Screams, fire, smoke.
Her violet orbs widened as her nose caught on to the smell of burning and her ears hear the pairs of screams and yells.
Just moments ago, she had tucked in the last bit of children in her care as she wanted to sit down and report to the headquarters, though all of this has to wait now.
Rushing with her nightdress towards the sounds of distress, she stumbled down the stairs, turned to her right and witnessed the door towards the library wide open.
Running towards it, she was held back by the wall of pitch black smoke.
Guarding her nose with her arm, her eyes squinted, adjusting to the stinging smoke, she saw the whole room lit up light, with blazing fire. All the pages of papers from books and the stools and tables, made of wood, were caught on fire.
In front of the scene was a weeping (Y/N), screaming at the top of her lungs. Besides her Emma, calling for help.
"Ray?", asked Mother, with widened eyes.
Emma turned around as (Y/N) kept her attention towards the flames. The red headed girl ripped away from (Y/N) as she latched on to the night dress of the Mother. "Emma!", yelled Mother back, grabbing harshly at her shoulders. Emma only continued weeping, "Mama, help!! Ray's in there!", crouching down to be as small as Emma, Mother followed her finger pointing towards the very flames, dancing menacingly, while eating away at the wood and every other material.
Mother was seen quickly grabbing into her black night dress pockets, hastily taking out her watch to check the transmitters.
The plan was working.
The transmitter was right in the middle of the library and it smelled horrendously, she covered her nose.
"Shit!", she said sharply, she took a hold of Emma and (Y/N) while with her whole strength she shoved both out of the library. Running out of it herself, she closed the door. "Mama!"
It was Gilda that came running up towards Mother.
"Gilda! Lead your siblings outside and take care of the little ones in my bedroom!", she commanded and Gilda quickly nodded, her hair bouncing up and down.
Rushing towards a direction, Mother had grabbed an extinguisher, ready to use it. "(Y/N), Emma!", she started, not turning around, but rather starting to put out the fire as best as she could, "You need to get out of here as well, at this rate, you'll- !", though this time she turned around, but was met with an empty hallway.
All children had already rushed outside, but where..?
As she took out her pocketwatch another time, she checked their location. Her pounding heart had calmed down when she had realized that both of them were nearby, though they weren't visible.
Wondering if the smoke had caught both of them too now, she rushed to find them, nearing the small glowing dot on the transmitters. But upon realizing that there was nobody in front of her, even though the dot on the watch indicated for her that there should be something, she couldn't find them. "(Y/N)?", she called out, "Emma!?", another time she called for them, looking around the room, she couldn't find anything. The watch showed two glowing white dots, right in front of her.
Her violet orbs skipped from the watch on to the ground. Her empty heart skipped a beat, a cold rush showering over her whole being, actions dead in track as she was grinding her teeth against each other.
On the floor there were two bloodied up and cut off ears.
"Come on, come on, come on!", rushed Emma as she ran forwards. She was faster ever so slightly. Out of breath, (Y/N) tried to catch up, "I'm doing my best!"
She never had the best condition, especially after the past months of not doing anything other than pondering and worrying.
"Everyone's up front, we're almost there!", she said, as she slowed down to take (Y/N)s hand into hers and pull her long. Her other hand was held up against her left temple, where (Y/N) had put up the bandaid in the rush.
"They're here!", said one of the youngest as everyone else had turned around. "Sorry for the wait!", painting, (Y/N) tried to catch her breath, widening her thorax as she sought support in her knees, taking in deep breaths. Emma on the other hand seemed unfazed. Only a small and light film of sweat covered her forehead.
"You two, we need to treat your ears!", said Anna while holding on to her backpack tightly, worry written all over her face. "It's fine! We don't have much time so we better run for now!", said Emma, taking (Y/N)s hand again, knowing for sure that she might as well be the slowest. "Not again!", she growed.
"We're all gonna make it out in one piece and together!", said Emma as they were nearing the wall. Ray was wondering, why they weren't actually all complete, as there were a couple of kids missing.
It was the youngest ones, the infants.
"The youngest ones aren't here?", asked Ray, "Don't tell me..", helping his siblings and friends up the wall, he had held his hand down to catch any and pull some up. "I was thinking it over", responded Emma, "We're leaving the youngest kids at the farm and will return to get them after!", she yelled through the winds and sounds of fire in the distance. As she bundled up all the ropes another hand tugged on his. Glancing down, he was ready to pull up, though his orbs were met with (E/C).
Of course he immediately pulled her up, yet he remained still in his position, holding her hand and upper arm, keeping her secure. (Y/N) looked questionably at him, she was still angered at his first decision of wanting to end this miserable life he had, but he was thankful for her saving his life, yet another time.
"I'm sorry..", he was first to break the silence, "About your hair, I mean.", his voice quieted down with every syllable and word that escaped his mouth. He couldn't think straight, so he didn't really know why he said that. His mind was still filled with a bunch of emotion and nervousness as well as adrenaline.
She on the other hand just sighed and stood up, him following in her tracks. "Don't be sorry", she spoke to him in a soft tone, "I'm just glad that you are safe."
Suddenly though, there was a booming sound, echoing deep and long through the night sky.
It was the alarm.
"The alert has gone out..", Emma mentioned. "Faster than we'd planned."
"What do we do? We're still miles away from the bridge!", it was Ray who asked and Emma just pointed towards the forest on to the other side: "We'll get to the other side from here", Emma continued, turning towards Don, "Don! Throw those ropes!"
He nodded, getting out of his backpack a couple of ropes. These ones had heavy stones tied to the end.
As he was deciding for the perfect tree to anchor these ropes, he gulped. Sure he doesn't get only one try, but aiming again and throwing again eats away on this precious little time they have got.
Concentrating, he inhaled deeply before throwing three ropes at a time. These ropes were thrown as far as they could with a specific rotation as they slung themselves around a tall standing tree.
"Yes!!", he yelled as the other kids clapped. It was Dons time to rush over the rope towards the other side, since he would tie the other ropes now.
"Okay guys!", yelled (Y/N) stricly, "Get in line and prepare yourselves!"
One by one the kids were sliding down the ropes with hangers on to the other side. There were only a couple left, when suddenly sniffling was heard. (Y/N) turned around to catch the little girl Jemima crying.
As she crouched down, (Y/N) asked, "Hey, what's wrong?", soflty she took a hold of Jemimas small hands. They were wet.
"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry...", she started crying, "When I remember how high up we are, I just keep thinking about what would happen if I fell...!", she cries got louder and though her worry and anxiousness, sweat balled at the palm of her hands.
"What do I do.. my hands!", she noticed. (Y/N) had heard the other last two young boys mumble about falling off into the dark cliff, she had to act fast before they'll get scared as we--
"No worries.", it was Ray who had crouched down as well and picked up the little crying girl. A grin was planted on his sharp looks, as he brushed strands of dark brown hair out of her tear stained cheeks, "I'll go with you, so don't worry about it."
"Emma, you still got that rope from before? Tie it around me and Jemima so that we're bound together.", he said as Emma rushed towards him and did as she was told. "Do you know how to cross?", Emma asked and Ray nodded, "I've learned from watching the others.", Ray glanced towards the other two boys that (Y/N) was worried about. "What about you two, do you know how to cross?"
The quickly and harshly nodded, "H-hell yeah! Of course we do!!"
As Ray took off with Jemima, the two other boys have followed suit. Emma and (Y/N) were last ones to catch up with the others again. "You go first, Emma.", said (Y/N) to her with furrowed brows, she nodded, "I'll be fast!"
Though in the moment of Emma preparing herself to slide down, (Y/N) turned around to take one last look at the burning house.
But she was met with dark violet eyes.
Screaming at her, yelling at her.
Pleading, begging.
"(Y/N)", she called out in distress. She was important, this little girl meant death upon Isabella. "Come back!", she screamed, "Please!", she begged.
She held tight on to her hanger- what was this about?
Was this about this future that she was talking about? Do they still have decided upon a future for her?
No, she had decided it for herself already.
(Y/N) turned around, ignoring the stressed calls of Isabella. She had picked out her own path and she will paint her own story on the canvas of life.
Placing the hanger on to the rope, she tugged a couple of times, making sure it's really secure. She glanced again on to the other side, seeing how her family was waiting for her, how everyone looked at her. But (Y/N) was stuck on Ray, she had only eyes for him.
He stood there, at the front, ready to catch her.
And so he did.
As she slid down the wall, over the cliff and towards the other side, Ray was right there, with those open arms he had always shown her, ready to embrace her. The second he caught on to her torso, she let go of the hanger, it flying off the rope. She engulfed him into a hug, her heart pounding.
He stumbled a couple of steps back.
"Come on now, we gotta get out of here!", said Emma and everyone started running into the same direction.