The Walls Come Tumbling Down

[Day Star]

For @Sequoia and I, please don't post unless you're given permission.


A loud, blaring alarm was their first indication that the Box was coming up, and Alby took off towards it at a light jog, his heart rate increasing the closer he got. It had been a month since the last boy had been sent up, and if whoever put them here was following the pattern, it was about time for another. As he ran, he looked around, but didn't see anyone else approaching by the time he got to the Box. They might have been sulking or working, for all he knew. Like he really knew anything.


Halting at the lip of the hole, breath coming hard, the dark skinned boy looked down, painfully eager to see if there was another person in the metal container that was slowly rising. As it ground to a shuddering halt, his jaw tightened, eyes straining, and - yes, yes, there was definitely someone in the Box, a blonde boy. But before he could see too much more detail, Alby leaned down, yanked up the lid, letting sunlight flood in the Box, his heart still working almost pathetically hard. It was like it still couldn't believe he hadn't been left alone - all alone - in this crazy place.


Heaving in a deep breath, trying to look calm and reassuring, Alby extended his hand to the new boy. "Hey kid," he said, voice coming out low and smooth. He shut up then, knowing the panic attack the other male was going probably going through.

 

[Sequoia]

He didn't know where he was or where he was going, but he did know he was moving. The dark was consuming him as the metal cage rumbled, going up. He heard a grinding noise and looked up, blinking as light flooded the cage. Some one jumped down and he scrambled away.


The blonde boy shivered as the other boy held out his hand. He flinched away from it.


"Where am I?" He asked, voice high and strained.

 

[Day Star]

It didn't surprise him that the kid refused his hand; wasn't like they knew each other, after all. Letting it drop, keeping that same reassuring expression on his face, Alby said, "Just relax, okay? We're not gonna hurt you. You're..." Well hell, how could he explain what this place was? Where it was? He didn't even know the answer himself! That knowledge drawing his face into slightly grim lines, the Glader sighed. "Look, I'm not gonna be able to answer all your questions. We're calling this place the Glade." He stood back, made an inviting gesture for the kid to get out of the Box.

 

[Sequoia]

They boy stood, shaking. He tried to remember what happened but couldn't. "I can't remember...why can't I remember anything? Not even my name..." He mumbled, clutching his head and breathing hard. He finally stood and looked the other boy in the eye. "I want out. Now!" He growled, not trusting the boy or the other's he could hear moving around above. 
His eyes burned with a fire he didn't know he had.

 

[Day Star]

Taken aback by the ferocity of the boy's reply, Alby met his eyes for a long moment, judging the strength there, the anger. When he'd come up into the Glade, he'd wandered around in a daze for a few days; clearly this kid wasn't going to be like that. Wouldn't be like George, who'd cried, or Gally, who'd tried to punch him repeated times throughout the first few hours. Alby rather hoped this newcomer wouldn't be like that. Took a lot of effort to not punch back, and where Gally was muscular, this boy was rather scrawny; he might break if anyone hit him.


"Relax," the old hand Glader repeated. "None of us remember our names at first, or anything else, okay? Your name's gonna come to you in a few days." The rest was down the toilet, but he didn't say that. Leaning back even further, he shrugged. "Newbie, you're welcome to jump out of the Box, but as for outta this place... well, for the moment you're stuck here." Alby glanced up - two faces looked down at him, and he nodded to them, knowing they'd hold the kid back if he tried to run to any of the Doors.

 

[Sequoia]

He glared but accepted a helping out of the box. He looked around at the large walls surrounding the clearing. He looked at the three boys. "What are we supposed to do?" He asked, squatting an running his hand through the tall grass, hissing as he felt thorns. 
There was a loud rumbling and he looked up as the doors began to close. 
(??)

 

[Day Star]

[sorry Sequoia, Wednesdays/Mondays are mental for me.]


Surprised - but also a little pleased - that the blonde kid was reacting without absolutely flipping his lid, Alby followed him out of the Box and stood, arms crossed, as the newcomer looked at the doors. Ignoring his question for the moment, he nodded to the two other boys who had come up in the previous months. "That's George and that's Gally." They both waved halfheartedly, and Alby pointed to the nearest doors, which had sealed shut just a few seconds before. "That's the Maze. Believe me, you don't wanna be out there when the doors close."

 

[Sequoia]

The blonde boy nodded at the other two before looking back at the other kid. "What's your name? And have you been out there?" He asked, squinting up from where he was squatting. Suddenly he clutched his head and knelt, grunting. "Newt...my name...is Newt..." He gritted out. 
((I get, just let me know!))

 

[Day Star]

About to introduce himself, Alby pulled up short when the kid suddenly folded. Concerned, he reached a hand out and aimed to grab his shoulder, to steady him. The low, almost painful revelation set the dark Glader's heart back to its original fast pace. It had been exciting when the other two had remembered their name; now was no different.


"Newt," Alby repeated the slightly strange name, determined to remember it right off the bat. "Good to meet ya, Newt. My name's Alby. Can you remember anything else, besides your name?" Suddenly Gally and George leaned forward, eager, hopeful looks on their faces. Alby knew his face looked the same. It was real hard not to hope that the new kid might have the answers that all of them were so desperately looking for.

 

[Sequoia]

Newt closed his eyes and concentrated... "...Sorry, but no....I only remember my name..." He said apologetically. He shook his head and ruffled his hair. He looked around and smiled a bit at the other boys.


He held out his hand. "Nice to meet you Alby...Can you tell me what we are here for?"

 

[Day Star]

Gally snorted and stalked away, his shoulders tight. Alby shook his head and didn't watch him go, instead turning back to the other to boys. George piped up. "Good tah meetcha Newt. Don't worry about remembering, we ain't got a clue about why we're here, or what kinda klunk loving people sent us up in the Box." The short boy shrugged, smiled. "All we're gonna do is get out, that's all."


Alby joined in. "We've searched the Glade pretty thoroughly." His wide motion encompassed the entirety of the field they'd been placed in. "I'm thinking - and these two agree with me - that the way out is through the Maze."

 

[Sequoia]

Newt nodded, his eyes trailing over Alby's strong form. He cleared his throat and looked around. "So...we stay in the Glade and search the MAZE sometimes?" He asked, focused on the doors. "Do those doors close?"

 

[Sequoia]

((????))