"Newt." I heard a whisper as a soft breath through my half conscious mind. I groaned and rolled to my side, not knowing what time it was, but wanting to stay asleep.

"Newt..." Her angelic voice spoke to me again but a little louder. This time, I turned around and fluttered my eyes open.

Just as I thought, the most beautiful face I've ever seen made eye contact with me. She bit her bottom lip, trying to keep her smile contained...I always hated it when she did that. The fluorescent lights were like a silhouette around her head as she kneeled beside my bed. I felt the corners of my lips quirk up, and I didn't hesitate to smile as she finally let hers show.

"Good morning." She whispered to me. Her voice was smooth, breathtaking. I could listen to her tell me stories for days and days.

I closed my eyes again. "Good morning." I mumbled back to her through my groggy, adolescent voice. I let out a groan as I stretched my muscles and threw my legs over the side of my bed. She watched me with the same smirk on her face.

Looking back at her, I felt my head be cleared, and all of the worries and aches of the previous night were nothing but memories now. I placed my bare feet onto the cold concrete floor of our room, and looked around just like I did every morning. But something about today was different.

I furrowed my eyebrows and stood up, keeping my eyes on her as she looked up at me through her big brown doe eyes. "Is there a reason you woke me up this early? What time is it?" I asked her as she stood to her feet.

She shrugged. "I dunno. I was just bored so I woke you up."

I shot her a playful glare and tilted my head to the right with a smirk. "Were you really bored? Or did you have a nightmare?"

"I guess you'll never know..." She teased, turning her head away from me and walking over to the small restroom that we had attached to our bunk. Her brown hair cascaded down her back, stopping just below her shoulders. I watched as her body swayed with every step she took. Sometimes I thought that she wasn't real. She made her way into my mind at every moment of every day, a reminder of something that I already knew I would never forget.

Impulsively, I followed her through the steel door, watching as she stood in front of the mirror. My smile faded, and I walked up behind her as she studied herself. The changes they made. Her cheeks had begun to hollow a little more than they had a week ago, and her jawline was as prominent as ever. The dark circles under her eyes didn't bother to hide themselves, and her hair was pressed against her forehead.

"Was it bad this time?" I whispered as I watched her eyes glass over with tears.

She nodded and met my eyes through the glass. "Worst one yet. Newt, I'm not sure how much longer I can take this."

"Hey." I murmured. I grabbed her shoulders and gently turned her around to face me. She stared at my chest, shaking her head. She knew what I was about to tell her. It's a routine. If I ever went a day without telling her, I wouldn't know what I would do.

"You know what I'm about to tell you, correct?" I asked her with a small smile on my lips. She shook her head, and I could just make out the slightest quiver of her bottom lip as she tried to hold back all of her emotions. I slowly moved my fingers underneath her chin, and I gently lifted it up, forcing her to meet my eyes.

Galaxies. That's wat I saw when I looked into them.

"One day." I started as a tear slipped out of her left eye. I wiped it away with the pad of my thumb as a reminder that I would always be here. I would never leave her. "One day, we're going to get out of this place."

She looked to each of my eyes, deciding which one to look at. Every time I saw her down the hall, through the window, or next to me as I woke up, I almost found myself giving into the feeling that she gave me. She made me want to live forever. To fight. She made the butterflies in my stomach flutter more than they ever have before. As soon as I met her, I knew that she was the one. It didn't matter that I was six years old. I'm now fifteen. I've known her for longer than I haven't, and I didn't care that it was through WICKED. Ever since the first time she made me laugh when I thought I would never smile again...I knew she was special.

"We're gonna get out, and we're gonna get as far away from this place as we can." I exaggerated my words, speaking softly so that she would believe me. Every day, I told her the same thing. She could probably recite it by now. "We're gonna go somewhere safe. Somewhere they can never touch you again. When we're older, we're gonna have a dog. What's it gonna be named?"

Another tear fell out of her eye. "Lucy."

I nodded and let out a smile. "Right. And where are we gonna live?"

"I-In a house on a beach." She choked.

"Right." I repeated, gently closing my eyes and pressing my lips to her forehead. "And we're gonna be happy, and we're gonna grow old together. We're gonna be old people."

She let out a breathy laugh and relaxed into my hands. I placed them on each of her hollow cheeks, and she placed her miniscule fingers on top of mine. I pulled back, looking into her eyes once more.

Whenever I did, I felt at home.

She opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a loud bang. I furrowed my eyebrows, wondering what was going on. They don't take anyone this early, especially not her. They usually give her a couple minutes to rest before they tested her again. Every time, I could hear her screams echo down the hallway. It was torture. The only thing that stopped me from punching every single guard I came into contact with, was the fact that I was going to see her soon. But now, it was too soon.

I moved my hands from her cheeks and slowly pushed her behind me, ready to fight anyone who wanted to take her. We had a deal.

"Newt." A guard called as he opened the door to the restroom. "We're ready for you."

"What?" Her voice piped up from behind me. I looked over my shoulder at her for only a second before I furrowed my eyebrows at the guard. I could no longer see the room behind him, but instead, a bright light outlined his body, making me wonder what the hell was going on. There was a slight breeze to the air, chilling every bone in my body and making my heart beat faster.

I cleared my throat. "Wh-Why? For what?"

The guard looked over my shoulder at her before taking a step forward. Before I could move back, his hand was already firm around my wrist, and he yanked me towards him.

"No!" She yelled. I tried to push him off, but the harder I tried, the tighter his fingers wrapped around me. I groaned, not wanting to get tased, but I would do anything to get back to her. She screamed again, moving towards one of the guards, but they just pushed her away. She grabbed their wrist and twisted it, making the guard yell out in pain.

She's always been a good fighter.

With a grunt, she threw the guard against the counter, knocking him out. When another one advanced towards her, she grabbed the holster of his taser and yanked it towards her, moving out of the way when he was thrown to the ground. She stomped on his face and turned to me, still struggling against the guard who had a hold of my wrist. I stomped on his foot with my left leg, and he finally let go with a loud curse to my ear. When I was finally let loose, I ran back to her.

That's when I realized that we had nowhere to go.

I turned around and looked at her, both of her eyes now frantic as she tried to come up with a plan in that big brain of hers. But I knew this was going to happen.

Delaying the inevitable never works out in the end. It only causes suffering. Not only from you, but from the ones you love as well.

"Maisy." I whispered to her. I could hear the shouts of the new wave of guards just outside the door. Her eyes began to become glazed over with tears once again, and her breathing started to quicken. She knew what was going to happen too.

"In through your nose." I whispered to her. "Out through your mouth."

Suddenly, another loud bang was heard. I turned around swiftly, being met with the bright light consuming everything in the room. It was like the sun was right outside the door. I tried to yell, but no words came out. I couldn't see anything, only white. I tried to walk, but I just found myself falling instead.

"Mae!" I shouted to nobody. "Maisy!"

I awoke drenched in sweat, and gasping for air.

"Bloody hell." I muttered to myself as I placed my hand over my eyes.

It was her. I saw her. Mae. The girl that came up in the Box just two days ago now. I don't know whether I saw a dream, or a memory, and I had no idea what the hell was going on. But like always, I calmed myself down and shook my head, knowing that I wasn't getting anymore sleep.

I made my way across my small room and to my dirty shoes. I slipped them onto my feet and let a yawn escape my mouth. I raised my arms over my head, stretching out my sore muscles and cracking my leg. It was a routine. I did it every day as soon as I woke up. I stared at it for a while, letting the dreadful memory make it's way into my mind for only a moment before I shook it away and opened the door to the hallway.

Sighing, I slipped my grimy jacket over my head and stuffed my hands into my pocket, grabbing my pointer finger and picking at my dirty nailbed. I casually made my way down the stairs, not wanting to wake anyone up.

Outside, the sun was just starting to appear behind the Glade. The sky was a pinkish color, and the air was warm like it always was. I found comfort in the silence, savoring it as I sat down at the picnic table I had eaten at yesterday morning. Being alone, I was finally one with my thoughts. I could think about anything without having to worry about someone coming to bother me, or ask me to help. I could relax before the day started, repeating itself like it does everyday.

Sometimes I think that we were put here for a test. A test to see what we would do, or how we would react to being cooped up into a gigantic concrete Maze until we have to find out way out. Other times I think we came here voluntarily. Had our memories wiped to save some people from something...or someone.

Either way, it sucked. Not remembering who I was, who the people around me were. Every month, a boy came up, scared as ever in that little metal box. Alby gave them the tour, I showed them the Grievers...then everything goes back to normal. Nothing changes. I wondered if one day, the Maze was going to get too full, and we were going to have to escape without knowing what the hell we were doing. If we were here for long enough, people could die. I could die. I didn't know if I could spend another two years living in the same place, doing the same thing day after day.

It's already taken it's toll on me.

But then, when I thought that nothing would ever change, and we were going to keep going in circles until the day where each of us finally kicks the bucket, a girl showed up. One with a knack for sarcastic comments, and comebacks that could make anyone look like a bloody fool. But she wasn't scared. At least she didn't show it. When I heard her crying that first night, I almost felt my heart being torn into two for some strange reason. I felt the need to protect her.

When the boys started suggesting that she would be used to breed, I thought that I was going to loose my innocent nature and kill them right then and there. Luckily, Alby stopped the commotion before I got the chance to. It amazed me how inconsiderate some people could be. The people I was supposed to lead if something bad happened to the true leader. I mean, I get it, we hadn't seen a girl for as long as we can remember, and then comes one, vulnerable as ever.

But she wasn't weak. I knew that from the moment she talked back to Alby for the first time. She made everyone laugh, and she was...

She was beautiful.

She had this...hair that just sat perfectly no matter which way she decided to put it. And her voice—bloody hell, her voice—her voice could bring me to my knees. Now that I think about it, I was already on my knees. She could tell me to do anything, and I would do it. No matter the cost.

"You're up early..."

Speak of the devil, I thought. I recognized her voice from the first syllable she spoke. I didn't turn around to meet her gaze. The dream that I had freaked me out. Did I know her from somewhere? I thought she looked familiar, but I just ignored it. Nothing was familiar besides the food I ate and the animals around here. I only knew the people in the Glade. Not the girl who was standing behind me.

"So are you." I murmured, taking my hands out of my pocket and letting them rest on the chipping wood of the table. "Were you just bored? Or did you have a nightmare?"

I clenched my jaw as soon as the words fell out of my mouth. I wasn't even thinking, but now that I remembered my dream, or the...strange memory, I realized that those were the exact same words I spoke to her.

"Both." She sighed, swinging her leg over the bench and sitting by my side. She copied my actions, placing her hands on the wood and picking at her fingernail.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked her, feeling rude if I didn't. Most Greenies have nightmares when they first get here. I assumed that hers were worse, being the only girl.

But she shook her head and turned to look at me. "Not really. I'll be fine."

I nodded and dropped my gaze to the grass in front of the table. The sky was now an orange color, making everything around it look like it was glowing from the rays. The sun always rose and set quickly. Sometimes I just wished that I was able to pause a moment and keep it in my pocket. If I was able to do that, I would probably do it now.

"Do you remember your parents?" She suddenly asked me. I turned my head to face her with furrowed eyebrows.

"Um...no." I replied, not knowing how to answer. "I obviously had them at one point, but the bloody creators made sure I forgot them."

Why are you telling her this, Newt? A voice inside my head spoke. Maybe she had a nightmare about her parents and wanted to tell me about it. Either way, I had no bloody clue how to act around a girl. I hadn't seen one in sixteen years. Or, I think that's how old I was... Besides, what am I supposed to say? That I didn't remember them because I got my shucking memory wiped, and you shouldn't remember them either? That would just make me seem like a klunkhead and she would probably never talk to me ever again.

"Me neither." She responded with a breathy laugh. "I wish I did though. Had a family, I mean."

I studied her face for any sign of sadness, or emotion she might be hiding behind her big brown eyes. But there was none. It was like she was void of anything. "Yeah, me too."

"You know, yesterday, when I was trying to sleep," She told me. "I imagined what my life would be like in the future. If we ever get out of this place..."

I had a shucking dream about that, I thought.

"What did you imagine?" I whispered. For some reason, this moment felt as though it was too special for words.

She turned her head towards me, and right then, I felt my heart stop. I forgot to breathe for a second, and I clenched my jaw, trying to refrain myself from doing anything stupid like speaking. She was so beautiful... I almost forgot my own name like I did yesterday when she was working in the gardens with me. Then, I forgot where I was, and what I was doing. All she did was put her hair in a bloody ponytail, but to me it was like she figured out the meaning as to why we were here. Like she solved the bloody Maze. She always found ways to amaze me. Even though I've known her for only two days, it felt as though I've known her my whole life.

"I imagined that I lived in a house, a nice house. With a dog." She grinned. I could practically see her envisioning the picture in her mind. "The house would be by a beach. Or somewhere where you could see for miles and miles. Where you can see the sun disappear beyond the horizon, and where the trees sway with the breeze...hearing the waves crash against the sand. It's probably crazy, but—"

"'S not crazy at all." I interrupted her, ignoring the screaming thoughts in my head. "Sounds beautiful actually. If you don't mind, could I join you?"

She chuckled and dropped her gaze to the floor before looking back at me. "Of course."

Just when I thought the moment couldn't get any more weird or...happy, she cocked her head to the left and arose from her seat. I furrowed my eyebrows and watched as she began to walk out into the Glade. I scrambled up from the bench, careful not to trip over my bum leg. Stupid thing makes me fall all the time...

I followed from behind her, gazing around at how strange it was that nobody was awake yet. It was like we were the only two people who lived here. The only two people in the world. Her hair waved back and forth with every stride, and the sun reflected off of the dewy grass and onto the shape of her body, almost making me fall to my knees. I inhaled through my nose and breathed in all of the fresh scents of the Glade, trying to get my mind off of her body. I didn't want to feel like I was violating her. Even if it was only in my mind.

When I looked back at her, she had her head turned around over her shoulder, biting her bottom lip and smiling. Her smile was contagious. I found the corners of my lips twitching up as she moved from a walk to a skip, like she was frolicking through the grass blades. She held her fingers out, gently catching the loose water droplets. She looked like someone straight out of a movie. Not that I remembered ever seeing one, but I remembered them. And she looked like she was snatched right out of one and placed right in front of me, taking my breath away once more.

We eventually stopped walking at a small patch of flattened grass. One that looked like she came across when she was exploring the walls yesterday. We were actually right up against them, close to the Deadheads, but still a few feet away. She laid down, facing the sky and placing the top of her head against the concrete of the east wall.

I furrowed my eyebrows and looked up. "Mae, it's gonna hurt when the doors open soon."

She glared at me. "Oh just lay down, you big baby...trust me. You're gonna miss it."