Strange Atmosphere | Aris Jones [1]

6 || Stories and Close Calls

During lunch, I didn't talk to anyone. Beth had done a good job pissing me off. So I went to go see Lillie in the Deadheads and began to rant on about what happened with Beth earlier.

"I just don't understand how she can be so mean to everyone," I said, then huffing a sigh. "I don't mean to go on and on about all of this to you. She just infuriates me so much."

Lillie nodded her head in agreement as she picked up her shovel from the ground. She placed the end of the blade on the ground, making the shovel stand upright.

"Hey, guys!" We looked over and saw Sonya walking towards us with a bucket in her hand. "What are you two doing?"

"We're just talking," I replied, turning to Lillie, who gave me a look. I looked back at Sonya. "Well, actually, I'm talking. Lillie is just listening to me rant."

"About Beth?" Sonya asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Yes, about Beth," I replied. "After what happened with her before lunch, I hate her more than I did before."

Sonya shook her head and sat down beside me. "I wouldn't worry about Beth. She likes to get on everyone's nerves."

"Well, I think I got on her nerves so that she knows how it feels," I muttered.

"I think you already have," Sonya said. "Anyway, I only came out here to get more fertilizer." She held up a bucket. "Lillie, would you mind showing me where I can get some?"

Lillie nodded her head and stood up. I took my shovel and stood up with her. Sonya and I began to follow her towards the Deadheads.

"You've been in the Glen for two years and you don't know where the fertilizer is?" I asked.

"I don't come out here that often," Sonya replied.

Sonya and I were walking on opposite sides of Lillie, who was dragging her shovel across the ground. I took my shovel and threw it over my shoulder, the blade pointing towards the trees. I could feel the sweat running down my face as we continued walking. I thought about the thing Cora had mentioned, about eating a Griever because she was so hungry. I also thought about the bonfire and the noise that I heard coming from the Maze. Did I hear a Griever that night?

"Sonya?" I spoke up.

"Yeah?" she said.

"What's a Griever?" I asked. "Cora said that she was so hungry that she could eat one."

Sonya and Lillie looked at each other and exchanged worried looks. Sonya looked back at me. "They're the creatures that live inside the Maze."

"That's what I must've heard the night of the bonfire," I told her.

"Yeah, they don't sound pleasant, do they?" Sonya chuckled, then pausing for a moment. "There have been a couple of incidents concerning the Grievers and other Glenners when we first got here."

"What happened?" I asked.

Sonya sighed as Lillie pointed at a small section by a grave. Sonya got down on her knees and began to fill her bucket up with fertilizer. "Her name was Rose. She was the first Glenner to encounter a Griever. She went inside the Maze by herself and got stung by one, at least that's what she told us. She basically dragged herself to get back to the Glen. By the time she got back, she was in a lot of pain.

"The Creators gave us Grief Serum with our other supplies that week, which was an antidote that had to be given to someone who had been stung. We gave Rose the serum, but it didn't work. She went crazy and almost hurt a bunch of Glenners, so Harriet put her out of her misery."