I snuck across the roof , in the moonlight. My feet didn't make a noise, I was light as a cat and quick as a shadow. I had to get in and get out. I knew all the exits and where the guards were stationed. I also knew where the cameras were. I had 5 minutes to get the job done before the camera feed switched.

I got to the edge of the roof and crouched down. Listening for the sound of boots. I was told that someone on the inside would unlatch the window. I heard the snatch latch unlock. I waited another few seconds and then lowered myself down onto the window ledge. I crouched in the shadows, waiting for the man in the business suit to sit back down at his desk. I slowly opened the window just enough for thin body to slip through. I stepped light at a cat, and slunk into the long curtain. The man leaned back into the chair. With a groan he tipped his head back, I slid my garrote that I had around my wrist, looking like a coiled bracelet. In a fluid motion I stepped out of the shadow, wrapped the thin iron cord around the mans tipped back head and pulled. 

The man's eyes flare with panic, his hands went to the cord around his neck, trying to claw at it. I pulled tighter, with a small grunt. His body started to shake, his face went red and his started to bulge. I looked away and pulled tighter. I never looked at my targets. I didn't want to see their faces in my dreams. I felt his body spasms slow down, the chocking noise sputtered to a stop. His hands fell limply into his lap, his eyes rolled into his head. I felt the last breath leave his body and he was still. I held on for another few seconds and then slowly unwound my garrote, I wiped the blood off, wrapped it back around my wrist and then slipped back out the window. I pulled my self back up onto the roof. Quiet as a cat I slunk back into the shadows. 

•×•

I woke with a start covered in sweat and breathing hard. I felt the tears sting my eyes. Sitting up I tried to get that memory out of my head. I knew it was a memory. I saw it during my changing from last year. Most of my memories were of me sneaking through the shadows killing someone, and a voice, "my handler" giving me instructions or handing out punishments if I didn't do it right. I held my head in my hands for a second, trying to steady my breathing, and slow my racing heart. 

Killers don't cry. Monsters don't panic. Assassins don't have anxiety. 

Clamping my eyes closed for a brief moment, running my hand through my hair I sat up with a growl. I shoved all my useless emotions back inside. Time to get some food and get the heck out of here. Though...it seems like this Maze is all sunshine and rainbows. No Griever attacks, no random weather shifts, it's always the perfect sunny warm weather...these boys also seem to have electricity all the time. Ours cut out at 7pm.  These boys have it so easy here, no way they could hack it in my maze. Bunch of wussies. 

I got up and stretched, I swung my backpack over my shoulders and slid my knife into my holster and jumped off the Tree fort. I slowly made my way towards the bathrooms, I needed to wash my face and change. And the girls scoffed at me for keeping all my things with me, not that I was planning to leave one maze and rejoin another...but I was glad I kept everything with me. I slipped into one of the single stalls, locking the door behind me. They had showers with half decent running water, I stripped down as fast as I could, and jumped into the luck warm water. I washed to sweat and remainder of the blood off. They had shampoo in the stalls, so also washed my hair, it smelt clean, nothing fancy. But it felt better to be clean. With a sigh I turned the water off and dried myself off with one of the towels, pulling on my underwear and pants I wrapped my hair up for a minute. 

I stepped up to the mirror, it was dirty and cracked, but it would be alright. Pulling the towel off I tossed it aside, letting my long dark hair down. It had grown out in the last two and a half years I had been stuck in the Meadow. Sonya had trimmed it once, it was due for a trim again. My pale skin had a natural tan now, bringing out the freckles I had on my face. The weird thing that always intrigued me about my facial features, was my lips, they were full and had a natural redness to them, making it look like I had lipstick on. My red lips and raven black hair made my pale skin look unearthly. Cold and deadly. My dark grey blue eyes traveled over my body again. I saw all the scares I had got since coming to the Meadow. One the gash of my temple would add another one. Shacking my head I brushed my hair out. I was just pulling my black eyeliner out of my bag when the door behind me opened. 

"Of shucken course its you." Minho grumbled. 

"Well apparently locks are useless around here." 

Newt popped his head around the corner. 

"Sorry, Love, should have mentioned the locks around here aren't that sturdy."

"Yes clearly." I rolled my eyes and turned back to the mirror. 

"Seriously? You doing makeup?" Minho scoffed. 

"Please, my eyeliner is sharper then that mind you claim to have." I retorted finishing the one eye. I stood up straight and smirked at him through the mirror. I could see him scowl. 

"Are you going to run around the Glade topless?" He finally snapped. 

"Haven't decided. Does it make you uncomfortable Minho? Seeing this much skin?" I asked raising an eyebrow. "And last time I checked, I was here first, you barged in on me, and your still standing in the doorway. Also I'm wearing a sports bra. So Don't start." 

"She makes a valid point.." Newt said.

Minho breathed rather heavily through his nose and spun around, I called, "Don't worry sweetie, I'm almost done, just using my knife to make sure my eyeliner is straight." I smirked when I saw his back stiffen as he slammed the door. 

I finished in the bathroom, and just to piss him off more, I didn't bother pulling my tank top on, I sauntered out of the bathroom. Newt and Minho were leaning close together whispering together. 

"All yours." I called sweetly. And walked away. I felt the few eyes that were awake, on me as I walked towards the kitchen and dinning room. I lifted my chin, and went straight to the kitchen counter, where the guy named Frypan was. 

"Good Morning Jessie!" He grinned at me, his smile was kind and his eyes danced with an innocent mischief. If I wasn't carful, this boy could worm his way into my carefully constructed fortress of solitude.   

"Oh...so there's two gentlemen in the hell hole." 

He chuckled. He held up the big coffee pot, "Coffee?" 

"Shuck yes." 

"How do you take it?"

"Straight up black. My my soul." 

He chuckled and handed me the mug and a plate of breakfast. I took it with a nod and found a table in the back, in the shadow of the building beside it. I sat and ate quietly, and quickly. I watched the guys around me, how they interacted with each other. Like in The Meadow, there were obvious friend groups, but unlike my home, here there seemed to be a hierarchy. Runners were at the top, they were revered by the others. it was the same as The Meadow, but we didn't keep secrets from the other girls. I hadn't meet any of the other runners, but they weren't hard to miss. They seemed quiet and kept to themselves, except for their Keeper. Sloppers were clearly at the bottom. Builders seemed to think they were next, but they all seemed dimwitted and loud and arrogant. The farmers...or their track hoes, seemed to be the kind boys.  The guys who worked in the barn seemed to be just above the sloppers, but they didn't seem to care. 

I saw some of the Keepers make their way over to my table, and I scowled at them. 

The dark haired kid from yesterday, Jeff, sat down across from me, "Good morning." 

"Says who?" I snapped. 

"Not a morning person." He chuckled. 

"No, just not a person person." 

"Ahh, you'll get along with Alby." He chuckled.

Newt sat down with Alby, Winston, Zart, Frypan,  and to my dismay, Gally and Minho. They all eyed me up, I still hadn't put a shirt over my sports bra. I saw a few of them glance a few times. I sat up straight pretending I didn't notice, slowly drinking my coffee. 

"Where did you sleep last night? I came to find you." Newt frowned at me. 

"You came to see if I needed a sleeping companion?" 

"No." His cheeks went pink, "to offer you a place to sleep behind a door. Alone."

"Well considering how well your bathroom door locks work, I'll pass." 

"You were okay during the buggen' night?" 

"Yeah. I was just fine. You don't have wind, rain, hail, thunder, lighting, random freezing temperatures, random forest fires...I was just fine sleeping outside." 

"Shuck sakes." 

I raised an eyebrow. 

"You really had to bloody deal with all that?" 

I just nodded, I didn't understand why this was so hard for them to understand. I few of the other guys at the table were looking at me with slight worry now. Gally was staring at something, he narrowed his eyes. 

"You were stung." He stated. 

My jaw clenched and I narrowed my eyes, but I nodded. "Last year." 

All eyes at the table went wide. 

"You went through the changing...stung by a griever, had the grief serum injected...the pain of going through it, the memories-"

"Stop mansplaining what the changing is. I went through it. I know." I cut Gally off. 

"I wasn't mansplaining! I was just explaining how-"

"I know you're not mansplaining what mansplaining is. You couldn't possibly be that thick." 

Gally looked like he was about to explode, I was visibly shaking with anger. I drained my coffee and got up. 

"Your maze doors open exactly at 7, ya?" I directed the question at Minho. His eyes were narrowed and his jaw was clenched, but he gave me a curt nod. I grabbed my bag and left. I walked quickly towards the doors, waiting for the door to slid open. While I waited I played with one of the knives, spinning it around, and flipping it into the air and catching it. I heard footsteps behind me.

"That's pretty impressive." 

I shrugged one shoulder twirling it around again, in a swift motion, I had it held point out, inches from the guys face. He was blond with watery blue eyes and a nervous smile. I just held the knife, un moving and silent. 

"Names Ben...I'm running through this door with Minho today, are you coming with us?" 

"No. I'm going to find my way back." 

"You have no idea how you ended up in our maze, hey?"

"Oh no, I know exactly how I got here, I'm just playing dumb, and going to pretend I have no idea how to get back." 

Ben chuckled and folded his arms. "So...how did you learn those knife moves? Even almost dead yesterday, you managed to nick Minho. He was pissed." 

"Yeah well he knocked me out. Were even." 

"I guess. But still...knife skills are pretty awesome. Did you learn them in your Glade?"

"Meadow. We called it a Meadow. And no, I always had them." 

"Don't bother trying to talk to the savage, she'll just gut you. Or tell you your mansplaining things to her." Minho snapped as he came up beside Ben.

I rolled my eyes. "Someone's ego is still hurting, is it? Or is it all the skin?" 

"No, it's the fact your mouthy, and arrogant. And for some shucked up reason wearing make up in the Glade."  

"If this face," I indicated to mine, "is going to be the last thing you see before I gut you, I'll do you the decency to look hot. Also ...I see your hair is nicely styled. So how long does it take to do your hair? Do the Designers send up hair gel with supplies?" I smirked at him, with a wink.

I felt the familiar rumble and vibrating of the Maze doors opening. My stomach twisted, I really hoped I would be able to find my way back. I glanced behind me and saw most of the guys standing and watching mouth open. Newt looked worried Alby and Gally looked pissed. I turned back and saw an opening big enough and I went for it. Pushing through the wall I took off, sprinting down the hall. I heard someone cursing behind me. I didn't wait, I just ran. I came to an intersection, a big stone arch, with the option of left right or straight, without stopping or hesitating, I took the left turn and kept going.

I was always a fast runner, and never had a problem running. I enjoyed it. Taking the next right, I leapt over the fallen vine. I was used to running in a maze with cracks, craters, slice marks, rubble and gale force winds or rain, sleet sometimes. Running in sunshine with blue sky with no wind, it was perfect conditions. These walls didn't look as beat up as mine, they looked old and ancient, but mine looked worse. I didn't stop all morning. I don't know what happened to Minho and Ben, I either left them far behind or they took a different route. But I knew where I was going. This maze may not be as old, but it was the same layout. Same turns and twists. 

It's the same shucken thing. One with boys one with girls, slight differences...but it was the same thing.

I made it to section 4. And slowed to a brisk walk I walked up to the Cliff and leaned out, looking up, down and side to side. It looked the same as my cliff. I sat down, dangling my feet over the edge, I pulled out the sandwich Frypan had made me. It wasn't too bad. I finished it relatively quickly. I put the remainder of my lunch and water bottle back into my bag and got up. I walked over to the stretch of wall that had a small patch of ivy. I frowned and looked up at the wall. I set my bag down and started to explore the wall. There was no visible cracks or crevasse or breaks in the wall. Growling I stepped back. I squatted down for a second, frowning I pulled my eyebrows together, and chewed the inside of my cheek. I cocked my head and moved closer to the ivy on the ground. There was a small patch of dark brown on the stone floor. 

My blood? Was this where I passed out? But how the shuck did I get here? 

I heard footfalls echo off the wall. Looking up and at the end of the hall Ben and Minho rounded the corner. There heavy breathing bounced off the wall. 

"Nice of you to show up." I said, looking back up at the ivy. 

They didn't say anything, Ben was bent over sucking air and Minho was grinding his teeth. I stood up and grabbed the ivy, and tugged. It stuck, just like my ivy did. I started climbing.

"I wouldn't do that if I was you." 

"Good thing I'm not you then coward." I called back. 

"Didn't you say that was how you fell?" 

"Yeah it was also pouring rain and tornado winds. This is a sunny happy rainbows day. I'm fine." 

Minho scoffed. 

"Wanna be helpful? Chuck me my knife." 

Ben stood up and grabbed the big one by my bag. I was already about 10 feet up the wall. 

"Uhh you want me to chuck the knife up to you?" 

"Do I always have to repeat myself? Yes. Throw it. Or is 10 feet too much of a throw?" I rolled my eyes. 

Ben shrugged and tossed it. I watched it spin towards my, I caught it by the handle, and slammed the blade into the crack of the wall an arms length up, I used it to pull myself up. 

"Shuck, girl is crazy!" I heard Ben mutter to Minho. 

"Girl is straight up savage." Minho replied.

"Why doesn't your ivy go all the way to the top?" I yelled back, looking down at the guys. Both of them were looking up at me, arms folded. They both shrugged. 

"Wow, helpful." I put the knife between my teeth and swung down the ivy and dropped to the ground from 6 feet up. I straightened up and slid my knife back into the holster. 

"What now?" Ben asked, 

My eyes shot open and I held a hand up, indicating them to be quiet. I had heard it. I had heard a Griever.