into the box checking his neck for a pulse. "He's still alive." She says looking up at the other girls.

"Then why isn't he moving?" A girl asks.

"Not sure." Eliza says with a shrug. "But we need to get him out of here to check."

Beth carefully helps Eliza and together they take the boy out, with Harriet and Sonya receiving him on the other end.

"What do we do now Liza?" Sonya asks.

"Put him on his side, until we bring something to carry him on."

"Fancy that." Beth says and she calls other girls to follow her.

As the girls wait, the boy suddenly stands up with a gasp and looks around without focusing on anything in particular, startling the girls.

The girls that were too close jumped back and let out a loud shriek. 

The boy starts breathing heavier and his head falls back down, his eyes rolling back.

"Is he dead now?" A girl asks.

Eliza carefully gets him in a suitable position and notices his clenched hand.

"Harriet, Sonya," Eliza says and the girls crouch down. "I think you should see this." She says getting the crumbled piece of paper that the boy held.

The girls start getting closer again but this time they keep their safe distance, just in case he does something again.

Harriet lets out a sigh and runs her hand through her short hair. Then she nods and Sonya reads the note out loud.

      Last delivery.
Ever.

"What?" The crowd stays silent for a while, letting the statement sink in. "What's that supposed to mean?" Another girl asks.

"What are we going to do?"

"Slim it sticks." Harriet says standing up. "We'll figure it out, don't worry. For now we need to keep working, but this time start checking our supplies and make sure that everything is accounted for."

"Fancy that." The girls say snapping out of the momentary fear and they slowly get back to work.

Beth and other girls get a wooden door they had and put it on the floor. "It's not the best, but it will have to do for now." She says and Harriet nods.

Eliza guides the other girls, making sure that the boy is secured so he doesn't fall.

Murmurs erupt in the crowd as they carry the boy towards the medical room.

As they pass by Rachel, she takes a step back and shudders. Why do I feel like I've seen him before?