The Priceless Variable

Bonfire

Later that night, there was a bonfire to celebrate Mallory's arrival. Newt took her to the log where him and Thomas sat at when he arrived. He started a conversation.

"So, uh, what was in your bag?" Newt asked.

Mallory remembered what the letter said and she knew that she had to lie.

"I don't wanna talk about it." she said.

Newt realized that he didn't want to push her, so he changed the subject. He noticed the necklace around her neck.

"I like that necklace." Newt said.

"Thanks." Mallory said.

"Mallory, you know that if you ever need someone to talk to, you can always come to me." he said.

"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind." she said, resting her chin on your hand.

Mallory then felt a growling sensation in her stomach.

"I'm getting kinda hungry." she said.

"Come on. Let's go see Frypan. He's our head cook." Newt said.

They stood up from the log and walked toward the center of the celebration. Newt introduced her to Frypan. He seemed nice and funny. He handed them two plates of food. Newt took her to an empty picnic table. The second Mallory took a bite of the food, she devoured it.

"Whoa! Mallory, slow down. No one's gonna take it away from you." Newt said.

"Sorry. I'm hungry." Mallory said with a mouthful.

"It's fine. You wanna try some of this drink?" Newt said, offering it to her.

"Sure." she said, taking the mason jar.

Mallory took a sip, then spit it out.

"Oh my god! What is that?" she gagged.

"I don't even know. It's Gally's recipe. It's a trade secret." Newt said, pointing at a boy in the fighting circle.

Mallory asked Newt for more information about why they're here. He did his best to explain.

"We're trapped here, aren't we?" Mallory questioned.

"For the moment. But, you see those guys, there by the fire?" Newt pointed out a group of boys near the fire.

"Yeah?" Mallory said.

"Those are the Runners, and that guy in the middle is Minho. He's the Keeper of the Runners. Every morning when those doors open, they run the Maze. Mapping it, memorizing it, trying to find a way out." Newt explained.

"How long have they been looking?" Mallory asked.

"Three years." he answered.

"And, they haven't found anything?" she questioned.

"It's not easier said than done. Listen, yeah. That's the Maze, changing. It changes every night." Newt said, pointing to the sky.

Mallory listened carefully to a mumbling sound that echoed off the walls.

"How's that even possible?" she asked.

"You can ask the people who put us in here, if you ever meet them. Listen, the truth is...the Runners are the only ones who really know what's out there. They're the strongest and fastest of us all. And it's a good thing too because if they don't make it back before those doors close, then they're stuck out there for the night. No one's ever survived a night in the Maze." Newt explained, then took a sip of his drink.

"What happens to them?" Mallory asked.

"Well, we call them 'Grievers.' Of course, no ones ever seen one and live to tell about it. But, they're out there." Newt said.

That last part shook Mallory to her core. She lost her appetite after hearing all that.

"So, what job would you wanna do? Here, everyone has to do their part." Newt asked, changing the subject.

"Umm. What was that place called when I woke up, and who were those two boys?" Mallory asked.

"The med-hut, and their names are Clint and Jeff. Would you want to work as a med-jack?" Newt said.

"Sure, why not?" she said.

"Alright. Well, let's go find them." he said.

They got up from the picnic table. Newt showed her the different groups of boys that had the jobs of the Glade. They were looking all over the place to the med-jacks. That was, until a loud voice got their attention.

"HEY, GREENIE!" someone yelled.

That made Newt and Mallory turn around. There was a tall boy with weird eyebrows, motioning for her to come forward. Newt knew what this was all about, so he stepped in front of Mallory.

"We don't have to call her that, Gally! She knows her name." Newt said.

"Really? What is it? Whatever it is, she can probably speak for herself." Gally questioned.

Mallory stepped out from behind Newt and held her head up high.

"Mallory! My name is Mallory." she stated.

Silence filled the atmosphere for a few seconds. Then, the boys cheered for her and surrounded her.

"Welcome home, Mallory." Frypan said, giving her a mason jar.

She knew what it tasted like, but she didn't care. She chugged a fourth of the substance, but it burned on the way down. Another black boy came up to her. He must've been Alby, who's the leader, from what Newt has told her.

"Welcome to the Glade, Mallory." he said.

A loud screech interrupted them. They all look over at the concrete walls.

"What was that?" Mallory asked.

"That, my friend, was a Griever. Don't worry. You're safe here with us. Nothing gets through those walls." Gally told her.

"Alright, guys. Let's tuck it in for the night. Come on, good night." Alby said.

With that, all the boys went their separate ways. Mallory felt a hand on her shoulder. It was Teresa.

"Come on. I'll show you where we sleep." she said.