Piper didn't get any sleep that night. Claire's loud screams and pleas were stuck in her mind, playing over and over again until she finally shot up from her hammock the next morning, panting and sweating. She looked around and saw that everyone was still fast asleep. She huffed a sigh and tried to calm down, relax a little. Then, Rachel gasped beside her, waking up as well.

"Bad dream?" Piper asked her.

She looked up at her and nodded her head. "Yeah, something like that."

Piper shook her head and looked at the Walls. "I just can't stop thinking about the Banishment from yesterday. All I can hear is her crying out to us, to help her."

"Well, it's like you said, Piper, it had to be done," she reminded her.

"Right."

Suddenly, the gears on the Doors began to turn, opening up for the day. Harriet, Sonya, Jane, and Maeve were there, talking and nodding their heads. But instead of Maeve and Jane running into the Maze, Harriet was the one that followed Maeve inside. Sonya and Jane waited a bit before walking away from the Doors and heading to the Homebase.

Soon, everyone started to wake up, getting ready for a new day. Piper wasn't sure how everyone would go on like there wasn't a Banishment yesterday, but they were doing a good job at it. Breakfast went on like it normally did with the Glenners going on with their usual discussions, almost as if Claire didn't even exist, like she never showed up to the Glen at all.

Then, everyone got to work right after breakfast was over. None of the Baggers had to go to the Deadheads today, so they planned to patrol around the Glen like yesterday.

As they were walking out of the Homebase, Nancy let out a sad sigh. "Poor Beth," Nancy stated, looking over at Beth, who was sitting down on the grass, leaning against the Homebase, staring out at the Doors. "I can't imagine how her and Gwyneth feel right now. Losing a friend is hard."

"Obviously," Margaret muttered, rolling her eyes. "I know it sucks that Claire is gone, but we have to move on. We don't see Gwyneth moping around like a stick, do we?"

Then, Esther spotted Beth and walked towards her. "Come on, we've got work to do." She stuck her hand out for Beth to grab.

But Beth wasn't having any of it. She let out a scoff and crossed her arms. "Leave me alone, Esther. I'm not in the mood."

"Beth, don't be like this," Esther said. "I know you're still upset about Claire, but we've gotta get over it. We can't do anything about it."

"Yes, you could've let her stay in the Glen," Beth retorted.

Esther was now frustrated. She bent down to Beth's level. "Get up, Beth."

"No," Beth snapped. "I'm mourning, Esther."

"I don't care if you're dying, this is an important job for you to do, to help all of us." Esther sighed and rubbed her temple, doing her best to calm down. "Look, Beth, we need you right now, okay? Claire would've wanted you to move on." With that, Esther stood back up, her eyes still on Beth. "Come on. We can use your help with a few things." Esther put her hand back out and Beth reluctantly took it, being pulled up by the brunette.

"Wow, Esther and Beth being civil toward each other is something we'll probably never see again," Emily said. "Okay, you know where to go, girls, so move it."

Piper and Lillie started at the Kitchens, then made their way to the Blood House, then by the Gardens. Rachel was sitting on a log, picking at a piece of fruit. "So why would Harriet go into the Maze instead of Jane?" she asked Sonya. "I mean, she's not a Runner."

"No, but she is the leader, so she can step in and do whatever job she feels is necessary to do in that moment," Sonya pointed out. "Besides, not only does Jane have to do some other things in the Map Room from yesterday's run, but things are different now. Harriet and Maeve went to retrace Claire's footsteps."

"You mean, to where she was stung?" she spoke up.

Sonya nodded her head. "Yes, exactly."

"But why?" Rachel questioned again.

"Harriet knows what she's doing," Sonya assured her. "She knows better than any of us."

Rachel furrowed her eyebrows. "What the hell does that even mean?"

Sonya wiped the sweat off her forehead and placed her hands on her hips. "It's like you've been told, a Newbie arrives in the Box once a month, right? Well, a whole bunch of us were the first to come up here two years ago, and someone had to take charge and be the leader. That was Harriet. Then, more girls kept on coming up once a month, and that was when Harriet saw the truth, realizing that all we have is each other, that we have to stick together."

All of a sudden, in the distance, thunder began to rumble and dark clouds were about to hover over them. The Glenners took cover by their hammocks just as the rain was pouring down over the Glen. The only lunch they were able to have was the fruit that the Cooks had sliced up before the rain started. Hours went by and the rain was still coming down, not looking like it was going to stop anytime soon. The Glenners looked at the Doors that were still open, but there was still no sign of Harriet and Maeve. Piper was hoping that they were okay, being out there in the rain. She was assuming that there was no shelter for them to hide under to prevent them from getting soaked.

"They should be back by now!" Rachel said loudly over the rain. "What happens if they don't make it, Sonya?"

"They're gonna make it!" Sonya shouted back.

Rachel shook her head and walked toward Sonya. "What happens if they don't?" she repeated.

Sonya gave Rachel a serious look. "They're gonna make it, Rachel."

Piper knew that deep down Sonya wasn't sure if they would make it at all, which scared her. They couldn't lose any more people. One person was enough, but two of their strongest Glenners? The Glen didn't need that right now.

Once the rain came to a complete halt, the girls went to the Doors instead of going back to their jobs. They stood in front of the Doors, waiting patiently for Harriet and Maeve to come jogging back in the Glen. Their hearts were racing faster by every minute that went by, feeling more anxious than ever.

Rachel groaned. "Can't we send someone after them?" she asked in irritation.

"That's against the rules," Beth replied, looking in the Maze. "Either they make it back or they don't."

"She's right, Newbie," Gwyneth spoke up. "We can't risk losing anyone else."

Then, to everyone's dismay, the wind began to whoosh and the girls all murmured to one another. "Oh, no," Piper mumbled. "This isn't good." The Doors were beginning to close when Lillie furiously pointed in the Maze at two figures. "There!" she yelled. "It's them!"

Sure enough, Maeve was struggling to get back. Piper noticed that Harriet wasn't beside her, but on her back instead.

"Something's wrong," Sonya commented.

"Come on, Mae! You can do it!" Esther shouted, causing the other girls to cry out words of encouragement.

"Maeve, you gotta leave her!" Beth yelled. "Come on, you gotta leave her!"

"They're not gonna make it," Rachel said beside her.

"Come on, Maeve, you got this! Come on!" Piper yelled desperately. But she knew that they weren't going to make it back in time, which made her heart sink.

Then, before she even had the time to process anything, Rachel made a dash toward the closing Doors and into the Maze.

"Hey, get back here!" Beth screamed.

"Rachel, no!" Piper yelled, trying to grab her, along with Sonya, but it was too late. Rachel already made it to the other side of the Doors as they closed behind her.

They all stood there in shock, the sadness glooming over them. That was four Glenners gone in two days. At this rate, the entire Glen would be wiped out.

"Well..." Beth began to say. "Altogether, that's four bodies that the Baggers don't have to bury." She stormed off, along with Gwyneth and some other Glenners. Piper, Lillie, and Sonya were the only ones left standing in front of the Doors.

"They're gone," Sonya whispered. "I spent two years in this sticking place with Harriet and Maeve, now they're gone." She shook her head in disbelief. "Rachel was only here for two damn days. I can't believe this..."

"I'm sorry." Piper placed her hand on Sonya's shoulder.

Sonya bit her quivering lip and walked away, silently sobbing. Piper looked at Lillie, who had a depressed look on her face. "I guess we gotta keep moving on, don't we?" Lillie looked back at the Doors and sat down on the ground. So, she slowly sat down beside her. "Fancy that."

Piper and Lillie skipped dinner, not leaving their spots for the rest of the day. That night, everyone came back to see why they were still out there.

"Maybe we think there's a chance that they might survive the night," Piper said.

Beth let out a scoff. "Yeah, right. No one's ever survived a night in the Maze. If that was the case, then Claire would've been back this morning. You sticks are wasting your time just sitting out here."

Piper expected everyone else to agree with Beth. However, Esther, the Baggers, and a few Planters sat down with them. Then, more and more Glenners took their spots on the ground, staring at the Doors. Eventually, Sonya took her place beside her, a small smile forming on her face.

"Are you kidding me?!" Beth asked, completely shocked. "Harriet, Maeve, and the Newbie are gone. They're dead."

"Maybe they're not," Esther piped up. "For once, I'd like to be positive and think that they're still alive."

Beth rolled her eyes, looking at Gwyneth. "I guess we have to stay out here, too, don't we?" She plopped down on the ground with Gwyneth sitting down beside her. "This is going to be a long night."

*******

The next morning, the Glenners all woke up by the sound of the Doors opening up. Piper fluttered her eyes open and immediately sat up from the ground, ignoring her grumbling stomach. Like everyone else, she got up and breathed heavily, hoping that she would see the three of them just running back in the Glen. However, she was greeted by none of them. It was empty.

"See? I told you. They're not coming back," Beth stated.

Piper felt her heart fill up with sorrow as she looked down at the grass beneath her. Suddenly, Lillie tapped her on the shoulder. "What is it, Lillie?" She pointed toward the Maze, and Piper turned her head and gasped. "No sticking way." Right before her eyes, it was Maeve and Rachel, who were carrying Harriet back in the Glen. "Yes! Yes, they did it!"

The other Glenners cheered and applauded them as they came back, gently setting Harriet on the ground. Gwyneth and Amelia, another Medic, rushed by Harriet's side, checking her body for any injuries.

"What happened out there?" Sonya asked them.

"How did you girls make it out?" Esther inquired.

"Did you see a Griever?" Piper questioned Rachel.

Rachel continued with her panting, looking up at us, then nodding her head. "Yeah, I saw one."

Maeve chuckled a little. "She didn't just see it. She killed the bloody thing."

The girls were muttering to each other. Piper felt relief and happy that the three made it out alive. She stared at Rachel and realized that she was more than just the Newbie. She was now their beacon of hope in the Glen.

~~~~~~~

A/N: Things are getting intense now, I'm telling you!

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Song above is A New Hope by Danny Elfman.

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-A