Darkness.

Drowning.

Those were the only things going through the boy's mind when he had woken up coughing. The feeling of drowning felt vivid and real. The need for oxygen felt too real. He had drowned. He had been submerged in water. The boy could feel the water that went into his lungs as he pleaded for oxygen. The struggle for oxygen. It was painful and terrifying.
His eyes had been wide as he took in the swaying metal elevator he was on that was cranking. The only thing he remembered was water. There was nothing else in this mind.

The elevator clanked to a stop and the doors at the top are opened, revealing a group of boys. The boy's eyes are wide as the group of boys cheer when their eyes fell on him. “Welcome to the Glade.” 

Gally jumped down into the box and smiled at the boy. “Day one Greenie, rise and shine,” Gally said and he pushed the boy out with the help of the others. The boy looked around confused.

“He looks like a slopper.”

“I do need some help in the kitchen.”

“Hey shank!” The twenty jostling boys cheered on. The boy then jumped up overwhelmed before he ran off.

“We got a runner!”

They all cheered loudly as he ran. They were impressed by how fast the boy was running. Gally was smirking beside a smiling Newt. “He will plummet to the ground,” Gally bet with a smile.

Just then the boy face plummeted to the ground which caused the others to burst out laughing. Gally laughed and turned to Newt with a smile. “What did I say?”

The boy's eyes were wide as he took in the place he was in. He had found himself in a giant, square courtyard surrounded by 100-foot stone walls. Each wall had a wide opening in the center. There were crops, animals, a forest, and a wood building.

“Let's get the greenie in the pit!” Alby yelled out. Frypan and Winston ran to take the boy to the pit. Alby turned to Gally and Newt. “Let us wait until he calms down.”

“Lia is going to love him,” Jeff said with a wide smile and Newt chuckled. Amelia loved the stubborn ones. She loved putting them in their place. It was one of the reasons the boys respected her. “Let us hope she gets back quickly to meet the new greenie,” Gally said.

Alby walked over to the pit where the boys surrounded. The boy was already shaken up and the guys were not making it easier for him. “He's all yours Alby,” Jeff said and they walked off.

Alby looked into the pit and he crouched down. “Hey, hey there greenbean. You're not gonna run again okay, good?” Alby said and the boy nodded his head still shaken up. He looked scared but he looked like he would put up quite a good fight.

“My name is Alby. Can you tell me anything about yourself? Who you are? Where you came from? Anything at all?” Alby asked the boy. He looked down and closed his eyes. He could not remember a thing.

His breathing started to pick up. “No.” The boy could not remember his own name. Why could he not remember it?

“Can you tell me your name?”

“I, uh, I can't remember anything. Why can't I remember anything?” he asked again unsure why it felt like this. Why could he not remember anything at all? He had started to panic.

“It's okay. Hey, relax. Relax. It's normal. it happens to us all. You'll get your name back in a day or two. It's the one thing they let us keep,” Alby said. He only remembered his name after two days. He had been the only one in the maze so it took longer for him.

“What is this place?”

Alby extended his hand to the boy. “Let me show you.”

The boy stared at Alby's hand before he took it. Alby helped him out the pit and he took in the place for a second time. Alby looked back at the boy when he noticed he was not following him.
“Greenie, let's go.”

The boy followed as Alby showed him the Gardens, where they grew their food. The Blood House, where they raise and slaughter their animals. Most of the Gladers worked at the Garden or Blood House.
He showed him the Homestead, where they lived and finally the Deadheads forest, which contains their graveyard.

“We eat here. We sleep here. We grow our own food. We build our own shelter. Whatever we need, the Box provides. The rest is up to us,” Alby told the greenbean.

“The box?” The boy looked over at the box he had arrived in. That box had provided them with supplies.

“Yeah. It's sent up once a month. With fresh supplies and a new greenie. This month that's you, congratulations,” Alby said to him. The greenbean was now more confused. Sent up? Who sent him here? Why were they here?

“Sent up'? By who, though'? Who put us here'?” he questioned confused.

“That, we don't know,” Alby said to him. He would like to know as well but unfortunately he still has not been able to come up with an answer, yet.

Newt noticed Alby talking with a very agitated greenbean and he neared them. “Hey, are you all right, Alby?” Newt said when he stopped at their side. The boy's eyes moved to Newt and he took him in. He was tall and more skinnier than Alby.

“Ha!” Alby laughed.

“Greenbean meet Newt. When I'm not around he's in charge,” Alby said.

“Well, it's a good thing you're always around then,” Newt said to Alby with a smile not giving the greenbean enough time to process most of the stuff that has been said.

“That was some dash you made earlier. For a second, I thought you had the chops to be a runner. . .till you face-planted. That was great,” Newt said and Alby laughed

“Wait, a runner?” Thomas asked confused. What was a runner?

Alby turned to the blonde boy. “Newt, do me a favor. Go find Chuck?” Alby asked and Newt nodded. He gave the greenbean one more look before he ran off to find Chuck.

Alby turned to Thomas. “Look, I'm sorry to rush this. You came up a little late and there's a lot to do. We got something special planned tonight,” Alby said and the two of them walked toward the watch tower.

Greenbean looked at Alby confused and the man smiled. “Yeah. You'll see.”

They stopped under the tower and Alby asked, “I hope you're not afraid of heights. Let's go come on.”

Alby climbed up the steps with the greenie following after him. He reached the top and took in the view of the Glade. It was small but this was their home. It looked big from down there but small from where they stood.

“This is all we got. We've worked hard for it. If you respect this place. . .you and I will get along just fine,” Alby said to the boy.

The boy's eyes fell on the stone walls. “What's out there?” he asked with curiosity.

Everyone had been curious about what was beyond the walls and Alby hoped this greenie would be just as obedient as the others. “We only have three rules. First, do your part. No time for any freeloaders. Second, never harm another Glader. None of this works unless we have trust. Most importantly. . .never go beyond those walls. Do you understand me, Greenie?” Alby asked the boy. He looked at Alby and nodded.

“Oh, and another rule no one touches Amelia. She's off-limits,” Alby said and the boy frowned. Was it a girl? He had not seen any girls here.

“I thought you said there are only three rules,” the boy said.

“Yes, but that's also a very important rule. Also it is not like she needs protection anyway,” Alby mumbled under his breath. His friend had always held her own.

“Okay. Where is Amelia by the way?” He was now curious to know who this Amelia girl was.

“Hey Alby!”

Alby looked down to see Chuck on the ground with some supplies. “Hey, Chuck!” Alby yelled with a smile. “Where you been, man?”

He turned to the greenbean. “Let me introduce you to Chuck.” Alby climbed down the steps. The greenie took in the view one last time before he followed after.

The boy reached the ground to meet the curly haired boy. He was younger and shorter than he expected him to be. “Greenbean, this is Chuck,” Alby introduced. “He'll help you settle in. So, good luck. I still have some work I have to do. Enjoy yourselves.”

Alby walked off leaving the two and Chuck turned to the boy. He gave the older boy a big smile. “Let's go.” Chuck picked up the bag before he walked off to get the boy settled in. Greenbean followed after him to the Homestead where they all slept. It was more crowded than he expected it to be.

“I'll just make your bed,” Chuck said as he took out the blanket. The greenbean took a seat as Chuck made his bed where he would be sleeping in. He wrapped it around the tree, tightening the side. Greenbean's eyes turned to the giant door that led out of the Glade. Where did it lead to?

“It's basically the same story for all of us. We wake up in the Box, Alby gives us the tour. . .then here we are. Don't worry. You're already doing better than I did. I clunked my pants three times before they got me out of the pit,” Chuck said and he turned to see the greenbean on his way to the doors of the maze.

His eyes widened and he ran after the boy. “Dude, where are you going?” Chuck asked surprised.

“I just wanna see.”

“You can look around all you want but you better not go out there,” Chuck said and the two of them neared the doors.

“Why not, what's through there?” The greenie asked bewildered as to why no one was telling him what was beyond the doors.

“I don't know. I just know what I'm told. And we're not supposed to leave,” Chuck said just as Minho and Ben came from the maze jogging. Chuck frowned when he didn't see Amelia. Didn't she leave?

“Hey, Chuck. New Greenie, huh? How does it feel to be promoted?” Ben asked as they passed the two of them.

“Feels great, Ben,” Chuck said with a smile.

“I thought no one was allowed to leave,” the greenie said as he looked at the two boys' back.

“I said we're not allowed to leave. They're different, they're runners. They know more about the maze than anyone,” Chuck told him and his eyes widen. “Wait, what?”

“What?” Chuck asked eyes wide. He had let it slip out.

“What? You just said "maze,” Thomas said.

“I did?”

“Yeah.” The greenbean made his way to the entrance of the maze.

“Where are you going? What are you doing?” Chuck asked and he looked around.
“I'm just gonna take a look.”

“I told you, you can't. No one leaves, especially not now. It's not safe.”

The greenbean neared the door and he stopped to look through the entrance. “Okay, all right, I'm not gonna go.”

Gally who had watched from a few feet away neared them and before the greenbean could go any closer Gally pushed him away to the ground. “Hey! We gotta stop meeting like this, Greenie,” Gally said, smirking.

“Get off me!” the boy yelled out and he jumped up. He attracted most of the gladers attention and they immediately ran over to see what the commotion was about.

“All right! Calm, calm, calm,” Gally said as he tried to calm the boy down.

The Gladers surround the new greenie. “Don't touch me!” he yelled out when they tried to touch him. He didn't want to be near any of them. What were they hiding from him? Why could he not go out?

“Whoa! Take it easy just relax!” Gally said.

“What the hell is wrong with you guys?” he asked, looking at them.

“Just calm down, all right?” Newt said to the greenie. “No, okay? Why won't you tell me what's out there?” he asked as he pointed to the maze just when a figure appeared from inside the maze.

The girl had not only surprised the new greenie but the other Gladers as well. They had thought she was already back but she had just now arrived. Gally was the first person at her side. The girl had been limping her way back and she was sure her ankle was now swollen.

“We're just trying to protect you. It's for your own good,” Alby said to the greenbean, pulling his attention back to him.

“You guys can't just keep me here,” Thomas said to them. “I can't let you leave.”

“Why not?” the greenie asked just as the doors start to close. The greenbean's eyes are wide as he watched the doors start to close. The doors completely close and the greenie's eyes are wide.

“What the hell?”

“Next time, I'm gonna let you leave,” Gally said to the greenie and the Gladers all go back to what they were doing while Gally and Newt both turned to Amelia.
“What happened?” Newt asked looking down at her foot.

“I twisted my ankle,” Amelia said while her eyes stayed on the new guy. She did not expect a new guy to join them this late. It was later than she expected but luckily he arrived now rather than later.

“Let's get you to your tent.”

The boy looked over to the girl as Newt and Gally carried her off.