Fog In the Memory • TMR Book 1

Chapter 13

My eyes flutter open for the second time today, seeing some lilies on the side table. I get up and see a note nest to them saying, 'Feel better soon' with no name signed. Walking throughout the Glade with a small smile on my face, I head towards the Gardens to get some work done since it's still light outside. A boy out of the corner of my eye runs through the West Doors, who  collapses on the ground, grabs my attention. I notice it's Minho and immediately know something happened out in the Maze since he never comes back early.

Jogging around the Glade eventually finding the two people I'm looking for, I inform, "Newt, Alby. Minho's back early. I'm going to grab him some water."

I let the two to go check on the Runner as I run over to the Kitchen to grab a glass of water. Millions of questions are filling my head of why Minho could be back so early. When I return, Alby and Thomas (for some reason) are talking with Minho. I hand the Runner the glass of water, and listen in on the boys' conversation.

"I saw her; she doesn't look familiar," Thomas states.

"She hot?" Minho questions with a mischievous smile.

"Well I guess. She is hotter than 'Liza here if you ask me."

I do a double take on two things. One, we've got a girl unconscious, and Minho's concerned about her looks? And two, Thomas thinks she's prettier than me? I mean, I would hate for him to like me, but really? I punch both boys in the shoulder, Thomas harder than Minho, glaring at the two of them.

"Rude!" Minho shouts, chuckling.

"Okay, out with it," Alby sighs, obviously tired of our small talk and minimal bickering. "What happened out there?"

"I found a dead one," my friend mentions in a hushed tone.

My eyes grow wide. A dead Griever? That's definitely not normal; Minho explains how he found the creature not too far from the Cliff and other stuff that I subconsciously tune out. After Minho heads off to recover and get food from Frypan, Alby and Thomas begin to argue once more. It seems like every conversation that includes Thomas ends up in an argument. I sigh, heading to work in the Gardens for a bit to clear my head.

*****

It's been a couple hours and I'm surprised at how much work I've gotten done; I fertilized and watered crops, chopped a bit of wood, weeded the beds, pruned some trees, and I'm in the process of harvesting some ripe fruits and vegetables. Carrying a basket of produce to Frypan, I hear a voice shouting at me from behind.

"Liz! Liz!" Chuck pants, catching my attention. "Ben... Ben... he isn't... dead."

"What?!" I stare wide-eyed at the pudgy boy and am completely oblivious to the basket slipping from my fingertips.

This can't be possible, can it? I mean, I saw Ben's body myself. There's no way he could've survived that. Amidst all of my confusion, I notice the scattered crops, and collect them back into the basket. I thank Chuck for the information and race to the kitchen. I hand the full basket to the Keeper and ask if he knows about Ben.

"Yep. We've already had a Keeper meeting about him. It's been decided that Ben is going to be banished for attacking Thomas," he sighs.

A lump rises in my throat. Banishment. I've heard a couple stories from Minho and Newt, but I never thought I'd had to see one. I nod my head at Fry and head back to the Gardens, thinking about the Banishment.