- Cʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴏɴᴇ -
"My people, My responsibility."
It's been a little over three years since Aife has been in the glade. After about two months of the girl being there alone, she finally was welcomed with a group of four that were like her. Memory swiped, completely clueless, utterly confused. Except they were boys. Every single one of them. That confused her greatly, why hadn't there been any girls? She doesn't know any other females than herself.
She soon figured out that once a month they send up someone new with a box of brand new supplies.
Currently, she sat on a log near the forest, with her elbows rested on her scarred knees. The gladers were working, and Aife could hear their faint voices, but she could quite make out what they were speaking about. A ghost of a smile appeared on her face as she watched. She built this.
They built this.
We've survived this long, we can keep on going, she told herself. She sure was getting tired of hearing it, as she had told herself that for so many days of so many years.
The girl absentmindedly rubbed her neck and felt at the scar that reached down to her collar bone. Her nails immediately began to scratch at it, her face twisting up as she thought of how ugly it must look to other eyes. She would tell herself, it's fine. We've all got something. I don't mind. I don't mind.
She doesn't mind.
She wore a grey thin strapped shirt that was loosely tucked into torn black pants that had rips scattered all around. She had old sneakers that covered her feet. On her face, she smeared war paint over her eyes As well as a machete strapped onto her back and a small knife attached to her thigh. She wore leather fingerless gloves that fit perfectly over her hands.
She didn't know why they had been somewhat polite with their gifts, but she wasn't complaining.
She grabbed a large stick from the ground and grabbed the knife off of her thigh and began to sharpen the stick. The wooden flakes fell to the floor with each swipe, creating a ringing sound.Her upper lip curled up as she focused on not cutting her fingers off.
The gladers have become her family. Her brothers. Not just to her, but to each other as well. They look out for each other. And they always have.
She often finds herself hating her real family. Or, if she even has one. She cant seem to understand why someone would put them in a place like this. They're just kids. The maze is dangerous if you don't know what you're doing. Which makes it difficult since they don't have everyone helping to find a way out. Not everyone's a runner. Not everyone had what it takes.
But they deal with what they've got.
She continued to fiddle around with the knife in her scar covered hands until she heard a voice pull her out of her thoughts.
"Hey, you alright?" The slightly deep voice said. She whipped her head around to see Alby, her second-in-command. He has always been there for her no matter what, always calm and collected. Ready to step up and take charge. Which is why she made him her second. He was always there, ready to ground her if she got to high on her thoughts or adrenaline. Sometimes, she just didn't know when to stop.
He let out a deep exhale and sat down next to her, his elbows mirrored the girl. His forehead was slightly glistened due to the sweat and the sun beaming down on them.
"I'm alright." She spoke, her jaw clenched as she did so. She pushed her tongue against her cheek and pressed her lips together. She didn't take her eyes off the gladers and her hands didn't stop sharpening the stick. She had ignored the shakiness in her limbs, due to having to skip a couple of meals recently. She didn't mind it much, not anymore. They didn't have much food to begin with.
"You sure? You seem tense," He let out a low chuckle, she allowed the corners of her lips to tug upward, and looked down at her hands with a slight eye roll, lightly shaking her head.
"I'm fine, don't worry 'bout me." The girl assured him, to which he responded with a nod. They sat in a pregnant silence for a long while before he spoke up, his lips parted as he looked at the mile high walls that was holding them captive.
"Well, you'll be happy to know a new box came in for you." He gave a small smile as he watched for her reaction. Aife's head snapped up toward his, a dimple was now prominent on the right side of her cheek, right under the fresh cut she had on her cheekbone. Her pearly teeth were now on display.
"Ah, Sweet. I'll go get it now." She stood up and wiped her hands on her rear end to get off any grass or wood as she reattached the knife onto her thigh. She absentmindedly pinched her eyebrows together and gritted her teeth while she did so.
"I'll see you later. Fry should be cookin' up somethin' nice for you tonight." He said, making sure to raise his voice to make sure the girl could still hear over the loud crunching of the fallen leaves and dying grass.
"Good that." She shouted, not bothering to look over her shoulder. She struggled to open the old wooden door to her room, before she pushed it open with her shoulder, she made a grimacing face at the loud noise. Shaking her head, she noticed a blue box sat on her bed. She walked over to it an slipped off the lid to be met with new arrows, a new machete and some small daggers.
She grinned subconsciously and thrusted the new dagger effortlessly in her hands. Ever since she first picked one up in the box it's like everything she knows about weapons came so easily to her. Shes always known how to use them.
She often thinks about what she was doing before she got to the glade, was she with her family? Sitting around a fire as they shared stories? No. That was her life here. She was probably being tucked into bed by her father, or begging her mother to read her a bedtime story and help her fall asleep.
After she put her new weapons in a safe spot in her room, along with her others, she made her way to the eating area so she could get some food. In reality, the whole place was an eating area. There were no assigned seats. No one really cared.
Once she walked in, she felt some of the gladers eyes on her and their conversations slightly quieted down and happily, they greeted her politely and nodded at her in respect as she walked towards Frypan, "Hey."
"Hey!" He said enthusiastically, raising his thick eyebrows as he waved his spatula at her. He is always positive about things, that's what she likes about him. He was always able to crack a joke in some sort of way. He wore an apron and his black, curly hair was frizzed from being in the sun all day.
He handed her a plate of food and she gave him a grin, "Thanks Fry, you're the best," She smirked at the taller. He gave the girl a knowing look, rolling his bottom lip into his mouth.
He started to wave his spatula at her as he spoke which made her chuckle, "C'mon Girl, we both know damn well you're just tryna butter me up so you can get some more food!" He scolded loudly as she scoffed and quickly defended herself. She discreetly held out her plate and he put an extra roll of bread on it for her.
She had recalled the first time the had spoken.
"What's you're name, greenie?" The girl asked the dark-skinned boy as she sat down next to him, he jumped in surprise. His voice was timid, and he was always so gentle with his movements, she couldn't blame him.
"Siggy," He grimaced shyly and she chuckled as she bumped her shoulder with his. It wasn't terrible. But it was painfully obvious that the boy was insecure about introducing himself.
"You don't like it, do you?"
"Nah," He said sheepishly, she grinned, her tongue darted out of her mouth and ran over her chapped lips before speaking, "You're a cook, right? How 'bout we call you Fry? Frypan?" He nodded happily at that.
She snapped out of her gaze and made her way over to her usual seat and sat down, everyone knew not to sit in her spot, she claimed it a long time ago. Not verbally, obviously. It may seem dramatic, but she claims the food doesn't taste as good if she doesn't eat it there. Of course, she won't throw a fit if someone does sit there. She's just teasing, using whatever humor she has left. Some other guys and her had managed to make somewhat of a table out of leftover wood, so that if they choose, they can sit there. They don't have to of course. But she always does.
"Hey," She heard a familiar accent speak to her. She turned to see a dirty blonde with a grin wore on his face, as usual. He had slight smudges of dirt rubbed on his cheeks from being in the garden all day. She waved, a small grin on her face as her cheeks filled with food. The boy sat down.
"Wow, no hello to me? Love you too. Damn..."
She turned her head to the other side to see her korean friend, Minho. His perfect hair was spiked up, as usual, and he wore a green shirt with brown pants. He also had some dirt on his face that made his skin tone slightly darker than normal. He placed his plate down on the table, lowering himself onto the wooden log that was used as a chair.
Here we go, Aife thought.
"Hello Minho," She said in a low voice, he nudged her harshly with his elbow, causing her to look at him with a grave expression. Her thin eyebrows were arched and her lips were pressed together, the same look she gave someone before scolding them. Minho looked at her, unblinking as he narrowed his eyes at her. They stared, unspeaking before Aife choked out a grin. Newt shook his head as he continued eating.
"That's more like it,"
"You runnin' tomorrow?" Minho asked the girl with his mouth full, food spilling out of his mouth and back onto his plate, causing her to grimace at the sight.
"God, close your mouth ya' shank." Newt mumbled, causing her to chuckle to herself. He may say that now, but everyone knows that he was messy as well.
"Yeah, I probably should. I got nothin' better to do here. I've done all I can, and its been a while since if been out of the walls. I need to get some air," She replied as she finished up the last of her food, practically scrapping at her plate for left overs before gulping down the rest of her water. Minho took that as a chance to speak again.
"You sure? You don't have to, you know. I've kind of been enjoying my lone runs," The boy joked, before he continued, "But seriously, you do kind of run this place, soooo..." He trailed off and she jokingly rolled her eyes.
"Nah, I gotta do my part. Besides, i can handle myself. You both know that." The girl gave a smile, to the boys, and they shook their heads as they let out a low chuckle in agreement.
"We're gettin' a new greenie by the end of this week, right?" Newt asked, Minho and the girl nodded in confirmation. No matter what, it was always like that. Newt likes to use tally marks to keep tabs of where they are in the month, which is how he knows when they are due to get their supplies.
And a new comer.
"You should probably get some sleep. You need to be well rested." Minho said to her and she nodded once more. Newt stood up and grabbed her plate, then handed it back to Frypan.
"By the way, take a shower, you smell like a fresh pile of klunk. I mean, seriously-"
"Okay! i got it. Damn..." Minho cut her off and she let out a snort. She flashed a quick smile before she stood up.
She said goodbye to Minho as she walked back to her room, using the back of her hand to wipe off any leftover food. Once she laid down, she had almost immediately fallen asleep, thinking of nothing, other than her wishes that she would soon find a way out of this place.
If not for her, then for them.
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* Editing this book !*
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