No Escape

I sat down on the grass and tried to make sense of everything around me. I didn't remember anything. I didn't know how I got here. I just wanted to be alone. I just wanted to go home.

---

Liam sighed as she watched her. "We all do it. She's actually acting normally. This isn't a normal thing to go through. She'll be fine tomorrow. If not, then we'll intervene."

She nodded a little then rubbed her face as she looked around, the situation at hand wasn't the best but she couldn't bring it in her to react outwardly. Internally, she was probably more of a mess than she'd like to admit. Stella found herself wandering off, unsure of where she would go but she didn't want to be around people right now. She needed time to think.

---

Minho walked over,"It's a maze, it's huge but I know it all like the back of my hand, and it changes at night," he told her.

I looked in the direction of the voice, seeing one of the guys from earlier. It's a maze? We're surrounded by a maze? I looked at him for a second, making a decision internally. "I want to go inside."

---

Liam looked at her and the other girl, he went to get them both food and brought it over to Stella first. "That's lunch." He said to her.

"You can't... there are greivers in there, they'll kill you," he told her.

---

She looked at it,"Tasty," she murmured lightly and sighed.

"Then how do you know your way around it?" I asked, standing up to face him. "You've been inside. Haven't you?"

---

He shrugged a little. "It's not the best food, but its definitely better than nothing at all."

"I have, because I'm a runner, you're not. If you're not a runner you can't go, and no one but Thomas and I have lived an ight inside there and we barely made it," he told her.

---

She nodded,"True," she murmured lightly.

I narrowed my eyes slightly and shook my head. "Then make me a runner. I want to go inside. I'm fast and I'm smart. Do what you have to do, because I want to go inside."

---

He nodded towards the spot next to her. "Can I sit with you? Or do you want to be alone?"

"It's not a decision I can make alone we all have to agree on it and you have to get settled in first, you're not exactly making a great first impression," he said to her shaking his head.

I looked at him. "Are you kidding me? I'm not making a great first impression? I woke up in a crate and vomited something I cant remember eating. I arrive in a field of boys, one of which basically gropes me. I'm told that there's no escape and that I'm stuck here to marry or reproduce for the rest of my life. I can't even remember my name. And I'm not making a great first impression? My apologies, I'll go make a formal apology to the others." I said sarcastically, going to sit back into the grass.

"He wasn't groping you, he touched your back to help you up onto the grass," he said to her sighing, "I get you're scared, it's normal but you won't be allowed in the maze for a long time, if ever. The only other girl we have is Teresa, but now they're sending up supplies and medical books for having babies and sicknesses babies get and how to fix it. Obviously they know there is no way out just like we've kind of guessed. If anyone can find a way out of that maze - its me." he told her.

I put my face in my hands, running my hands back to my hair. "So because I'm a girl, and my primary function is to have children, I can't go into the maze? Is that it?" I asked him. "There's something about the maze. And I want to go inside. I don't care what needs to be done. But I want to go in the maze."

"It's not up to me or you, if you go in there without consent you're banished to the maze, you'll die," he told her.

"Is that really such a bad thing? Being sent here is death anyway." I muttered, pulling up grass. "Maybe its worth it. But if you survived and whoever.. Thomas did too, maybe I'll make it and find my way out."

"Have you not listened, anything you think will work we've already done it and it failed. We've been here three years," he told her.

"You are not me. I am not you. Just because you failed doesn't mean I will too. Doesn't matter does it? You said the only way I'll get in the maze is if its voted on or if I run in there myself. There are only three girls here, I hardly think that any of you want to lose one, though I'd love to see you try to stop me." I muttered. "If I have to talk to the other runners then fine. I can't ask you to help me then I'll go to someone else."

Newt walked over with some food, handing it to me. "How are you feeling? Any better? Gally's not to keen on you, even though he shouldn't have tried to help you with you coming up so quickly."

I looked at him and sighed, ignoring Minho. I didn't like him. He couldn't tell me what I could or couldn't do.

"If you're up to it, I'll take you on a tour. Or Minho could if you want. I'm probably going to need to go over everything with Alby." He said softly, looking at me with a smile. "This is new to us, as new as it is to you."

"I want to be a runner." I said immediately, looking at him surely.

Newt shrugged uncertainly. "Well, we'll need to give you jobs should you want them, but only after you've settled in. Runners need to not only be approved by Alby, the others, and myself, but also Minho. He is the head runner. If you want to we can consider you but not for a while. We need to make sure you qualify first. Eat up, then Minho can take you on a tour if you don't want to wait for me."

I looked at Minho uncertainly. I didn't like him trying to tell me what I could or couldn't do. However if he was in charge of it I would need to be nicer to him regardless.

Minho sighed a little then shook his head a little as he walked off, he didn't mean to piss her off but he wasn't the only one who made decisions around her.

---

"so where does on sleep around here?" she asked him as she ignored her fears.

I nodded a little, playing with the food in front of me. "Thank you." I mumbled, watching Newt walk off. I ate quietly, looking up at the walls around me. I couldn't imagine being trapped in this place.

I watched Minho walk off, continuing to eat. I looked back up at Newt who was watching me intently.

"What's your name?" He asked.

"I don't know. I don't remember it," I admitted quietly. "Its extremely frustrating. I remember a lot of things but details evade me."

He nodded. "Don't worry, you'll remember soon. By tomorrow I'm sure you'll remember your name."

---

He pointed to the congregation of hammocks and rooms. "Over there. We'll give you a room... We'll have to build you one. I guess since you're here to be with someone, we'll need to build rooms for you and whoever. Her too." He said, pointing to the other girl across the glade.

She looked at her,"what if we don't pick should I expect to have someone trying to force themselves on me?" she asked him as she stood up.

He shook his head. "No! No way! Anyone who even touched you would be banished. We're not like that. Alby and Newt would never allow that. You choose who you want. I can't promise that some of the guys won't attempt to come onto you, but if they do, they'll be punished. If you want to remain single then by all means do it. We won't force you to do anything."

She nodded a little,"Good," she murmured as she sighed a little,"I'm really tired," she murmured lightly.