When we got back to the Glen, I felt relief rushing back to me. Maeve told us to go to the Homebase while she went to go get Sonya. In a weird way, I felt more excited than ever now that we actually found something. I was hoping that it meant something. Otherwise, the trip to the Maze was a complete waste of time.

Sonya entered the Homebase as Maeve handed her the silver, tube-like object to her. "We found it in the Maze, inside a Griever," she explained to Sonya.

Sonya traced her fingers over the object. "WICKED. These are the same letters that are on our supplies."

"The Creators," Esther muttered. "That means they made the Grievers, too."

Rachel stepped up. "This is the first real clue, the first thing at all, that the Runners have found in two years." She turned towards the Runners. "Right?" The two nodded their heads as Rachel turned back towards Sonya. "We gotta go back out there, Sonya. Who knows where this might lead us."

"Ugh, enough with that bullshit." We turned around only to find Beth leaning against the doorframe with her arms folded over her chest. She strolled inside, standing beside Sonya. "You see what she's trying to do, right? First, she breaks the rules, then she tries to convince us to abandon them completely. The rules are the only thing that have ever held us together! Why are we questioning that now? If Harriet wasn't stuck suffering from the sticking Changing, you know she'd agree with me on this. That stick needs to be punished!" She furiously pointed at Rachel.

Sonya stared at Rachel, handing the object back to Maeve, then sighed. "Beth, you're right. Rachel broke the rules. So, her punishment will be one night in the Slammer with no food."

"Oh, hell no, Sonya!" Beth protested, getting more frustrated and aggravated. "One night in the Slammer and no food?! You really think that's going to stop her from going into the Maze?!"

"No, it's not, and we can't just have anyone running into the Maze whenever they feel like it," Sonya said in the calmest way, looking at Rachel. "So let's just make this official. Rachel, starting from tomorrow, you're a Runner."

Beth's mouth opened wide, shaking her head and scoffing in disbelief. "Wow. Just...wow." With that, Beth stormed out of the Homebase, her face flooded with anger.

Rachel looked at Sonya with a thankful look on her face. "Thanks, Sonya."

The blonde responded with a slight nod. "Don't make me regret my decision," she warned.

"You won't," Rachel assured Sonya.

With that, our small meeting was dismissed. While the others left the Homebase, my curiosity got the best of me, resulting in me going upstairs to check on the boy. Gwyneth and Amelia paid me no mind as I strolled in. Both patients were still in the same condition as before. I pulled up a chair and sat down next to the boy's bed, looking down at him. "I wonder when he'll wake up..." I muttered.

"Who knows," Amelia replied. "He could be out for days, weeks even."

"Weeks?" I repeated. "But that's such a long time."

"I know, but it all depends on his condition and whether or not he improves," she told me.

I huffed a sigh, placing my face in my hands, letting out a groan. "This is sticking great."

All of a sudden, I heard a rumbling noise from the bed. "Rachel...Rachel..."

I looked up and saw that the boy was rustling and talking in his sleep. I quietly motioned Gwyneth and Amelia to me, pointing excitedly at him. They came over to me, staring down at the boy as well. Then, the two went to go get some food and water for him as he rolled over, his eyes slowly opening up. When he caught a quick glimpse of me, his eyes went wide.

"Get away from me!" he screamed, scrambling to get out of the bed.

"Woah, calm down," I said, standing up from the chair. "None of us are going to hurt you."

"Don't come near me!" he yelled, taking a chair nearby and throwing it at me.

"Gwyn! Amelia!" I shouted, dodging the chair. "Get in here!"

The Medics came swooping in, dropping the food and water. The boy turned around, shooting the girls warning looks. "Leave me alone."

"Look, we're just trying to--" Amelia began to say, but she was cut off by the boy's running. "Damn stick!"

The three of us rushed out of the room and down the stairs, dashing out of the Homebase. He was now running for the Kitchens, grabbing a bagful of fruit he snatched from the table. Then, he hurriedly got to the treehouse and climbed all the way to the top.

"Girls, I need some help here!" I yelled at the other Glenners as the Medics ran off. "The boy woke up!"

The Glenners all came rushing towards me with buckets and pieces of wood. The boy began to throw the fruit down at us, using the buckets and the wood to shield us.

"This one's got some fire in him, doesn't he?" Esther inquired.

"Leave me alone!" he shouted, tossing more fruit at us.

"We don't want to hurt you!" Esther shouted back.

"I don't believe that!" he yelled.

"Hey, throw one more of those things and-- OW!" Beth cried out as an apple hit her on the head. "That's it!" She ran to the ladder, attempting to climb up, but Esther and Sonya grabbed her before she got too far up. "No, let me throw the stick down here!"

"What's going on?" Rachel asked as she made her way to us.

"I don't think he likes us very much," I explained, pointing up at the top.

"We come in peace!" Cora shouted at him.

"Go away! I'm warning you!" He continued to throw more fruit at us, not giving up until he had nothing left.

"What do you want from me?" he asked.

"We just want to talk!" Rachel yelled. "It's me, Rachel!" Suddenly, the fruit stopped coming down, and the boy poked his head and looked down at us. "I'm gonna come up, okay? Just me, I promise." He eyed her suspiciously, then moved his head back to where we couldn't see him. Rachel nodded her head and sighed. "Okay..." She went to the treehouse and began to slowly climb it.

Once Rachel made it to the top, we patiently waited for a few minutes, wondering if they were ever going to come back down. "What's going on up there?" I called out.

"Is he coming down?" Sonya piped up.

Rachel stared down at the boy, then turned to see us. "Give us a few more minutes, okay?"

Sighing in an almost disappointing way, Sonya motioned everyone to follow her. "Okay, sticks, let's go so that they can talk alone."

So we left the treehouse and went back to our jobs. However, just before I went to the Deadheads, I looked back at the treehouse and took a glance at the boy, who just so happened to be catching a glimpse of me as well. I took one more look before heading out of the Glen and into the woods.

*******

That evening, just before dinner, I watched Esther escort Rachel to the Slammer. Both of them were exchanging words to one another, which of course, I couldn't help but overhear. I creeped against the wall and looked over at Esther and Rachel standing in front of the Slammer.

"Rachel, I want you to do me a favor," Esther said.

"Sure, Esther, what is it?" she asked.

Esther sighed, giving Rachel almost a desperate look. "I've been here for two years and I was beginning to lose faith in Maeve and the other Runners until you survived a night in the Maze. Now, I think we have a chance at getting out of here. But, also, in the two years that I have been here, these girls have become like family to me, and I don't want us to be stuck in here forever."

"So what are you asking me?" Rachel questioned.

"I want you to get my girls out of here as soon as possible," she responded.

"Esther, you're getting out of here, too," Rachel said.

"But if I don't make it before you and Maeve find a way out, then I want you to focus on getting everyone else out." Esther shook her head. "They deserve better than this."

Rachel nodded her head. "We deserve better than this." She took Esther's free hand and squeezed it. "We're all getting out of here, okay?"

Esther nodded her head back. "Okay. But if I don't make it--"

"Then I'll get everyone else out," the ginger finished for her. "I promise. You have my word."

The brunette sighed, then unlocked the Slammer for Rachel to go inside. She jumped inside, then watched as Esther locked the door, then walked away. I quickly left and caught up with the others. At dinner, everything was quite normal. I sat with Lillie and the other Baggers, not saying a word to anyone. I looked down at my food and wondered how much trouble I would get into if I snuck Rachel some food. She had to eat for tomorrow's run. How was she able to do anything on an empty stomach?

So, after dinner, I took my napkin and placed what I didn't eat, which was most of my food, inside the napkin, then folded it up. I quickly filled up my bottle with more water before leaving the Homebase. I waited until the sun was completely down before making my way over to the Slammer. I held the lantern in front of me, scanning my surroundings, hoping that I wouldn't get caught.

"Who's there?" Rachel called out.

I placed the lantern down. "Don't worry, it's just me." I sat down on the grass and handed her the bottle and napkin. "Here you go. You'll need your energy for tomorrow's run."

She fumbled with the napkin to get it open. Stuffing the food inside her mouth, she moaned, giving me a grateful look. "Thanks, Piper."

I shot her a soft smile. "You're welcome, Rachel." I sighed, picking at the grass and throwing it in the air.

"His name is Aris," Rachel said in a muffled voice. "He told me that you were the first person he saw when he woke up."

"Did he also tell you that he threw a chair at me?" I inquired, raising my eyebrows.

Rachel chuckled, opening the bottle filled with. "He failed to mention that part." She took a swig of the water, gulping it down, then closing the bottle back up and setting it on the ground beside her.

I snorted, shaking my head. "He's lucky the chair didn't hit me."

She smiled, swallowing her food. "He doesn't remember anything, either."

I frowned in disappointment. "I figured that would be the case."

"I'm sure Beth thinks that this is all his fault, too," she commented, changing the subject. "Do you know why Beth hates me so much?"

I shrugged my shoulders, looking down at the ginger. "I think she hates everyone, to be honest. I guess after being stuck up here for two years with the same people, you get tired of it." I paused for a moment, then sighed again. "What do you think you're gonna find out there tomorrow?"

Rachel shook her head, shrugging her shoulders. "I don't know. But if there's a way out, then me and Maeve are gonna find it."

I nodded my head. "I hope you do." I stood up and grabbed the lantern. "Well, I'll let you get some sleep. Goodnight, Rachel."

"Goodnight, Piper," she replied.

I took the lantern back to the Homebase, then headed for my hammock, where Lillie was already laying in hers. I got in my hammock, trying to get as comfortable as possible. I looked up at the stars, huffing a loud sigh. "Do you think Rachel and Maeve will find anything in the Maze tomorrow, Lillie?"

Instead of a nod or a shaking of the head, even a shrug of the shoulders, I heard Lillie mumble, "I sticking hope so."

A/N: WOAH. LILLIE TALKED. BET YOU DIDN'T EXPECT THAT (SINA, I'M TALKING TO YOU).

Sooo Aris woke up! What do y'all think of that?

Song above is When the Darkness Comes by Shelby Merry.

Comment, vote, more to come. ;)

-A