The Maze Runner: Acadia

Chapter One

Life is like a balancing act. Each hand has objects perfectly stacked so that they won't fall. One move and they all come crashing down. Focusing on one hand, the other hand falls. Life is about learning to balance both hands at once.

The messy locks of the teenage girl's dark hair slipped through the holes in the net floor of the cage that was pulling her up towards the Maze, gaining speed with every passing second. But for the moment, she was unaware of the darkness she was about to wake up in. Her mind was a void, a blank slate yet to be molded. However, as soon as her eyes slid open, revealing her pine green eyes flecked with a light hazel, her first instinct was to scream. She found herself gasping for air, her lungs crying out for oxygen. Heaving, she slowly looks upward with quivering eyes.

Fear suddenly flooded every fiber of her being. She shoved herself off the ground, backing away from the middle of the floating cage, pressing herself against the side. She was surrounded by darkness, and the thing that made her so afraid above all else was she was completely alone. She couldn't remember how she ended up there, and she had no idea who she was. For a moment, she managed to calm the pounding of her heart. She had to assess her surroundings and see if there was any clue as to where she was going, or where she had come from.

But, if your legs give way, everything falls at once. Your act has failed.

The lights flicker on and off to complete darkness to somewhat visible light. The horrid sound of metal grinding against metal is present, as we well as the sickening smell of burning oil and something else the girl can't put her finger on.

What is going on?

She begins to ask herself questions to try and distract herself from the moment. How did she get here? She had no recollection of being put into this metal box, so she couldn't answer that. Why was she there? She couldn't remember that either. Confused, she scans her mind for any information. Her brain works without flaw, except for one major detail that sinks deeper than a rock in the ocean. She can't remember anything about her life. Yes, the girl could complete complex math equations and read flawlessly, but if she was asked for her past, age, family, or even name, she would draw a blank. She visualizes snow: it's burning cold, stark white color, and the way it makes the word grow quiet. She remembered the taste of foods, smell of candles, and the burn of alcohol. But not the memories associated with these facts. It was extremely aggravating to not remember anything and could easily give anyone a headache trying. It's like trying to solve an unsolvable equation. A puzzle with missing pieces.

She strains to find any memory of who she was, or is. Images of people she doesn't recognize come to mind, as well as sights she can't recall, but even that fade into swirls of color and sound. Frustrated, she sits up, her knees scraping against the metal ground. Not until she was in the sitting position had she noticed that she was moving. Not just moving but moving upward. It was climbing faster and faster, the sounds and smells become more intense.  She screams for help, for anyone to get her out, and just screams until her throat feels like sandpaper.

She began to feel lightheaded and curls herself up in the corner she scouted out through the darkness, her temporary refuge. She traces the cold metal with her slim fingers, identifying every flaw and indent. The room continued its ascent, swaying: the girl grew immune to the ceaseless rattling of the chains that pulled her upwards. A long time passed. Minuets turned to hours, although it was impossible to know for sure because every second seemed like an eternity. No. She was smarter than that, she knew she'd been moving for roughly half an hour.

  Strangely enough, she felt her fear whisked away like a swarm of gnats caught in the wind, replaced by intense curiosity. She wanted to know where she was and what was happening, despite the circumstances.

  With a groan and then a clank, the rising room halted. The force of the large box coming to a sudden stop sends the unsuspecting girl crashing to the ground. Quickly, she pulls herself up and back to her corner. What was above her? Or is it below her?

A minute passed. Two. She looked in every direction but only saw darkness: she felt along the walls again, searching again for a way out. All she found was the familiar indent of the cool walls. She groaned in frustration; her echo amplified through the air, like a haunted moan of death. It faded, and silence returned. She screamed, called for help, pounded on the walls with her fists.

Nothing.

  The girl returned to her corner once again, folding her arms across her chest and shivering, the fear returning to her body. A worried flutter entered her chest, as if her heart wanted to escape, to flee her body. "Someone...help...me!" she screamed, each word ripping her throat raw.

A loud clank rang out above her, and she sucked in a startled breath as she stepped forwards and looked up. A straight line of light appeared across the ceiling of the room, and the girl watched as it expanded. A heavy grating sound revealed double sliding doors being forced open. After sitting for some long in darkness, the light stabbed her eyes, her pupils contracting at an alarming pace. She looked away, covering her face with both hands.

She heard noises above- voices- and fear squeezed her chest. "It's a girl!"

"Whoa! No way!"

" A girl?"

" How old is she?"

" I got dibs!"

" Damn."

" Everyone slim it!" One voice bellowed above the rest, " Back off, now!"

         The girl was hit with a wave of confusion, blistered with panic. The voices were odd, tinged with echo: some of the words were completely foreign, other familiar. She willed her eyes to adjust as she squinted towards the light and those speaking. At first, she could only see shifting shadows, but they soon turned into the shapes of bodies- people bending over the hole in the ceiling, looking down at her, pointing.

             And then, as if the lens of a camera had sharpened its focus, the faces cleared. They were all boys, all of them- some young, some older. The brunette didn't know what she expected, but seeing those faces puzzled her. These were just teenagers, kids. Some of her fear melted away, but not enough to calm her racing heart and mind. They were still all boys, nonetheless.

           The chaos above her only increased when a rope was lowered into the box, the end of it tied into a big loop. After a moment or so of hesitation, she slipped her right foot into the rope and clutched it as she was pulled upwards. Hands reached down, lots of hands, grabbing the girl by her clothes, pulling her up. Sirens blared in her head and for a moment, she considered letting go and getting away from the paws that violated her space. But she pushed down her ego, squeezing her eyes shut in an attempt to stay quiet. The world seemed to spin, a swirling mist of faces and color and light. A swarm of emotions wrenched her gut, twisted and pulled; she wanted to scream, cry, throw up, escape. The chorus of voices had grown eerily silent, but someone spoke as they yanked her over the sharp edge of the dark box.

        The girl knew she would never forget the words, "Easy now," the boy said, "Welcome to the Glade."

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A/N- Putting this story on Wattpad from Quotev- ill upload the entire completed story shortly!

-c