Chapter Text
Machinery clanked sharply beneath ground, getting louder as the box approached the surface. Newt pushed his way through the crowd of boys to see it more clearly. He stopped beside Alby, where he could see its solid metal door laying flat in the dirt. The boys around him murmured excitedly.
For Newt, the box was nothing new. Every month a fresh kid would be brought up, and as second-in-command to Alby, it was part of his job to answer all their burning questions.
The clanking sounds stopped, replaced by a metal door sliding open. It revealed a boy kneeling on the floor. Squinting, he looked up, using his hand to block the bright sunlight. For an instant, Newt could observe the boy's panicked breathing, but there was no time for him to process anything else before Gally threw open the iron grating and hopped in.
The metal rattled harshly with Gally’s movement, and the boy backed up, scared.
Gally got all up in his face. “Day one, greenie. Rise and shine,” he said, before grabbing the greenie by his shirt and chucking him onto the ground at Newt’s feet.
“Careful there, Gally,” a boy teased.
Laughing, the boys quickly crowded the greenie. They stared down at him, taunting and shouting. The greenie laid on his back with his chest heaving, frantic eyes flitting around.
It was tradition to have all the gladers come to greet the greenies. No matter how good-natured some of them were, it didn't stop them from ridiculing the greenies' usual anxiousness. Newt would only allow so much from them. Their chaos was a bit difficult to control, but Newt would do his best.
"Alright guys," Newt called, holding his arms out. "Give him some space, will ya?"
There was no time for anybody to react, as the greenie suddenly jumped up and shoved his way through the crowd. He took off running, and the boys jeered at him.
“We got a runner!”
Newt couldn’t help but feel amused, and he chuckled.
The greenie managed to get about a field's distance away before he tripped and fell. As much as he wanted to help the greenie out, Newt had to admit that the way his form vanished into the grass was a little comical.
The crowd whooped and laughed in delight.
“Watch it there, greenie,” a boy yelled.
“Nice one!”
The boys all clapped sarcastically. Newt felt Alby move from beside him.
“Alright guys!” Alby yelled. “Show’s over! Get back to work.”
The boys protested disappointedly, but they dispersed nonetheless.
Newt followed Alby as they walked over to the greenie. In the distance, the boy slowly stood up, taking in their surroundings.
The glade was a lovely grass field by a forest. Technically, it was their home. The warm sun and the gentle breeze could almost make Newt forget about the massive stone walls which loomed around them, but it was impossible to ignore the way they blocked the horizon.
The greenie faced the walls, panting still. He had lightly tanned skin and a toned build, with short brunette hair. A small patch on the back of his blue shirt had darkened with sweat. He was tense, poised to dash off at a moment’s notice.
Alby approached him slowly. “Hey there, green bean. You’re not gonna run again, okay?”
The greenie whipped around. He panted, and his voice was low and raspy. “What is this place?”
Alby held up his hand reassuringly. “It’s okay, you’ll find out soon enough. My name’s Alby.”
The greenie opened his mouth to speak again, but he faltered. “I don’t - I don't understand. Why can’t I remember anything?”
He anxiously pulled at his fingers, and Newt found it kind of endearing.
“It’s normal. It happened to all of us,” Alby said. “Meet Newt. When I’m not around, he’s in charge.”
“Hi,” Newt greeted, smiling at the greenie. He took his hand to shake it. “It’s a good thing you’re always around then, Alby.”
The eye contact Newt made with the greenie was startlingly easy. He had whiskey brown eyes - almost like honey in color - and he was the same height as Newt. A few freckles dotted the sides of his face, and he seemed to stare at Newt with an awed confusion. The boy held his hand for a beat too long before letting go.
Newt was not surprised at the greenie's (admittedly endearing) awkwardness. Newt's kinder charisma made him stand out from the other gladers, which tended to surprise the greenies at first. However, he was absolutely not above teasing.
“Listen, that was some dash you made earlier. For a second, I thought you had the chops to be a runner," Newt commented. Then he smirked. "‘Til you face planted.”
Alby laughed, but the greenie looked at them, confused.
“Wait, runner?” he asked.
Alby paused. “Newt, do me a favor. Go find Chuck?”
Newt felt a bit disappointed, but he gave a nod in understanding. Alby needed to handle the greenie’s questions carefully, and Newt would get his chance to talk later.
“Alright.”
“Thanks,” Alby said.
Newt brushed past the greenie’s shoulder as he walked back towards the Homestead. He made it a few steps, but he couldn’t resist the urge to turn and glance back.
The greenie was walking in the other direction with Alby, but he too was looking back at Newt.
He stumbled as Alby grabbed his shoulder to pull him along.
~~~
Thomas and Alby stood at the top of the treehouse, gazing over the glade.
Alby placed his hands on the railing, causing the sun to reflect off his dark skin. His brow was strong and firm, and he exuded the stoic confidence fit for a leader.
“If you respect this place, we’ll get along just fine,” Alby said.
Without all the boys obnoxiously staring and jeering at him, Thomas found the glade’s atmosphere to actually be quite pleasant. In the distance, boys tended to the farm goats and pigs. Others strolled around the buildings located by the forest, carrying various tools.
Except, nothing about the glade was more enticing than the strange stone surrounding it.
Gesturing towards the door in the distant wall, Thomas asked, “What’s out there?”
Alby huffed and briefly studied Thomas. “We only have three rules,” he said, leaning casually on the railing.
Thomas tried to brush aside his dejection from the total disregard of his question.
“First, do your part. We’ve no time for any free loaders. Second, never harm another glader. None of this works unless we have trust,” Alby said. He held Thomas’s gaze expectantly. “And most importantly, never go beyond those walls. You understand me, greenie?”
Thomas stared at him, contemplating. Was he serious? Never? What was the point of that?
At his silence, Alby raised an eyebrow.
“Hey Alby!” someone called from the ground below.
Thomas looked over the railing at a chubby young boy.
Alby grinned and waved at the boy. “Hey Chuck!” He gestured to Thomas and began climbing down.
When they reached the ground, Chuck ran up to them. Alby said to him, “This here’s our new greenie. You’ve been promoted.”
“That feels great!” Chuck said, smiling wide up at Thomas. His cheeks were rosy against his light skin, and his curly brown hair bobbled with movement. Compared to the other greetings that Thomas had received, Chuck’s blatant enthusiasm surprised him.
“Chuck will take over from here for now. Nice meeting ya, greenie.” Alby said. He ruffled Chuck’s hair before walking away.
“It's good to meet you,” Chuck said brightly. “Honestly, telling us the rules is most of what Alby does for the greenies. He won’t tell you this, but he’s kind of impatient with us, so Newt’s the one who usually does the touring. But Alby’s still a good leader. He cares a lot.”
Chuck grinned. “Lucky for you though, I'm touring today. Come on.”
They meandered through the area on a beaten path, passing various huts and tents. Chuck spoke excitedly and confidently, telling Thomas about the important structures.
“We call this area the Homestead. We’ve got our sleeping place there,” Chuck said, pointing to a large building with a curtain entrance. It was nestled in the trees right outside the forest.
They continued walking down the path, passing some boys carrying tools. A few of them chuckled and teased Chuck about his “promotion.” The two passed the kitchen and some communal sitting spots, which were currently empty. A large circular building was located off near the walls’ corner, which Chuck told him was the Council Hall. The box where Thomas had been sent up from was diagonal to that.
They were interrupted by a tall boy passing them. “What’s this then? A green bean giving another green bean a tour?”
Chuck crossed his arms, suddenly sullen. “Hello to you too, Clint. And yeah. I’ve been pretty helpful. I’ve already been here for a month.”
“We’ll see,” Clint teased as he walked away.
Chuck sighed and he looked down, kicking at a rock in the dirt. Thomas almost felt amused, but he knew better.
“Hey,” Thomas said softly, placing his hand on Chuck’s shoulder. “I don’t understand all the roles here. I know Alby and Newt are leaders, but can you tell me about any other jobs you guys have?”
Immediately, Chuck grinned up at him. “There’s tons. We call the leaders ‘Keepers.’ Gally’s Keeper of the builders, Frypan for the cooks…”
Chuck started to chatter about the different jobs, frequently using strange vocabulary that Thomas had no clue about. Rather than listen to the content of his words, Thomas chose to admire the bright smile on Chuck’s face. The kid was cute, and even though Thomas was not asking any further questions, he clearly enjoyed being knowledgeable about everything.
The only thing Thomas was really curious about were the stone walls. And of course, the second-in-command Newt, whose dark brown eyes had inexplicably caught Thomas’s attention. He tried not to dwell on that.
They walked through the beginnings of the forest, and Thomas felt grateful to see a bathroom area. Although the structure was built with crude cement, the showers at least had curtains for privacy.
Chuck stopped outside the building and placed his hands on his hips. “Well, that’s all the important stuff. You’ll learn more as you go. But you can still ask me about anything.”
Thomas tilted his head. “What about the walls?”
“Anything but that,” Chuck replied, shaking his head. “I don’t deal with the maze at all. I just know that it's dangerous, and that we’re not allowed in.”
The door to the bathrooms slammed open. A tall boy, quite well-built, strutted towards them. His intensely arched eyebrows furrowed when he spotted Thomas.
“Hey, Gally,” Chuck greeted him.
Ignoring Chuck, Gally paused in front of them. He stared down at Thomas. The scrutiny made Thomas want to fidget with his hands, but he refused to break under the tension.
Gally’s gray eyes narrowed one more time, and then seemingly, he decided he had enough. He bumped Thomas’s shoulder as he left.
Chuck scoffed. “Don’t worry, Gally didn’t like me much at first either. Apparently he’s pretty mean to most greenies. Except, I don’t think I’ve heard of him being judgemental…”
Thomas did not hear the rest of it. In the distance through the trees, Thomas spotted two runners exiting the maze door.
He didn’t really have to think about it. He immediately went to see it closer.
Thomas passed through the Homestead and made it a good distance across the glade before Chuck finally grabbed his arm.
“Hey! What are you doing?” Chuck exclaimed.
“I thought we weren’t allowed in there,” Thomas said.
“I said we're not allowed in the maze. They’re different, they’re runners,” Chuck said.
Thomas nodded slowly. He turned and gazed at the vines crawling high up the stone walls.
“Hey, stop! You can’t go in there!” Chuck yelled.
Surprised, Thomas halted. He now stood outside the open maze door, before a hallway leading deeper into the maze.
Chuck warned, “I don't know much, I just know what I’m told. It’s dangerous.”
Thomas reassured him, “It’s okay, I’m just taking a look.”
The stone inside the maze was shadowed and gray. The air winding through its pathways whispered to him, rustling the ivy vines as it passed. Enticed, he began to lean in.
Thomas hit the ground from a shove. He grunted as he landed, pain sparking up his shoulder, and he whirled to glare at his opponent. “What the hell? Don’t touch me!”
Gally hovered over him. “You’re not allowed in there, greenie.”
“Get off me!” Thomas exclaimed, knocking into Gally as he picked himself up off the dirt.
“Take it easy. Just relax,” Gally said, exasperated.
Alby and a few other gladers hurriedly approached.
Thomas yelled, “Hey, what the hell is wrong with you guys?”
Newt ran up and held his hand out. “Just calm down, all right?”
“No! Why won’t you tell me what’s out there?” Thomas backed up towards the open maze, throwing glances behind him. The stone walls loomed around him, almost invitingly.
“We’re just trying to protect you,” Alby said.
“It’s for your own good,” Newt added.
Thomas protested, “You guys can’t just keep me here!”
“I can’t let you leave!” Alby approached him slowly, like he was a scared animal.
“Why not?”
A gust of cold wind blew into their faces, scattering vine leaves around them. Machinery rumbled as the doors of the maze began to close. Thomas's heart pounded in time with the hair rising on his skin. Mesmerized, he watched the hallway grow in darkness.
Finally, the doors boomed shut and the maze fell silent. Thomas stared in shock.
“Next time, I’m gonna let you leave,” Gally quipped.
“Welcome to the glade,” Newt said sardonically.
Most of the boys walked away. And the maze sat there in front of Thomas, quietly imposing. The gears started to turn in Thomas’s head.
“Chuck said that only runners are allowed in there,” Thomas said.
Newt nodded. “That’s right.”
A sense of urgency swept through Thomas. “What can I do to become a runner?”
“That’s not how it works," Newt chuckled. "There’s plenty of other jobs you’ll try first. And besides, no one wants to be a runner.”
Thomas perked up. “And then I can be one, after doing those jobs?”
“I told you. No one wants to be a runner,” Newt said. Without waiting, he walked back towards the Homestead. Despite the hitch in his steps - a limp in his left leg - he moved quickly. Thomas caught up and walked beside him, intending to press for more information.
Newt seemed to pick up on this, and he calmly assured Thomas, “Tonight, I’ll tell you everythin' you need to know.”
Appeased, Thomas nodded, and they walked in comfortable silence.