𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡 / the maze runner

𝟎𝟐

as soon as they were a safe distance away, chelsea started looking for a way out. she hunted for a while, but found nothing. it was too well built, and she couldn't get the door open.

she resorted to sitting in the back of the pit, glaring murderously at the door.

maybe an hour later, she heard footsteps again. her eyes snapped to the cage-like door, watching.

it was alby. he crouched by the door and looked in at her. he didn't stare at any part of her but her face, she noted, though she refused to look directly at him.

"hey there, girl-greenie. you caused a whole lot of trouble today. do you wanna come out? then we can talk?"

she finally looked at him and managed a nod.

"okay, what's your name? do you remember?"

she paused, considering.

he seemed to sense her unease. "it's alright, you can trust me."

something about his smooth voice and even tone made her believe him. "my name is chelsea."

"chelsea," he tried out the name, smiling at the small success. "pleasure meeting you. i'm alby, but you might have figured that out at this point."

he was a black boy, with a shaved head. he was nice looking, and chelsea got the impression that he was in charge. his fingers moved deftly as he untied the door and swung it open. he didn't offer his hand, but stepped back and let her clamber out herself.

"let me give you the tour," alby suggested. chelsea just nodded. alby smiled at her, please that she'd accepted, and started walking towards a tall structure reaching towards the sky. it was getting dark, so some of the boys who were farther away didn't notice it was her, and didn't stare.

alby led chelsea up the tall structure. when they got to the top, chelsea could see the entire area.

"this is the glade," alby told her. "this is where we live. we grow our own food, we sleep, we work here. we make everything ourselves, and everything else comes up in the box once a month, with a new greenie. this month, that's you."

chelsea listened quietly as alby explained the glade. "when i came up, they seemed really surprised that i was a girl. where are the other girls? i haven't seen any." she didn't ask about her fears of the girls being locked up for the boy's own fun.

alby gave her a hard look. "there are no other girls. there have never been any other girls in the glade. it's only ever been boys. that's why we were so surprised."

chelsea's breath caught in her throat. she turned this information over in her mind. this was probably a worse situation for her. now she was the subject of the glader's thoughts.

alby would have explained more to her, but he said that every month on the day the greenie comes up in the box, the night is meant to be celebratory.

"even though i'm a girl and a complete surprise?" chelsea asked skeptically.

alby smiled at her. "you're still important, you're one of us now. you need to know the rules, though. first, do your part. everyone has to contribute. second, never harm another glader."

chelsea snorted. "whatever your rules are, i will fight for my life if one of your gladers attacks me."

"they won't."

chelsea shook her head. "thirty or so boys, and you think you can control them at all times?"

"they listen to me," alby explained.

chelsea pursed her lips, worry setting in again. "i hope you're right," she muttered. then louder, "are there any other rules?"

"just one, never go into the maze. you did that today. the maze is dangerous, and only the runners are allowed in. minho and ben, the boys who brought you in today, are runners."