Let's Escape Together *BOOK 1*

|08--30| Tired

He's gone.

He's gone.

He's gone.

He's gone.

"Hey, Azalea!"

The girl's pink orbs widened as she turned hopefully, though she deflated as her hair covered over her eyes. She bit her lip as it trembled, Yvette tugging on her shirt with wide, black eyes with a small frown on her face.

"Zaza?" she blinked, the girl's eyes widening at the unfamiliar nickname, "can we play together?"

She gazed down at the six-year-old, gazing back at the space where she was before. She knew he was gone, yet her eyes and ears still searched for him. Norman was gone. His death hurt not only her but Ray, Emma, Don and Gilda.

"Zaza?" Yvette asked again.

She gazed down, nodding as she gently shooed her outside. As she did so, her pink eyes met Emma's blue ones. The pair maintained eye contact for a while before Emma broke it, gazing down at the grass with a saddened smile.

"Emma and 'Zalea look sad again today..." murmured Phil.

"It's not just them, Ray too," piped in Thoma, "they must be so lonely..."

"Well... the four of them were good friends," admitted Lanny. Don and Gilda shared a glance, hesitating as they debated over whether or not to walk over to the black-haired girl. Gilda watched as she let the girls braid her hair, her mouth smiling as she laughed, though her eyes pleading for help.

"We've done enough, let's die here," was what Ray had stated after he had called a meeting, two hours after Norman had gone, "it's impossible. You heard Norman, we're surrounded by cliffs; the only bridge is the one going out of headquarters."

"Ray, what are you-"

"Besides... I'm tired," murmured the boy hanging his head with his eyes wide, "I'm... really tired..."

Emma held out the tracking device, asking him what they should do with it.

"You can have it. If you want to escape, go," he snapped, the girls flinching at his cold-hearted tone, "I'm out. Sorry, Emma, Azalea."

Azalea.

Ray hadn't called her by her full name in... well... ages.

"Hey, wait, Azalea!" Don whirled around, eyes widening as the girl stormed out, tears welling in her eyes. They hesitantly gazed back at him, flinching as the door slammed shut behind her.

~TIMESKIP~

Azalea breathed heavily on the bed as she heaved, her chest rising and falling.

Think... think... what should we do? This isn't good... I can't breathe... I have to think of something, I have to work hard... but my brain and body aren't listening to me! They won't function! I... was able to keep going because our group wasn't divided, we were all agreeing with one another...

But... Norman's gone.

Even Ray shut me out, refusing to talk to me. Emma... I don't even know what the girl was thinking these days...

Could I do it? Was it really possible to escape with everyone and survive? Could I do all of that?

I couldn't do anything... I couldn't even let Norman escape... I couldn't even try to convince him...

It's impossible...

I can't do it. Not without my friends' support and... Norman's...

She swallowed, clenching her head tighter as she struggled to think of a solution. Her eyes widened as a shadow loomed over her, the girl sitting upright in a panic.

"I did knock, you know... didn't you hear it?" was what she said. The girl tensed as she suddenly embraced her. "You poor thing... you're in pain... Norman died... Ray's refusing to talk to you... Emma's not herself... you're suffering, aren't you? You can't do anything alone, Azalea... Your [insert bone] is broken, and your escape route is blocked, and now you've lost all of your emotional support."

The girl remained silent, swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat.

It was true.

The very thing Azalea was scared of was being alone with no people to support her. She feared that one day, everyone around her would leave, and here she was. Ray refused to talk to her, look at her, and when she tried to approach him, he'd only appear as if she was talking to a blank wall and give her the cold shoulder. Don and Gilda tried, at least, but they could never find the right words to say to her. Emma just... didn't seem right to talk to, so the girl chose to give her some space...

Which all backfired.

"You poor girl... you must be in total despair, you'll never be able to escape," she cooed gently into her ear, "just give up, Azalea; the best way to not suffer anymore... is to give up."

Azalea glanced up at her.

"Just accept things as they are... and resign yourself," she murmured into her hair, "you know who you are, and you just need to accept yourself... just give up..."

She hung her head.

"Don't ever give up, Azalea... you hear me?"

"Yeah..."

She shook her head firmly.

"No... that's the one thing I can't do."

An ugly scowl crossed over Isabella's face.

"Fine. Then you can write in agony as you can wait for death," she sneered, "the farm and I will never let you go. None of you can escape, and you can realise that to your heart's content. Tell them, for all I care."

"I can't tell them," she whimpered, "I-I just... I can't..."

Nothing moved forward... except for time.

~TIMESKIP~

The day was Sunday. The date was January 14, 2046.

Emma and Azalea walked into the dining room, peering inside to see Ray leaning on the table and reading a book. He perked up upon hearing the door open, finally gazing at Azalea for the first time in what seemed like years.

The time was 23:38.

"What are you doing up at this hour, Ray?" she cocked her head, "it's half-past eleven."

"It's my last chance, so I'm saying goodbye to this House," he heaved, staring up at the clock. Azalea's heart fell. Amidst the chaos and everything that had been happening, it had completely slipped her mind that the next day would be Ray's birthday. "Tomorrow... I'll be shipped out..."

He slammed his book shut suddenly, jolting the girls out of their thoughts.

"Hey, Emma... 'Zalea... you two really haven't given up, right?"