Rogue | Group B → The Maze Runner¹

i.three

╔⏤⏤⏤⏤╝♀╚⏤⏤⏤⏤╗
● [ iii . the third month ]

╚⏤⏤⏤⏤╗♀╔⏤⏤⏤⏤╝

SHE WAS KICKED awake by Ximena at the first light of dawn.
'Wake up, stick. The doors are open.'  

She stirred groggily. The sensation of rough cloth beneath her and the faint scent of charred wood from the remnants of the previous night's fire had become familiar. A month had passed, and things had changed.
She pushed herself into a sit, the weariness of sleep clinging to her stiff limbs. Rubbing her eyes, she reached for her shoes and socks lying beside her. Every morning began this way.

'My legs still hurt from yesterday,' Sonya said, her voice gruff. 'Can we take it easy today?' Over the past month, their days had fallen into the monotonous routine of running. They were only a few weeks into mapping out the corridors of the maze.
'No,' said Ximena, stern. 'We have a whole other section to map today, Son.' Sonya offered a low groan, but didn't resist. 'Rogue, Miyoko, get a move on.' 

Initially a nickname, 'Rogue' had become the standard. She felt as though she had earned it. Through many a stark (and perhaps inappropriate) remark, she had earned it, and it felt like hers. It wasn't just Rogue, either - as Jailer of the cooks, Lise had adopted 'Hashslinger' an endearing, and only slightly insulting, alias.

'Sorry boss,' said Miyoko. She had cut her hair, shoulder length with a blunt knife only a few days in. It was choppy, but it framed her face well. She hurried to put on a shirt. 
'You will be,' Ximena said. 'The later we set off, the later we get back.'

Rogue stood, brushing the dirt from her pants and surveying the green. In the morning mist, the Glen was pretty. Dandelion seeds floated in the breeze; it lent an air of whimsy. She turned to watch Beth lug logs over to the nearby lodge, nosily stacking them, one on top of the other through exasperated sighs.
'She's up early,' she noted.
'Mm. I think it's spiteful,' said Ximena, hands on her hips as her eyes followed the girl. 'Harriet gave her a hard time. Said if the lodge wasn't done by the end of the week, she'd stick the next Blondie that came up with the job instead.'
Rogue whooshed. 'Harsh.'
'Not really,' said Sonya. 'I'm sick of sleeping on the floor.'

The Glen's camp was still a work in progress, with Beth 'the Brickie' leading the construction efforts. Initially, Hashslinger and Florence had lent her a hand, but their assistance quickly tapered off after Beth called Florence useless and Hash struck her. It seemed she was quite challenging to work with. She still had the black eye.

'We ready, then?' Miyoko asked.
'Yeah, just about,' Ximena said. 'Rogue, go get the food from the Kitchens and then we'll head.'
'Sure.'

Calling it 'the Kitchens' was rather generous - it was more of a small shack with a barrel of distilled water, a firepit, and a few meagre harvests, but the term had stuck. Rogue picked up a jog, noticing the wooden structure looked weathered in the morning light. The sound of Hashslinger's movements inside became more distinct as she neared the door, slowing her pace. She reached for the handle, the hinges creaking in process and a musty smell greeting her as she stepped inside.