pre-the maze runner
chapter six

❛❛ you won't be in the maze for long ❜❜

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The leaders and the Keepers made no hesitation or a thought when they threw Poe into a Slammer. The fight between Poe and Nico lasted almost a minute and the Gladers around the two were shouting and yelling and cheering like they haven't seen an actual fight. Poe ended up getting punched on his eye once while he got Nico few times. The older boy doesn't get taken away, Poe can understand why, he's aware that he started the fight but did it just for a friend.

Slammer, also they call it as the Pit, was a jail cell. They put a Glader there for their misbehaviour. Most of the Greenies that arrive are thrown in there to clam down. Alby told Poe he'll have to spend the night there, he heard something about a Gathering, he wasn't sure what that meant. Then Nick responded maybe and that's when they left Poe alone in the Slammer.

The Slammer was a small space, dug into the earth about five feet down, Poe was unable to stand up straight without getting his head on the ceiling. The walls around him were all branches and bamboos and stones like the sizes of bricks. The ground was all dirt and soil, the bedding was more uncomfortable than his hammock, made of cloths and sticks. It was all dark and miserable in the Slammer.

Poe sat miserably on the bedding, the Pit made him feel miserable but doesn't really mean that he regretted what he did. Footsteps were heard, someone was coming, a torchlight illuminated the Slammer, Poe glanced up toward the door and see Anton approaching. Along with Teo and Winston behind the young boy.

"What you did back there, was really stupid" said Winston, "...but it was awesome" he grinned.

"Yeah, I agree" Teo sat down by the Slammer. Anton seated on the ground as well. "About damn time someone confronts that slinthead"

"I told you, Poe" Anton groaned, "I tried to tell you to leave it. You didn't need to do that and you're in for some big trouble"

Teo scoffed, waving his hand, "I'm sure it'll be nothing, few days in a Slammer is a possible punishment... Banishment? I doubt that, unless he's crazy like George was. Though I wasn't here when it happened but there are stories"

George was the deceased Glader who Poe assumed had been dead for a long time and was possibly the first. "What did you heard about that guy anyway?" He asked with curiosity.

"He got crazy after he got Stung by a Griever. Ended up killing another Glader by biting his throat off then Alby had to put him down" Teo explained, "There are whispers about it around here sometimes"

Poe was confused and at the same time, feeling bad for the deceased boy who he never met. Or maybe he has, who knows. "Stung? You get sting by a Griever?"

Teo nodded. It was Winston's turn to speak, "It gives you pieces of memories too, according to Chris, who by the way is dead. Went all loony about the things he saw during the Changing. Didn't make sense at all really. He got Banished afterwards for almost killing our Med-jack, Clint. They didn't want to risk of harming another Glader"

Memories. You get sting by a Griever and you get memories. Poe wondered if that is true. He wouldn't dare to try it and get himself stung by a Griever and there's no way he'd come face-to-face with a Griever. "Changing? What's that?"

"What they call it when someone got stung afterwards" said Anton, "They change and go insane before they die"

Poe definitely wouldn't dare himself to get himself stung on purpose just for memories, he'd die anyway. "Anyway, what's a Gathering? Heard Alby mentioning it"

"It's where the council have a meeting," Teo said, "the leaders and the Keepers, they're the ones that they decide on what to do around here"

Anton looked at Teo and Winston, "Think they're going to have it just for him?"

Winston shrugged, "I don't know, I hope not because being in the Council ain't really that fun" he sighed almost peevishly, "Its like listening to a bunch of kids whinin' and cryin'. Keepers begin to argue over opinions and choices we make"

"Hey!" Someone called out ahead, Anton, Teo and Winston both turned their heads as Poe craned his head around until spotting Nick approaching. "It's curfew, guys. Get your arses to your beds now"

The three turn their glances back to Poe, "Well, sweet dreams, moron" Anton stood up.

"Good night, Poe" said Teo as he, Anton and Winston left.

When they left and Nick came to Poe. The leader was holding a torch, he had a stern look, it's may be the first time that Poe had seen him looking angry. He seemed to be more peevish than angry. Or disappointed.

"Poe" Nick sighed disappointedly, "never had a Greenie who start throwing punches against another Glader on their first days before. Nico said you just came at him, like everyone who saw you coming had said"

Poe was no liar, though there are some things he keeps to himself, but what happened earlier was something he wasn't ashamed of, or afraid of to admit.  "You've heard right" he nodded.

Nick plunged the torch into the ground and let it stood itself. "Can I ask why? Why punch some person who you never even spoke to, that you don't even know?" Nick was squatting by the door.

Poe was thinking about Anton, and what Nico did. He imagined Nico has been pushing the poor boy around for the past month and Poe wants Nico to stop. "Because he shamed Anton." He replied, "He bullies him, I assume he's been doing that to him the past month and clearly, Anton isn't the only one, is he?"

"You barely even know the kid or anyone in the Glade, how can you start to care someone in just a day and hate someone you don't even know?"

Poe shrugged, "I just do" he murmured, he looked at the leader. "For some odd reason, I feel like I already know you and Anton, and Nico. Just a feeling. I don't know how to explain it really"

Nick stared at Poe momentarily, his look changed to almost perplexity. He turn his glance down before letting out a sigh, "The feeling's mutual, Poe. You ain't the only one who feels that sort of way"

Poe blinked, almost relieved that he wasn't the only one while everyone seems to have fully forgotten everyone and everything. "So, you feel like you also been here before?"

Nick furrowed his brows, shook his head, "No. no, it's not that. I just had a feeling I've met Alby before, or Newt, or Minho, the rest of the shanks I woke up with out here from the start, that's all"

Poe dropped his glance at the ground.

"You've been here before?" Nick asked.

Poe shakily shrugged, "I don't know. Just that this place is oddly familiar, but can't seem to figure it out"

Nick sighed sharply, there was silence, only sounds of crickets, frogs croaking from the ponds. It was quiet for a moment until Nick spoke. "Gally demanded a Gathering and talk about what happened earlier. But I don't agree, the fight was barely something, these things happens sometimes, least you and Nico weren't trying to kill each other." Nick gazed ahead for a second, "It's not a big deal, so there won't be a Gathering because it's merely your first day and I gotta admit, Nico is a total prick who deserves a lil punch. You're already in the Pit for the night anyway, that's your punishment. I suggest you get a good rest"

Nick got on his feet, picked up the torch off the ground. He said nothing else then walked away as Poe watched him go. Further Nick went, the Slammer grew darker and Poe was unable to see in the Pit. He knew where the bedding was, he moved to the bedding blindly and lie down.

For the longest time, as he was lying down on the poorly bed, he was glancing at the ceiling and listening. The croaking from the frogs were slowly fading, crickets chirping were dying down as well, but the sounds of faint rumbling and thuds were startling. Those faint rumbling noises come from the Maze, Teo said it is the Maze making those sounds as the walls were changing. The Maze move and change. Poe wondered if the Maze is different everyday or that there's a pattern. He wondered.

He wondered and wondered until he fell asleep and dream.

Poe was facing a woman, she was sitting at her desk as Poe stood in front of her. "The company trusted you, Mr. Poe. We trusted you"

It was all she said before everything shifted into a long hallway, lights in the ceiling, his arms being held from behind as they dragged the boy backward and he was trying to fight back as he screamed.

"Poe?!" A girl's voice exclaimed with concern, "What are you doing with him?! Let him go!" The girl cried.

A girl with black hair, dressed all in white was attempting to help him but she was being held back by a boy. She cried out one more time and calling out his name before everything shifted once again.

He was on a gurney, being wheeled down the hall, lights on the ceiling blinded him that he could not see the face of a figure that was pushing him. "You won't be in the Maze for long. The end is near, Poe"

Poe woke up with the sounds of the Door opening in the early morning. Everything was shaking. It is impossible to sleep through the Door opening. No way anyone can sleep through. He shifted to his side, not wanting to get up even after the sounds stopped. He knew it won't be long until someone comes and get him out of the Slammer.

While he was waiting for someone to come and get him, he was thinking of the dream he had. It was all too vivid to be a dream, way too real for him. He barely remember those faces he saw in the dream, of the woman, of the girl, he already forgotten their face. He tried to plaster the faces back into his mind. The woman was blond, and the girl had black hair. He barely even saw the girl's face because of the boy holding her was in front of her. He tried to focus and remember those faces until his head began to ache.

Poe rubbed his eyes then sat up slowly. His body was desperate for more rest. His back ache again because of the discomfort when he slept. He stretched his arms and his elbows made crack noise. He stood up, lowering his head and glanced through the door of the Pit. He saw Gladers ahead, going to the kitchen hut for breakfast.

He didn't wait long before someone finally came to get him out. It was Alby who let him out. "Alright Greenie, since Nick made a decision, there won't be a Gathering, but if you pull anything out like that again, expect the worse, you get me, Greenie?"

Poe stared at the boy, before he nodded in agreement. He doesn't bother promising that it won't happen again, but it is certain that if Nico ever dares to bully Anton again, Poe won't be pulling punches next time but a knife on the boy's throat. "I hear you" he said bluntly.

Alby stared and gave him a serious look as if trying to look intimidating. He may look intimidating at times but Poe wasn't really afraid of him. Then Alby finally let Poe out.

Poe received what was left for today's breakfast menu. Few of boiled eggs, two toast that were almost burned, Frypan had offered him bacon, the Keeper gave Poe a nod as if thanking him. Poe knows the Keeper is fond to Anton as well.

Poe found Anton sitting at the sit of the hut and he joined him. Anton was definitely not joining the Gladers at the picnic area today and so was Poe. "I suppose you got lucky" The boy said, "Nico don't look so happy today, I guess he's disappointed because Nick gave you lack of discipline"

"The leader likes me better" Poe smug.

Anton scoffed, "Just don't get yourself into trouble again. You only get one luck."

Poe winced, "I don't think I can promise that" he was gazing ahead as he spotted the Runners leaving the Glade and he could see Anton's gaze on him and giving him a peevish look.

When breakfast hour was over, Nick came to Poe and informed him of his continuation of Trials. Today, he's trying out Med-jacks and Cooks at noon.

The Keeper of the Med-jacks was Jeff. Jeff looked younger than Poe, he looked to be around sixteen, he had dark skin like Alby, and also had a pouch with him that was hanging by his shoulders. Med-jacks spend most of their jobs in the hut where they tend the minor injuries.

"There's only two of us, actually" Jeff said, "Me and Clint—" he gestured at the boy next to him. Clint looked to be around seventeen, a bit tall than Jeff, dark haired and had curls at his hair ends.

"Maybe we'll finally have ourselves another pair of hands in this job" Clint hoped.

"Alright, lets get you your own med kit bag" Jeff went into the hut.

The hut was small that only had two room with bedding in each room. Jeff stated that Gladers rarely get hurt like they'd need to lie down and spend the night in the hut. Jeff also gave him quick tips on how to treat any wounds before any Gladers come for treatment.

For the first hour, Jeff taught him how to do stitches if Gladers need stitching, they just use a piece of cloth with needle and thread. Poe did it almost poorly and there were multiple times where he pricked his own fingers. The Keeper said it is a lot harder to do it on an actual skin.

After the hour and failed stitching attempts, Clint came into the hut with a first patient of the day and said to Poe, "Alright, Greenbean, your first patient is here"

When Poe turned around and his first patient turns out to be Newt.

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