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"What?" Thohed "I don’t believe that for a second"

"Oh, yeah, suy? I’ve seen the sucker’s bones Cut in half like a knife through whipped cream They keep him in a box to remind future kids not to be so stupid"

Tho it had to be a joke--who ever heard of so cut in half? But it never came "You’re serious?"

Chuck just stared back at hio over and see who’s co up I can’t believe you only have to be the Greenbean for one day Klunkhead"

As they walked over, Thomas asked the one question he hadn’t posed yet "How do you know it’s not just supplies or whatever?"

"The alaro off when that happens," Chuck answered, simply "The supplies come up at the same time every week Hey, look" Chuck stopped and pointed to so dead at them

"Shuck it," Chuck said "He does not like you, ured that out already" And the feeling was ed Thoe of the crowd, then waited in silence; any questions Thoe to talk after seeing Gally

Chuck apparently hadn’t "Why don’t you go ask hih

Thoh, but that currently sounded like the worst idea in history "Well, for one, he has a lot ht with"

"Yeah, but you’re smarter And I bet you’re quicker You could take hi in front of the his face

Must be a friend of Gally’s, Thoht "Would you shut it?" he hissed at Chuck

A door closed behind the over fro thee of hiotta tellbusiness is What have they been doing in there with that poor Ben kid?"

Chuck shrugged "Don’t know the details The Grievers do bad things to you,awful When it’s over, you’re … different"

Thomas sensed a chance to finally have a solid answer "Different? What do you mean? And what does it have to do with the Grievers? Is that what Gally er to his mouth

Thomas almost screamed in frustration, but he kept quiet He resolved to uy wanted to or not

Alby and Newt had reached the crowd and pushed theht over the doors that led to the Box Everyone quieted, and for the first ti lift, rehtmarish trip the day before Sadness washed over hi those few terriblein darkness to thethrough the sas

A muffled boom announced that the bizarre elevator had arrived

Thomas watched in anticipation as Newt and Alby took positions on opposite sides of the shaft doors--a crack split the ht down the middle Siether they yanked them apart With a metallic scrape the doors were opened, and a puff of dust fro stone rose into the air

Complete silence settled over the Gladers As Newt leaned over to get a better look into the Box, the faint bleating of a goat in the distance echoed across the courtyard Thoet a glance at the newcomer

With a sudden jerk, Newt pushed hiht position, his face scrunched up in confusion "Holy …," he breathed, looking around at nothing in particular

By this tiood look as well, with a similar reaction "No way," he murmured, almost in a trance

A chorus of questions filled the air as everyone began pushing forward to get a look into the s What do they see down there? Thomas wondered What do they see! He felt a sliver ofwhen he stepped toward theto see the Griever

"Hold on!" Alby yelled, silencing everyone "Just hold on!"

"Well, what’s wrong?" someone yelled back

Alby stood up "Tbies in two days," he said, al different, now this" Then, for sooin’ on here, Greenie?"

Thout clenching "How am I supposed to know?"

"Why don’t you just tell us what the shuck is down there, Alby?" Gally called out There were e forward

"You shanks shut up!" Alby yelled "Tell ’em, Newt"

Newt looked down in the Box one irl," he said

Everyone started talking at once; Thoot dibs!"

"What’s she look like?"

"How old is she?"

Thoirl? He hadn’t even thought about why the Glade only had boys, no girls Hadn’t even had the chance to notice, really Who is she? he wondered Why--

Newt shushed theain "That’s not bloody half of it," he said, then pointed down into the Box "I think she’s dead"

A couple of boys grabbed some ropes made from ivy vines and lowered Alby and Newt into the Box so they could retrieve the girl’s body A mood of reserved shock had co about with sole much at all No one dared adirl, but Thomas assumed they were all just as curious as he was