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>☆<
James and Edward led the way toward the Kitchens.
The kitchen was small and looked old but clean. She was impressed at how organized everything was. As Edward and James fumbled about with dishes and food from the fridge, Elisabeth pulled out a chair and sat down at a small table.
"Eat, you will feel better." Edward said sliding a plate of sandwiches on the table with a bottle of water.
Elisabeth nodded. She picked up a sandwich and quickly devoured it. The wonderful tastes of chicken and cheese and mayonnaise filled her mouth.
"Have you seen Leo?" Edward asked James, taking a bite of his own sandwich.
"Yup. I saw him sulking in the Dead-heads," James replied. "He told me he's feeling anti-human at the moment."
Edward shook his head. "Leo being Leo,"
Elisabeth heard the sound of approaching footsteps. She looked behind her and saw the same boy that had lowered the rope into the Box.
He seemed to be about seventeen and was very tall with spiky black hair like he ran his fingers through it a lot. He gazed at her with bright, ocean blue eyes. Muscles bulged out of his shirt.
He walked over to them and sat down beside James and extended a hand.
"Hey, Greenbean. Name's Leo."
"Elisabeth." She shook his hand.
"I've been looking around, trying to find you." Edward told Leo.
"I was having an allergic reaction," Leo replied.
"To what?"
"Humans."
"What's a Greenbean?" Elisabeth asked.
"That's what we call the newcomers." James replied. "You just have to tolerate it for a month until another Newbie arrives."
Elisabeth wondered how old these boys were. James was really young. Younger than most boys she had seen yet. He looked to be about fourteen.
Suddenly a thought struck her.
"How old do you think I am?"
"Seventeen." Edward said at once.
"I think you're fifteen." James said. "And in case you were wondering; you have caramel hair, green eyes. And you're tall."
Seventeen. She knew now she was seventeen.
She looked at James. He was just fourteen he shouldn't be here. She didn't have her memories but she still had enough common sense to know that this wasn't anything normal.
None of them belonged there.
"Anyways," Leo said. "I'm supposed to show you to your room."
Elisabeth got up and left with Leo. She looked around as they walked. One corner of the Glade held gardens. Across from there stood wooden pens holding sheep and pigs and cows. A mixture of smells bombarded her as she breathed in deeply. In short the place smelled like a farm.
Leo led her to the wooden building. Elisabeth learned it was called the Homestead. It looked run-down and was made of wooden planks that were haphazardly nailed togeather.
Leo nudged open the door and they walked in. Several boys were standing at the foot of a crooked staircase. Dark wallpaper covered the walls, half of it peeling off. There were planks of wood missing from the floor. Flickering lights shone from the ceiling.
"You go on. Your room is the third door on the right," Leo told her. "I have to check up on something."
Elisabeth started up the stairs. Each step creaked under her weight. She reached a landing, turned right and was walking down a hallway leading to several rooms when she bumped into someone.
"Who the-" The boy grumbled. He had black hair and Asian features. Veins stuck out of his muscled arms.
"I'm sorry!" She said quickly. The boy nodded as if to say it's okay.
"Well, that's something new," He said. "A girl."
"Very well spotted." She said sarcastically.
The boy smirked. "I'm Minho." He said holding out his hand which she shook.
"Elisabeth."
"Elisabeth, Greenie." Minho smirked. "How was first day?"
"Very confusing."
"I think we will get along just fine." Minho smiled. "See ya." He walked away.
Leo returned after a minute. He walked over to a door on the right, reached down, turned the brass handle, and opened it.
"All the Keepers sleep in this hall." He said holding the door open for her. Elisabeth entered and observed the room.
It was a small room with one bed which had a pillow with a few blankets on it. A small wooden cabinet stood beside the bed. Pale light filtered from a window.
"Welcome to your sleeping quarters," Leo said. He leaned against the door frame, with crossed arms and a small smile painted on his face. "My room is right beside yours and Alby's is down the hall on the left. New life begins tomorrow. You better get some sleep."
He turned to leave. "Oh, if you get hungry-" Leo threw an apple at her. She quickly caught it before it zoomed off into the wall behind her. "Goodnight."
Elisabeth walked over to the bed and sat down. She stared blankly at the wooden floor. Sleep felt miles away.
Different emotions battled for dominance in her mind and heart. But laced through it all was the dark feeling of emptiness. It was weird how numb and empty she felt.
She was scared. Terrified actually, that was for sure. But she wasn't going to show any sign of weakness. She will hold herself togeather.
Elisabeth wished that all this was a nightmare. And she wished she could wake up soon to a mother and a father at her side.
She slipped off her shoes and laid back, resting her head on the pillow. She was exhausted, yet unable to fall asleep. Instead, she closed her eyes and listened to herself breathe.
It had been one strange endless day. She was stuck in the middle of a Maze, that had no way out with sixty hormonal teenage boys with god knows how long.
Suddently, she felt a faint buzz at the back of her head. Like an itch. A warmth of calmness spread through her chest.
For the first time since she had found herself in the Glade, she didn't feel like it was the worst place in the world.
As odd as it might sound, the buzz in her head was more like a presence. But it wasn't menacing. It was friendly. Comforting.
