Tired of Running

22|| the beginning of an end

// i'm waking up,
i feel it in my bones,
enough to make
my system blow;
welcome to
the new age \\

    •
    Darkness.  Slow movement woke him from his sleep.  He gasped, lurching forward onto his hands and knees.  The boy stood up, in a complete panic.  He was in a cage; pitch black, silence.  He screamed- he had no idea where he was, but someone had to hear him somewhere.  "Hey!" the boy propped himself up against a wooden crate, "HEY! HELP ME!"
After the grinding and shifting of metal, there was a low moan, "Hello?!"  Looking around, he caught movement.  Scooting closer, he peered into a crate.  The squeal of a pig sent the boy screaming backwards.  As he composed himself once again, the cage he was in groaned, turning on red lights above him.  With a final shutter, the cage rattled as it began to rise quickly, hurdling upwards. The boy looked up, terror in his eyes; he tried screaming again.

    The cage slowed, came to a shuttering stop, and blinding light shone on the boy's face. 

~~~

    The familiar monthly alarm blared through the glade, sending a mass of boys running to the box; Newt in the lead.  Chuck plodded along behind him, not able to keep up with him in the slightest.  Newt pulled the box doors open, Winston and Gally helping.  As the light flooded down into the box, the greenie's face was made visible.  He had short brown hair, brown eyes and looked to be about sixteen.

Gally jumped into the box, landing directly at the boy's feet, "Day one, greenie, rise and shine."  Gally grabbed the boy, dragging him up by the shirt and threw him in the grass.  Newt cringed as he hit the ground; this is why Harper did this.  Frypan looked him over, laughing, "I could use some help in the kitchen." The boy looked around wide eyed, there was a group of teenage boys gathered in a circle around him.  He stood up, slowly, turning in a circle.  He was in an open field, four walls encasing them in a square. 

    Gally looked down at him, smirking.
With no warning, the boy jumped up, frantically sprinting away.  "Hey!"  The boys watched in horror, as he dashed madly across the glade.  He was fast; Newt watched, surprised at his agility and speed— until he tripped and somersaulted across the grass, finally landing, splayed, face down in the grass.
Newt let out a laugh; not able to stop himself. 
The other boys joined in, all laughing as the greenie stood up, looking around.

~~~

    The newbie was left in the pit while the others had a gathering- it also gave the shank some time to calm his nerves.  Alby called it to an ending, being the first one to leave.  Newt sighed, pushing himself back to his feet.  He followed Alby, working on his gardening, while waiting for the runners to return. 
"Hey, Newt."
Alby and the greenie approached Newt, the boy still taking it all in.  "Greenbean, meet Newt."
Newt stuck his hand out, at Alby's introduction, "When I'm not around, he's in charge." Newt smiled, shaking his hand,
"Well it's a good thing you're always around, then."

Close up, Newt could really see the boy's face. Messy brown hair and brown eyes.  His features seemed familiar; not as he knew the boy, but as the boy looked like someone. 
Before he could over-think it, Alby spoke up again, "Newt, do me a favor; go find Chuck?"
Newt nodded, turning away in search of the little shank.

    Chuck stood next to the older and newer boy as the runners made their way back into the glade.  "I thought no one was allowed to leave."
Chuck rolled his eyes, this kid hadn't shut up since he got there, and he didn't listen worth crap.  "I said we're not allowed to leave.  They're different."  Minho, Harper and Ben ran past a new greenie, not wanting to stop to greet him just yet.  "New greenie huh?" Ben smiled at Chuck, "How's it feel to be promoted?"
Chuck smiled, a slight blush in his cheeks, "Feels great, Ben."

~~~

    Drums played through the glade as a large welcome bonfire was lit.  Harper smiled, raising her glass alongside Minho and Newt.
She swallowed it down, laughing with the boys; truly enjoying herself.  Gally passed more glasses around to the boys as conversations and wrestling started.  Newt had dragged the greenie into the midst, explaining things to him and pointing people out.  He stopped next to Harper, "This is Harper; keep your hands off."
Harper laughed, taking her eyes off Newt and studying the boy.  As she met his eyes, a sharp pain stung her heart.  Something tingled in her brain; there was something familiar about him– horribly familiar.  Newt looked between the two, his eyes furrowed; there was something about the way they were staring at each other that put him off.  He looked from one to the other; then it clicked.  Their facial features were similar- undeniably similar. 

   Harper broke her stare, shaking her head.
The boy had seemed to be effected too- maybe they just had known each other in their previous life and it was a strange memory glitch.  Whatever it was, Harper pushed it aside.  She looked to the newbie again, "Well, what say you, we better get you initiated."
Newt smirked, "Good that."  and he pushed the greenie into the circle with Harper.

    Newt watched closely, Minho next to him as Harper matched the greenie.  The boys had already bet Harper would beat him, but maybe the shank would surprise them.  After five minutes, it was obvious the greenie was no fighter.  He jumped from spot to spot, flailing his arms, more than throwing punches.  Harper was the only one who didn't laugh at him, "You can hit me.  I live with all these shuckfaces, I can take it."  She smirked, daring him to go for it.  He obliged, managing to knock her off her feet.  Newt restrained himself from jumping on the kid right there; this was the point, after all. 
Harper smiled, "There you go, greenie."
She swiped her feet, not getting off the ground.
The boy's feet flew out from under him, sending him flying backwards.  He turned, to avoid landing flat on his back.  The end result was him landing on his stomach, neck turned, head slamming against the ground, hard.

He stood again, stumbling, clearly shaken. 
"Thomas..." he mumbled it, looking dazed.
A few of the boys looked at each other, confused; they had heard something too.
"I remember my name!  I'm Thomas!"
The boy was smiling, a look of surprise still on his face.  "Thomas!"  Alby lifted his drink towards him, as the boys surrounded him.
Even Gally; he nodded, "Congratulations, Thomas."  Harper patted Thomas's back before returning to her spot between Newt and Minho.

    Thomas.
Familiarity screamed inside her brain as the name rolled through her head.  Thomas. She had known a Thomas.  The name spiked alarms in her head, overworking, trying to make connections.  Harper rubbed her temples with her fingers; that name had a significance in her life.  Her mind begged her to attach the strings as it played through her head on a loop, trying to trigger something.