The Maze belongs to us

Prologue

My dearest Thomas,

This is obviously my last letter to you.

The time has come for me to go into the Maze as our plan suited. I'm going to put myself in the Box instead of Jim, who will eventually arrive in the Glade a month after me. I just hope they don't find me before to make sure my memory stays intact. I refuse to forget you, my brother, my blood, my only family. Someone must remember our relationship. I don't want to end up like Newt and Sonya, a family that has forgotten itself because of the Maze.

W.C.K.D's goal is good: Find a cure, save the world. However, I do not agree with their medical practices on us. We must change that. Contact the Right Arm, they will be able to help us. Ask to speak to Mary, she can do something for us. I refuse to see a friend die again or worse, to see you die. And keep all this between us, our plan should not fail.

It's time for me to leave as the Box goes up tomorrow morning. I can't wait to meet all our friends. But I'm already looking forward to seeing you again if luck permits. But know that no matter what, I love you more than anything in the world, big brother. Take care of Teresa and Chuck for me, but above all, take care of yourself. You will need it.

With all my sincere love,

Your little sister who loves you so much,

Marie

♪⁕♪⁕♪

I put away my pen and fold the letter before slipping it into a small envelope that I lick to saddle. I sign on top: Thomas. I put the letter on the corner of my bedroom desk while I finish preparing my backpack for my big departure scheduled for tomorrow. Yes, I will send myself into the Maze voluntarily. One day, Thomas will fully understand my decision, but for now, this is the best thing to do. I must find our friends if I want to save them from this cursed place I designed under the threat of them killing my brother, and since he is my only family, I refused to be harmed. In truth, he's not my only family because my father is still alive, but this man is a monster. Thomas is my half-brother to our mother. I may have a different biological father, but Thomas' father is the man who raised me. And it is one of the main reasons why I run away into the Maze. It is crazy, but I know I will finally be free of him. There is a reason I want to remember and that is to my credit. I must keep this secret to myself. No one in the Glade will have to know, I will have to play the game of ignorance.

I collect some personal belongings of my own, including the necklace of my late mother, a simple gold chain with a pearl. I would like to bring my small photo album of my family, but would be too risky, right? And hell, I must bring it knowing that I would never set foot here again. I hurry to finalize my bag and go to my bed to rest a few hours before the big departure.

♪⁕♪⁕♪

I wake up around four o'clock in the morning. Currently, everyone is asleep. I take my bag and sneak out of my room, the letter for Thomas in hand. I sneak through the corridors of the W.C.K.D research base, barely avoiding the security cameras. I go to my brother's room and slip the envelope under the door. I hesitated for a moment before leaving again, with tears in my eyes, throwing one last glance at the door of my brother's room in sign of last goodbye. And I start running through the corridors to the preparation area. This is where they prepare the teenagers before being sent into the Maze. I modify some of the items that will be sent to put more suitable necessities for me like hygienic products and some extra clothes appropriate to my size. I also change the contents of the files to make my submission appear in the Maze as an error in the computer files. I put my bag in the Box and prepare to slip into the Box when I hear a voice in the distance: