𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗨𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗥 𝗚𝗜𝗥𝗟 ᐅ 𝙣𝙚𝙬𝙩

𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲

╔═══*.·:·.☽✧    ✦    ✧☾.·:·.*═══╗

Catch on quick, don't ya?

╚═══*.·:·.☽✧    ✦    ✧☾.·:·.*═══╝

I lie in my hammock, staring at the trees above me. The gentle snores of the other gladers in their hammocks doesn't annoy me like I thought it might, but calms me. When they're asleep, they're not loud and boisterous. I'm able to sort through my thoughts with such clarity that I can differentiate the questions I need to ask from the rest of them; they used to be all jumbled together in a confusion knot of a thousand concepts. Crickets and owls lull me to sleep as the stars begin to fade from view, slipping out of the sky. My eyes are just closing when the cracks of twigs jolts me awake.

"Oi. Greenbean," a british voice whispers. It's Newt. I want to roll my eyes. I was so close to getting some sleep. Perfect timing. "Get up, shank. Don't wake Chuckie, would'ya?"

He's the last person here I want to speak to.

"Sorry," I mumble, not meaning it in the slightest. I want more than anything to get a little sleep at least, but I don't fancy annoying the second in command. I walk over to him, he's leaning with one shoulder against the tree, holding a fire torch, which illuminates his face with a golden flickering glow, casting shifting shadows upon him. My fingers twitch as the idea of punching him from stopping me from sleeping forms in my mind.

"Come on, I'm meant to show you something before wake up," he whispers when I near him. He leads me out into the open, headed for the skyscraper of a wall. "Stay close."

Not a chance.

Newt breaks out into a run, and I quickly follow him, staying only just behind him. I could probably run faster and overtake him, but I make a mental note to myself not to piss him off. Or Alby for that matter — though I think it's too late, already. The shank already hates me. I almost groan. I'm using their language already. I'm becoming a glader, and I've not even been here a full twenty four hours.

"What is it?" I whisper impatiently as we near the wall, and Newt slows his pace so we're running side by side.

"You'll find out soon enough, Greenie."

I hate this guy. Damn him and his pathetic secrets.

"What's with the secrets?"

Newt rolls his eyes. "Said you'll find out, didn't I?"

We slow even more now, only ten meters or so away from the wall, which is over one hundred times the size of me. It's threatening, towering over me, mocking me with how close it is to the sky. To freedom. I huff at him, annoyed at his vagueness. "Is this going to happen every morning? Because if it is I—"

"What?" he says, brow quirked. "D'ya not like seein' my face first thing?"

"I could think of anything better."

"It's not exactly my ideal mornin', either, Greenie."

"So then don't wake me up. I'm sure I could survive without the charm of your presence for a couple more hours." My voice drips in sarcasm.

He scoffs as we slow to a walk. Newt puts out the torch, smacking it against the wall to eliminate the fading embers. There's little flashes of red lights coming from the section of the wall now that there's no light from Newt's torch, making me walk faster towards it. What is that? I have the sense not to ask any more questions out loud. I know I'd get the same frustratingly vague answer.