I didn't get any sleep that night. Claire's loud screams and pleas were stuck in my mind, playing over and over again until I finally shot up from my hammock the next morning, panting and sweating. I looked around and saw that everyone was still fast asleep. I huffed a sigh and tried to calm down, relax a little. Then, Rachel gasped beside me, waking up as well.

"Bad dream?" I asked her.

She looked up at me and nodded her head. "Yeah, something like that."

I shook my head and looked at the Walls. "I just can't stop thinking about the Banishment from yesterday. All I can hear is her crying out to us, to help her."

"Well, it's like you said, Piper, it had to be done," she reminded me.

I nodded my head. "Right."

Suddenly, the gears on the Doors began to turn, opening up for the day. Harriet, Sonya, Jane, and Maeve were there, talking and nodding their heads. But instead of Maeve and Jane running into the Maze, Harriet was the one that followed Maeve inside. Sonya and Jane waited a bit before walking away from the Doors and heading to the Homebase.

Soon, everyone started to wake up, getting ready for a new day. I wasn't sure how everyone would go on like there wasn't a Banishment yesterday, but they were doing a good job at it. Breakfast went on like it normally did with the Glenners going on with their usual discussions, almost as if Claire didn't even exist, like she never showed up to the Glen at all.

Then, everyone got to work right after breakfast was over. None of the Baggers had to go to the Deadheads today, so we planned to patrol around the Glen like yesterday.

As we were walking out of the Homebase, Nancy let out a sad sigh. "Poor Beth," Nancy stated, looking over at Beth, who was sitting down on the grass, leaning against the Homebase, staring out at the Doors. "I can't imagine how her and Gwyneth feel right now. Losing a friend is hard."

"Obviously," Margaret muttered, rolling her eyes. "I know it sucks that Claire is gone, but we have to move on. We don't see Gwyneth moping around like a stick, do we?"

Then, Esther spotted Beth and walked towards her. "Come on, we've got work to do." She stuck her hand out for Beth to grab.

But Beth wasn't having any of it. She let out a scoff and crossed her arms. "Leave me alone, Esther. I'm not in the mood."

"Beth, don't be like this," Esther said. "I know you're still upset about Claire, but we've gotta get over it. We can't do anything about it."

"Yes, you could've let her stay in the Glen," Beth retorted.

Esther was now frustrated. She bent down to Beth's level. "Get up, Beth."

"No," she snapped. "I'm mourning, Esther."

"I don't care if you're dying, this is an important job for you to do, to help all of us." Esther sighed and rubbed her temples, doing her best to calm down. "Look, Beth, we need you right now, okay? Claire would've wanted you to move on." With that, Esther stood back up, her eyes still on Beth. "Come on. We can use your help with a few things." Esther put her hand back out and Beth reluctantly took it, being pulled up by the brunette.

"Wow, Esther and Beth being civil towards each other is something we'll probably never see again," Emily said. "Okay, you know where to go, girls, so move it."

Lillie and I started at the Kitchens, then made our way to the Blood House, then we strolled by the Gardens. Rachel was sitting on a log, picking at a piece of fruit. "So why would Harriet go into the Maze instead of Jane?" she asked Sonya. "I mean, she's not a Runner."

"No, but she is the leader, so she can step in and so whatever job she feels is necessary to do in that moment," Sonya pointed out. "Besides, not only does Jane have to do some other things in the Map Room from yesterday's run, but things are different now. Harriet and Maeve went to retrace Claire's footsteps."

"You mean, to where she was stung?" I spoke up.

Sonya nodded her head. "Yes, exactly."

"But why?" Rachel questioned again.

"Harriet knows what she's doing," Sonya assured her. "She knows better than any of us."

Rachel furrowed her eyebrows. "What the hell does that even mean?"

Sonya wiped the sweat off her forehead and placed her hands on her hips. "It's like you've been told, a Newbie arrives in the Box once a month, right? Well, a whole bunch of us were the first to come up here two years ago, and someone had to take charge and be the leader. That was Harriet. Then, more girls kept on coming up once a month, and that was when Harriet saw the truth, realizing that all we have is each other, that we have to stick together."

All of a sudden, in the distance, thunder began to rumble and dark clouds were about to hover over us. The Glenners took cover by their hammocks just as the rain was pouring down over the Glen. The only lunch we were able to have was the fruit that the Cooks had sliced up before the rain started. Hours went by and the rain was still coming down, not looking like it was going to stop anytime soon. We looked at the Doors that were still open, but there was still no sign of Harriet and Maeve. I was hoping that they were okay, being out there in the rain. I was assuming that there was no shelter for them to hide under to prevent them from getting soaked.

"They should be back by now!" Rachel said loudly over the rain. "What happens if they don't make it, Sonya?"

"They're gonna make it!" Sonya shouted back.

Rachel shook her head and walked towards Sonya. "What happens if they don't?" she repeated.

Sonya gave Rachel a serious look. "They're gonna make it, Rachel."

I knew that deep down Sonya wasn't sure if they would make it at all, which scared me. We couldn't lose any more people. One person was enough, but two of our strongest Glenners? The Glen didn't need that right now.

Once the rain came to a complete halt, we went to the Doors instead of going back to our jobs. We stood in front of the Doors, waiting patiently for Harriet and Maeve to come jogging back in the Glen. Our hearts were racing faster by every minute that went by, feeling more anxious than ever.

Rachel groaned. "Can't we send someone after them?" she asked in irritation.

"That's against the rules," Beth replied, looking in the Maze. "Either they make it back or they don't."

"She's right, Newbie," Gwyneth spoke up. "We can't risk losin' anyone else."

Then, to everyone's dismay, the wind began to whoosh and the girls all murmured to one another. "Oh, no," I mumbled. "This isn't good." The Doors were beginning to close when Lillie furiously pointed in the Maze at two figures. "There!" I yelled. "It's them!"

Sure enough, Maeve was struggling to get back. I noticed that Harriet wasn't beside her, but on her back instead. "Something's wrong," Sonya commented.

"Come on, Mae! You can do it!" Esther shouted, causing the other girls to cry out words of encouragement.

"Maeve, you gotta leave her!" Beth yelled. "Come on, you gotta leave her!"

"They're not gonna make it," Rachel said beside me.

"Come on, Maeve, you got this! Come on!" I yelled desperately. But I knew that they weren't going to make it back in time, which made my heart sink.

Then, before I even had the time to process anything, Rachel made a dash towards the closing Doors and into the Maze.

"Hey, get back here!" Beth screamed.

"Rachel, no!" I yelled, trying to grab her, along with Sonya, but it was too late. She already made it to the other side of the Doors, then they closed.

We all stood there in shock, the sadness glooming over us. That was four Glen gone in two days. At this rate, the entire Glen would be wiped out.

"Well..." Beth began to say. "Altogether, that's four bodies that the Baggers don't have to bury." She stormed off, along with Gwyneth and some other Glenners. Sonya, Lillie, and I were the only ones left standing in front of the Doors.

"They're gone," she whispered. "I spent two years in this sticking place with Harriet and Maeve, now they're gone." She shook her head in disbelief. "Rachel was only here for two damn days. I can't believe this..."

"I'm sorry." I placed my hand on her shoulder.

Sonya bit her quivering lip and walked away, silently sobbing. I looked at Lillie, who had a depressed look on her face. "I guess we gotta keep moving on, don't we?" She looked back at the Doors and sat down on the ground. So, I slowly sat down beside her. "Fancy that."

Lillie and I skipped dinner, not leaving our spots for the rest of the day. That night, everyone came back to see why we were still out here. "Maybe we think there's a chance that they might survive the night."

Beth let out a scoff. "Yeah, right. No one's ever survived a night in the Maze. If that was the case, then Claire would've been back this morning. You sticks are wasting your time just sitting out here."

I expected everyone else to agree with Beth. However, Esther, the Baggers, and a few Planters sat down with us. Then, more and more Glenners took their spots on the ground, staring at the Doors. Eventually, Sonya took her place beside me, a small smile forming on her face.

"Are you kidding me?!" Beth asked, completely shocked. "Harriet, Maeve, and the Newbie are gone. They're dead."

"Maybe they're not," Esther piped up. "For once, I'd like to be positive and think that they're still alive."

Beth rolled her eyes, looking at Gwyneth. "I guess we have to stay out here, too, don't we?" She plopped down on the ground with Gwyneth sitting down beside her. "This is going to be a long night."

*******

The next morning, we all woke up by the sound of the Doors opening up. I fluttered my eyes open and immediately sat up from the ground, ignoring my grumbling stomach. Like everyone else, I got up and breathed heavily, hoping that I would see the three of them just running back in the Glen. However, I was greeted by none of them. It was empty.

"See? I told you. They're not coming back," Beth stated.

I felt my heart fill up with sorrow as I looked down at the grass beneath me. Suddenly, Lillie tapped me on the shoulder. "What is it, Lillie?" I asked, looking at her. She pointed towards the Maze. I turned my head and gasped. "No sticking way." Right before my eyes it was Maeve and Rachel, who were carrying Harriet back in the Glen. "Yes! Yes, they did it!"

The other Glenners cheered and applauded them as they came back, gently setting Harriet on the ground. Gwyneth and Amelia, another Medic, rushed by Harriet's side, checking her body for any injuries.

"What happened out there?" Sonya asked them.

"How did you girls make it out?" Esther inquired.

"Did you see a Griever?" I questioned Rachel.

Rachel continued with her panting, looking up at us, then nodding her head. "Yeah, I saw one."

Maeve chuckled a little. "She didn't just see it. She killed the bloody thing."

The girls were muttering to each other. I felt relief and happy that the three made it out alive. I stared at Rachel and realized that she was more than just the Newbie. She was now our beacon of hope in the Glen.

~~~~~~~

A/N: Things are getting intense now, I'm telling you!

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Song above is A New Hope by Danny Elfman.

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