05 | make your mark

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[This is bold because it's important! I've changed some parts in chapters 2, 3 and 4 which I think is essential. So, if you want to read go ahead. If you don't you can just continue. The changed parts are marked with a *** to make it easier for you guys.]

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Since there weren't many boys who needed their help after Nick's warning, Clint asked Anne and Lincoln to take the rest of the day off. Lincoln was more than happy to run off, informing them that he was going to take a short nap before dinner. Anne however decided to stay back and help Clint.

Anne didn't like the idea of having the rest of the day off to just walk aimlessly around the Glade or sit in her room, bored out of her mind. She hated the fact that despite having spent more than two weeks in the Glade, the boys still stared at her like she was something they had never seen, which could be the case. So, Anne stayed back and helped Clint and Jeff, the only two other Medjacks clean up.

Both rooms were empty after the last boy exited, so while Jeff cleaned the more cleaner one, Clint and Anne took the bigger mess. They stripped the sheets off the beds and took them down to a Slopper to wash and made the two beds in the room with new sheets. Clint even resorted to fluffing the pillows. Then, they sweeped and mopped the floor and dusted off any dust or spiderweb that could have gathered.

Throughout the whole process, Clint tried to get Anne to go and rest more than once, but she said no every single time.

Anne arranged and rearranged the contents of the small cupboard in the room, trying to keep herself busy. Clint kept the essential everyday use type of things in each room. Gauze, bandage, spirit, cotton balls and at least two syringes of the Grief serum were kept in the cupboards.

"I think I know why you don't want to leave," Clint said, turning her attention away from the bottle she kept turning around and around.

"You do?"

"It's kind of obvious after the exciting morning we had," Clint said. His tone made it clear that he felt bad for her.

"It's kind of annoying and creepy when people hurt themselves just to see you," she said.

"Yeah, I get that," Clint said. "So, can I give you some advice?"

Anne finally turned to face the Keeper and nodded. "Sure, that would be very nice."

"Act like you don't care," Clint held up a hand knowing she would say something and continued when she closed her mouth. "I know that won't be easy, but trust me. They'll get used to having a girl around and they won't annoy you anymore."

Anne pondered over the thought, running it through her head. He was right. The boys could only find her interesting for so long. "That's really good advice. Thanks, Clint."

He smiled and mimed tipping a hat causing her to laugh. "I also have another idea."

Anne raised an eyebrow and gestured for him to continue.

"Maybe you could scare them," He said, a smile on his face, indicating that he was actually joking. "If you were a Slicer, they would think twice before trying to do something as stupid as they did today."

Anne laughed again. "Yeah, maybe I should go around swinging a huge hammer. Or an axe. Know where I can get one?"

They continued to come up with ridiculous ways for Anne to scare the boys away and even Jeff joined them a while later, contributing his own ridiculous ideas into the conversation. Their fun and games were interrupted by a knock on the door.

All three of them turned to find Alby standing by the door with an amused look on his face. He had most definitely caught the last part of their ridiculous conversation about trying to tame a Griever.

"Mind if I borrow Anne for a moment?" Alby asked causing Anne to straighten up. The two boys beside her shook their heads.

Anne stood up and nervously followed Alby. Alby wasn't the most friendly Glader. Granted, he was nice and helpful but lacked a warm side. Or maybe he just didn't show it that often. That trait was something she noticed more in Nick.

They exited the Homestead and she followed Alby towards the opposite side of the Glade. Halfway there, he spoke up.

"You've been in the Glade for over two weeks now," he said, "and there's something all Gladers do to... make their mark, I suppose."

He stopped in front of a section of the wall a little ways near the Deadheads. Anne could see scratches all over that area of the wall but upon closer observation, realised that it was names carved into the stone. She noticed familiar names such as Alby, Nick, Zart, Lincoln, Newt and even saw that some names had been crossed off. She didn't have to think too hard to know why.

Alby handed her an ice pick and a hammer which she took gingerly in her hands. "Now it's your turn to make your mark. You're one of us now."

Anne smiled, feeling a sense of belonging come over her as he said those words. She found some space under Lincoln's name and got to work, carefully carving her name into the stone.

Alby left to return the tools, leaving her alone to examine the names once she was done. Her eyes roamed over all of them, stopping on some names that had been crossed off. She wondered what happened to the boy named George. Her thoughts were interrupted by a voice behind her.

"Did he by any chance tell you that cheesy little line he uses? What was it? Make your mark?"

Anne turned around to find Newt standing behind her, an amused grin on his face. It was something she didn't often see on him. "Yeah, he did."

He walked closer to the wall until he was standing beside her, his eyes on the wall as well. "Wondering why the names are crossed off?"

"Kind of figured why..." she could see the sad look on his face. "Did you know them?"

"Yeah, I did. I was one of the first to come up to this bloody place. Many of 'em died the first month ya know. Stuck outside when the doors closed."

He turned away from the crossed ones and reached up to touch his own name. He had a distant, almost horrified expression on his face.

"Newt?" She asked, getting worried when he didn't move for a while.

Newt blinked in surprise and turned to face her, quickly covering up the previous expression on his face with a forced smile. "Is it dinner time yet? I'm starving."

He gestured her to follow her and she did, wondering whether she would ever be able to unravel the mystery that was Newt.

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I actually like this chapter. Anne spent some time with Clint and Jeff. I loved writing that part. And Alby was here too. I liked the part in the movie where they carved their names on the walls so I added it. Oh, and I wanna ask a few questions. I'll be doing this in every chapter form now on. It helps me improve my writing when I get feedback so...

How'd you like this chapter? Was it boring?

Are you wondering why Newt's not around much?

Do you want to see more of Lincoln?

OK, that's it so thanks for reading!

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