𝖭𝗈𝗍𝖾: 𝖢𝗁𝖺𝗉𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝗅𝗈𝗇𝗀𝖾𝗋 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗇 𝖺𝗏𝖾𝗋𝖺𝗀𝖾.
10𝖪 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽𝗌 𝗌𝗉𝖾𝖼𝗂𝖺𝗅 𝗐𝗂𝗅𝗅 𝖻𝖾 𝖺 𝗌𝗇𝗂𝗉𝗉𝖾𝗍. 𝖸𝗈𝗎'𝗅𝗅 𝖿𝗂𝗇𝖽 𝗂𝗍 𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗇𝖾𝗑𝗍 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗉𝗍𝖾𝗋. 𝖳𝗁𝖺𝗇𝗄𝗌 𝖺𝗀𝖺𝗂𝗇 :) 𝖲𝖾𝖾 𝗐𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝖨 𝖽𝗂𝖽 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖿𝗅𝖺𝗌𝗁𝖻𝖺𝖼𝗄𝗌?
┏━━━━°⌜ 赤い糸 ⌟°━━━━┓
"I try to leave you but
I keep coming back."
┗━━━━°⌜ 赤い糸 ⌟°━━━━┛
~Flashback~
"Ray, where did you learn this lullaby from?" the (h/c-nette) asked as she laid her head on Ray's shoulder.
"My mother," he replied.
"Your mother? But how did you know your mother?" she asked keenly.
"That is a story for another time," he exhaled.
~A Few Days Later~
"Everyone, wake up or you'll be late for breakfast!" Emma chirped energitically as the dinging of the bell echoed in the house.
Y/n covered her ears to keep out Emma's enthusiastic greetings. Hoping that she would forget about her, she pulled the cover over her head. Breathing quitely under the cover, she sighed, annoyed that she had to wake up when she could simply sleep.
Abruptly, she felt a weight bounce on her bed. Emma pulled the cover off the girl's face and exclaimed,
"Wake up, Y/n! Connie is going today so we need to make her day special!"
No. A frown etched on Y/n's face almost immediately, not going unnoticed by the ginger-head,
"Is there something wrong, Y/n?"
"No. Let's just make Connie really happy today," she smiled warmly, masking the guilt unearthing within her.
Hopping off the bed she headed to fresehen up.
❀
Y/n skipped down the flight of stairs, a soft smile adorning her features. Spotting an albino carrying a stack of plates, she greeted him warmly,
"Mornin' Norman!"
He turned around and smiled just as softly at the girl,
"Ah, good morning, Y/n. I believe, Gilda was searching for you."
"Thank you for letting me know!" she nodded gratefully before searching the hall for the girl.
"Mornin' idiot," a familiar voice spoke making the girl yelp.
Trying to cover up the fact that she got startled so easily she grinned,
"Ray! G-Good morning!"
He snickered,
"Look at you getting scared so easily. You are worse than Emma."
She pursed her lips, a tad bit hurt by his words. Nevertheless she grinned and trot away not before responding,
"Whatever you say, Ray!"
She walked to Isabella who had started serving the breakfast. She hugged her caretaker affectionately,
"Good morning! Should I help you, Mama?"
"Good morning to you too, my dear. I think I could use some help," she smiled and ruffled her hair.
She giggled,
"Okie, dokie!"
❀
"Good luck, Gilda!" Y/n whispered to her friend.
She smiled confidently,
"Good luck to you too, Y/n!"
A voice sounded in their headphones,
"Today's test will consist of multiple choice questions. Choose your answer in ten seconds. You may start now."
The (e/c)-eyed bit her inner cheek
I can do this.
Soon after, the 39 kids started attempting the test. For some it went smoothly, some struggled a bit whilst a few tried not to give up. And soon, the time was over.
"Well done, Emma, Norman and Ray. Perfect scores each one of you," Isabella congratulated them proudly.
She turned to the girl who slumped in her place, feeling defeated,
"And Y/n, your score is higher than last time. You got 271, great job."
"Congrats, Y/n!" both Emma and Gilda cheered the girl on.
Still not good enough, even though I gave it my all. She attempted to blink away her tears.
She faced the two girls and grinned from ear to ear,
"Thank you!"
❀
"Who do you think will win?" Connie asked, eagerness filling her voice.
Dominic rolled in the soft, green grass,
"I think Norman will win!"
Lannion put his hands on his hips and declared,
"I bet that Y/n will! She is the best at tag after all!"
"This is so unfair! How is it that always Norman or Y/n win tag?" Emma whined like a little child.
Norman chuckled as he neared them, "Emma, you are-"
The forest-eyed girl gasped at the sight of him,
"Norman, you are back!? Did Y/n win!?"
"Yes, she did. She was counting the last minute, pretty impressive," his lips curved upwards as he seated himself on the grass.
"Y/n, she wasn't always this good at Tag, was she?" Emma inquired curiously.
Ray eyed the girl who was lying flat on the ground with Thoma and Lannion on top of her,
"No, when we were three she didn't do well in physical activities."
"It's suprising how she got so good," Norman mumbled.
❀
"Y/n, dear, can you please dress Connie up?" Isabella requested.
"Sure!" Y/n accepted her appeal right away and bolted out of sight.
"Connie! There you are!" the girl beamed.
"Y/n!" the blonde girl hugged her waist almost instantly.
Patting her head gently, she crouched down to her eye level and informed,
"I'll be dressing you up today! I hope you like me doing it!"
"Of course!" she hugged her plush closer to her.
❀
"Y/n, can you please braid my hair today? I think t-that my parents would l-like it better!" she asked anxiously.
Y/n gulped thickly, trying to keep her lips from quivering. She sqeaked out,
"Yes, why not?"
Gliding her fingers neatly through the little one's soft, blonde hair she complimented,
"Connie, your hair is really nice, you know that?"
She girl gushed,
"Thank you, Y/n!"
Once she was done, she showed Connie herself in the mirror. The girl grinned happily as she turned to the elder girl. Her teeth showing through her lips, she spoke,
"Thank you, Y/n. For being my elder sister and looking after me. I couldn't ask for a better sister than you!"
Y/n's eyes glinted with tears, her hands trembling the slightest. The fact that the alive, smiling and a girl awaiting her future would be dead soon, horrified her beyond explanation.
The blonde grasped one hand of her plushie and moved it, as if showing it was waving. She beamed,
"Oh, and Little Bunny says thank you, too! He will miss you!"
The latter bent down and grasped her shoulders firmly, a painful smile painting her features,
"Connie, you were just as an amazing sister. I will miss you dearly. Please remember that I always had fun with you. That's all I want you to remember."
"Sure thing!"
❀
"I'll write you all stacks of letters!" Connie gave the kids a close-eyed smile.
"Connie," Don whimpered.
Seeing the brunette crying, her own eyes glossed and soon, drops of tears rolled down her rosy cheeks.
"I don't want to go now!" she cried loudly.
Y/n stood on the far right, clenching her fists tightly, she sniffled quitely.
I swear to God, this-this will be the last time I send anyone to their death. I swear. Ray will put his plans into action today, then finally, I won't have to struggle alone. I'll have Ray. I'll have Emma, Norman, perhaps, even the others. They can finally escape from here. It's time.
It's time to make my move. Ray footed himself idely on the far left, clutching Connie's plushie tightly in his hands.
❀
"Wah! After giving her speech, Connie forgot Little Bunny!? How could she!?" Emma gasped in disbelief when she spotted the plushie resting on top of the table.
Cleaning the table, Y/n pretended to be suprised,
"How!? That too, she forgot Little Bunny out of everything!"
Ray took long strides inside, a towel hanging by his shoulders,
"You can still give it to her."
"But Mama restricted us from going to the gate," Norman added.
"I saw a light from the bathroom window. You could get to her before she reaches the gate," the ravenette informed.
He suggested,
"Norman, you could accompany Emma."
What...?
"I wanted to say another goodbye to Connie anyway!" Emma darted out of the door, followed by Norman not far behind.
A pit formed in Y/n's stomach instantly. No, no, no! This wasn't supposed to happen!
She stared at Ray's back who was looking out of the window intently.
He was supposed to send me too!
He turned on his heels and strode away.
Gilda noticing her expression, stared at her worryingly,
"Y/n, are you alright? You look- uh how do I describe it? I don't know, you look rather... constipated."
The said girl snapped her head in her direction, quickly planting a smile on her face,
"Ah, it's nothing, I just remembered once how I fell into the mud, you see. I am going to find Ray! Y/n outtie!"
"But you never fell into the mud!" Gilda yelled out, concerned about whatever was on her mind. Weird.
The girl sped through the corridoors in search of a specific room.
She halted in front of the library's door and cautiously creaked the door open. Her eyes wandered around, stopping when she found amicable locks of hair.
Taking slow steps towards the boy she greeted,
"Hey Ray!"
He flinched and turned to her,
"H-Huh?"
Right away, she grew brood,
"Are you alright?"
"What makes you ask that?" he scoffed.
"You seem out of it," she stated simply.
He looked away from her broken-looking eyes,
"Don't bother."
Putting her feelings aside, she brought her knees to her chest,
"Do you think Norman and Emma will be able to make it in time?"
"Yeah," he answered, his voice barely above a whisper.
Her heart was maimed that day. She had hope, that she wouldn't have to struggle alone and keep all the burden to herself. She could finally share it with someone. And she couldn't be more happy about the thought.
But not all assumptions come true.
Things were to take a turn for the worse now.
She wished him good night and paced back to her room. Taking out a piece of paper, a hard-cover book and a pen, she entered the washroom.
Placing the book on her lap and the paper on top of it, she bagan writing.
Dear Ray,
OYA!
❀
Days passed and Y/n couldn't remember a single day when she was so observant. From noticing Emma and Norman's behavior to keeping a close eye on Ray, she had never been so vigilant.
When she was busy chasing Thoma, she espied Emma and Norman strolling into the forest and Ray following behind.
"Jemima, you wanted to make flower crowns, right?" she inquired suddenly.
"Yes!" the girl nodded excitedly
"Okay, hold on, I'll get some flowers then!" she yelled and disappeared amidst the trees.
The crunching was audible to her ears with every step she took. Hearing a few voices, she followed the direction from where the muffled words sounded.
Spotting Ray, she hid behind a bush quietly.
"Tell me what? Why can't you tell me now?" Ray's voice sounded.
The two choked, startled by his sudden appearence,
"Ray!?"
❀
After a few minutes of Norman and Emma explaining, they continued conversing.
"Should we tell Y/n?" Norman asked.
"No, she is immature," Ray responded without missing a beat.
Me immature, huh? Really? A bittersweet smile formed on Y/n's lips.
Abruptly the bell rung in their ears.
Emma raised her eyebrow, unsure, she tilted her head,
"Didn't we have more free time?"
"We did," Norman nodded eyeing his surroundings.
Is the sister already here!? I have to go back!
Y/n dashed away instantly, only the front of her boots making contact with the ground to avoid any noises. On the way, she plucked out a handful of flowers, not paying much attention to her choice.
~Two Days Later~
Over the past days, the trio was starting to look suspicious. It was terribly obvious, that even Isabella was able to pick up the hints without Y/n giving her intel.
Emma had suggested playing Tag in teams and Y/n was quick to uncover the reason behind it. She thought it was a clever decision.
Y/n was in Emma's team, the team that was victorious in every match. The kids said that it was because of
Y/n's apt decisions and Emma's atheletic abilities that helped in keeping the team a whole.
After playing for quite some while, the older kids engaged themselves in doing chores.
The (h/c)-head washed the white covers, humming inaudibly. Busy in her own world, she jolted when she felt someone flick her forehead. She glared at Ray who smirked seeing her reaction.
"What?" the girl scrunched her nose.
A chuckle escaped his lips but it was short-lived,
"Meet me in the library before dinner. There's something we need to tell you. Gilda and Don will be there too. Don't tell anyone about it though."
Is it what I think it is? They are going to tell us so soon?
❀
"Gilda, relax. Being anxious won't do you much," Y/n placed a comforting hand on the fidgeting girl's shoulder.
"I c-can't help it!" she squeaked out.
It was an hour before their time for dinner. Y/n, Gilda and Don were seated in the library. Whilst the two ten-year olds were growing impatient by every passing moment, Y/n remained calm.
The door slowly opened, revealing the all too-familair ginger-head, except her bright smile was not there,
"We need to tell you guys something."
❀
"Bad people...? Mama... is... an... enemy? They were all... sold?" Y/n murmmered in disbelief.
"Yeah... But we are going to get out of here!" Emma exclaimed with determination evident in her eyes.
Ray spoke,
"The next thing to do-"
Y/n zoned out for a moment, her heart beating at a fast rate. This wasn't supposed to happen. They weren't supposed to lie. Why? I don't understand. The only option left... is to tell Mama.
~The Next Day~
The group was discussing their plans in the library. Y/n was the one participating the least since she was panicking over the fact that she forgot to inform Isabella about the happenings.
Ray added sternly,
"Don, go help Mom with dinner or else-"
"I know, I know!" Don stormed off with Gilda following closely behind.
The trio turned to look at the girl who was left behind. Noticing that she was in deep thought, Ray snapped his fingers in front of her (e/c)-hued orbs,
"Oi."
She snapped out of her daze and croaked,
"I have to go to Mama!"
Ray studied her suspiciously, which
Y/n caught on quickly,
"I-I mean I have to help Mama too!"
And in the blink of an eye she was out of the room.
~The Day After~
Gilda called out, her voice not much above a whisper,
"Y/n!"
The reading girl looked at her, eyebrows rasied, she stretched her legs a bit,
"Yes?"
"We have a meeting," she informed.
The (h/c)-nette tilted her head to the side,
"Right now?"
"Yes," Gilda nodded
"Oh, alright," she stood up and dusted her skirt.
She followed the bob-cut haired girl to the forest, holding her book close to her side.
After about a minute of walking they met up with the trio and Don. They seemed rather stiff, and scared.
Emma still had the determination glowing in her eyes, reminding herself that what will be spoken next will be for the better.
Norman started, closely observing the girl for her reactions,
"Y/n, remember what we told about our siblings being sold to bad people?"
The mentioned girl hummed, waiting for him to continue.
"That-"
Ray finished for the albino,
"That was a lie."
There was a long silence that enveloped the group. The tension in the air had grown thick in the couple of seconds since the five didn't hear any response from the girl, instead only a cold aura emitted from her.
With her eyes shut, she lied through her teeth, knowing she won't able to pull a convincing act,
"I know, I overheard the commotion yesterday night when I was going to the washroom."
Gilda's heart skipped a beat as she clutched the hem of her skirt,
"You did...?"
"Then-then why didn't you tell us about it?" Emma hesitantly pressed.
"Because you- you three- no," she shook her head in a dismaying manner, finally opening here eyes, she stared at Ray, dead into his olive orbs,
"Ray, he had the audacity to lie to me."
Another long pause went around. They were speechless at her change of demeanor, they wanted to believe it was because of the sudden information that was disclosed to such an optimistic girl. It was only understandable that she would be shook. Ray gulped thickly, reluctantly looking back at orbs that were full of disappointment. It made him sick beyond explanation.
Don spoke up,
"I know it is a bit infuriating. Scratch that, it is very infuriating but we can't afford to fight amongst ourselves."
Norman attempted to reassure her,
"Look-"
"I am the traitor," Ray cut him off.
A lump formed in Y/n's throat,
"H-Huh?" Is he playing two cards?
Emma flailed her hands around frantically to get a chance to explain,
"But he is technically on our side!"
Recomposing herself quickly, she ran her fingers through her hair,
"Whatever, as long as he isn't siding with Mama, it's fine."
Gilda descried her odd behavior,
"Y/n... Are you okay?"
She scoffed and looked away to hide her trembling lips and glossed eyes,
"No, I am not. What do you expect? I just got to know that my
siblings, Sally, they all died. So no, I am not okay."
Unable to stand the thick tension, Don tried to make his way out,
"Well- er, I guess I'll go then."
Sherry called out from the distance,
"Gilda! Mama is calling you to help with chores!"
Panicking, Gilda scowled,
"Oh, shoot! I forgot to rearrange the books! Sorry but I have to go!"
The two of them had rushed out soon after, leaving the trio and the girl who had begun climbing a tree.
Ray eyed Norman in a way that said to leave the two. Fortunately enough, Norman picked on quickly. He knew that Ray had a better relation with Y/n amongst the three so it was best for him to speak to her. He ushered Emma to leave them be.
Ray spotted the girl reading on a branch of a tree. Mimicking her actions he climbed the tree and reached the height of the branch she was sitting on.
Feeling a presence beside her she puffed her cheeks when she saw Ray,
"Sit on another branch! It will break if you sit here too!"
"No, now move over," he stated simply as he set his right foot on the edge of the branch
"I said go to another branch or another tree!" she attempted to shove his foot down.
He pressed his boot harder on the branch,
"Move or else we both will fall."
She groaned and moved forward. Her back faced Ray and her two limbs dangled on either side. It was a rather uncomfortable position for her but she refused to say anything.
"Hey," Ray broke the silence to only obtain no response.
"I said, 'hey'," he bonked her to which she winced and turned to glare at him.
He sighed in relief, happy that he got her eyes on him. He took the book from her hands and sighed,
"Look, I know that you feel upset that I didn't tell you."
After a short pause, he continued,
"I-I didn't want to burden you with it all. I didn't want you to have a depressing childhood. I wanted to see you smiling for as long as you could."
She sniffled,
"B-But what about you?"
"If I wasn't fine, I would have been in depression right now," he laughed a bit to lighten the mood and brought her in a hug. It was probably the most uncomfortable Y/n had ever been in. Her waist was twisted backwards and her hands couldn't find a proper posture but she didn't complain.
He smiled as he stuffed his face in her hair,
"See? You know, sometimes I really think that it was yours, Emma's and Norman's smiles that kept me going. We are going to escape from here, together."
❀
"Mama, the five of them are on the move," Y/n rocked her legs back and forth.
"Noted," Isabella exhaled.
"You'll be a Mother candidate soon. And Norman will be sent to Lambda," she informed.
Y/n smiled and looked at her lap,
"Finally."
~A Few Days Later~
Ray began to explain his plan,
"I will stall mom. Emma and Norman will conduct the inspection. Don and Gilda will keep watch. That's-"
Y/n cut him off as she questioned,
"What about me?"
"There is nothing else required. So you can rest and see the inspection turn successful," he responded nonchalantly.
She pursed her lips and nodded silently.
"Let's start," he declared.
Emma and Norman soon boted into the distance whilst Gilda and Don kept and eye on the second floor's window.
Y/n hurried up the steps, follwing Ray, unbeknownst to him. While Isabella and Ray conversed , Y/n discreetly eavesdropped on their conversation.
When the bizarre and unforseen confrontation took place, the girl was sure to feet herself in the corner, to keep herself out from Ray's sight but still be able to get a view of the scene.
She didn't want Ray to feel that she betrayed him. She didn't want him to know just how selfish she was. She didn't want him to see the real her, a soul that was mad for escaping reality. A mind that was forged over the years to face whatever dread was to come. She just wanted to have a long, happy life with Ray and the others.
"I am sorry for what I am going to do next," Isabella spoke with a sinister grin as she held her tracking device open in her hands, leaving Ray to bang over the locked door.
"MAMA! PLEA-"
"Y/n dear, I hope you can keep a watch over my retired lap dog." she smiled at the girl who was standing in a corner with a book, watching the scene unfold.
She nodded towards Mama and neared the door to only hear curses from the boy on the other side.
"Y/N!!?? WHY WOULD YOU---! WHY!? WHY!? I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU SO DAMN MUCH! YOU ARE USELESS!" Her gaze was fixed on the wooden flooring as she saw small droplets fall on it.
Her heart ached hearing those words, specifically coming from him. Another cut perforated her heart, which she always tried to protect dearly, but in the end she failed.
Something doesn't feel right.
Wiping her tears, she quickly raced downstairs, so that she left the house just after Isabella who had exchanged a victorious look with Don and Gilda.
Ignoring Y/n on his way, Don rushed upstairs, desperately searching for Ray. Y/n sped towards the forest, an uneasy feeling squeezing her heart. Something is off.
Spotting Emma, Norman and Isabella conversing rather calmly, she kept her presence hidden. Listening intently to their conversation, she heard Norman say,
"Okay, Mama. I'll stop being a good boy."
"Go, Norman!" Emma yelled out as she charged bravely at Isabella to hinder her from moving.
What a mistake had she made.
And Y/n knew that well. Without hesitation, she jumped in to stop Emma but apparently, she was too late.
Crack!
Emma's eyes widened as she felt her leg ache with severe pain. A painful, heart-breaking cry wretched its way out from her throat. She tried her best to keep it in, she tried to stay strong but she failed ultimately, knowing she wasn't capable of pulling such a sham.
Y/n sat on her knees, her jaw hung as she stared in terror at the injured girl.
Ray, Don and Gilda arrived there not long after, their inner selves felt twisted and a lump forming in each one's throat.
"Mama, what happened to Emma...?" Ray managed to mumble out a question.
"Don't worry, it was a clean cut. It will be fine in a month or two," she cooed as she brought the wincing Emma close to her and bandaged her injury.
"You can rest until then and celebrate when tomorrow will arrive," she smiled warmly at the maimed girl.
"Tomorrow...?" Emma weakly murmurred.
Y/n was quick to push Emma away from Isabella and tackled the aged woman under her as anger took over, yelling at the top of her lungs,
"Hurting someone was never a part of the deal!"
Mama pinned Y/n to the ground, restraining her from kicking, "Congratulations, dear Y/n and Norman, your shipment dates have been fixed. Y/n will be leaving today night and Norman, tomorrow evening."
Goosebumps ran across Ray's skin, he forgot how to breathe for a second. Even though she had betrayed them, Ray could not stand the thought of her being killed.
The feeling was so unreal, so devastating and sorrowful to all of them, it broke them. What shattered them even more was the fact that there was no way she could be saved.
Gilda covered her mouth with her mouth as her knees gave out, a sob echoed from her, followed by another and more. They were endless.
But for them it was the reality. It felt like a nightmare. A nightmare with no escape.
❀
Before Norman could return to Emma with a glass of water, he was pulled inside the storage room.
He gasped as he cowered with fear of terrible scenarios filling his mind. But he relaxed when he met a familiar pair of (e/c) orbs.
His look softened,
"Y/n...?"
She placed two pages in his hand,
"I'll cut to the chase. You know you can't escape and you know that, nor do you have any plans to. Here's the plan for you. Keep it with you no matter what. The other one is for the escape plan. And how they will save Ray. You can work out the rest of the details yourself. Good luck, Norman. This is goodbye."
"Y/n..." he barely managed to whisper, his voice cracking. But she was already gone.
❀
"You-you, Y/n! Why, no why!? Why would you spoil our plans!? If you were sucidal from the start, be it! At least you could have let them escape! You could have spared Norman! I-I hate you for what you did... Why? Just tell me..." he let his forehead touch the wooden door separating the two while his right hand was helplessly pressed against the door.
"Is that your goodbye?" the said girl responded from the other side with her back touching the door. She had her suitcase packed fully even though she was never going to use it.
"..."
"Hmm. Well here's mine." she took in a deep breath before continuing,
"Ray, thank you for all you have done for me. Thank you for keeping up with my annoying presence. Thank you.
I love you Ray. Goodbye."
❀
"... Bye... Y/n" Thoma and Lannion croaked with sad faces. Y/n walked towards Gilda and smiled like she always did.
Tears welled up in Gilda's eyes as she pleaded,
"Y/n... you.. can.. still go-go! Pl-" she was cut off with a warm embrace.
"Thank you Gilda, for being my unbiological sister."
Y/n retreated from the girl and headed towards Don. The boy had a scowl on his face but misery overflowing in his heart as he refused to look her in the eyes.
"Thank you Don."
She moved onto Norman,
"Thank you Norman." she placed a hand on his shoulder and put her face near his ear before whispering,
"Follow what I said, or I will haunt you."
She then looked at Emma who was on the verge of a breakdown. The girl started softly,
"Emma, goodb-"
"NO! DON'T! You can-" Emma too was was cut off by a hug,
"Emma, you very well know there is just no way. Please take care of everyone, especially Ray. I know you can do it. Escape with everyone."
She then walked towards Mama and looked back for one last time before smiling,
"Everyone, goodbye! Take care of yourselves! I make no promises!"