001 —— WELCOME TO THE GLADE
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GALE WASN'T MADE OF GLASS, BUT SOMETIMES SHE FELT as though she might be. It was a beginning of a new month and a new year, June first and year— they never figured out the year or a month on their first day in the Glade. They thought maybe once summer passes by and autumn or winter came along, they might've know what month is, but they never came. So they pretty much made up their own calendar.
It began with fifteen of them, there would've been a total of thirty-eight by now if there weren't any incidents, but half of those fifteen are dead. Now there's eight of them— "original Gladers" which everybody else like to call them. It had only been the third week since they woke up in the middle of the Glade when they lost one Glader— the first one to die. It was their wake-up call to pull their shit together and that's when they decided to establish the three rules. Those three rules were very important and everyone must follow. Even the Leaders and Keepers have to follow them.
Gale's morning started with the world trembling and bellowing, the doors were opening and it annoyed her. Besides the Greenie alarm, it was the worst wake-up alarm in the world. She stayed on her bed, rolled onto her back, slowly opened her eyes to see oak wood ceiling as she listened to the doors opening and felt slight tremors against her back on her cot. Once it all fell silent, she gave a long stretch before she sat up, she stretched her neck by tilting her head left then right. She put on her socks, stood on her feet, grabbed her oversized sleeved shirt to put it on then put on her boots before leaving her room.
She was greeted by Newt saying "Good morning" as he was about to enter his room while she was walking towards the bathroom and to which she responded with a sheepish groan. "I saved you a plate, you're welcome!" he said before she closed the bathroom door behind her.
Breakfast was oatmeal with buttered toast, most of the time Gale hated the food, Siggy— who everyone calls "Frypan" was the Cook, he wasn't the best cook in the world, but was definitely a better one in the Glade and he's the one who's in charge with food. If you want something to eat like a snack, you'd have to ask him, politely. Otherwise, he gives you nothing. His territory—his kitchen, stood outside by the Homestead, everybody eats outside at the picnic area filled with a dozen picnic tables.
Gale sat in the usual table, in front of her plate that Newt saved for her was waiting for her, Alby was there already with Minho as always, both had finished their breakfast and discussing Minho's plan for the run today.
"Mornin' honey" Minho gleefully greeted. Gale scrunched her nose in cringe. Minho was the only person in the Glade who dared to give her a pet name, mostly its to tease her, he liked to get on her nerves. This morning's greeting— well, at this point, she didn't care and she gave up long ago of trying to make him stop.
"So . . . What can we do about the Greenie that's coming up today?" Alby asked.
Gale looked at him rather clueless then looked at Minho, thinking he might have any suggestions even though he wasn't the best person to seek advice from. He shrugged, "Don't look at me, you're both in charge"
She sighed, giving a moment of thoughts, but it was an easy answer though, it'll be just like every other Greenie that comes up every month for the past two years. The only difference today was Nick was not around anymore. Nick happened to be the one introducing a Greenie to the Glade and giving heads-up, it was always like that for two years. And because he was the Leader. Now he's dead.
"I mean, you're the Leader," Gale reminded Alby, "Just do whatever Nick did then maybe drop the Greenie on Chuck?"
"Hmm" Alby mumbled then said nothing else.
Alby had only been the Leader for a month, after being the Second-in-Command for two years, being a Leader was almost no different for Alby, especially for Newt who got promoted taking over Alby's former role. Of course, it was either Newt and Gale for Second-in-Command, but she had no interest and instead she endorsed her friend for the role. Usually when the Second-in-Command is in charge is when the Leader is not in the Glade and if the Leader is deceased, they're immediately or automatically promoted to the Leader role.
"How hard can it be?" Gale said.
"Why don't you do it then?" Minho said
"Because I'm not the Leader?"
"It would probably be a good idea to have a girl show the Greenie around for once? Maybe it'll bring ease to the poor shank's mind when the first face he sees is a girl. Won't hurt to try it once"
Gale actually thought Minho's suggestion didn't sound bad at all. She hates it when she admits Minho has a right mind at times.
Before she could say anything, Alby piped in instead, "Yeah, some Greenies's have a fight or flight response and they respond with a fight at times, remember?"
Gale can't help to feel slightly disappointed. Basically, Alby was saying that Gale wouldn't handle the Greenie if the Greenie responds with a fight.
Since their first month in the Glade, she's been handled with care. Afraid how fragile she might be as if she was made of glass. Most of the time, she was treated that way. All because of that one night, that night, she had been asleep until she felt a hand pressing against her mouth and a knife on her throat, kept her from making a noise. It was the same night when that first Glader died.
Minho— on the other hand, treated her differently and he wasn't afraid how fragile she might be.
"Anyway, I gotta go and get ready for the run, see ya shanks later" Minho got up and left to the Map Room.
Once Minho was farther enough, Gale turned to Alby and asked, "So what's his plan?" Even though, every day and every run are almost entirely the same for Minho. But after what happened to one of the Runners yesterday, she knew he must have a plan for today.
"He's going to retrace Ben's steps and his route yesterday, find where he got Stung, if he finds it, Runners will know which area to avoid temporarily"
"Probably the same place where they all got Stung"
Alby shrugged.
The Cliff, Gale thought. According to the Runners, the Cliff was the most peculiar place they found in the maze, the edge of it is weird, they say, they could only describe it as the abyss— a dark pit of nothingness and just bottomless. And the Runners never figured it out how and why Runners get Stung there.
The Runners, they're the only ones who go into the maze, nobody else and that is one of the three rules they all must follow. Never go into the maze. Unless you're a Runner. Gale has only been into the maze twice, every original Glader has and it was their first month before they began establishing the rules.
"New month," Newt said, Gale didn't saw him coming to the table and sat down next to Minho's spot. "means new Greenbean"
"Another year had gone by" Gale added.
"Another year . . . means second year had passed since we got here" Alby mumbled. "Seven hundred and thirty days it's been"
Gale and Newt said nothing for a moment until Newt responded with a heavy sigh, "Well, I didn't mean for this to go into such depressing conversation but anyway, what shall we do about the Greenie that's coming up soon?" he was looking at Alby.
The Leader didn't answer right away. He gave a thought before finally saying, "Just do what Nick had been doing the past two years, tell em' one thing at a time then throw him into Chuckie's hands" exactly what Gale implied earlier.
"I was kind of hoping I give him instructions myself, Nick always gave them a rough introduction and just bullied them every time" Newt said. "And every time I offered to take a Greenie in myself, he just tells me to . . . I quote 'fuck off' unquote"
"Just because he's gone doesn't mean we're gonna start changing things around here" Alby rebuffed.
Nick was almost never the kindest or gentle, he was difficult to reason with, he bullied towards the Greenbeans, especially towards Newt. But Nick got everyone through this far. He was never rough towards Gale though, he was a bit too overprotective most of the time and Gale hated him for that. She believed that him being difficult to reason with is what got him killed. He was very stubborn, arrogant and hard headed. Not everyone liked him, most of the Gladers, the ones that came up from the Box anyways, also Newt hated him because of the way he was treated by him. But the rest of them, the original Gladers respected Nick, he may have been a total asshole but he was good leader and he was good at his job because he got them all this far.
Gale would be lying if she said she didn't miss Nick.
"You ready to face the day?" Alby asked her.
She sighed tiredly. "Not really"
"That's the spirit" Alby got on his feet then clapped his hands once and loud for everyone in the picnic area to hear. They all turn to him, "All right, you sad sack of shuck-faces! Breakfast is over, time to go to work and if you're still hungry, that's too damn shucking bad, you should've woken up early! Get your asses movin' now!"
Gale and Newt looked at each other, "Just one more day" she reassured him.
He raised his brows, sighed and nodded. "Just a little longer, right?"
She gave a light nod, "Just a little longer" It was a stupid reassuring exchange words between the two that they say almost daily, they've been saying it for over a year but it brings them both a somewhat shred of hope and also comfort towards each other. Even though they both don't know how long they'll still be out here.
Every Glader went to their jobs, everyone had a part, they all had a job that they must do daily and it was one of their three rules. Everyone does their part. No slacking. Gale has a job as well, more of a role, they never know what exactly she does because she would just jump a job to another job the next day, even she doesn't know what her job is but all she knew was that she has a part she has to do and to never slack. There was only one job she wasn't allowed to do, that was Runners and she doesn't even want to take part of it anyways. She is one of the Leaders, she was one of the few who makes any decision, especially during the Gathering, which is basically a meeting between the Keepers and the Leaders. Though she also acts like the Judge during the Gathering, like if she doesn't agree on anything what the Keepers say, they'll have to start over and come up different suggestions. She would usually only agree when there is majority of votes and mostly just to get the meetings over with.
Today, she felt like she wanted to stay in the Bloodhouse, which was basically both a barn and a slaughterhouse and those who work in the Bloodhouse were called, Slicers. And the Keeper of Slicers is Winston. Bloodhouse is exactly what is it, both barn and a slaughterhouse, Slicers tend and butcher animals for food.
"So which animal are you guys butchering today? That?" she asked one of the Slicers, there were about four of them including the Keeper. They were feeding and tending a boar.
"No, ma'am!" a Slicer, Abram grinned. "We've saving this one for the Greenie!"
"You know how it is," said Winston, "Greenies get to butcher one on their first day of Trial"
"Hmm . . . You got anything for me to do today?" she wondered.
"Either get Mabel, Babel and Gabel out of the barn, let them wander outside and milk them . . . orrrr you could help us prepare our food for tonight's bonfire"
Mabel, Babel and Gabel were the cows that the Slicers named and of course, she didn't have the stomach to prepare food. When Winston said prepare, it means butcher. "Yeah, I got your cows" she left the boys be.
There were ten jobs total in the Glade; Slicers, Builders, Bricknicks, Track-hoes/Gardeners, Med-jacks, Sloppers, Cooks, Baggers, Map-makers and Runners. Each job had it's Keeper who supervises a Greenie and they also play the part during the Gathering. If Gale were to pick her least favorite job, it would be Builders only because she wasn't built for it meanwhile everyone else think that the least job that they like was Sloppers. Sloppers were basically cleaners and Gale didn't mind working with them. If a Greenie makes zero impression to the Keepers during the Trials, they're automatically thrown into Sloppers. Gale wasn't good at every job but she manages those she finds difficult.
Gale spent the entire morning observing the barn yard, looking out the cows after feeding them and letting them wander out before getting them back into the building.
"The Box is running a lil late, don't you think?" Abram noticed. He and Gale were tending the cows, gathering all the hays in front of the animals for them to eat. Abram, a boy who looked to be fifteen or sixteen, his nose was a bit broad, light skinned, his hair was dark brown, kept shortened and cut, and his eyes were either blue or grey. He arrived in the Glade almost a year ago and Abram was one of the couple of Greenies that Gale got along with. What she liked about him was that he was very patient when he arrived, unlike most Greenies she met.
Gale didn't notice the Box was late today and she checked her watch. The alarm would notify the Glade right on the dot of the exact time as it always had been for the past two years and it is never late . . . not even once. Maybe it's nothing? "Must be a special Greenie this one" she half joked.
"Yeah, probably putting a nice bow on 'em"
When lunch was announced, Gale waited in the line like everyone else to get their food, when she got her plate, it was some canned beef stew and with some bread. She sat in the usual table with Alby and Newt. Alby was sitting back against the table, watching for the Box and waiting while leaving his food untouched. Everybody had noticed the Box was today, they were all looking and waiting for the Greenie alarm to sound while having their lunch.
"You should eat, Alby" Gale told the Leader, "You get all pissy when you're hungry"
"The Box is nearly an hour late, Gale. Have you noticed?"
"Yes, I've noticed. But it doesn't stop me from enjoying my lunch break while I can"
Alby still didn't want to eat, although Gale must admit that she was slightly worried about the Box running late as it never does before. "Don't come buggin us while you're in a shuck mood then" Newt warned.
Finally, shortly after Gale finished her lunch, the booming and ringing alarm sounded all over the Glade. The Greenie alarm. Finally. The Creators signaled the Glade that a new kid was coming up, the alarm would continuously ring for about five minutes before the Box would start making its way up to the Glade.
The Gladers began making their way to the Box to greet the new kid, they were always so keen to meet the new Greenie, Gale always finds herself interested to see, although she gets annoyed by them once they realize that she's the only girl in the Glade and they ask the same questions.
Gale pushed her way through a crowd of boys as they all huddled around the Box and made her place next to Alby at the front to get a good view of the Box. There was a faint rumbling sound behind the the steel doors before coming to an instant halt. The steel doors began to open up to reveal the Box as the anticipation filled the air, the Gladers stepped back to make room for the steel doors and they all gathered closely around the Box.
Inside the Box was supplies, a couple of crates, more wood for the Builders, one caged animal for the Slicers and everything that the Gladers have requested the week prior. Of course, not only the supplies occupied the Box, there was also a boy in there, the boy was on the Box's floor, looking up at the Gladers, his hand was up, shading his sight from the sun light and attempting to adjust his sight.
The new kid wore a blue sleeved shirt and navy brown pants, his black hair shortened that looked recently cut and his skin was pale. The boys began chuckling at the scared boy. Gale never understood why it's funny to watch a new kid being scared and confused since they all been in his place before. She always feels bad for a new Greenie.
She remembered the very first Greenie that the Creators brought up a month later after their first day in the Glade, a very much older-looking boy, possibly same age as Alby and Nick, and that very first Greenie was Ander. Ander eventually became a Runner, he and Minho, as the rest of the Runners got along very well. Still to this day, he's still a Runner, he and Minho are the longest Runners in the Glade.
It began making sense that the Creators were bringing up a new boy every once a month when the second month came along.
"All right, someone let him out" Alby ordered.
Four boys opened the caged doors and there was a tall boy stepping forward, the tall and freckled boy was Gally. One of the original Gladers and he was the Keeper of Builders. He jumped inside the Box and approached the new kid who scrambled back in fear from Gally.
"Day one, Greenie" Gally said, "Welcome to the Glade"
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