The Ignition - TMR Group B

Part 2

"Children, I love you. Don't forget to be kind and remember, this is for your own good."

I wake up sweating, panting and out of breath. Another dream about the night my mother hid me and Tommy from WICKED. I think about how she closed the door to the cellar and then the soldiers came. I close my eyes shake my head get up trying to stop the image coming into my mind. 

I get up and have a shower. By the time I'm out of the shower it's time for breakfast and Sonya still hasn't moved from her bed.

"Sonya." I say gently sitting on the side of her bed rubbing her back only imagining how hard this is for her. "It's breakfast." 

She gets up and puts on clothes. "Why did they have to send him in Emelia? I love him so much it hurts." 

"I know, I know." I hold her hand as we walk into the cafeteria for food.

The day passes uneventful and mundane. Same faces, same tests, different day. It's especially hard because of what Newt said last night. It's always hard the day after we see the boys. It's only a reminder of what we don't have any more or what could have been if we weren't at WICKED.

That night Sonya and I move our mattresses to the floor and sleep beside each other. 

"Quickly children." Mom says with her bright blue eyes and long brown hair just like me. She hands us a bag and a water bottle opening the cellar door and pushing me and my brother through. 

"Mommy I'm scared." I whine, "Please don't go."

"Hush, don't make a sound."  She looks around. "Children, I love you. Don't forget to be kind and remember, this is for your own good."

My mother closes the door and my brother grabs my hand. I hold on to it tightly. I peek through the crack between the floor boards and see big people in black uniforms with the initials W.I.C.K.E.D. stamped on it. 

"Where are the children?" One of them shouts pointing a gun at my mom.

"You will never have them!" Mom shouts as she backs toward the back door trying to escape. She risks a glance at the door, and I see the guards track the movement.

Gunshots ring through the air and I see my mothers blood splatter the walls as she falls to the ground lifeless and oozing blood. I don't move. My brother yanks me down farther into the cellar. 

"Please, come on." I snap out of it and hide behind a shelf as the WICKED guards come down through the door. 

"There." Says a guard pointing at my shoe that I didn't quite hide behind the shelf far enough. Rough hands grab me and my brother as we are dragged out of the house. 

We fight hard kicking and screaming our heads off, trying to get away from the people that killed my mother. 

They pick us up and throw us into an awaiting van. I hold my brothers hand the entire ride.

After a couple of months it's Sonya's turn to go into the maze.

Months after that it's my turn.  

"Remember Tommy, I love you." I say hugging him as tight as I can. Tomorrow I will join my friends in the Maze with my memories wiped, having nothing but my name. At least the one WICKED gave me.  

"Don't forget me." He says and I laugh but it quickly turns into tears. "Hey, hey. Em, don't cry. It will be okay. I promise after the Mazes we'll be united again, I swear." I nod and let go of him. "Don't forget to be kind." I say reciting Mom's mantra to him. He smiles at me sadly. "Goodbye Tommy." 

"Goodbye Em." I barely hold back tears as I head back to my room by myself. I'm the last one of my roommates and the sixth one of my friend group to be sent into one of the Mazes.

The one consolation I have is that I won't remember any of the pain and suffering WICKED has caused me and my friends. I won't remember any of it. That fact gives me a sad sort of peacefulness lulling me into sleep.