Breeder

Erica (5)

Ray Pov

I could only wonder the reason why Erica didn't know what "love" was. Hadn't she been raised in a loving, caring Orphanage like us? She had to have come from somewhere, and have been raised somewhere.

But her personality, which could be described as nothing but sociopathic, said otherwise.

Then there was the question of Mom.

She always kept a keen eye on Erica- but never did anything to stop her. Whether it was something new that she began teaching the other kids or was something as simple as the girl sneaking out during the night. If it had been me or Norman or anyone else, she would've been onto us immediately.

Did Erica know of the "secret"?

Did she have some sort of deal with Mom, just like me?

The leniency that Mom showed her otherwise, Erica knew so many things. She was capable in many areas of the arts and possessed skill and finesse that a mere ten-year-old shouldn't have. She was skilled in fighting and combat, too. The first time she showed us how to make a chlorine gas bomb out of cleaning materials, I had nothing to say.

Her intelligence took my breath away.

I had come to accept her intellect and brutal nature over time, and I daresay that I've also gotten fond of it. She was realistic to her core- not hopelessly positive like Emma.

But there were so many unanswered questions.

Ranging from who and what she actually was, to all her knowledge and skills, and her past that no one knew of.

"Good afternoon, Ray," Erica said, taking a seat next to me at the foot of the large tree I often sat under.

Speak of the Devil.

"Yo."

"What'cha reading?"

"A book on chemicals that exist in common forest plants," I answered.

"Ah. It's interesting, right? Too bad we don't have a chemistry kit. I could make some very interesting poisons."

Poisons?

"...Poisons?"

"Did I say "poison"? I meant "healthy drinks"," Erica replied, a pleasant smile on her face.

Her attitude and expression didn't change at the drop of a hat anymore, but her poker face and skill in acting made it very hard for me to guess what she was truly thinking. The worst part was that she was rubbing off on Norman.

"Eri!!"

Speak of the Devil- once again.

"Norman!!" Erica called out, her lips melting into a soft smile that prickled a corner of my heart.

"Tch," I grunted.

"Aww~ Did Ray want a hug too~? Don't worry!! There's plenty of me to go around!!" Erica joked, making Norman's pale cheeks flare.

"Norman... what were you thinking? Not something dirty I hope?" Erica teased.

"D-d-d- dirty?!"

"He's not capable of doing that. There's no use teasing him." I snorted.

"Hey, you guys!! Ready for another game of tag?" Emma joined up, greeting us.

"Huh? Norman, are you okay? Your face is really red." She continued, giving Norman a worried look.

"I- I'm okay..."

"I was actually thinking of starting something new today, Emma. How would you like to learn how to survive in the woods?" Erica asked, making a shocked silence envelop the three of us.

What can she not do? I wondered. Other than the obviously twisted and practically nonexistent moral compass and matching personality, she seems to have no flaws. But there has to be something. No one's that perfect.

"Surviving in the woods? Where would we ever use those skills, Eri?" Norman asked, laughing lightly.

Erica's navy-blue eyes glinted with darkness and malicious humour. At this point, I was 90% sure that Erica knew of the "secret". Taking everything that she taught the others into consideration, it was the only explanation that made sense.

Why would you teach a bunch of orphans hand-to-hand combat? Why bother to increase their stamina, cognitive skills, and cryptography if it wasn't meant for the secret use of communication away from Mom's eyes- and the eventual escape of this Farm?

I narrowed my eyes.

Erica Minerva... are you our ally, or an enemy under the guise of an ally?

"So... you guys don't want to learn?" Erica asked.

"No, we'll learn!! I wanna learn everything that you know, Erica! So that I can be as amazing as you one day!!" Emma cheered.

"But you already are amazing. The sheer amount of stubborn determination and positivity makes you formidable." Erica commented, tilting her head with a confused expression.

".....Are you making fun of me, or are you complimenting me?!"

"Both?"

"Hey!!"

A soft snort of laughter escaped my lips, accompanied by Norman's own laughter.

And at this moment, I came to a decision.

It doesn't matter what Erica is. She's important to me- to us- and I don't want to lose her.

~~~ /// ~~~ \\\ ~~~

I apologize for the long wait!! I've somehow managed to write up a couple of chapters despite the writer's block and general impediment caused by a busy life and C A L C U L U S -

All in all, we have our first major timeskip (out of a total of two) next chapter!! The plot of the anime will be starting... not very soon, but there's plenty of drama planned!!

Thank you for all your comments!! Your wishes and comments for updates gave me the courage and the will to keep writing!! I mean, who needs sleep when you can write some fanfics, amIrite?

3/23/2021

2.7 pages, 906 words