HE WAS WOKEN UP BY THE ABRUPT SOUNDS OF THE DOORS REOPENING, his eyes snapped open, met with a mostly-clear skies and a slight morning chill. His head lifted up, shifted his head around and was able to see the doors opening from his perspective. Though, he laid back down, very tired, eyes still heavy and had the urge of going back to sleep. He couldn't even sleep at all, sleep took it's time to come to him, even after he was able to remember his name, he was in disbelief and a hint of excitement ran through him, he only had a few hours of sleep.

          So yesterday wasn't a nightmare after all as he hoped for. I'm still here, he thought bitterly.

          "Big day, Greenie" Teddy said abruptly, he had just gotten up from his rest as well, he was putting on his shoes before he was on his feet. Everyone was getting up from their rests, the doors reopening seem to alarm everyone to wake up, a signal that it's wake up time. "Don't go back to sleep. If you do, they'll throw you into the pond and who knows what these shanks have thrown into that disgusting pond" the guy warned.

          He did wanted to go back to sleep, but he certainly didn't want to be thrown into a pond. So he got up slowly with his wound on ribcage still in pain, he reached for his shoes off the ground and put them on. Apparently, today is a big day for him, he wasn't sure what it is and he hadn't found the moment to ask what it is. He remained on his hammock, unsure what he was supposed to do or where to go. He was like a little child waiting for his mom to guide him around the place. No one was telling him where to go or what to do, the camp was nearly empty as almost everyone was gone, he decided to look around, he got on his feet and left the camp site. Though he immediately spotted the Gladers in a single area, forming a line-up and that's where he approached to. There was a slight breeze sneaking across the Glade, when it touched his skin, he felt the instant chills that he was getting a bit cold, he even felt his arm making a twitch from the cold. The Med-jacks did offer him clothes yesterday which he changed into, they weren't fresh or cleaned, like they just picked them out from a laundry basket, he wore a blue sleeved shirt with a muscle tee under and brown cargo capris.

          He joined the line, he stood behind a guy who he met yesterday in the woods, one of the guys who found him first and introduced himself as Julien. When he leaned to the side to see what they were all lining up for, it was getting food, ahead was a sort of square-crooked tent, smoking coming out of the tent and a few guys in it, giving out plates of food. When the guy Julien glanced back, surprised, "Oh, hey Greenie, had a good sleep?"

          "Hardly" Oscar rubbed his eyes.

          "Yeah, first nights are tough. I assure you, this place will grow on you" Julien said. Oscar couldn't tell if Julien was being seriously or sarcastic. But he can get first nights being tough though, he wasn't sure about this place eventually growing on him.

          "Has it for you? Grew on you?" Oscar asked.

          Julien snorted, "Nah, it's what Gally said to me on my first days and it's been six months since I've came here. Maybe it'll be for you"

          Six months this guy has been here, but three years for some of them. They could still be here for another three years. Could they? Even when the Glade gets overwhelmed with full of Gladers? Still he was in disbelief of how some of them have been here for three years and the maze standing behind the walls. He also couldn't stop thinking about that the maze moves every night, shifting and changing every passageways. He listened to it almost all night, he couldn't tell how long they changed, it must've been hours. Maybe all night, they were still changing when he fell asleep.

          If Julien has been a Greenie before, then he should know what his first days were like. "So what awaits me today?" Oscar asked, "What plans do they got for me for today?"

          "Nick didn't tell you?" Julien turned to the Greenie, the Greenie was quite a bit shorter. He shook his head in answer. "I thought he might've because he usually gives a Greenbean some heads up, like the tour, the three big rules and what's happening in the next days for you. It's the Trials"

          "The Trials?"

          "Consider them as tryouts," Julien began to explain, "you'll be spending your next days trying out every job in the Glade, that's called Trials. Once that's done, the leaders will decide where you'll end up and that will be your job for the rest of your days here"

         Rest of my days, Oscar thought, suddenly feeling miserable and anxious. Just the fact that he'll either the rest of his life out here, until he dies. They can't be stuck out here for that long, will they? They got to leave this place at some point. He refused to believe that they'll be here for another three years. "What's your job?" he asked.

          "I'm a Builder, obviously we build stuff, like that tower over there─" he pointed at a tower that stood near the forest. "sheds and huts and all. Gally is the Keeper of Builders"

          He remembered Newt explaining every job they had in the Glade and what they do. "Keeper? . . . Is that like . . . a boss thing?"

          "Yeah, they work and keep an eye on their workers to make sure they're doing their jobs. The Keepers are part of the council, along the leaders, of course. They make decisions around here"

          The line to the kitchens was moving slightly quick, taking a step forward every ten seconds and he was getting close to the kitchens. While he remained in line, he gazed around the Glade, he spotted a few guys by the door, recognizing two of them as Runners and the other was Nick. It looked to be the Runners and Nick were having some sort of a pep talk before the Runner leave the Glade. Oscar kept his attention on the doors until someone behind him gave him a light shove.

          "Still sleeping or what, Greenbean? Don't hold the damn line" the Glader was annoyed.

          He too was infuriated and almost tired of being called Greenie or Greenbean that he uttered out, "It's Oscar!" There was a moment that he forgot that he remembered his name last night. He almost forgot about it again. He walked ahead to keep the line going. "I remembered my name last night, it's Oscar" his voice was calm this time as he realized his name and was talking to Julien. It was strange to say the name out of his mouth. Oscar, it was like a piece of a puzzle that did not fit or belonged to him at all. Yet, he was glad he remembered his name.

          "Well, nice meeting you, Oscar" Julien grinned.

          The breakfast food they served wasn't much, merely a bowl of oatmeal that was mixed into boiled water. Oscar didn't really expect a nice breakfast like bacon and eggs with toast and hash brown. He can somehow remember what they taste like and how they smell. When he went to the picnic area, he halted nearby when he noticed every table was occupied and he couldn't decide where to sit. He could sit where Art was but his table was full, even Teddy's and Julien's and they were surrounded by their own friends, and those with empty spots, he hadn't spoke with either of them. For a moment, he waited for anyone to wave at him to join their table but none of them noticed him. Instead, he walked away, he went to a tower, there was a ledge about five feet up and had to climb onto the first ladder while carefully held onto his breakfast with one hand. He sat on the ledge and began eating his oatmeal while gazing the morning view of the Glade. The Glade remained in the walls' shade, the sun had not reached the wall's horizon meanwhile the sky began to saturate into the morning's colors with hints of blue and the stars had disappeared into daylight.

          While gazing around the Glade and failing to comprehend how this place came to be, especially the thought of the maze changing every night and how it is controlled. This place could've taken ages to built, judging the moss and the vines that had grown on the concrete walls, must've been a decade or so, before they began putting kids in this place three years ago. And for what purpose?

          "Having a good breakfast there, mate?" Oscar didn't even notice Newt had approached him. Newt was standing by the ladder and had a warm smile on his face.

          Oscar's bowl was almost empty. "It's delicious" he answered sarcastically, the oatmeal didn't even had any taste.

          Newt snorted in response, he climbed up the ladder to join Oscar. "I heard from Julien that you've finally remembered your name" he sat down beside the boy.

          Oscar nodded, "It's Oscar" he made an odd expression as he said it, like he didn't really like his own name. Or it's just that it didn't feel like it belonged to him at all.

          "Oscar," Newt repeated, somehow he made the name sound a little better. "Well, Oscar . . . do you think you'd able to work today? Still feeling sleepy from the coma, or the pain from that wound?"

          He shrugged in response, "Pain's tolerable enough, I think. Might have to take it easy though" He shifted his gaze to the vast field of the Glade and found Nick walking toward the picnic area. "Do I have to work?"

          "Greenies begin their trials the day after their arrival, everyone got to have a job, can't spend your days doing absolutely nothing"

          "Doing absolutely nothing sounds a lot better than getting a job" Oscar mumbled. "Do we get paid though? Otherwise what's the point of getting a job and work for the rest of our days here"

          Newt chuckled, "Yeah, I'm sure money will be useful around here. One of our big rules is that everyone does their part. No slacking."

          "What are the others?"

          "Never go outside of the Glade. Unless you're a Runner. And never hurt another Glader, we all have to trust each other" Newt said as he held up three fingers, "Those three rules have kept us all from going berserk. On our first month here, half of us died. Some went into the Maze, got lost then never seen again the next day. Some got into a fight and ended up one of them being killed. So we established the rules. Having jobs are just meant for us to stay busy. Break any of them, you'll face punishment"

          Oscar furrowed his brows in confusion, looked at Newt, he was certain that there was more that they hadn't told him yet. He wondered what happens to the Gladers who get locked out of the Glade then are never seen again the next day. The maze changes throughout the night, they kept on questioning themselves and to each other on how the hell he survived out there and the wound he has on his body, do they get crushed by walls or something? "What happens to them? The ones who get stuck out there for the night"

          Newt looked ahead toward where the doors stood. "We aren't the only living things that lurks within the Maze," he replied, something about that sentence that was so haunting, "we call em' Grievers. Ugly and big shucking things, they look like they weigh a ton, likely impossible to kill, seven or ten foot tall . . . you wouldn't fancy to meet them for sure. They come out after those doors close. We should be relieved that we got walls protecting us from them"

          Oscar stared Newt, blinking, to hear another newfound information about this place was getting exhausting at this point. Grievers, what do they look like? How do they know that Grievers roam the Maze at night or what they look like if they can't see what's on the other side of the Glade during the night? "You think . . . a Griever did this to me?" he pointed where his wound was.

          "I don't know, Med-jacks don't think it was, Griever's tentacles and it's stinger are a lot bigger than whatever nicked you, if it was, you probably would've been dead before the Runners found you. Yet again, we don't know what happens when one encounters a Griever. You might've though, but you don't remember a damn klunk"

          A Griever with tentacles and a stinger? It was difficult to imagine what the creature looks like. Before he could ask another question, they noticed Nick approaching the two. "Morning!" he greeted the two, stopped in front of them and glanced up at Oscar.

          "Morning, Nick" Newt greeted back.

          "Greenie, you ready to start work?"

          Oscar didn't answer momentarily before shrugging. Instead, Newt spoke out, "Maybe he shouldn't, give him a little more time to heal, a few days. Or perhaps he shouldn't start with Slicers yet. You know how Winston is with Greenies, can't have the Greenie's stitches ripped, can we?"

          "Oh Newt, you always have a soft spot for Greenies," Nick cooed, "although, can't say you're wrong. Maybe the next couple of days, we'll start with Med-jacks first for today. Save Slicers and Builders for the last"

          "Absolutely, least Oscar here, will be surrounded by Med-jacks and have them to keep an eye on him" Newt grinned.

          At least a familiar face and name will be around him, which is Teddy whom Oscar was quite comfortable to be around with. He was also getting warmed up with Newt too. "Oscar?" Nick's brows raised by learning that the Greenie had remembered his name. "All right, would you mind go and let Jeff know that the Greenie will be working with him today?"

          "Of course not," He turned to Oscar, gave him a pat on the shoulder as a sort of good luck before climbing down the ladder. "See ya Oscar!"

          Oscar watched Newt walking away, there was a slight urgency that he wanted to call him and didn't want to be left alone with Nick. Something about this guy that Oscar found intimating. "Wanna come down?" Nick asked him.

          Oscar blinked, breaking his attention from Newt, "Right, sorry" he muttered and slowly made his way down to Nick.

          "Just leave this here," Nick grabbed the empty bowl from Oscar's hand, he didn't realize he still had it in his hand. Nick just tossed on the ground behind him and the two strolled toward the empty field, "Sloppers will pick that up, they keep the Glade clean . . . I'm gonna guess that you know what the jobs are"

          Oscar nodded, "Newt told me, I think most of everything, so did Teddy and Clint"

          "I would've told you everything yesterday but the Glade got a little hectic that I got a little too busy, you caused quite a chaos the last six days around here. Honestly, I can't deal with two Greenies within a month and might have to deal with another in a few weeks when they bring up a new one . . . Shuck, if the Creators are in a mood for it" They were walking to the heart of the Glade, right toward where the Box was. "You know the Box comes in with a new kid every month, it also comes in weekly with supplies. You can also write them a note, a request of sort, whatever you need, just clothes, shoes, new toothbrush, as long as they're essentials. We tried requesting a tv before, but they ain't never sending anything electronic"

          "That's stupid," Oscar said, "maybe boredom will kill us all first before . . . the Grievers could . . ." He was trying make a joke for the first time. Nick seemed like the kind of guy who likes terrible dark humor and Oscar was right.

          Nick raised his brows and let out a chuckle, "So you know about the Grievers now. Alby or Newt showed you the window this morning?"

          "What window?" Oscar lowered his brows in perplex.

          "Ah, no one showed it to you yet. Well, you missed it, you're gonna have to wait until tomorrow then. Have to be up extra early morning. You won't see a klunk during the night to see through the window because the maze is dark"

          Well, there was something Oscar was looking forward to for tomorrow. Even if it scares him, he can already imagine a Griever being terrifying and he was kinda nervous to see it.

          "Has anyone given you a tour around the Glade yet?" Nick asked.

          Oscar didn't recall, "No"

          "While we wait for Med-jacks to prep for your arrival, let's give you a tour . . . That building there─" he pointed behind Oscar, a barn stood in the corner between the north and east wall, "That's Bloodhouse, that's where Slicers work, they raise and butcher for food. The forest there is Deadheads, where we bury the dead, you can hang out there too if you like, then to the right is the Homestead, where the council meetings take place. Last, to the right is the Gardens, they grow crops and all that klunk. Those are the four main sections; Bloodhouse, Deadheads, Homestead and Gardens"

          Each of the four sections stood in all four corners of the Glade. Oscar was honestly impressed how Gladers managed to get a small community going in this place for the last three years and how the rules have worked to keep them all together. Even if they all don't like each other.

          Nick proceeded to give Oscar the tour around the Glade before the Greenie began the trials.