Notes

CHAPTER SEVEN: Escape


Days passed and finally, it was today, the day of our escape, we had everything ready, and so we waited until it was about 11:30.

I looked at the clock on the wall, I woke up everyone and we all got up and we grabbed each our own backpacks, they were each filled with food, water, and first aid kits, I had a compass but unfortunately the only things we could use as weapons were things such as silverware, scissors, and a scalpel, the only knives Father had were butter knives, he had said before it's for our own safety, but now we know it's not for our sake, but theirs.

We ran through the forest dodging all tree branches, we jumped over the fence and to the wall, we tied the rope to a tree branch and used it to climb the wall, Avery and Lewis didn't tell me until the last minute, but they actually had been training the kids on how to climb the wall, and everyone was able to do it perfectly, everyone except Evelyn.

Everyone was cheering her on, but as our words got louder so did the footsteps behind her, soon after we saw a figure walking behind her.

"Evelyn! Come on!" Before we could say anything else, the figure became clear.

"Sister..." She smiled at us, Evelyn was terrified, she froze, "Evelyn- come on! Run! Now!"

Sister put her hands on her shoulders and took a few steps back with Evelyn following her, we thought we were doomed but to our surprise she didn't do anything other than hand her a little note and whispered something.

Evelyn nodded and ran towards the wall, she made it and Lewis helped her climb up at the end.

Sister looked directly at me, "You're escaping, right? I need a favor," I frowned, "Why would we do that for you-"

"I left the note," my eyes widened, "And in return, I need you to do something... Isabella, she used to be a close friend of mine, I was informed she is now a Mother in the house next to this one, I need you to throw that note there... she'll get it, I can't go myself... it's too dangerous for a Sister like me, but please, if you do see her, tell her I said that 'it wasn't her fault', she'll know what you're talking about... good luck...."

That was the last we heard from her before she turned around and walked away into the darkness of the forest, but we couldn't waste time feeling bad for her, we had to leave now, I turned to the rest of our family, "We better get going now, quickly,"

Before we started running, we heard an alarm, "Oh no..." whispered Ava, "Did they find us? Who would have told them? Sister?" I frowned, "No... Sister was on our side... let's go now! Quickly!" After I yelled that we started running towards the bridge, but we stopped when we noticed other kids, another family actually, seemed to be about 15 of them.

"No way..." one of them noticed us, "Huh..?" I stepped back towards Angel, "Those are the kids I saw," I whispered, Lewis went towards them.

"Hello," he said with a smile, "You're escaping too, right? I'm sorry to say we might not make it to the bridge, not with the alarm going off," a short girl with messy orange hair looked over the cliff, she smiled confidently, "Oh, thanks for the heads up, but we're not going through the bridge," I walked towards them, "But the bridge is the only escape, and because of the alarm sounding it's probably flooded with demons by now..."

She smiled, "Hey, calm down! We have another way, you guys were planning to go towards the bridge? Sorry we ruined your escape," she smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of her neck, "But- why don't you all come with us!" one of the others who seemed to be one of the older kids walked up to her, "Are you crazy? You can't take more people-" she simply smiled and ignored what he had told her

"Alright! Don, do your trick!" A kid with dark brown hair threw a rope with was attached to a rock, it wrapped around a tree branch, he pulled out a hanger and slid down falling into the bushes in the process, but thankfully he quickly came back up raising his hands in the air as the younger kids cheered for him.

Suddenly two kids yelled out, "OUR TURN!" They launched bottle rockets attacked to ropes over to the other side, while the other kid, who's name was said to be Don, wrapped the ropes around some trees making three ziplines.

A girl with short green hair went up to the other one with orange hair, "Emma... there's not enough hangers..." Ava stepped in, "Let's go in groups then, the older ones can carry the little ones!" The girl who's name supposedly is Emma smiled at the idea Ava came up with, "That's a great idea!"

Lewis decided to go first, he took both William and Evelyn with him, and thankfully they made it to the other side safely, the other girl with green hair went next, she took two of the youngest kids from their family with her, and they all went like that, in groups of three or pairs usually.

Until only me, Emma, and Oliver were left, suddenly a woman ran towards us, she stopped and stared at us for a second, I'm guessing that's their mother, and if they're the kids from the house next to our house...

I went towards her, I heard Angel yell at me, "ROSA! GET AWAY FROM HER!" I ignored his warning and kept walking as I said, "Emma, take Oliver and go," the woman didn't take a step forward or back, "But-"

"Go!" with that she took off with Oliver, I walked towards the woman, "Isabella, right?" Her eyes widened, "How do you-"

"Sister Iris told me," I smiled, I saw her trying not to cry, "I-Iris?" I hummed in response, and I handed her the letter, "'It wasn't your fault'..." her eyes widened, "That's what she wanted me to tell her, she said you'd understand," I smiled, "It was nice meeting you!" I walked back, picked up the last hanger that there was, and slid through the zipline.

I afraid I was going to crash so closed my eyes, but to my surprise something caught me, I opened my eyes to see it was someone I didn't recognize, it was one of the kids from the other farm, specifically the one who wanted to leave us behind, I blushed slightly, he put me down almost instantly, "Uh.. t-thanks?"

I saw Angel running towards me and I silently prayed that I'd stay alive, "Idiot! What if you got- I don't know- maybe KILLED?!" I laughed sheepishly, "Sorry... it's just-" The same kid that saved me from potentially crashing into a tree invited himself into our conversation, "Take it easy on her, she's alive isn't she?"

"What if she had gotten captured-"

"Mom wouldn't do that!"

"You don't know that!"

"And you do?!"

Emma stood in between them so nothing bad would happen, "Hey now! Calm down, if we're gonna travel together we have to get along!" The boy just scoffed and walked towards the others, Emma turned to us almost instantly after, "I'm so sorry about Ray- he can be a little-"

"Insensitive?"

"Angel!" Emma slightly giggled, "You could say that," Angel turned to face me, "See, I was right," Ava spoke up, "Alright! Let's get going!" And everyone ran towards the group, I took a second to look back at Isabella, she held the ropes in her arms as if they were her own children, I didn't even notice Lewis behind me.

"Why'd you do it?"

"Hm? Do what?"

"Talk to her, give her the note," my eyes softened and I waved at her, "Sister Iris helped us, I wanted to help her..." Isabella waved back at me, Lewis smiled and waved at her as well, "Well, let's get going shall we?" I nodded and we ran towards the others. 'This will be a long journey'