𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗢𝗡𝗘 .ᐟ

❛ the glade ❜

   𝗘𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗜𝗔 gently holds the orange striped snake up in front of her face, admiring the slender reptile. it's tiny tongue poked out of its mouth as it sat in her muddy hands. a small smile appearing on her face as she let it slither through her fingers.

"you're a pretty one aren't you?" she says in a hushed voice. she places the creature on the ground softly, watching it as it slithers around the dirt beneath her feet.

suddenly a low horn echoes through the forest she was standing in, scaring the small snake away almost immediately. she glances over to the gap between the trees, giving her a small view of the open field as the boys hurry over to the box.

her eyes connect with the buzzed head she loathes as he jumps down into the opening in the ground. emilia watches closely as gally pulls the greenie out of the box, tossing him to the ground effortlessly. she rolls her eyes watching the boys laugh as they all look down on him. she gently moves a loose strand of hair from her face, placing it behind her ear before turning on her heel to head away from all the commotion.

"we got a runner!" the voice of zart echoes from behind her. she turns back towards to look at the large group of boys in the field, but her eyes land on something else. a boy running away from the rest of the group. the new greenie running away from the group, and he was running fast.

emilia quickly walks over to the edge of the forest to watch where the greenie was heading, which to be honest, she wasn't sure, there really wasn't anywhere for him to escape. the greenie suddenly face plants into the grass causing a soft laugh to escape from her lips, before she turns around again heading deeper into the woods.

𖧷

   𝗧𝗛𝗘 boys threw the new greenie into pit carelessly before walking away. he scrambles to his feet quickly wiping the dirt off his shirt, rushing over to the wooden cage door. the greenie glances around, watching as the rest of boys got back to their work. some boys in the fields, others chopping wood, and goats roaming freely.

"hey." a voice says calmly. out of no where, a boot stepped out in front of the cages door, catching the greenie by suprise. he fell back on to the dirt floor, uncertainty filling his eyes. it was one of the boys he had seen surrounding him when he had first woken up.

the boy knelt down in front of the cage, "hey there green-bean." he spoke with a soft smile. "you're not gonna run again, okay?"

the greenie stares back at the boy, his entire body shaking with fear. the boy backs up and unlocks the cage door, before squatting back down to be a little closer to the new greenie.

"my name is alby," the other boy began, "now can you tell me anything about yourself? who you are? where you came from? anything at all?"

the greenie drops his head and began fidgeting with his own fingers. he looks around the cage once more before shaking his head softly.

"no." the greenie mumbles.

"can you tell me your name?" alby asks.

the greenie lets out a shaky breath, shaking his head a little harder.

"i uh- i cant remember anything." he tries to explain. "why can't i remember anything?"

"it's okay," alby nods watching as the greenie's breathing pace quickens. "hey relax, relax. it's normal. it happens to us all. you get your name back in a day or two. it's the one thing they let us keep."

the greenies head tilts upwards towards alby in confusion, "what is this place?"

alby shifts in his position a bit before extending a hand out toward the greenie, "let me show you."

𖧷

   𝗧𝗛𝗘 greenie walked closely behind alby, listening to everything alby told him, taking in every single detail of his surroundings.

"we eat here, we sleep here, we grow our own food, we build our own shelter," alby explains. "whatever we need, the box provides. the rest is up to us."

"the box?" the greenie asks turning his head toward the square hole in the ground.

"yeah," alby says, turning to look as well, "they send 'em once a month with fresh supplies and a new greenie. this month thats you. congratulations."

"sent up by who, though? who put us here?" the greenie asks.

"yeah, that we don't know." alby explains.

the greenie turns to ask another question but another voice beat him to it.

"hey, you alright alby?"

the greenie turns towards the voice finding a boy with shaggy blond hair wearing a torn-up beige tunic.

alby let's out a small chuckle, "green-bean, meet newt," alby says. the blond boy nods, muttering a small greeting toward the greenie, "when i'm not around, he's in charge."

"well, its a good thing your always around then. listen, that was some dash you made earlier. y'know for a second there i thought you had the chops to be a runner," newt gave him a lopsided smile, "'til you face planted."

"runner?" the greenie asks.

alby inhales before turning toward newt, "do me a favor, go find chuck?"

newt nods in agreement before walking away from the two.

alby places a hand on the greenie's back, "look, i'm sorry to rush this, you came up a little late, we have a lot to do. we've got something special planned tonight."

the greenie followed alby all the way until they arrived at what seemed to be a tree house. even though it didnt look much like one.

"i hope you're not afraid of heights," alby says beginning to climb the ladder up to the top. "lets go, c'mon."

the greenie stood on the ground, staring up to the top where alby was heading. he sighs deeply, before following alby up to the top.

one the two were both up, alby allowing him to take a look out over the glade. the greenie scanned over the large walls surrounding them.

"this is all we've got." alby explains." we've worked hard for it. you respect this place, you and i will get along just fine."

the greenie eyes stayed fixated on the opening in the walls, "what's out there?" he points.

alby glances to the gap between the walls, and then turns back toward the greenie. his expression becoming all the more serious.

"we only have three rules," alby explains. "first, do your part. no time for any freeloaders. second, never harm another glader. none of this works unless we have trust. and most importantly, never go beyond those walls. do you understand me, greenie?"

the greenie stares back at alby, not moving at all. he stays quiet not really knowing how to respond. and before he could, a small voice shouts from beneath them.

"hey alby!"

both the greenie and alby look over the edge of the tree house railing, finding a small boy with curly brown hair.

"hey chuck," alby smiles, and the young boy waves up toward the new greenie. "where you been, man?"

𖧷

   "𝗜𝗧'𝗦 basically the same story for all of us," chuck says as he tugs on the rope of his hammock. "we wake up in the box, alby gives us the tour. then here we are. dont worry, you're already doing better than i did. i clunked my pants three times before they got me out of the pit." he explains, placing his hands on his hips, admiring the hammock he had just fixed. chuck turns to say something else to the greenie but before he could he was heading straight for the opening in the walls.

he sighs before running after the new greenie, trying his hardest to catch up to him.

"dude! where are you going?" chuck panics.

"i just want to see." the greenie replies, continuing to make his way toward the opening.

"you can look around all you want but you better not go out there." chuck explains.

"why not? whats through there?" the greenie asks.

chuck puts his arm out in front of him attempting to prevent him from going anywhere else, "i don't know, i just know what i'm told. and we're not supposed to leave."

the greenie sighs in response looking down at his feet. he glances back up to look toward the gap in the walls once again, this time finding three boys running from the gap into the grass, one with a short jet black hair, one with longer black hair, a bit taller than the other two. and the last boy with sort of dirty blond hair color, but it seemed to just appear that way because of the sweat dripping from his forehead.

as the three boys jogged over toward where the greenie and chuck stood, the new boy's eyes staying glued to them as they moved.

"hey, chuck." the boy with short dark hair says as they pass by them.

"new greenie, huh?" the blond boy adds. "how does it feel to be promoted?"

"feels great, ben." chuck gave him a thumbs up.

"keep him in check, chuck." the last boy shouts before they ran off.

"i'm doing what i can, arch." chuck waves.

the greenie's eyebrows furrowed as he watched as they ran away. "i thought no one was allowed to leave?" he says turning to chuck.

"i said we're not allowed to leave," chuck emphasizes. "they're different— they're runners. they know more about the maze than anyone. emilia used to—"

"w-wait, what?" the greenie cuts him off.

"what?" chuck says quietly.

"you just said 'maze'" the greenie responds.

"i-i did?" chuck stutters.

"yeah." the greenie whispers. he stated at the walls of what he was now made aware of was a 'maze' before walking directly toward the opening.

"what are you doing?" chuck asks, his voice full of worry.

"i'm just gonna take a look." the greenie says.

"i told you, you can't." chuck replies. "no one leaves, especially not now. it's not safe."

"okay, all right, i'm not gonna go." the greenie reassures the smaller boy by placing a hand on his shoulder, patting it softly. he takes another step closer to the entrance of the maze looking as far as he could into it. eery noises echoed against the maze walls sending a chill down his spine.

"hey!" a voice shouts from beside him.

suddenly, the greenie feels a tight grip on his shoulder latch to him, before he's shoved roughly to the ground. he looks up to see the boy that had rudely ripped him from the box earlier was now standing over him, looking down on him.

"we gotta stop meeting like this, greenie." gally says to him.

"get off me." the greenie shouts up at him, kicking his shin, scrambling to his feet quickly.

"alright, calm, calm, calm, calm." gally repeats.

"don't touch me." the greenie shouts loudly. the commotion causing a bunch of the other boys surrounding them to sprint over toward them.

"just relax." gally says.

"hey, what the hell is wrong with you guys?" the greenie says, his voice full of fear.

"just calm down, all right?" newt says, hobbling over to the greenie, alby following closely behind him.

"no, okay?" the greenie says back sternly. "why wont you tell me what's out there."

"just trying to protect you, man." alby says reaching a hand out toward him.

"for your own good." newt adds.

"no, no, you guy's can't just keep me here!" the greenie shouts back.

"i can't let you leave." alby responds.

"and why not?" the greenie snaps.

a loud rumbling erupts from behind him. the greenie turns around to look back into the maze. a low howl flows through the maze walls and a large gust of wind blows out into his face, causing him to take a step backwards.

"what the hell?" the greenie whispers to himself as it becomes quiet.

another rumble comes from the entrance. the greenie looks up at both sides of the opening. the noises of machinery growing louder and louder. suddenly, the two sides of the gap begin to move together quickly.

the sides finally come together closing the gap between the walls. the rumbling comes to the stop all together.

gally takes a few steps toward the greenie, "next time," he says. "i'm gonna let you leave." he scoffs to himself before walking away.

the greenie stares up at the walls that now had been closed, standing in silence, unable to express his emotions clearly. alby walks up behind the greenie leaning over his shoulder.

"welcome to the glade."

𖧷

   𝗘𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗜𝗔 pushed her wet hair back out of her face before sitting down on an old log. she quickly laced up her boots, squeezing the rest of the water from her shirt.

"emilia?" a voice spoke.

she looked around trying to find where the voice was coming from, and when her eyes landed on one of her bestfriends walking towards her a smile grew on her face quickly.

"wick!" she shouted.

the dirty blonde boy walked over to her, "hey, what are you doing?"

"swimming in the pond, why what's wrong?" she asks, patting the space next to her on the log.

"that was kinda a dumb question, i feel like thats a pretty normal answer from you." wick chuckles. "you're never not in that pond. anyways, newt was looking for you."

"true," emilia shrugs. "but what's newt need? everything okay?"

wick took a seat next to her, "well," he inhaled. "the new greenies a complete shank. had a complete freak out and tried getting in the maze."

"so, he's got a death wish." she scoffs.

"basically." wick nods slowly.

"so what did newt need me for?" she asks leaning down to tie the laces on her other boot.

"well, theres two things," he begins. "one, he was hoping you could knock some sense into the new greenie."

"c'mon, you guys all know how i feel about greenies." she sighs.

"i know! i know," wick throws his hands up in defense. "i told him that, and he knows how you are too. but he still wants you to try."

emilia gives him a look of unsatifaction.

"c'mon em, i was a greenie once, so was chuck. you don't seem to have a problem with us."

she holds her hand up to point at him, "okay, but you two were different."

"were we?" wick raises his brows.

"i dislike you."

"no, you dont." wick smiles.

"alright what else?" emilia motions for him to continue.

"oh, oh um- yeah," he says. "so newt wants you to come to the bonfire toni—"

"nope."

"emilia, c'mon."

"not happening."

"emilia, you can't just hide out in the woods all the time." wick sighs.

"i don't hide out in the woods all the time."

"yes, yes you do."

"no—"

"coming out of the woods only to sleep and eat does not count, em." wick cuts her off.

"yes, yes it does."

"no, it doesn't." wick replies

"it does to me." she smiles back sarcastically.

"emilia, c'mon," wick tries again. "you can't avoid him forever."

"i can, and i'm obviously not doing it as well as i could be. i always end up associating with it at least once a week." she says.

"it?" wick asks.

"it." she repeats.

"emilia, minho is not an 'it'" wick shakes his head.

"well, that's what that shank is to me." she smiles again.

"fine, don't come," wick stands up. "you just don't get any of gally's special drink."

"like i'd drink any of that shit anyway, kid's as much of a shank as the other one."

"and you don't get any of frypan's stew!" he shouts once more as he walks farther away.

"if you're trying to get me to come, frypan's stew is not going to be the way!" she shouts.

"bye!" he yells back with a giggle.

emilia smiles softly watching him walk back into the fields, before standing up and heading back into the woods.

𝗔𝗩𝗔'𝗦 𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗘 !

i needed to get a couple small character intro's in, but i promise that the rest of these books wont literally just be the movie.

i dont think u understand how commited i am to this book. (lyn is also threatening me so i have to stick to this book)

much love!
ava

[ 2.8k words ]