6 Dawn

There's not much to the so called Glade, except grass and boys, and meters upon meters of boys and grass. Sure, there is a building or two, and a tiny forest off in the corner, but otherwise there is only walls and things blocking me from moving about.

It's compressing my lungs. Bottling me up and trying to keep me tightly wound, but that's not the kind of person I am. This body is a body where an explosion waits to happen. It's only a matter of time before these walls give up on trying to keep me together, and I go up in a cloud of fiery explosion.

"Anything interest you, Dawn?" It's that boy, Newt, and he's asking me.

My feet touch the ground again, and I nod. "Yeah, that Runner job."

He shakes his head at me, almost a laugh on his face. The grin doesn't get shared with me, and I stiffen my back, wondering what exactly he isn't telling me.

"You, Leo?"

She shrugs, as unsure as always. When she looks around, I can see the wonder in her eyes. It's a wonder I don't think I've ever seen before, and one that I don't think I've quite displayed ever.

"Maybe being a med-jack?" She shrugs. "I'm not quite sure."

"Med-jacks get a lot of free time," he notes. "Lots of people have more than one job. The gardens are also a nice place to work, I'm there a lot."

"Nothing sounds interesting." I sigh, looking up at the sky. There are no clouds, only endless layers of blue.

Somehow, even the pretty colours seem boring. Especially if I am going to be staring at them for however long I am going to be here.

"I mean, we get free time once it's dark." Newt remarks, glancing down at his watch. "Which should be here pretty soon, if this doesn't need to be wound."

When it gets dark the Runners come home, to avoid the shifting walls, and the endless night.

"Those Grievers don't scare me." The ginger yawns, reaching her hands above her head. "I might try to be a Runner myself."

She still hasn't told any of us her name, which is kind of a drag if I'm honest. Neither has the tiny girl, but I don't think she is even aware we are here. I know she can speak, because she has spoken, and every so often she does make eye contact with me. Whatever made us black out in that elevator certainly had a big effect on her.

"No, you don't just get to be a Runner," Newt tells us. "You stay here a month, and then you can get nominated. Is it just you four or all girls who have some sort of death wish?"

"I could take them," she looks at her nails, and I can't help but roll my eyes.

Yeah, I'd like to see her try. Just because I am not afraid of any damn Griever, doesn't mean I wouldn't be giving myself a death sentence to try and take one on.

"Maybe you could be a Builder," Leo suggests.

Newt tightens at this before shaking his head back and forth. "No, you wouldn't do well there. Those builders are a load of slintheads, and never mind that Gally is their Keeper."

"He's not too fond of us." Leo lets her in on Gally.

This doesn't seem to deter the girl, and a smirk only grows on her face. Of course she likes a challenges. It explains why her lip is split and her eyebrow has a rough scratch in it. I didn't see what that Runner boy did to upset her, but she certainly proved her point.

I hate him. What did they say his name was? Ben?

"Well, Gally is sort of a shank at best," Newt shrugs.

That much is true. I wish he would go away. Not only does he manage to hate me, despite never having spoken to me, he also manages to follow around all the other girls too. So it couldn't possibly be just me that he detests.

"Can we just explore on our own?" I ask Newt.

He looks taken aback for a second, before he nods. "Yeah, of course. As long as you don't cause any trouble I don't see why you wouldn't be able to."

I don't want for him to finish, or to recant his statement. Instead, I run away, further off towards a wall. I head to the one furthest from the sun, the one that lies in the bright light. The sun is nearing the ground, which means that within the next couple of minutes the Runners will be back.

If only I could get a better look.

When I finish jogging, I am staring the wall up and down. Excitement riddles my fingers, as I they itch for adventure. This place is so very dull, and if I can manage one time to find so sort of fun, this is that moment.

This time, I am going to be more precautious. I let my fingers search around for a thick vine. It takes a minute or two before I find one that I like. Quickly, I tie in around my waist. Looking around, I notice no one is watching. Everyone has left their jobs for the night, probably off to get dinner.

I am starving. Though I ate lunch today, I don't think I ever ate before that. Maybe the bonfire counts, but I don't remember much of what I ate. Everything from that night is a little fuzzy. The names of who I talked to escape me, but I do remember talking to a few of the Runners, and a Keeper or two. Even the guys who wanted me locked up were pleasant enough.

My hands grip tightly around the vines as I hoist myself up. They are very sturdy, and I wonder if when I get to the top I'll be able to see everyone. Sooner or later I am going to have to go back and pick up job, but for the time being I don't know what I want to do. Everything seems boring. Especially cooking.

Although that guy Frypan did seem to stick up for me at the meeting. He is the Cook around here, and maybe I'd like working with him.

I want to run instead.

"Hey Greenie." I look down, maybe half a dozen meters below me to see the face of none other than Minho, glancing up at me. "What's with you and climbing things that shouldn't be climbed?"

"I don't know, Maze boy," I sigh. "What's it with you and only being around when I am getting into trouble?"

He reaches some vine below me, pulling himself up. They rip out from the wall, and he falls to the ground, landing on his butt.

I laugh, biting my lip. When he looks up, he smiles and holds the end up to a thicker vine. "Maze boy, huh? Thought you'd be more creative."

"Maybe I should change your name to copier." I suggest, nodding to where he ties the plant around his waist. "Thought you thought climbing things was trouble."

He shakes his head, finally satisfied with the knot as he moves up. Instead of waiting for him, I keep climbing, hoping he will catch up quickly.

"You like to run, don't you?" He grunts, and I can hear him struggling to move up after me.

I pause, shrugging. "Only when there is someone who likes to follow."

"Well, then you've got me all shucking wrong," Minho remarks. "I lead."

I let my head slip from side to side. These shanks are going to get the better of me. Minho seems to be all quick comebacks and creasing eyes. At first I thought he was delicate, and a stickler for the rules. Up here though, away from the other Gladers, he seems to let all that he is supposed to be fall apart.

The higher from the ground we get, the less rules there are. The higher we become, the freer we are.

"You know, we are getting a little too far from the ground," he teases.

None of that matters. "What, you've never climbed the Walls, maze boy?"

"I mean, shanks have tried, but get any higher than this and the vines get thin, and they snap." He tells me. "And I would hate to see your pretty-shuck face hit the ground."

"My pretty shuck face can handle itself, thank you," I laugh. For a second I wonder if I come across as too harsh, but from his approaching face, maybe only a meter below me, I can see his smile.

"That's why you ran straight into a Griever." He smiles. His teeth are white, and seem to sparkle even in the low lighting. Something about him makes me circle in closer.

I shake my head. "It wasn't straight. It was around a corner."

He rolls his eyes, before looking back at me. We are finally at the same height, and he stares me down. There isn't much distance between us, especially since he was climbing almost directly beneath me.

From this close, I can see him. Really see him. Beneath the dirt that is on his cheeks and the sweat on his forehead. Underneath it all, the jokes and the laughter and the eye-rolling, there is kindness. It seeps out the cracks in his skin, which almost looks soft to the touch.

Mostly, I can see it in his smile. His friendliness, and his caring. Maybe he is hiding it from the world, or maybe I would just need to know what I am looking for to actually see it, but I have managed to find it.

"Did you end up finding something you want to do?" He asks me. "I mean, other than me. Job wise."

I roll my eyes, ignoring his comment. He seems to ignore it too. I look out over the Glade, staring at the grass. "I want to run."

He shakes his head at me, looking at me out of the corner of his eye. "You know, you had better not be serious."

"I think I am," I tell him. "I know you have to wait a month and all, but I would do it."

It takes him a few seconds of staring at me, to find what he is looking for. First he looks in my eyes, then down at my whole face. His mouth opens and closes no less than three times before he manages to find the words.

"It's dangerous," Minho tells me, "but if you want, I will recommend you in a month."

I look him back with equal strength. He seems restrained, like there is nothing he wants more than to not recommend me. As if that maze is a place I do not belong. I can see it through the crack, the space where he cares but doesn't like to show it.

I nod, before offering him my hand. My feet slip on the wall, and I grab a hold of him by his shirt to stop myself from falling to the Glade below.

"Maybe you should hold on," He laughs.

"Since when are you playing things safe?" I ask.

"Since yesterday at 6:45." He tells me. "Someone dared me to drink Fry's stew, and I did. I don't recommend it. Changed my life. "

A sliver of a laugh burst from me, more air than actual heart or soul. That is so very specific, I can only shake my head and look away.

"Yeah?" I ask.

He bites his lip, trying to suppress the grin that covers his face. "Yeah."

I look off into the Glade. Boys move about, closer and closer to the Homestead. It's beginning to get darker, and the sun is beginning to set completely. The sky is filled with various shades of pink and orange, shaping and carving a beautiful masterpiece before me. It's a miracle that the first sunset I ever see is one this amazing.

This is it. The adventure I have been looking for is here. Finally, I've found it only ten meters above the ground.

"It's so pretty," I manage out.

"Yeah it shucking is." His voice is more night air than actual sound, and I look over to him.

He isn't even looking at the sunset. His eyes find mine. My blush is embarrassing.

"We should get down before the walls actually start moving." Minho tells me. "Because if we are this high up and they go, we are falling. And, Greenie, the Sloppers would not do a good job of cleaning you off the ground below. Believe me, I've seen it before."

I nod, letting my hands wrap around the vine on my waist. This may be over, but the adventure is only beginning.

~~~~~~~

Minho is so crazy sweet, and Dawn is like the sky. Always changing, always beautiful. Full of calm and chaos. A paradox if you will.

Soar through the sky until Wednesday.