𝙃𝙤𝙤𝙠, 𝙇𝙞𝙣𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙎𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙚𝙧―𝐑𝐚𝐲 𝐱 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

i. beginnings

Six-year-old ginger Emma walked up to the fence of the gate and placed her small hands on the bars. She peered inside followed by a smaller girl with [H/C] named [Y/N].  

“Hey, guys. What is this?” she asked. 

The two boys, Ray and Norman, were who she was asking. “It’s a gate. It connects the inside and outside.” the boy who had answered had black hair with a part coming over his eye and his name was Ray. 

“Outside? We’ve never been outside.” replied Emma. 

“That’s because we’ve been here ever since we were born.” asked a boy with bright blue eyes and sheet white blonde hair. 

“So, is this what mom always tells us about? ‘Never go near the gate or fence in the back of the forest because it’s dangerous.’” replied Emma. 

“I don’t think it’s scary. It’s just dark.” replied [Y/N]. 

“Yeah. She says that, but it’s not true.” Ray replied. 

“It’s not?” asked Norman as [Y/N] replied with, “I was right?” 

“Hey, Ray, what would you do outside?” asked Emma. 

“I don’t know, Emma. You, Emma?” retorted the said boy. 

“I’d ride a giraffe!” replied the ginger. 

“Good luck.” Ray turned to the other girl in thr group after facing the gate with his back. “What’d you do, [Y/N]?” 

“Me?’ the girl pointed to herself, making the boy nod at her. “I guess I’ll find a library where I can read, write, and play cards to my heart's content all day!” 

The boy chuckled at that answer. “I thought you might say that.” 

“This gate,” Norman reached to grab the bar with his hand, “you know I wonder what it’s really keeping us protected from. “ 

“I’m sure it’s not too bad, Norman.” the girl reassured her from. 

Almost six years later, a girl [H/C] hair and heterochromatic eyes, one eye a [E/C] while the other was a mauve purple, woke up from her sleep and stretched before looking around. She was the first one up at this point of time. Well, more like she was the first kid to wake up in the morning. The girl got dressed before walking down the stairs where… 

“Mom! You’re up for the day!” the girl said as she looked at the woman, she and all the other kids at the orphanage called mom, who was currently placing a chessboard with chess pieces on it. 

“Of course, I would never miss our before breakfast chess game.” Isabella told her. 

[Y/N] smiled and took the spot in front of the woman. And the two began playing chess. “I am always astounded how you do so poorly on your tests. Yet, you always seem to beat me at chess. Actually, you beat everyone at chess and every other game there is.” 

“I just see the tests as pointless. But that’s probably because we take the tests every day.” she explained. 

“And you wish to be somewhere else, right?” asked Isabella. “Like in the library with a book?” 

[Y/N] was always astounded at how Isabella always knew her the best. Granted, Isabella was like that way with all of the children. “How do you do that? Know me so well? I think the only other people that know I wish to be in the library all the time is Emma and Ray.” 

“Shouldn’t a mother know her children as best as she can to form a healthy bond with them?” it does make sense. 

“I think a mother should know when she’s been checked and mated.” [Y/N] swiped both the king and queen from the board. 

Isabella smiled at her. “That’s my girl. Do you wish to help me make breakfast this morning, [Y/N]?” 

“Yes, mom.” and [Y/N] walked with her to the kitchen. 

And the two began making breakfast for the rest of the children. When the bell finally rang out, the two (Ray and Norman) came into the kitchen to help with the plates and silverware. And just like every morning, she left mom to go and help them. 

“Good morning, [Y/N].” Norman greeted her as she took a big stack of plates. 

“Good morning, Norman. Hey!” [Y/N] said towards Ray who took the large stack out of her hands. 

“Sorry, [Y/N], but I think mom doesn’t want to replace any more plates because of your cussy butt.” [Y/N] frowned at him. He has a point. 

Ray sighed and handed her the top plate. “Here. This can be your plate. Why don’t you help with silverware? But no knives. I don’t want you to accidentally lose a finger or accidentally cut off one of our siblings fingers.” 

“You’re kind of mean, Ray.” replied the girl. 

“Stop whining, you big baby.” Ray replied. 

“I’m not a baby, Ray!” the girl replied before walking out of the kitchen with her plate and the forks and spoons for breakfast. “Good morning, Emma.” 

“Good morning, [Y/N].” replied Emma as the girl placed down her plate and the silverware around the table. 

“Good morning, Emma.” Norman said, walking out of the kitchen with a cart and two massive thermoses. 

“Good morning.” Ray replied as he walked behind the white haired boy.

“You’re so full of energy, and you haven’t even had your breakfast yet.” Norman told her. 

“Come on. How old are you? Five?” asked Ray to the ginger who had little Phil on her back. 

“I’m eleven same as you guys! And [Y/N]! And one of the oldest ones here! [Y/N], Ray’s being mean to me again!” the girl complained to the [H/C] haired female. 

“Join the club, Emma dear. He already called me a big baby and a klutz this morning. Being called childish is nothing.” [Y/N] replied. “But I feel your pain, sister.” 

“I should have called you a drama queen too.” Ray said under his breath, but [Y/N] heard him. 

“See! He called me a drama queen! And we haven’t even done breakfast yet!” [Y/N] said to which mom laughed in the background. 

Emma and [Y/N] turned towards her. “ You’re laughing too, Mom?” 

“Emma, [Y/N] come help me.” Mom told us. 

“In a minute! I wanna redo my entrance since Ray teased me.” Ray’s been teasing me nonstop since we became friends, Emma. 

“Why change it? It showed just what I love about you!” Mom told her. 

“That I’m five years old at heart?” asked Emma. 

Mom shook her head. “That isn’t what I meant. I love how deeply you care about your family. Both of you.” Mom smiled at the two.