25Disclaimer: I do not own The Maze Runner. The only thing I own is the plot that you might not recognise, any OC's you will be introduced to throughout this story, and on occasion Newt and Thomas because they're just so hot! ;)
REVIEW REPLIES
Newtie: First of all, thank you so much for reviewing! It means the absolute world to me! So here I am, to try and answer all your questions! Here I go! Yes, Casydi is pronounced like Cassidy. Nick was the leader before Alby, but he was killed under unknown circumstances, but I don't know if I'm going to have him die in the story yet. This takes place three years before Thomas and Teresa, so basically this is exploring their time in the Glade, before escaping, and there are a few surprises along the way. There are around 15-20 boys so far, but more will be going up throughout the story. I hope you like this chapter!
Dauntlessthe testinggreek: First of all, thank you so much for reviewing! It means the absolute world to me! I updated as quickly as I possibly could, but I have been a little bit busy over the past two months, with final exams, but I am officially finished, so yay! I hope you like this chapter!
Xxshadowwolfyxx: Haha, oh my gosh, that would have been hilarious to see! Thank you so much for reviewing, and keeping an eye out for my story! It was an incredible outcome for the first chapter with over 300 views in the first few days! So way! Happy writer! Hello Amadine! I miss you heaps! I'm going to have to go and read the last few chapters, just to keep up with it again! I hope you like this chapter!
ptl4ver419: First of all, thank you so much for reviewing! It means the world to me! Thank you for your lovely comment! I didn't want Casydi to be like all the other girls from other fanfic's, so I decided to mix it up a little bit, but I love that you liked it so much! I hope you like this chapter!
ElsaAriel: First of all, thank you so much for reviewing! It means the absolute world to me! I have noticed that I made a few typos and mistakes in the first chapter, which I will go and fix up eventually, but I haven't exactly had the chance! Haha! But don't worry, I will have those errors fixed in the next few days at the least! I hope you like this chapter!
Nereatje: First of all, thank you so much for reviewing! It means the absolute world to me! I'm so delighted that you like my story so much! I hope you like this chapter as much as you liked the first!
Guest: Thank you for reviewing! It means the absolute world to me! I hope you like this chapter as much as you liked the first!
StarRunner1: Thank you for reviewing! It means the absolute world to me! I like that you found it interesting! What was your favourite part? What did you find interesting? I hope you like this chapter!
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Thank you to; AgnetCoCo, Annabelle4.0, Daiseymaemari-25, ElsaAriel, Emberpapineau, Katiekat1747, Nereatje, PhoenixFire1547, Silver-Assassin7, StarRunner1, That Shuck Griever, amycahill57, basketball4444, foxykitsuneyouko, iristmr, It199798, ptl4ever419, xxkimbobxx!
FOLLOWERS:
Thank you to; 534667lc, AgnetCoCo, Bobdebob, Daiseymaemari-25, Dauntlessthe testinggreek, ElsaAriel, Emofreak99, Katiekat1747, Nereatje, PhoenixFire1547, Rawr1023, Silver-Assassin7, StarRunner1, That Shuck Griever, foxykitsuneyouko, iristmr, It199798, pibbgotsthis, rosavampyr, royalrabbit,xxkimbobxx, xxwildcatxx!
Casydi
I sat down on a large wooden chair, and had two faces invade my personal space. Ever since I fell down the stairs, fifteen minutes ago, and said that I was fine multiple times, Newt had instantly called over two Med-Jacks. Clint wiggled his fingers in front of me and I watched the tip of his finger, as he dragged it through the air.
"Yea, she'll be fine Newt. No sign of concussion, so she should be fine to spend the night by herself. She might have a headache for the rest of tonight, and around some time tomorrow, but other than that, she'll be fine." Clint finally gave me the all-clear, even though I knew I was fine, like I had told them, fifteen minutes ago.
"See? I told you I was fine Newt!" I cried, as I stood up from the chair. A wave of dizziness washed over me, and it took everything I had not to tumble back down onto the ground. I smiled what I hoped was a convincing grin, and prayed that Newt would believe me.
"Ok, but if you have any trouble at all, just yell out, one of us will come and help you out," he caved in, but still told me what I should do if I needed something in the middle of the night.
"I'm pretty sure I won't have any trouble with sleeping the night away." I teased lightly, as I made my way towards the staircase for the second time that night. I think I will always be afraid of this staircase now. Newt chuckled lightly, before he made his way toward me.
"Now, now love, don't get too ahead of yourself," he teased back, as he winked in my direction. I fought the blush that tried to make its way up the back of my neck, but I remained cool, and that was the only thing I could do, without acting like a total girl.
"Tomorrow Nick is going to give you the tour, then you'll go through your Keeper training, and see where you get placed. I'm hoping you do not become a Runner…" Newt trailed off, as I stopped on the stairs in front of him.
"What do you mean by that?" I asked, as I rounded on him with a look of confusion and obvious annoyance.
"Running is the most dangerous job that we could have. The Maze is a place where only few can go. I'm not saying you can't do it because you're a female, I'm just saying that it takes a lot of skill and stamina. I just don't want you to get hurt, ok? You're now a fellow Glader, and Gladers look out for each other," he explained, as he worded his answers carefully. I sighed in distaste, turned around and started to make my way up the stairs again. Why did he want to keep me out of the Maze so much? I've been in there once before. It wasn't that bad! I can take care of myself, I know I can.
"I can look out for myself Newt. I'm not a baby." I whispered as Newt and I made our way to the door of the medical room, which would serve as my salvation for the time being.
"I know you can, but like I said, 'I just don't want you to get hurt'," he repeated, as he opened the door for me, by pushing it open. I narrowed my eyes at him slightly, before I made my way into the room.
It was large in a way, but it was comfortable. More comfortable than sleeping outside with the rest of the boys, I can assure you. There were two windows in the small room, which both had thin cream curtains hanging over them. Underneath the window on the furthest wall from the door, was a double bed with two fluffy pillows. There was a bedside table next to the bed, with a bunch of flowers lying on the wooden top. There was a hammock in the corner next to the door, and an armchair in the other. There was a small dresser, with a mirror above it and a hairbrush strewn across the top of the dresser. An oil lamp hung from the ceiling, and it burned a beautiful bright light.
"Do you like it?" Newt asked, as he stood closely behind me.
"I love it Newt." I whispered, as I grinned, and walked further into the room. I walked over to the window without the bed underneath and looked out into the darkness of the night. I could hear laughter and yelling, and it was only a few seconds before I realised that the people in this place were a family. They stuck together through the thick and thin, and they helped each other when they needed it. Sure, I was scared, but if I was going to go down, I was going to go down fighting.
"If you need anything Casydi, just let me know. I'm right next door," he whispered, as he placed his hand on the small of my back, and smiled at me.
"Thank you Newt." I smiled back at him, as Newt turned away from me and walked out the door. I walked over to the hammock and lay down in it, the swinging sensation giving me a feeling of serenity, calmness. It wasn't long before I drifted off into a peaceful sleep. At least, I was hoping for it to be peaceful.
The maze walls loomed above me as I ran and I knew that I was in deep shuck. Vines littered the concrete walls, which had scratches and brands stamped all over them. I heard a loud moan, and a high pitched scream. I skidded to a stop and turned around in a circle, as I looked in every direction. I felt tears stream down my face, as I turned to run back through the ivy covered walls. I didn't know where I was, and I sure as all hell, didn't know how to get back to the clearing in the middle of the Maze. Back to Newt, back to Nick, back to Minho and Alby.
I turned around the corner, and screamed in fright, but stopped when I saw that it was Nick.
"Nick! Thank…" I trailed off, as Nick's eyes trailed up to mine. His eyes were black and shrunken, his skin a pale blue-purple colour, and he had dark blue veins underneath his skin.
"Nick?" I asked, as I looked into the unfamiliar eyes.
"Cassie, run," he whispered, as a shiver ran down his body. I spun around and ran for my life, but I stopped suddenly when I felt a searing pain in my stomach. I looked down to see I had a long wooden spear, sticking out of my stomach. I let loose an ear piercing scream.
I sat up quickly in the hammock, which made it swing side to side violently, as I screamed loudly. I fell out of the hammock and onto the hard wooden floor, and sat up again. I felt my stomach with my hands for any wounds, but that stopped when Nick and Newt barged into my room, and knelt down in front of me. I clawed at my stomach, thinking that the wound was real, and the scream was still piercing the air around me.
"Cassie! Cassie, calm down!" Nick yelled, but that only freaked me out more.
"No!" I cried out, as I kicked at Nick's hands and stomach to stop his advances toward me.
"Caz, you need to calm down!" Newt cried, as he managed to get my hands away from my stomach.
"What the shucking hell in all hell is going on up here?!" Minho cried, as he raced into the bedroom, and pulled Nick up onto his feet.
"I don't know, she just started screaming, and wouldn't stop clawing at her stomach. Go and get Clint for us, yeah?" Nick asked Minho. Minho gave a short nod, and sprinted out of the room.
Newt had me calm, and held me close to his chest. He rubbed soothing circles on the small of my back, and ran a hand up and down my arm.
"What happened to her Newt?" I heard Nick ask, as he slowly made his way back over towards us.
"I don't know Nick. She was fine when she went to sleep. Could this be because of her escape into the Maze?" Newt whispered, as he rocked me back and forth, the remains of my nightmare fading into the night.
"I don't know Newt. I really don't know." Nick replied. The sounds faded out, as Newt's repetitive soothing motions made me drift back into a dreamless sleep.
I awoke the next morning, to a gentle prodding in the shoulder. I swiped my hand at my shoulder, and shifted slightly in the hammock. The poking insisted, so I opened my eyes and brought my hand up to shield my eyes away from the light that streamed through the window.
I saw Nick, Newt and Alby all standing near the door. Nick had a long wooden stick and continued to poke me with it in the shoulder.
"What?" I growled out, as I sat up slightly, and pushed the stick away.
"Good thing you told me to bring the stick Newt." I heard Nick whisper, as he pulled the stick away from me.
"Thanks shank! Bloody right to! I didn't know what she would be like to wake up, so I thought it would be a better idea than being too close." Newt replied, as I could practically hear the smile that was on his face.
"What?" I growled again, this time louder, and I swear they all just scared the klunk out of themselves.
"It's time to get up Casydi, or you're going to miss breakfast altogether." I heard Alby tell me, but I was still asleep, so I don't think I understood half of it.
"How are you guys so happy at this time of the morning!?" I cried out, as I tried desperately to get them out of my room.
"It's nine o'clock." I heard Newt whisper.
"I'm sorry, what? Why the hell didn't you wake me up before!?" I yelled, as I swung my legs over the side of the hammock quickly, only to pull a very embarrassing stunt and land gracefully on the floor. Oh, how lovely life was.
I heard the boy's snickers and chuckles, but only one of them was nice enough to give me a hand up off the cold floor.
Nick made his way toward me, as his shoulder shook with his supressed laughter.
"Shucks and Shanks, what a graceful decent from our resident Greenie!" Newt cried, as they couldn't hold their laughter back anymore.
"Ha-ha," I laughed sarcastically, "I wouldn't be laughing when your clothes mysteriously disappear the next time you have a shower you shank." I finished, as Nick pulled me up off the ground. The word shank felt foreign, unfamiliar coming out of my mouth, like something was totally and unacceptably different. Maybe I knew this word? Maybe it was a word I knew in the past, but refused to use?
"That sounds weird coming out of your mouth Greenie!" Alby cried, as all of them doubled over with laughter.
"Careful Alby or you'll be next." I glared. The boys seemed to understand what I was threatening, as they all backed away toward the door slowly.
"Get dressed, get some breakfast, and meet me back here. This is where your days begin Greenie! Welcome," Nick started, as he walked toward the door. He stopped and peered over his shoulder at me. "To the Glade," he finished, as he walked out the door, effectively leaving me here alone to my thoughts.
I found Nick easy enough, as he leant against one of the wooden poles of the homestead. His eyes scanned the area around him, before he looked up at the blue, cloudless sky.
"Hey Nick!" I greeted casually, as his head snapped down, and his eyes locked onto mine. It was then that I noticed that Nick was actually very good looking. He was tall, with broad shoulders and a thin figure. He had muscular arms, legs, shoulders and back. His blonde shaggy hair fell slightly in his eyes, but he flicked it away with his long, slender fingers. The sun shone on his blue eyes, and reflected against the darkness of his skin. All in all, he was very attractive.
"Hey Cassie!" Nick replied, as he pushed himself off the wooden pole. "Are you ready for your tour Greenie?" He asked, as he made his way over towards me.
"As ready as I'll ever be," I whispered, as he got even closer. Wow, he was tall.
"So this is the Homestead. This is where we all sleep. The Keepers and Leaders have their rooms, plus some medical rooms, until we expand the Hut. Most of the boys and the other Greenies sleep outside in bedrolls and hammocks, but just to let you know we have Newt, Alby and I taking shifts outside your room to keep them shanks away." Nick pointed to the two story building, that housed all the makeshift beds and the hammocks that were strung between two of the columns that held up the building.
"So the Glade is split up into four parts. One part is the Homestead, the second part is the Deadheads, the third part is the Gardens, and the fourth part is the Bloodhouse. The deadheads are where our Baggers hang out, and also where we bury the ones that die or get themselves banished or trapped in the maze. The Gardens are where we plant the seeds the Creators give us, and that's where Zart, the Keeper of the Track-Hoes, and all the other Track-Hoes slave away," Nick pointed out buildings, people and parts of the Glade like it was the most easiest thing that he had ever done. It was almost like it was rehearsed, like he did it for every Greenie.
"The Bloodhouse is where we keep our animals and slice 'em up for the stews that Frypan makes. Kitchens and bathrooms are located next to the Homestead, which I've already shown you. As you can see the Glade is surrounded by walls. I'll only tell you this once Casydi. Never, and I mean NEVER go into that maze. The only time you will be able to go into that maze is if you're trialling as a Runner, or you are a Runner. Do you understand me?" Nick asked, as seriousness etched into his voice.
"Yes," I whispered, as I looked up to the ivy covered iron walls that surrounded the Glade. He must not have heard me, for he shook my shoulder to snap me out of my daze.
"Casydi!" He cried, "do you understand!?" He cried slowly.
"Yes!" I screamed right back at him. I didn't know why he was screaming at me, but I did know that I wasn't going to take any of his shit. "I understand Nick! Now get out of my face before I hit you!" I growled back, as I got all up in his personal space. He looked shocked, but he recovered quickly.
"What do you know Greenie; looks like you'll fit in here after all." Nick nodded, as he looked me up and down in shock and pride. Like he was impressed or something.
"What made you think that I wouldn't?" I asked, as I cocked my head to the side and placed a hand on my hip. Nick looked down to the ground, laughed and shook his head. He then looked back up to my eyes, with a sort of fondness.
"Nothing at all," he whispered, as he started walking towards one of the ivy covered walls.
"What's next?" I asked, as I looked to some of the initial carvings on the walls.
"Now, Casydi, you become a part of the Glade, once and for all," he replied. We came to a stop in front of the wall, which had few names scattered across it, carved into the cool stone.
I recognised Nick, Newt and Alby's messy scrawl, and for the first time since arriving in this hellhole, I felt like I was with people who I could trust, who wouldn't hurt me. Well, at least I hoped.
I felt something cool press into the palm of my hand. At first I was alarmed, as it was sharp and unfamiliar, but when I looked down, I calmed myself, as it was just a carving tool.
"What am I supposed to do with this Nick?" I asked, as I looked at the blade, then back to the boy beside me.
"I want you to carve your name into the wall, and you will officially be a part of the Glade. Now until forever." Nick explained, as his eyes trailed the names on the wall.
I turned my attention away from Nick, and towards the dozens of other names scrawled across the space. I fixed the grip I had on the carving tool and pressed it against the ivy covered walls. I dragged the tool across the walls, effectively carving my name into the stone. My writing was curly and loopy, and neat in a way. It wasn't very easy to write into solid stone.
"Congratulations Casydi, you are now a Glader," he whispered, as he smiled down at me. It was almost as if he was proud or something. That's twice in the space of an hour.
"What am I supposed to do now?" I asked, as I handed the carving tool back to Nick.
"I'm going to take you to the Kitchens to get something to eat, because you must be starving yourself, am I right?" He asked, as he pocketed the carving tool.
"Yes, I'm positive my stomach is trying to eat itself, so food would be much appreciated!" I laughed as my stomach grumbled in agreement. Nick laughed and shook his head, but grabbed me gently around the wrist and dragged me towards a building next to the Homestead, which Nick had pointed out as the Kitchens.
We walked into the Kitchens, which was sort of set up like a cafeteria. There was space to line up and get food, and picnic tables littered the rest of the space.
"Frypan!" Nick called to an African-American boy, who looked to be around fourteen to fifteen years of age.
"Oh, hey Nick! This must be our newest Glader! Little Casydi, right?" He asked, as he put down the knife he was using and dried his hands on his apron.
"Yeah, it's nice to meet you Frypan!" I smiled, as I held out my hand for him to shake.
"It's a pleasure to meet the girl that Nick and Newt won't shut up about!" Frypan laughed, but shut his mouth quickly when he looked at Nick.
"Let's get you some food, shall we Casydi?" Nick spoke from behind me. He placed his hand on the small of my back, and guided me over to one of the picnic tables that were close to the cooking area. Nick left me for a few seconds, and went over to grab a plate from Frypan. He walked back to the table and placed a plate full of steaming hot, fluff pancakes in front of me.
"Food!" I cried, as I picked up the maple syrup that Frypan had brought over, and drizzled it all over my pancakes. I cut a piece off and popped it into my mouth, and practically moaned in delight. "Frypan, this has got to be the best food that I have ever tasted!" I complimented. Frypan smiled in what I assumed was pride.
"Thank you Casydi! I can see that cooking for you will keep me very entertained!" He laughed, as he went back to making the rest of the meals.
"So Casydi, when you're finished here –" Nick was interrupted halfway as a boy ran into the Kitchens.
"Nick! The box has come up!" He cried. Nick stood up, as confusion and some sort of panic etched across his face.
"What? Are you sure? Are you completely certain?" He asked the boy.
"Very certain! Alby and Newt are checking it now!" He cried, as he then turned around and ran out the door. Nick looked as if he wanted to go with him, so I stood up and made my way towards the door.
"Where do you think you're going Casydi?" He asked, as he wrapped a hand around my upper arm.
"Well, I'm a Glader now right, this means that I have to participate and pull my own weight. Now come on, this sounds urgent!" I responded, as I pulled against Nick with all my weight.
"Ok, ok!" Nick laughed despite all the serious tension that was littering the air around us.
We ran out into the clearing of the Glade, and over to the big group of boys that were surrounding a pit of some sort.
So, I'm pretty sure that I have already established that I am short as hell, so naturally I could fit through tight spaces, and I wouldn't be able to see anything if I was at the back. So I wiggled and squirmed until I was at the front of the group where Nick, Alby and Newt were all standing. They all held a vision of power, confidence and respect.
"For the Nightingale?" Newt read off a piece of paper confused. For some reason, that name sounded familiar, like it meant something to me.
"Can I see that Newt?" I asked, as I took the piece of paper that he held out for me to take. I couldn't explain what I felt. There was a sudden rush of energy and a sort of high-pitched ringing, and I knew that something in the box was meant for me. "Where did this note come from Newt?" I asked, as I dropped down into the box with Nick, Alby and Newt.
"That one there, but good luck trying to lift it, everybody's tried and no result," he pointed to a box in a dark corner. I walked over to it slowly, as I felt everybody's eyes on me.
"She's a Greenie! She's not supposed to be in there, and she's not supposed to be snooping around!" I heard a voice yell from outside the box, probably one of the guys that called dibs.
"Oh, shuck up Gally!" I heard Nick growl. There were a few chuckles of laughter, but it all went silent again when I reached the box. I opened the flaps of the box to see brown arrows with blue feathers on the end, and a brown bow. I wrapped my right hand around the bow, and picked it up with ease. I heard gasps from all around me, and I turned around to face the rest of the boys.
"What?" I asked innocently.
"All of us tried to pick that bow up and we struggled to even move it a centimetre! How did you do that?" Newt asked, as Alby and Nick looked on in suspicion.
"I don't know. Nick," I began as I looked back to him, his attention focused solely on me, "what if I'm this 'Nightingale' character?" I asked, as I stood up from my position on the floor, the bow secured tightly in my hand.
"I don't know Casydi, but you can be as sure as hell that I'm going to find out," he replied, as he placed a gentle hand on my shoulder.
"Nick, there's another box here." Alby told us, as he bent down on the other side of the cage.
"What's in it?" Nick asked, as he walked over to Alby.
"Necklaces," he replied, as he held up necklaces with name tags wrapped around the chain.
"Casydi," One was placed in my hand, and to say it was beautiful and confusing would be an understatement. The pendant was a simple silver music note, with a note attached to it.
"Music will only cause chaos?" I read off the note, as I held the pendant up in front of my eyes.
"Newt," Alby passed Newt his necklace, and then passed one to Nick.
Newt's pendant was two feathers crossing over each other diagonally in different directions. One silver, one black, simple yet just as confusing as my music note.
"Your determination will light the way?" Newt was just as confused as the rest of us. "What does yours say Nick?" Newt asked, as Nick picked the note off his chain.
"Darkness will be encountered, but it is up to you to save the power," he replied, as he eyed the pendant that was attached to the chain. I walked over to Nick and took the necklace from Nick.
Nick's pendant was more complex than the rest of ours. Nick's was a blurred silver cross, with one streak of red.
"What does this mean?" Nick asked. Everybody else was getting their pendants and chains, but none of them resembled the same pendants as Nick, Newt and I.
"I don't know Nick, I don't know," I whispered, as I looked him dead in the eye. "I really don't know."