19 : keeper of the runners

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"i know it's a lot to take in but you'll get used to how things work around here. we try our best to make it home," newt stopped at one of the entrances to the maze.

"gardens, blood house, homestead, deadheads," hayley counted off the things newt had just showed her while pointing to them. "box, sends up a new 'greenie' every month and every week new supplies? but why am i here? why did two people come up this month?"

newt shook his head slightly. he did this whenever she asked a question he couldn't answer or didn't have the answer to.

"it never rains," she moved on. "water gets pumped up through pipes in the ground but a boy named gally broke one of the pipes by accidentally hitting it with a shovel. there's a graveyard in the woods..." she trailed off at the last part. "how did they die?"

newt shook his head slightly.

hayley felt like she was walking through a bad dream, only worse because she was actually living it. newt told her about the grievers that lived beyond the walls, always coming out at night and how if you didn't make it back before the doors shut, you're dead.

she didn't ask anything more about the grievers because they scared her.

"it's getting late," newt stared off into the maze."the runners should be back any second."

as if on cue, a group of boys came running from around the corner. they sprinted at an easy pace. sweat glazed their foreheads and their clothes clung to their bodies.

the one leading stopped in front of them and wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. "new greenie?" he asked. he wasn't surprised to see she was a girl, that or he just didn't care. either way hayley was grateful because he didn't make her feel like the odd one out.

"this is hayley," newt introduced. "hayley, this is minho. he's the keeper of the runners."

"i'm basically royalty," minho joked, then held out his hand for her to shake it. "you already got your name back? damn, that was quick. so it's true then? the almighty box actually sent up two greenies? shuck.."

"ya, it's bloody insane," newt said. "alby wants to hold a gathering soon. he's just as confused as the lot of us."

"wonder what keeper she's going to get," minho's eyes went up and down her body. "she's too small to be a runn-" then with one quick fluid motion, minho swung is arm.

hayley quickly dropped to the ground to dodge it. "are you crazy?!" she screamed.

"dang shank," minho stared at her in amazement. "on second thought, maybe she can be." he reached down and helped her back on her feet. "i wouldn't have actually hit you."

newt stared at hayley worriedly, then began to dust off the dirt from her clothes. minho winked and chuckled before he started to run off toward the map room.

newt sighed. "you'll get used to him too."

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