The First Glader

The Glade

I woke up to metal surrounding me, left to right, top to bottom. The coolness of it woke me up. I tried standing but fell instantly. I took the defeat and stayed down.

When my head started filling up with thoughts and images, I thought nothing of it. But when they started fading away, I paid more attention. Every time I tried to think of whatever thought had just been going through my head, I couldn't remember it. I closed my eyes and tried as hard as I could to remember anything, but I couldn't.

When I opened my eyes, I remembered how dark it was. It seemed to be one of the only things I can remember from the last minute—that and the fact that I was in a lift of some sort. When the lift stopped with a jolt, I finally stood up. It felt like I had been sitting for ages.

My back was sore, and my head hurt. Probably from my head hitting the metal wall while I was asleep. It's the only logical reason I can think of. However, logic doesn't seem to be my biggest concern right now. That award would have to go to the fact that I cannot remember who I am—my name and age, and everything else that has to do with me.

Something swung open above me, and light came through the dark box. I squinted my eyes as I looked up into the light of the sky. I smiled as I realized I was free of the small box. But that smile faded when I realized I didn't have a way out of the box.

I looked around and saw loads of boxes piled around me. That's why the box seemed so small. It was filled with supplies. Among those supplies was a ladder. I moved some boxes and grabbed the ladder. What was behind it caught my attention more than anything else. Was it a small cage with a...pig inside it? Yeah, that's precisely what it is.

I turned away from it and put the ladder against the metal bar at the top of the box. I slowly climbed up. When I got out, I looked around. I wasn't as free as I thought. Surrounding me were four massive walls, cement walls. There was a small forest, and the rest was a field, besides a relatively large pond of some sort. Besides that, there was nothing. I huffed and started taking everything out of the box.

It was a mix of plenty of things. Pigs, goats, wood, clothes, pillows, sleeping bags, blankets, more food, and other necessary items. Along with some hygiene products, shampoo, conditioner, and things everyone needs.

It was dark when I got all the boxes out, so I took the sleeping bag and unrolled it. I grabbed a pillow and laid down in the sleeping bag. I put the pillow under my head and threw a blanket over myself. I fell asleep soon after.

I woke up to a loud boom, and a breeze moved the glades of grass. I looked up and around the walls. If anything were happening, I would see it, and I did. The middle of each of the four walls started opening. I walked towards the closest one and watched as a hallway started forming.

It was huge, and the worst part, the walls were just as high. I ran to the next one hoping that it would lead to freedom, but it was the same as the first. I ran to the other two, and each one was the same as the last.

I took a couple of steps back and tripped over something, hitting my head kind of hard. I groaned but then it hit me. My name is Millie. I remembered "M-" I started, but my throat hurt too much to speak. I opened my mouth again, but this time I just coughed.

I stood up and walked over to the pond. I made a cup out of my hand and started drinking the water. The second the water hit my lips, I realized how thirsty I was. I continued drinking the water messily until my throat felt better. "M-Millie," I said quietly. "I know my name." I laughed.

I remembered something about myself. I smiled and walked to the boxes, ready to unpack them, completely forgetting the moving walls and the fact that my head hurt a bit from falling.

The first box I opened had a watch, an oil lamp and a big piece of parchment with pencils. "I wonder what these are for?" I put the watch on my wrist as I continued to look at the parchment and pencil in confusion. I looked back at the watch.

I sighed and looked over the wood that was lying on the ground. "I guess I have nothing better to do," I said as I picked up a piece of parchment and started drawing some designs.

I made a blueprint of sorts for a house. It was more of a room than anything. I didn't know how long I would be here, or if anyone else would ever come up. All I knew was I felt like I had to build some sort of shelter from the sun, from all the elements. So I started building. I did as much as I could while the sun was still up.

I didn't get too far, there wasn't enough time in the day to actually get something significant done, but it shouldn't take long to get a base going, no more than a couple of days, and it shouldn't be long to get a basic structure up, maybe a week.

I was getting more desperate for someone to come up the box. Every day the wall doors would open and close, but at this point, I didn't care. I first made a room that I only used at night when I slept. Then, a garden for the seeds that were sent up with me.

I found about three boxes of medical supplies, but I didn't know what to do with them, so I kept them in the room, knowing they were some of the more important things sent up in the box with me.

Then there was the fact that I needed a place to kill and breed animals, but I couldn't do it in the same place. I made a fence around the animals and released them from their smelly cages. The bloodhouse seemed appropriate for the area I killed the livestock. But I haden't made such a building yet.

I counted the days on the wall beside the forest. By the time I was done with the bloodhouse, it had been twenty-eight days. I was going crazy, talking to myself almost every day. I resorted to debating to walk into one of the halls. I know that they open and close like clockwork—at the same time every day. So I know when they will close to make it back before then.

I'm not sure if anyone is coming up. It's been twenty-nine days, almost an entire month since someone sent me here. I've decided to call this place the Glade. I don't know why. It just seems to fit.

I looked at my watch and realized that the doors were about to open. I went to bed an hour early last night, so I ended up waking up before the doors opened instead of when they opened.

I put on my sneakers and grabbed some food for my journey. The way I see it, I'll never know what's beyond these walls if I don't leave the Glade. So why not? What's the worst that can happen? I walked towards the doors as they started opening. I took a deep breath and walked in.

After a couple of minutes of walking, I was getting lost. I had to do something to fix that. I couldn't think of anything though. So, I kept walking, trying to figure out how I could keep track. I have a few options, but choosing the right one will be hard. Besides, this place seems a lot bigger than the Glade.