Chapter Text
It's a new day, a bright sun is outside with a beautiful blue sky.
After a rainy night, the fact that the sun is out is good notice. That means everyone can get out to play after tests.
It's just a normal day, isn't it?
Well, that's true to most of the younger kids of Grace Field House...
To the older ones instead, it's....the next day
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'Hey, Norman'
'What's up Emma?'
'Before we go, I was thinking of making a little change on the plans..'
'Eh? What do you want to change?'
'It's about if Mama gets to us, we agreed that if that happens I will be the one distracting her while you climb the wall, right?'
'Right'
'I say that we better change of places'
'You're saying that I should be the one distracting mom?'
'Yeah! Think about it, if we change places I will be able to climb the wall faster. Even if you can't distract her too much, it is easier this way for us to secure the expedition.'
'You're right. Good thinking Emma!'
'Today...'
'Mmm?'
'Today we'll see what's behind the wall, and our escape plan will begin!!'
'Yeah! Nothing will go wrong!'
'And if it happens, we'll figure it out as long as we're together, we're gonna escape from here no matter what it costs. We'll live'
?Win this for me, okay
"GOOD MORNING NORMAN!!!"
Ah...
That was...
"Em-"
"Sherry please don't yell..."
"Ah, sorry Ray. But he wasn't getting up!!"
Sherry...
Ray...
Then...
"You should too Ray! You'll miss breakfast"
It wasn't...
" ....I'm coming, I was just waiting to see if Norman's okay"
"I'm..."
just a dream, was it?...
"I'm okay Ray, thanks"
"....."
"Come on, let's go!! Mama's waiting for us."
"Yeah, let's go...Sherry"
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"Could sleep?"
Gilda was in the kitchen preparing breakfast when Don arrived. She was so tired that she barely could stay awake, that's why she couldn't finish preparing the breakfast until now. Don realized it passing by the kitchen so he went to help her so she could finish sooner.
"Not even a single bit"
"I see, that's why you seem very tired"
"Yeah I am, but don't worry. I'll take a nap later... And what about you, did you get to sleep?"
"I couldn't either, it was quite a rainy night wasn't it?"
"Yeah, it was....a rough night. Very cold"
"Uh!, by the way, the blanket I gave you-"
"Oh yeah, I left it in your room earlier, I forgot to tell you"
"No worries, I was just gonna ask if it helped you?"
"Ah, yeah, thanks a lot for that"
"It's nothing, I didn't want you to get sick that's all."
"Thanks, Don.....talking about sickness, how's Norman?"
"I had just passed by the infirmary, and they were still asleep, well, Norman was still asleep"
"They?"
"Ray was there too"
"Oh.., I see then."
"Sherry told me she would wake up Norman, so I came here to help you"
"Thanks, Don. I'm glad they're okay. I was worried."
"Yeah, so do I"
"They can be very clever and the ones with the best notes, but they don't know how to care about themselves a little bit.....none of them"
"Yeah I know right? They're so careless..."
"......"
"Well, um, how do I help you?"
"Umm, you can help me taking the plates to the table, I'm almost done, just let me finish to cut the..."
Gilda stopped. Don too, he worried a little bit. Why does she stop so suddenly?. When Don focused on the direction where Gilda was seeing. And he understood.
The last thing to cut we're the carrots...
The color of the carrots it's what caught her attention...
It was the same color as the hair of the person who left the last night.
Why did everything keep bringing back memories of her?
She just went...
"Gilda..."
"...How did this happen, Don?
"....."
"How... it happened?!!?
"....."
"I just.....can't understand it"
Gilda's voice was breaking. Every word she said was being interrupted by soft cries.
"I...I don't know"
Gilda can't do anything else except cry in silence. Don just can watch her.
How to explain something like that?
There's no way.
There are no words for it.
"She's...., now she's...."
"Gilda.....stop..."
Don walked to Gilda's place and hugged her.
"...."
"I...I'm here, okay?..."
This only made Gilda cried more, while Don just pats her head in a comforting way. Slowly her crying stopped.
They stayed like this for a couple of minutes.
"I'll go leave the plates, you'll be okay?
"....."
"Gilda?..."
"...I will"
"...."
"Thanks, Don"
Gilda put a kind smile on his face and so does Don. Both trying to support each other. Trying to stay strong. Both faking smiles...for the other.
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"Phil..."
"Uh?"
Phil was laying on a bed staring at the ceiling with a sad look until someone arrived.
"Mom..."
"Are you okay?"
Isabella was carrying Carol while she looked at Phil worried. This was uncommon. Usually, Phil was very energetic in the morning, with a big smile and running everywhere with his siblings.
He reminded her of a certain person.
"I was just thinking," He says that while keeping his stare to the ceiling.
"You're thinking about her, aren't you?"
"Yeah, it's been less than a day but... I already miss her."
"..."
"Mama.."
"Mmm?"
"Can I ask you something?"
"Yes, of course, Phil
"Did Emma told you something before she left?"
"....." Isabella shocked, tensed up.
"Did she left happy?"
"Phil..."
"...."
They stared at each other. There was a big silence for a couple of minutes.
Phil couldn't stop thinking about Emma's last words to him. The promises he made to her. They seemed... like a real goodbye, a definitive one. But....why? She was just getting adopted right? It was just that, no?....
Then why.....why it doesn't seem like that?
What happened?
"She did," Isabella said after the silence. "She went very happy, keeping her big smile all the time, as usual. She was...Emma til the last second I saw her."
"I see." Phil got up from the bed and walk where Isabella was. A big smile on his face. "Thanks, mom, I'm glad."
He knew she just answer one question but probably Isabella was missing her too. So thinking about it should be painful to her. It was Emma's last words to mama, after all. They were special to her. So he let it go. Maybe someday she'll tell them or not. She decides.
Even if this didn't clarify his dudes about Emma's words it was enough at least know she went happy. He better left the theme over there so he couldn't be overthinking too much. Plus it was difficult to talk about it not just for him for Isabella too.
"So do I, Phil. Now go with the others, it's almost time for breakfast, I'll go in a second."
"Yeah, mom!!!"
Phil went running to the dining room. It was no surprise to Isabella seeing how Phil accidentally threw Mark for running and immediately apologizing about it, helping Mark to get up.
She smiled at this. He was back to his energetic mode again.
She turned her sight to the bed where Phil was sitting before. That was not his bed.
The property of the bed was of someone no longer there.
It was Emma's bed.
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"Thanks for the food"
All the kids started to eat while they chatted about the dreams they had and what will they play after tests. Of course, there was just one section in complete silence.
'Empty'
'Everything is empty'
'She is gone...'
Norman couldn't eat he just focused on one thing, and one thing only.
The empty chair in front of him.
The chair that used to belong to his sun of every day.
The chair where it was the most important person in his life.
The person he loved...
The person he couldn't protect...
The person who is gone...
And is never going to come back...
'How I wish you were here...Emma'
'Emma...., what did you do?'
'Why did you do it?'
Ray's eyes stayed at the food. He did eat but her eyes never get out of the food. He just couldn't see other stuff, if he did he would notice the empty chair beside him. The stupid empty chair.
He doesn't want to see it. He can't. What happened last night was enough to take.
It failed. The plan failed.
He had to see how another of his siblings went to death. Again.
How could he didn't expect this? After all these years, all the work just......to lose again.
WHY?!?
Why...., why of all the people...her?
He promised him to save them. Both Norman and...Emma.
'That idiot'
'You should have lived'
'You promised'
'I promised...'
'That you would live...'
'I'm sorry '
'Emma..'
Even not seeing, he knew Norman wasn't eating.
That was a problem. Norman fade away last night and broke his arms days ago, the worst would be if he get sick and he can't afford that, not after what happened.
He can't lose another sibling.
Not Norman.
Not again.
'That dumbass'
'You should take care more of yourself'
"Please Ray"
'Tch' 'Fine'
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"OI"
"Uh?!"
Norman was so deep in his thoughts that he couldn't hear the callings of Ray until he yelled at him.
"Why aren't you eating?"
"Ah, sorry Ray, I was..."
"Yeah, yeah, just eat or you'll get sick, AGAIN,"
"Uh, sorry"
"....."
"......"
"Don't make me tell you again. If I don't see you eating, I'll go myself to your place and force you to eat!"
"....Sorry, Ray. I'll eat"
"Just eat you idiot"
'I don't wanna lose you too'
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At the bottom, Isabella was seeing this.
She had noticed that Norman wasn't eating, she asked if she should do something about it. But it seems Ray solve it. She was a little happy about it. They didn't say anything since last night until now.
But that didn't last too long after that Norman and Ray stayed in silence the rest of the breakfast.
Even if they were very depressed they still care about each other.
'At least they ate well'
'They won't get sick
'I was getting concerned that this would affect them too much until the point they don't eat well'
'That would have been a problem'
'Gilda and Don seemed down too'
'It worked at the end'
'She was right'
'There are fewer problems now that she's out of the chessboard'
'I wonder if....'
'Are you okay Emma?'
"...Peter Ratri. Nice to meet you, Emma!"
'What?'
"I'm sorry sir, we made you wait?"
'What's going on?'
"No, I arrived earlier, no worries"
'I should, no, I'm going to die, right?'
"Emma, this is Peter, your new adoptive parent"
'WHAT?!?'
"No, Isabella, please. I'm still too young to be called her parent"
'Wait-'
"I'm here to see if you can help me with my investigation. I heard you were one of the best scores of the whole house."
'Investigation?'
"With your abilities, you'll be very useful"
'I'm.... not going to die?'
"So, what do you say Emma?"
'Did I'm-'
"Would you help me?"
'....having a second chance?'
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."?Mama, can I talk to you "
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"Lambda...."
"That's right this is the place where you'll spend most of your time. You'll do daily tests like in Gracefield House but a little more difficult, physical tests too"
"All right...."
"This is your room, just for you. It's full of books, games, puzzles and a lot of stuff to do when you're not doing tests"
'It's a big room'
"This is a screen where you'll be checked every day and you'll get contacted by the doctors"
'Screen?'
"This is your tracker and tomorrow you'll have your Lambda tattoo"
'Wait- did he said..?'
"Of course there'll be times where you will not stay here, it depends on the circumstances. Here is your uniform from Lambda and the Mama faction. You'll start tomorrow."
"Yeah"
"I hope you don't disappoint me, Emma"
'I....'
'I just hope I can see you all again
' I won't waste this chance'
'I promise you...'
'I will survive'
'Don't die Emma'
"Time to play!!!!!"
"Yey!"
Tests are over. All the kids go running to the door to get out of the house to play.
"Hey, careful kids, don't run," Isabella says while opening the door.
Everyone gets out of the room.
Everyone except one
Norman
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"Ray! Don't you come?"
"No, thanks Jemima, I'm going to the library"
"Awww, Ray why are you like this?"
"Come out and play with us"
"Yeah, you're always reading"
"Sorry, guys. It will be another day"
"But...."
Ray left without saying anything else. The kids just stay there watching him go. When Ray's not at her sight anymore they'll finally go outside.
"Ray's more distant, don't you think?"
" That's logical Emma left yesterday, he probably misses her"
"Yeah Norman as well"
"He's not the same..."
"He's very sad all the time"
"He didn't want to play with us this time. I mean with Ray is usually like this but Norman..."
"He didn't even react"
" What can we do?......"
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'Think'
'Think'
'Think'
'Think'
'Think'
'Think'
'Think'
'Think'
'Think'
'Think
'Think'
'Think'
'Move or do something'
'Just... DO SOMETHING!!! '
Norman still sits in the tests room. He hasn't moved at all. Her sight is on the floor.
'Why...'
'Why can't I move.....'
'Why can't I think......'
'Void'
'Void'
'Void'
'Void'
'Void'
'WHY CAN'T I DO SOMETHING?!??!'
'WHY COULDN'T I?!?!!'
'I LEFT HER GO'
'SHE'S GONE'
'IT'S ALL MY FAULT!!!'
'ALL BECAUSE I COULDN'T THINK'
'Think'
'Void'
'Think'
'Void'
'Think'
'Void'
'I've lost....'
'I'm pathetic'
'I can't do it....'
'What's the point now?......'
'It's useless'
'Nothing will change the past......'
'Nothing will bring back.......
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"Emma"
"What did you plan this time?......."
Ray was in his room.
He lied.
He wasn't going to the library.
In the morning Ray notice that there was something on his desk.....
Something that wasn't there before......
'It's crazy......'
'She's crazy......'
'This is not going to work.....'
'What was she thinking.......'
'It's too risky.......'
'.........'
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"Ja"
"You idiot"
"That's why......"
"You really are.....crazy"
"Aren't you.....?"
"Emma...."
"You left...."
: Dear Ray
"A letter....."