The Girl

Chapter One

The box had been moving for what felt like an eternity. Just shuddering and moving up quickly and jerkily. I start breathing heavily, I can't tell what's happening to me but it's not pleasant. A million thoughts race through my mind and I'm quickly swimming in my own thoughts, trying to stay afloat but sinking. How long have I been in here? How did I get here? What is this place? The questions are endless. I'm crouched in the corner of- whatever the hell I'm trapped in- surrounded by boxes with what seems like camping supplies in them. I can't make a sound. I'm paralyzed with fear. Just as I'm too overwhelmed to function, I look up and see a flashing red light. I fight to sit up, but the momentum knocks me down and I continue crouching in the same position. I hear a loud noise as the moving prison comes to a halt. All of a sudden I'm blinded by the daylight. I see dark figures and as my eyes begin to adjust, I realize there's a herd of boys surrounding the box I'm lying in. They're all staring at me.

"It's... it's a girl..." One of them says in disbelief. I lower my hand from shielding my eyes slowly. I must look absolutely horrified (which I am), because a tall, muscular, African American boy jumps down into the box and stands in front of me.

"It's alright... we don't want to hurt you..." He reaches a hand out to me. I don't take it. I open my mouth to talk, but nothing comes out. I just keep shifting my gaze from boy to boy, an extremely frightened look on my face. The boy kneels down in front of me.

"Hey," He whispers. "It's alright. You're safe now, okay?" He offers me his hand again. I take it and bite my lip.

"Why's she here?" One of the boys shouts.

"She's barely moved!" Another one yells back.

"Alby, help her," A tall, lanky, blonde-haired boy standing in the front of the crowd says. He has a thick accent of some kind. I close my mouth, and he helps pull me to my feet. He boosts my foot up so I can climb out. The knife I had taken out of the box on the way up was clutched to my chest, so I quickly slip it in my boot so I can pull myself out. I grip the ground with my hands and push myself up until I can get a foothold on the side of the box. I carefully try to lift my knee to the ground outside the box to be able to pull the rest of my body out and onto the ground. I awkwardly and clumsily climb to my feet, brushing my hands on the legs of my pants nervously. The blonde boy makes his way beside me.

"Are you okay?" He asks. I swallow and nod yes. "Do you remember your name?"

"I... I don't," I croak. Hearing my own voice surprises me, but I feel tension leave my body and I close my eyes for a second feeling a sense of calmness wash over me.

"That's alright, none of us did either," Alby says, lifting himself up out of the box. I look down at the box, watching boys unload the supplies and carry them off.

"Okay, what's going on out- wait... is that a...a girl?" A new boy pushes his way through the crowd.

"Yeah, what gave it away?" I retort shakily, brushing myself off. The boys seemed rather surprised at my remark, probably since I was so quiet before.

"Alright, listen here greenie, I-"

"Gally, back off. She's pretty shaken up, she doesn't need your threats right now," The blonde boy reprimands Gally. "I'm Newt, by the way." He directs his focus back to me. I nod. He must notice my nervous looks across the boys, because he says," Why don't you come with me, I'll help you out."

"Newt-"

"She's fine. Not this time," He cuts Alby off. He holds his hand out to me and I take it, only for a short distance before dropping it. Once we're out of earshot of the other boys, I speak up.

"What the hell did you mean 'not this time,' what were they planning on doing to me?" I ask, a bit of anxiety making my voice quiver as I tried to keep it strong.

"We normally throw new greenies in the pit to calm down. It's protocol," He explains calmly.

"What's the pit and why didn't you throw me down there?" I continue to question the boy beside me.

"It's just, like, a holding cell for when Gladers need to calm the bloody hell down," He explains, not bothering to look at me.

"But why didn't you-"

"Are you done asking questions yet? Bloody hell..." He mutters under his breath. I sigh, frustrated. But I think I see a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"What happened to us? Why are we here?" I ask him more questions.

"We don't know. We all arrived the same way you did. Rode up in a box without a single memory in our heads and now here we are."

"Where exactly are we?" I ask.

"This is the Glade."

"But I don't under-"

"None of us do. All we know is every month a new Glader gets sent up the box and we're left here to fend for ourselves. Although, now that there's a girl-"

"Who was the first one?" I interrupt.

"The first what?"

"The first one sent up the box. If there's a new Glader sent up every month, that must mean someone was here alone for a month. Who was it? Was it the boy who helped me out of the box? Alby?" I question.

"Wow, uh, yes, actually. We could use more intelligence like that around here," Newt laughs. "Alby was the first Glader. He usually does these tours, but he had to handle something..." He trails off.

"Was it because I'm the first girl?" I ask, looking at him to my side with wide, innocent eyes.

"They're just trying to figure out why you're the only one. So on with the tour." He points out different places to me. The big rock doors, the Murder House, the deadheads, the sleeping house, the medical tent.

"Tomorrow you'll try out each of the jobs, and then the Keepers will decide which job you'll be assigned to."

"Okay-" I begin to reply before I trip over something on the ground and fall. I land hard on my head and black out cold.