Faded Promises

Departure

Just hold on; at the end of the line...

This day, might be Ray's last; unless Emma can make him change his mind. The reality was that the plan hasn't changed, the escape will happen, tonight...

Norman's sacrifice shouldn't be in vain... he left to protect us, and this was the last chance we have to get out together. It was hard to comply to Mother, to hide the truth and move in the shadows of defeat. But it was necessary; to make her think we truly gave up. Until the end, she won't suspect the truth.

Pretend to give up, but still plan the escape. Mother has never let her guard down, so we can't directly beat her. But while her focus is on us eldest, she didn't think about the others.

Ray was an obstacle; he was ready to sacrifice himself to let everyone escape. Cause a distraction and take anything down with him.

And I'm afraid I won't be able to save him if it ever happens.

The escape route was still complicated to think of, the bridge was the only option, but it was directly connected with the headquarters and mother would sound the alarm before we can come near it.

A suitable way to escape is to make a distraction then leave. To do something that will occupy Mother's attention and not notice the children getting away. Then do something to stop Mother from notifying the headquarters of the escape.
A loud sound pierced through the night and a scream.

Flames rise up to requite fear...

--+--

At the eve of his departure; Fire signals the end...

I was in Mother's office practicing my needlework while listening to songs, she came back from overseeing at the infants sleep. She was deep in thought; maybe thinking about how this was Ray's final day, and the failed escape.

"I'll patrol tonight as a precaution, Lilian." Mother said, "You can go to sleep after that stitch."

"RAY!!!" A voice yelled out.

Mother ran through the door and halls with me at her heels. We burst into the dining hall, coughing at smoke and saw flames and Emma was kneeling at the floor.

"Ray! RAY!!" Emma panicked.

"Ray?" Mother questioned and held Emma's shoulders, "Emma!"

"Mom, help! Ray's in there!" Emma said pointing to the flames.

The look on Emma's face said that she was completely panicking; this wasn't part of the plan...

I failed; Ray was...

"No!!" I screamed trying to go nearer to the flames but Emma held me back, "RAY!"

Mother took a moment to process what was happening. She took out her pocket watch and looked at the devices locations. There was a ping right in the middle of the flames.

Mother went out of the room, most likely to get an extinguisher. Emma then hurriedly told me about the plan, Ray wasn't in the fire but we had to look like he was.

"Take everyone outside!" I heard Mother shout to someone, "And also get the babies in my room!"

Mother came in the dining hall again now with an extinguisher wanting to put out the flames.

"Emma, stay back." Mother told Emma.

As mother was preoccupied with the fire we silently got away from the dining hall. We went to the wash room, then Emma took out a scalpel and took out the tracker from my ear, we were running out of time, after cleaning the scalpel Emma sliced off her ear, we quickly took off to the forest.