Mother of The Glades

_two_

"What's greenie doing?" Gally asked, I turned and looked at the green bean and Chuck. I was talking to Gally about the little party tonight. We had it almost every day that the newbie was sent up.

I shook my head, "Don't worry, Chuck's got this." I assured him, "Look Ben and Minho are back." I tried to change the subject. Instead of talking to me, Gally walked over to where they were and pushed the new guy away from the doors of the maze. I ran over along with a bunch of other people to help the new guy. Man this kid really gotta learn his name.

"Hey! We really gotta stop meeting like this greenie." The new guy kicked Gally and got up from the ground.

"Get off me!"

"Hey! Calm! Calm! Calm! Calm!" Gally tried to reason with him.

"Take it easy!"

"Calm down!"

"Relax greenie!" I yelled to him.

He turned around and started shuffling around. "What the hell is wrong with you guys?" Newt ran next to me and pushed me behind him a bit.

"Just calm down alright?"

"No! Okay. Why won't you tell me what's out there?" We pointed to the maze door that was going to close at any second now.

"We're just trying to protect you man!" Alby said trying to calm him down.

"For your own good." I added.

"Alright, you guys just can't keep me here."

"We can't let you leave!"

"Why not!?

"Because you don't know what's out there." The doors started to rumble as I finished talking. Everyone went to look at the doors which were now closing. A huge gust of wind came at us and then the doors began to shut. Everyone was looking up but I was looking at the new guy who seemed down right frightened. If I wasn't able to see his pants he might've Klunked himself.

Once they closed Gally took a step towards the new guy again, "Next time, I'm gonna let you leave." He unfolded his arms and began walking back to where we were before this.

"Welcome to the Glade." Alby said before walking back with everyone following him. Newt waited for me but I motioned for him to go without me.

I walked up to the new guy, "Trust me buddy. If I knew a way out, I'd get everyone out of here." I put my hand on his shoulder, "Come on. We gotta set up." He walked with me, my arm around his shoulder. We were about the same height he was about an inch taller maybe.

"Have you tried exploring?" He asked. I had walked him over to the beds.

"Yeah. We have. That's why we have the runners. Listen, I gotta go help Alby set up for tonight. I'll see you later." He nodded in response. I was stopped by his voice calling to me.

"Hey?" I turned around and he gave me a small smile, "Thanks." I walked over to him and hugged him.

"Anytime. Chuck will take good care of you. Trust me." I smiled and walked away to go find Alby.

.

Night had finally come and the keepers and I had lit torches to throw at our campfire. "Light em up!" Alby yelled, then we threw them into the logs and it cast a bright light. Everyone began cheering and chanting the word Gladers. Gally handed me a glass with his recipe of a drink in it. Newt sat with the greenie so I sat with Minho, Keeper of the runners. "Find anything today?" I asked sitting next to him.

He looked up from his plate and smiled at me, "Have we ever?" I laughed.

"Wanted some points just for asking." The other runners said their 'Hi's and 'Heys' to me. Ben kissed the top of my head.

"How was your day mother?"

"It was okay. The highlight was watching the greenie face-plant after trying to make a run for it." Minho and Ben laughed.

"No way!" Minho exclaimed.

"Did he really?" Ben was laughing his butt off.

"Hell yeah. What a dumb shank. Thought he might've actually had what it takes to be a runner." I said taking a drink from my glass.

I looked over to Newt and greenie and saw Newt pointing in our direction. Probably talking about the Runners. I turned back to Minho and we talked about the maze and just life in general.

Thomas' pov

"See those guys? Next to mother? By the fire. Those are the runners, and that guy in the middle there talking to her, that's Minho. He's the keeper of the runners." Minho had hair styled up and was muscular. He looks at Mother like she's his world. But you could tell she doesn't see it. "Every morning when those doors open, they run the maze. Mapping it. Memorizing it. Trying to find a way out." I kept my gaze over at the runners, thinking of a way I could become one and get out into the maze.

"How long have they been looking?"

Newt gulped, "Three years."

"And they haven't found anything?"

"It's a lot easier said than done." He sat back against the log we were up against and held a finger up. "Listen." We went silent and I could hear things being moved around in the distance. "Hear that? That's the maze changing. It changes every night."

"How's that even possible?"

"You can ask the people who put us in here if you ever meet the bastards. Listen the truth is, the runners are the only people that really know what's out there. They're the strongest and the fastest of us all and it's a good thing too because if they don't make it back before those doors close, then they're stuck out there for the night. And no ones ever survived the night out in the maze." He took another drink.

"What happens to them?" I asked.

"Well, we call 'em grievers, of course no ones ever seen one and lived to tell about it. But they're out there." He paused for a moment, "Right, well that's enough questions for one night. Come on. Listen, you're supposed to be the Guest of Honor! Come on. Let me show you around."