Did you know? YouTube isn't drunk. It's sleep deprived!
+_-_-_+-+++++--++-

Words on italics are thoughts when in 3rd PoV.
----

3rd Person's POV

Piano sounds echo around the library as Iris plays a piece, 'Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)'. She found it on one of the books in the library and decided to play it. 

(Full piano cover above. ENJOY!)

The pretty sounds and soft tune had everyone's attention and watch in admiration.  it was when she finished playing when they all started clapping and cheering.

"That was so beautiful. Amazingly, you've finished the piece within 2 days! Conny probably loves it!" Mom praises as Iris made a bow.

"I hope I can learn to play like you, Iris," Conny timidly said. Today is her last day in the house and this performance is a gift for her before she separates from them, and from the orphanage. She's going to have a new family...

None of them will live there forever. Before turning 12, all of them are arranged to leave the house and sent out to live with foster parents. All of them doesn't know their real parents nor where they were born. But they all had great time together, living on the same roof. And in the end, parting ways still leave them all feeling sad. 

The least Iris could think of is playing a piece before the others go and finally meet their adoptive parents. To make them feel better before leaving, she uses music. Music always makes her feel less nervous, less sad, and sometimes make her smile, so she always share it to others.

"Of course you can. I'm sure you'll make others smile," Iris responded in a soft voice. 

(Pic not mine. Imagine her with the eye patch. I'm just showing her reaction)

She noticed the others looking at her in shock. "What?" 

"Eeeeee that smile!" Emma exclaimed enthusiastically as she hugs the younger girl. Iris' poker face came back and she just shrugged. Guess the smiling her seems rarely to see.

"First time seeing you smiled! Please smile more!" The younger ones pleaded, and the others encouraged her to smile more. She just made a small chuckle. Although not always smiling outside, she does in the inside whenever she sees them smile.

"You guys should go play before dinner." Mom suggested.

"You too Iris, come play with us!" Phil and Conny tug her shirt with puppy eyes. 

Cute!

"Sure." Iris answered, pleased.

She heard Don challenge Norman to play tag as he's It. Before the time starts, they all run towards the forest separating in groups, some in pairs, and some are hiding alone.
The path Iris was taking is towards the fence, and she just noticed. It has been 3 years since she discovered the wall, but she never told anyone. 

Well, one person found out. He promised to keep it a secret tho. But that doesn't matter right now since he's not with them anymore...
He was adopted that same year. Hopefully, he's doing well.

After a while, she felt someone on her radius. She looks up for the nearest tree to climb up. From there, she can see Norman tapping the kids' shoulders one by one, with their surprised reactions after being caught. Even Don was disappointed when his' and Conny's location was found.
The other kids are caught out of her radius.
How many are left already?

On the distance,
"What?! You've all been caught?!" Don exclaimed.

"The only ones who are not yet caught are Emma and Iris," one of them said.
...

She waited for a while and took a look around her surroundings. This forest is the garden, their playground. The house ground stretch far and wide. Despite all that, there are only two places they were told that shouldn't get near to: 

"The gate and the fence marking the boundaries of the forest is extremely dangerous so you need to keep your distance." Isabella, their Mama, warned them. 

They have a mom, but they are not blood related. They are all siblings, and they treat each other as a family. Personalities, age, and ethnicities all vary. Simply because they are orphans.
No one questioned what their Mama told them, it seems.

But because of Iris' curiosity, she broke a rule and discovered the wall beyond the fence. She can sense no threat on its surroundings, but still, she's trying to keep her distance. She's also curious about the gate, but a part of her says that she need to stay away from it, whatever it takes... 

Thinking about it always gets chills down her spine, and she doesn't know why. She never got near the gate even at that time when Emma invited her to go there when they were younger. 

After a while, she saw Emma with Ray in front of the house. As she can observe in her reaction, Emma is complaining. Can't blame her. Norman always catches them easily. But this time, she won't let him win.

Seeing as most of the kids are in the playground, she counted.
"Seems I'm the only one left unfound."

Its time for her to go down. She jump into the bushes and started to walk away from the fence. Not long after, she felt Norman behind. She slowly started running and switch into directions. His movements suddenly stopped when Iris heard a thud few meters away.

She stopped running. 

I guess I have to go back to check. 

She saw him, face flat on the ground. 

I know he's good in tactics but I'm still worried. 
In the end, she didn't let her guard down and pick a small stick. 

I trust you, stick. 

Iris poke the stick into his face, making him flinch. 

"Hey, you alright?" she asked. 

She felt him move and he suddenly grab the stick. She then quickly stood up, walk a few steps backwards and wait for him to stand.

"Ahaha you can't even let your guard down that easily," Norman chuckled, putting down the stick.

"Well, I'm glad your fine."

They both heard Emma yelling, a sign for time's up. "I lost," he chuckled.

"You almost won though," she responded. They walk back and met the others.

----------

Iris' POV

They glance at me amazed. This is the second time Norman lost from me since he's rarely the It among us and I don't play much tag with them. I'm alright with hide and seek, but in tag, we have to run and that causes me to lose stamina and get tired easily.

"How do you even avoid Norman from tagging you for a long time?!" Emma pouts.

"Using...strategy," I simply answered in a poker face, remembering the stick I used. "Well, tag is a game where we can enhance our tactics. Norman almost won."

"Same as what Ray told me," she said frowning.

"At least you found your way to break your record from being caught by Norman," I responded.

She sigh.

"It's because of that stupid brain of yours," Ray interrupted. Emma started to whine.

-----
3rd POV
"Those 4 really are amazing,"

"I agree. I heard that this is the first time that we have four geniuses together in the long history of our house." Gilda added.

"They're smart and agile at the same time. That's insane" Nat spoke. 

"Among them is Norman, the genius with the sharpest brain. The smartest. Then we have one that can keep up with the said genius, Ray, the walking encyclopedia." Gilda said then paused. "Then Iris, the genius that plays music to calm our minds! I think it could be a reason why she remember things clearly and also too observant. And finally, Emma, the girl with the monstrous reflexes and astonishing ability to learn. Both Iris and Emma always follow right behind those two!"

"Geez! What do I have to eat to be like them?!" Nat complained.

"You're already eating the same food! Their nervous system is probably made with something else!" Gilda laughed.

"Iris really is amazing even if she's the youngest. Come to think of it, she's good at cooking!"

"I wanna eat Iris' cooking," Conny added.

"Well, today and tomorrow's dinner are her schedule right? At least you can eat before we get separated." Don said grinning and patting her head. He look up into the group.

 "Norman, let's have a rematch! This time, everyone except you will be It!" he said bluntly.

"He's losing his cool again," the others sweat dropped.

"No problem, try to catch me then!" Norman responded and runs towards the forest. They all wait for the time to start.

"Come on. Cheer up Emma, we don't have much enough time for dinner. You won't let yourself lose again, right?" Ray said pushing both me and Emma from behind.

"Yeah!" Emma answered in a determined voice.

-----
Iris POV
When Norman's within my radius' reach, I walk towards it. "Where are you going Iris?" Emma asked.

"I'll check here."

"That's the way to the fence right? Lets check together."

"Alright,"

-----

Emma silently walks toward his direction. We found him gazing beyond the fence. She tapped his shoulder to get his attention.

"Hey, Norman." I spoke up. "Where are you looking at a while ago?"

He again looks at the forest beyond the fence. "I'm just wondering, what is beyond the fence that made it dangerous,"

"...."

"That's obviously a lie," Ray said approaching the three of us. "The fence is too low that we can even climb it easily and I can't see anything that is threatening. What part of it is dangerous?"

I just nodded. The question is: Why a fence?
Why is there a wall?
What's beyond the wall?

"So you guys are in here," I heard the other children coming out from the bushes.

"I always wonder what happened with our siblings that were adopted with their new family."

"That reminds me. They never send any letter." Gilda said and been thinking about it. "They must've forgotten about us and are living it up everyday."

"Ugh! I wanna hurry up and go outside already! I wanna try on all kind of outfits!" she complained while Anna was also listening to her. 

I'm sure they're both thinking sorts of clothes right now. Well, everyday, we wear the same kind of white uniforms, which is suspicious. We always get dirty every after play time but we still wear white clothes.

"There's a whole lot outside that we don't have here." Nat added.

"I wanna see trains," Phil said proudly. I pat his head as I can feel my eyes softened.

We may know about the outside world but only using pictures and imagining it with novels. Even I wishes to see it, the outside world, the things we always see in the pictures. I want to try something new, but it seems like I can only dream and imagine it until I get adopted. 

-----

"Conny, are you ready?" Emma asked entering the door of our shared room. I was closing up Conny's coat buttons.

"I'm not sure, but my clothes,"

"It suits you!" Emma responded smiling, holding Conny's baggage.

"I'm glad," Conny said holding little Bernie, a stuff toy. She had it since she got in the orphanage when she was a baby. She's always with it wherever she goes.

"Mom is calling you, Conny." Norman said behind Emma.

-----

"I'll write you all letters! I will never forget you guys!" she said as she waves us back before leaving us behind, with mom to guide her into the gate.
We stood there, the others rubbing their eyes clear up their tears.

"Time to go to bed," I said guiding the younger ones into their shared rooms. I left Gilda and Anna to help the others change into their pajamas and went down the stairs. 

"...Alright," I opened the back door. I've learned from Norman how to pick locks.
As my usual hobby, I always go out the house whenever someone is adopted to uncover my blue eye to feel the wind...and try to feel what is going on in the gate. 

It's because I always feel a weird presence beyond the gate when my siblings are adopted. I want to go but my feet doesn't let me. Instead, I can only feel them moving but can't identify exactly what is happening. 

I walk near the tree in front of the house and uncover my eye. The radius I can sense increased into full 2 and a half kilometers. I can feel the movements beyond the gate.
"Let's see-"

The back door opened and I saw Norman and Emma running out of the house with little Bernie from the back. Why do they have Conny's bunny?

"Where are you guys going?" I asked walking towards them when they stopped.

"Oh, Iris, Conny forgot Bernie and we have to catch up to them," Norman answered. 

"She never separated with it. How can this happen?" I muttered.

"We know that it's weird too. She can't just leave it here." Emma said thinking about it. She then tilted her head towards me and stared at me, grinning. "Iris, its been a while when I last saw your pretty eyes together."

"..........."

Shoot! 
This is embarrassing!
"N-nevermind! You guys should go now or you'll miss Conny!" I said covering my face with my hands.

"Right! Lets go Norman!" they run as fast as they can towards the gate. Great, my eye isn't at its limit yet.
I felt the two entered the gate after a while. They went around inside like they're finding someone, surely Conny.

Is something wrong? Shouldn't Conny be talking with her adoptive parents?
...
Wait, I can't sense Conny's presence....since when-
No, where is she?

Something fell on the ground.
It was from the gate. Did something happen?

Suddenly, a glimpse of a picture showed up in my mind. Conny pale and dead laying on a truck with a flower stuck in her chest...

My eyes widen and the picture disappeared. I fell down on the ground. What the-?!

A door from the gate opened, but Emma and Norman hid under something like a vehicle, a truck.

What is going on?! I can sense the two shaking. Another large presence went out a door in the gate and walk towards the car. Their sizes are bigger than a normal human...the same two that visit the place whenever someone is adopted.
"..."

I sense a feeling of danger.

No, no way. Emma and Norman are still in there. I tried to stand up but I felt  sudden dizziness. I'm at my limit! I cant-

Before I lost my consciousness and balance, I felt them running back into the house.
That's a relief... and then I saw someone's shadow running towards me.
I then fell into darkness.

-------------------------------------------

Hi guys! I hope you guys enjoyed it and also the music!

Music not mine!

I'm very sorry with my grammars and mistakes 'cause I'm not very good with English.

Thank you for (wasting your time in) reading it!

^-^ \/