A WICKED story (A Maze Runner Fan-fic)

~4~

When Minho pulls me outside the sky has already darkened, a lot of people are gathering around the pile of wood that Gally was 'building'.

"Is this for the 'party'?" I ask Minho, while putting extra questioning on the word party. Just what are they planning? He just laughs and drags me towards it. I'm really not starting to like the dodging of my questions.

When we arrive at the group of boys I can see Gally and the rest of the Builders have been busy. In a big ring of stone stands a pile of wood, neatly stacked against each other. I'm guessing this is for a fire or something? A few meters away from that is a big rope in a giant circle with soft sand in and around it. Littered around the fire circle are benches and chairs to sit on.

Minho just leaves me standing by myself and walks up to another couple of boys, slamming their backs and calling them names. I debate going after him but I don't really feel like it, so I just stand around looking at the scene unfolding.

Once Alby arrives the boys all fall quiet. Looking towards their leader.
"Let me open tonight's bonfire by welcoming the Greenie!" He yells, walking towards me. "She may be a girl but she's to be treated the same! With a little bit more respect that is." The crowd starts laughing and I manage a little smile. "Now come! Let's get this started!" Everyone starts yelling, while some people grab some sticks and light them on fire. Gally pushes one of the flaming sticks in my hands.

"The honour is yours." He speaks. I just look at him. What am I expected to do with this? He just laughs and then quietly tells me to throw it into the big pile of wood in front of me. More yells erupt from the crowd and more flaming sticks are thrown into the pile. Soon enough there's a blazing fire spreading throughout the pile of wood, it's mesmerizing to see. People laugh and pull me in all directions, handing me food and drinks, introducing themselves. After a while they all sort of blur together and I excuse myself to go find the toilets.
Of course, I have no idea where they are and have to stop to ask someone. They laugh but walk with me and wait for me until I'm done.

Walking back to the bonfire I ask the guy for his name. "It's Dan, I was the Greenie a few months before you."

"What even is a bloody Greenie." He laughs but explains that with every month a new person comes up in the Box, a new Greenie. Most of them remember their names in a day but will still be called Greenie or Newbie until the next person comes around.

"Whatcha do now?" I eye him curiously. He's about a head taller than me, even taller than Newt. His hair is long and blonde and I wonder if it's that long because he wants to or because he just can't cut it.

"I'm a runner." He says, he looks happy with it. "Ah, cool." I have no idea what else to say. It is safe to say is that small talk is definitely not one of my strengths.

"Well here we are again, you gonna be okay?" I nod and he walks back to his group of friends. I walk around and notice a group of the boys standing around the sand circle. Curious to see what is going on, I walk up to them.

"Come on Gally!"

"You can do it Leo!!"

When I come closer the shouts only get louder and my curiosity grows. What the bloody hell are they doing? Just when I reach the circle a big guy falls in front of my feet, just outside the lines of the circle. The crowd starts cheering and yelling Gally's name. Some sort of fighting ring?

"Who's next?!" He shouts with his fists in the air. His eyes settle on me and he looks at me with one of his weirdly shaped eyebrows raised.

"How about you Greenie?" I look at him surprised. Really? I'm about to step forward when I remember my back. Suddenly this feels like a bad idea. So I shake my head.