Wicked Promises

✵6✵

Ryan only nibbled at the sandwich Nick gave him. Ham and lettuce with tomato tasted too good after the day he had. Too good for Ryan to believe after the fear and panic of probably the worst day of his life.

"Not hungry?"

Ryan looked to Nick who sat a fair distance away, his long legs crossed under him as he leaned his back against a tree. He had said getting food at this time of day was a difficult task so Ryan felt uneasy about not eating his sandwich.

"Not really," Ryan replied. His stomach still felt sour. His mind kept replaying the darkness of the box and all he could feel was the lingering panic he felt from that crowd of boys. That's what scared him more than anything else about this place, so many people and he didn't know anyone.

Ryan felt out of place and uncomfortable to the point he just wanted to curl up in that box thing and go back wherever he came from. Anxiety had set in about not being accepted into the group, or being cast out already. He didn't want to think about it anymore but he just couldn't let it go.

"Don't think too much, man. Thinking about it just makes it worse. You can't go back and we still don't know how to get out of here. It sucks, but we're working on it."

Ryan didn't reply. He just stared out at the clearing where boys worked away at multiple jobs, not caring in the slightest that he had joined their ranks only a half hour or so before.

Nick stood up and dusted of his pants. "I should get back to work," Nick said. "Blood House won't run itself. Winston's probably messing up the place as we speak."

"What?"

"Where we keep and kill the animals. Not a pretty job, and there's no glory in it but someone has to do it. I just like the sheep personally, hate having to kill 'em though."

Ryan shoved the rest of the sandwich into his mouth and chewed hastily before swallowing, fighting the gag that came after. "Can I stay here? Watch for a bit? I... just want to be alone for a while."

Nick nodded, "Good that, not a big people person are you?"

Ryan shook his head and stared down at his sneakers. The grey and black running trainers surprised him a bit, but he realized he shouldn't be surprised by anything at this point.

Nick walked back towards the animal pens and away from Ryan and the pack of trees. Ryan called to him before he forgot.

"Hey, Nick! I'm assuming a Runner runs something or on something. What does shank mean?"

Nick turned and looked back at Ryan, a smile etching his features. "Yeah, you got it. Runners run the Maze. Greenie or Greenbean is a term for the newest Newbie and shank is a term for stupid."

"Thanks, um, shank?" Ryan tried the word out of curiosity but I felt awful as he said it.

Nick shook his head and clicked his tongue at him all the same, a smile crinkling his face. "You've got a long ways to go, Greenie. Don't rush it."

Ryan groaned and pulled his knees up against his chest. He closed his eyes and focused on the darkness of his eyelids. He couldn't think about everything, not yet, his head still hurt to much to bother putting it together somehow.

He took in a deep breath and looked out at the courtyard. It was a surprisingly nice place despite the smell of manure that lingered in the air and how rustic it felt. Like a homey prison with all the amenities except a real toilet from what Ryan could tell.

Out of the corner of his eye Ryan spotted movement in one corner opposite him in the clearing. There sat a cement rectangle with a big metal door on it that swung open to reveal a few boys. Among them Ryan could see the Asian and blond kids from earlier. They parted ways a short distance after without saying much, the odd word drifted over but nothing substantial or important.

Ryan was confused a bit by this interaction, he thought they were close after what they had said to each other earlier. They seemed like close friends but maybe it was just how it was here, everyone acted like friends but really they just put up with each other.

Ryan mulled this over for a long time. Maybe he could fit in somehow, just stay quiet and do what he was told. He knew that's what needed to be done but something in him felt like being quiet wasn't and listening wasn't his strong suit.

Groaning in frustration at the lack of knowledge he leaned back and watched for a long time as the hustle and bustle of the Glade moving like clockwork around him without him being noticed by anyone.

He liked the quiet of the trees and the smell of the dirt and animals and supper cooking off in the distance. It almost felt natural to sit there in general silence and take it all in. He had stopped shaking at some point and felt drowsiness set into his tired muscles.