Bound | Newt Love Story

2 | Answers

I walk right on Newt's heels as he shows me around my new "home". 

"So right over here are the Gardens." Newt points over to a place where crops are growing. Alby is bent over a water pump with a few other boys, visibly trying to fix it or repair it. "We pump water because it never rains."

"Like...ever?" I ask staring back at Newt. 

His eyes fall onto mine. "I've never seen it rain in the Glade." 

I furrow my eyebrows and stare at him. That's what I seem to be doing a lot now, staring. In my panic of arriving here I never really realized how handsome Newt really is. His eyes are just so pretty...I stop myself and look down at the green grass at my feet. "How long have you been here, Newt?" I ask.

"A little over two years, Greenie." Newt answers as we walk to the next section of the Glade. My eyes widen but I look the opposite way so that Newt won't notice. Two years? Am I going to be trapped in this hell for that long? Is there ever an ending?

"This is the Homestead." Newt says gesturing to a large hut in the corner of the Glade. "It's where we sleep. I imagine you'll have your own room...seeing as you're a girl." Newt mumbles the last part. "In the back of it is The Slammer. Where the people who break the rules go."

"Rules?" I question. 

Newt nods. "We only have three rules." He runs his hand through his hair before looking over at me. "One, everyone does their part. Two, never hurt another Glader. And three, never go outside the Glade, unless you're a Runner."

"You're probably going insane with the amount of questions I'm asking but...what's a Runner?" 

"Well, basically everyone has a job. We don't have time for slackers. And with everyone having a job, it keeps everyone occupied." Newt and I continue walking. "There are the Builders, who build and upgrade places in the Glade. The Sloppers. They do the dirty work," Newt smiles. "basically any job the Gladers don't want to do. They're the lowest ranking job. That job is usually given to Gladers who aren't good at any other job. Then we have the Baggers, who deal with dead bodies."

I raise my eyebrows high. "Dead? As in like really dead?"

Newt chuckles lightly. "Yeah. It happens sometimes. Usually out in the Maze." His eyes dart over to the doors of the maze. "Anyway...We have the Cooks who, obviously, cook and prepare meals. The Track-hoes who work in the Gardens, tilling, weeding and gardening. The Med-jacks who run all the medical type things. Slicers who work in the Bloodhouse," Newt points to another corner of the Glade right across from the Gardens. "They raise and slaughter animals for food."

I gasp, "That's terrible."

"That's how we eat." Newt says, smirking. "And then finally, the Runners, who are the only Gladers allowed to go in the Maze. They run through it everyday and map it so that maybe we can find a way out."

"So where do I fit into all of this?" I ask. 

"Well usually with newbie's we let them try out each job and then we hold a meeting and pick which job you're best at." Newt explains.

"So I don't even get to pick my own job?" I fold my arms across my chest.

"Not exactly." Newt chuckles. 

"Well that sucks." I mumble.

Newt laughs, "And then that's the Deadheads." He gestures towards a patch of trees. "There's a graveyard back in there."

"So how exactly do people end up in the graveyard?" I ask.

"The Grievers." Newt answers, his face turning serious.

"The what?" I ask.

"They come out in the Maze at night. I've never seen one in person but no one survives a night out in the Maze." Newt answers.

"Have you been in the Maze before?" I ask.

Newt's face turns, I obviously hit a timid subject. "If you don't want to talk about it, it's fine." I say.

"No, no." Newt says, trying to put a smile on his face. "I was a Runner once."

"What happened?" I ask. 

"I don't really talk about it." He says.

"Oh, sorry." I mumble, stumbling on my words.

Newt and I walk for a little longer before stopping right back at the box. A few of the boys are pulling out the supplies that was brought up with me. "Whatever we need, the Box brings to us. Once a month we get fresh supplies and a new Greenie." Newt looks at me and starts grinning. "This month it's you, congratulations."

"Sent up?" I ask. "Who sent us here."

Newt breathes in deeply before answering. "We don't know."

***

The day went by pretty swiftly. Newt showed me where I'll be sleeping, which is a secluded area in the Homestead. A tiny bed with a small table and two blankets clipped to the ceiling to give me privacy. He showed me the bathrooms and the Slammer as well. Then, Newt went back to work and told me dinner would be served shortly. 

I lay on my bed, my hands laying on my stomach as I try really hard to remember. I try to think back to my life and who I was before the Glade, but nothing comes up. I'm still blank on my name. It's like there's just a hole in time. Or like I never existed before this moment. 

"Hey, Greenie." A childish voice comes from the other side of the hanging blankets.

"Yeah?" I call out.

"Can I come in?" The voice comes again. 

"Um...sure." I answer, uncertain.

A chubby hand reaches out and pulls the blanket aside. A chubby boy that looks to be either twelve or thirteen appears in front of me. He has pretty long and curly brown hair and big round, blue eyes. 

"Who're you?" I ask, trying not to sound rude.

"Oh," The boy laughs. "I'm Chuck."

I smile, realizing he means no harm. "Nice to meet you Chuck. I'm-" I stop . "Well I don't remember yet."

Chuck laughs again. "It'll come to ya." 

"Are you the youngest here?" I ask, just from observing. 

"Yep!" Chuck answers, his face lighting up. "Newt told me to come and tell you supper's ready."

"Oh, thanks." I say, before Chuck runs back out of the Homestead.