𝐃𝐎𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐎𝐍 | Gally | ✓

Chapter One

     

The nail smoothly sunk into the wood planks, binding the wall together. The builders were adding on to the homestead which was at its maximum capacity and today was the deadline. No one else really kept track of time here except for me, timekeeper the boys sometimes teased me. They could've come up with something better. Every day was the same and there wasn't much of a reason to track how long we'd been here, seeing as we probably won't be leaving any time soon. Although most days and nights are just a blur, I thought it to be important we keep track of when supplies and a new greenie joins the Glade. Once a week, once a month. Same time, just as it's always been. 

I jogged over with a large canister of water bouncing at my side, "Hey Gally!" I called out. 

The tall builder looked up from his work. His eyebrows furrowed, adjusting to the sun and recognizing me, "Hey Marty." He waved, "What you got for me today?"

"Just water." I replied, unraveling the canister from around my shoulder, "How's work going?" I nodded towards the rest of the builders who didn't seem to notice me. 

He took the water from my hand and gulped every last drop down. His throat rose and fell and the sweat around his neck and face glistened in the bright sunlight.

"Not bad," he said with a gasp wiping the excess water on his chin with his arm, "a lot of work for one greenie, huh?" 

Gally wasn't a fan of newcomers, which seemed pretty ironic since he was my mentor when I first came. The glader to arrive the month before the green bean has to show them the ropes. That's one of our many rules here in the glade. Mentors tend to get sick of their newbies within the first three days, they ask too many questions. How'd I get here? Why can't I remember anything? What's beyond the walls? The typical questions you would expect someone with amnesia to ask. But Gally was different. He stayed by my side and we've had the closest bond in the glade ever since. 

I took the canister back from him, "Promise me you'll be nice to this one? Chuck still looks like he klunked his pants each time you glance over at him." Chuck was our greenie right now, but only for a few more hours. 

Gally looked at me, probably thinking whether or not he should consider my plea, "It is pretty funny though..."

"Gally."

"Fine. We'll see. If he shucks anything up then the deals over." He said going back to his work. This was the best offer I would get out of him, but it was enough for now.

I went back with the other two med-jacks. The three of us, Clint, Jeff and I make up the entire health-care system in the glade. The most we tend to is nail punctures from the builders, cut fingers from the cooks, and twisted ankles the runners got. The scariest injuries we've ever needed to tend too is stings. 

Everyone here in the glade has a job, builders make the structures here, the cooks well, they cook. Slicers and track-hoes do most of the agricultural work here, slaughtering our meat supply and gardening. Blood housers, Baggers and Sloppers probably have the worst jobs, cleaning the Bloodhouse, burying our dead and freeloading are the least desirable jobs here. Med-jacks, like me are sparse and so are the runners. Each job has a keeper. Keepers are like the leaders of each department. I was chosen leader of the med-jacks, while Gally keeps the Builders running smoothly. Minho's been the keeper of the Runners for as long as I can remember. Runners have the most dangerous jobs in the Glade. 

Connected to our tranquility of four tall stone walls is a massive labyrinth. The Gladers aren't quite sure how big it is, but seeing as we've been stuck here for the past three years without much success to getting out, it's probably pretty large. Runners are in charge of getting us out of here. Every morning, when the gate opens connecting the Glade to the maze, the Runners go through the maze trying to find a way out. Sometimes they'll find another clue or something strange that might be able to help us. But so far, not much has come of it. Once they come back for the night they go straight to the Map Room, where they draw out what they think the maze looks like as best they can. I've been in there once, and from what I've seen drawing out the maze isn't much use. After the gate closes at sundown every night, the maze changes. Apparently before I arrived, a few Runners tried spending the night out there, trying to figure out how the maze moves and shifts. Still, no one knows how the maze changes because they never came back. 

No ones ever survived a night in the maze. Once the gates - our only chance of freedom - close there's no opening them until morning. It's the one thing we're grateful for in the Glade. It keeps us safe from what lurks behind the ivy covered walls.

I met up with the other med-jacks, they had been tending to a kid who looked like he'd sliced his hand open. They didn't need my help, it would have been too many chefs in the kitchen. I wouldn't call myself a Slopper, they're not exceptional at anything in particular so they just walk around asking if anyone needs a hand. But I do like helping the other boys if they need it. 

I ran across the soft grass to our wooden tower. It was our makeshift lookout. Someone had the idea to build one so we could try and see over the walls into the puzzling maze. Most of us weren't surprised when it didn't work. It was still too short and was beginning to sway unsteadily if someone climbed up. Now, it's more of a decoration and I use it when I'm bored. 

I didn't catch anyone's attention when I started climbing the ladder. Usually Gally doesn't like me going up here, afraid I'd fall, but I go anyway. I can maneuver myself better than him too. A few splinters pricked my hands but I paid no mind to them. Finally I reached the top, my legs felt like they were swaying while body stood sturdy, When I'm so high up, my balance feels rocky but I know I'm in control. 

I looked out across the glade. It never felt right calling this limited space within the maze home. Probably because it isn't and never truly will be. I looked out across the lake to see Chuck sneaking into the water. He looked around him, probably making sure no one was looking and just started to play. He was the youngest of all of us, he deserved to still be a kid, but most of the boys claim order comes first. I could just barely make out the other figure walking towards him. It must've been Newt, the second in command here in the glade. He kept most of us in check and was more compassionate towards the greenies than the others. Chuck must've finally realized he'd be caught and started running out of the water, half hopping while putting his shoes back on. 

I laughed and rested my arms on the wood railing tied up by vines. The wind brushed through my hair. It was the closest sensation to being free I would probably ever feel again. I looked over from across the Glade to where Gally and the other Builders were working on the Homestead. Although he was further from the lookout than the water, I could recognize him from miles away anywhere. He was taller and more muscular than most of the boys. The ones who'd only been here less than a year we're still growing into their lanky limbs, growing too fast for their bodies to handle. Except for Newt. He'd always been thin. But, bronze didn't matter much here, unless you were a builder or possibly a bagger. Sometimes I wondered why the people who sent us here sent the boys who were to smart for their own good. Sometimes it made sense, if they wanted them to calculate ways out of the maze, but that would be too easy for whatever their plans were. I found it strange how everyone seemed to be the same person, just different bodies. We were all smart enough to run our own miniature society and most of us had enough strength and stamina to run or even climb a tree. It just all felt so calculated. There were no weak links, even little ol' Chuck was smarter than most twelve year olds. Although I couldn't remember meeting very many before coming here. No one could remember anything when they first got here, all our memories started from scratch. But again, it all felt too perfect. A large group of above average intelligent boys with no memories, starting a society from scratch while trapped in the most articulated maze ever made, and succeeding. The only mistake the people that sent us here made...was me. 

The booming alarms pulled me out from my trance. I hadn't realized I was still watching Gally until I saw his little arms flagging me down. I was a little embarrassed, not sure how long I'd be gazing off into my imagination. Giving him a little salute, I ran to the ladder and climbed down as fast as I could. The boys laughed in synch with the alarms that rang throughout the glade.
Another boy was coming.