Emma's POV

"No way...a source?" I muttered. 

We just found out that there is a spy among us but...who? How many? Since when? Why...?

Mama has a spy...among the children?! 

Anna...Nat? Thoma...Lanni...Don...Iris? Aaarghhh! But I don't want to suspect anyone!

They all just adore Mama...and someone who is trying to be a 'good boy' or a 'good girl' is just accidentally giving her intel...yes, that's gotta be it!

But what if...in the unlikely event...that what Ray's been saying true...and there's a demon spy among the children?

So in the end...

"Well then, what are we gonna do now?" Ray asks. "We've definitely gotta find this 'source'...but what about our plans to involve Iris, Don and Gilda? If those three end up being Mama's 'sources'..."

"No problem," Norman cuts in. "We'd discover her 'source' and get those three on our side. It'll be two birds with one stone. If they happen to be the spies, we could turn them into our trump cards."

"We'd control the information flow and derail the enemy. It wouldn't be impossible to turn this situation in our favor," Ray concluded. He really catch up that fast!

"Yep! I've already laid out a net," Norman stated. I stayed there, dumbfounded. This guys are amazing...

"Hey! Break time's almost over! Lets start the second round soon!" Interrupted Don. Ray waved sighing that we'll come over soon so we continued the conversation.

"Mama's already in control...which is why she isn't making any moves, even though she knows we are." stated Ray. "Unless we made any old moves, Mama probably has no intention of getting in the way of our planning or shipping us out early, huh."

"Ray, how are things going with plans to destroy the transmitters?" Norman asks.

"Just fine," he answered.

"How much longer do you need?"

"Uhhh...two weeks...? Nah, 10 days maybe..."

Eh?! That fast?!

"Then lets put things into actions in 10 days." Norman suddenly concluded.

"What?" the two of us dumbfounded.

"On November 8th, 10 days from today, we will be executing our escape plan," Norman announced.

...

It may be too risky, but we have to get things done in 10 days. And the very first thing on our to-do list, is to try to get Iris, Don and Gilda to join our side...

-----

Iris' POV

I did thought that we'll be settling the situation tonight... 

...but I never thought the trio would invite me themselves. 

And I guess I'm not the only one who'll know the truth since Don and Gilda are here in the library too. The only thing we have to do is to wait. 

And while waiting, I'll do the obvious thing, reading.

The door opens as the three entered the room. The truth is finally going to be spill out.

.....

•-•

...

...But...something's bothering me...

-----

3rd POV

"Human trafficking?" Don ask in disbelief.

"Yeah, all of our siblings that left here so far have been sold off to these bad guys," Emma answered.

...

Don burst out laughing. "I was worried that you're gonna tell us something really bad from the looks of your faces...but this?! No friggin way!"

"Don...just think for a moment about the gate and the fence surrounding us...and how none of our siblings that already left have sent us any letters," Norman retold.

"Good one! So what's the punch line?! Is this the setting of the new game we're playing?" Don continue to laugh. 

As he notice the silence, he stopped. "...huh?! Wait, hold up! Y'all kidding right?"

"Nope," this time, Ray answered.

"Then...what about Mama?"

"She's the one who's been selling our siblings off," Emma answered.

"What?! Quit joking around! Drop it already! What the hell...there's no way! Emma, apologize now!"

"Don," Gilda weakly cuts in. "I don't think Emma would lie something about this. She loves our family and Mama too much. Also, I've been feeling like you all have been acting weird lately. That night, when Emma and Norman went to the gate and came back..."

"What?" Don muttered.

"...usually, you two would always come clean by telling the truth to Mama if you ever broke one of the house rules, and yet......Not only did you guys not apologize...but you both even told me to keep quiet about the fact that you left at all!"

"Yes, I could remember that too." Iris confirmed as she remembered one time when Norman told them not to tell anyone. She noticed Gilda trying to stop her tears so she continued, "Mama even gave us chores as if a punishment for doing something bad. You guys frequently disappear too and I once notice you guys conversing seriously."

"It kept getting harder and harder to ask you what happened and...hngg!" Gilda finally bursted to tears. Emma started to comfort her.

"Oh Gilda...I'm so sorry..."

"Emma, did you see...Conny getting sold off to the bad guys ?" Gilda ask as she sobs.

"Yes, but we didn't make it in time." Norman answered.

"Wait a minute...could it be that Conny..." Don muttered then he look at Norman. "She's okay...right?! She's safe right?!"

"We don't know," he answered.

And yet, something's bothering a certain someone...

Ray narrows his eyes at Norman. Why are you-

"No...what the...Lets escape this house and save Conny!" Don said in determination.

"Let's all escape together!" Emma responded.

"I'm not sure if this will help us sound a little more credible...but these are the scores of all of our sibling that left. Ray and I looked them up over the past few days."

""Scores?"" Both Don and Gilda said as Iris holds the paper. The two both beside her.

"This is all second-hand information...and we don't know what happened to all the siblings that left. But it's clear that after the age of 6, they all left this place in score order. Lowest to highest. Strange, isn't it?" Norman stated.

"It's true...Conny..Hao...Cedi..."

"Please...believe us! Help us! Run away with us!" Emma interrupted.

Iris, Don and Gilda look at each other then back to the trio. Don and Gilda smile as Iris talked, "Of course. We'll do our best."

_____-----

Before Norman, Ray, and Emma could walk out the room, Iris suddenly spoke, "You guys please stay here. I have to talk to you."

The three stopped...as they began to be nervous.

Did she saw through us?!

As I thought, she'll have more questions.

Oh no. I know she is observant but, she saw through?! What should we do?!

"Don, Gilda, you guys can go back and wait for us before Mama finds out," Iris continued.

The two followed and closed the door. Iris, while still holding the paper, scans it.

"What do you think?" she started. "Why does it have to be over 6 years old to 12? What's with the scores? The lesser the score, the earlier you'll get 'adopted'?"

"This kept bothering me but...why do we still have to study? And doesn't it mean that the higher the knowledge, the higher chance you could escape from those bad guys? Or are they forced?What does higher IQ mean to them? What are they doing with the kids?" she kept muttering as she holds her chin. Suddenly, she remembered the word 'monsters'.

The people in the gate are monsters...if it is really the situation. It might even literally be monsters...like in the stories.

This...I didn't consider it a while ago. And even Conny that I suddenly saw-

This made her eyes wide and look at the three in front of her. "Could it be you guys only told the half truth?"

She kept her blank face but her eyes demanded answers as she raises a brow. Inside, she's worried and nervous. The three kept silent.

"You guys..." Iris observed them as she talked. "...don't have to keep the secret by yourselves. I know you guys know something about this. Please tell me."

The trio look at each other and heaved sighs of defeat.

"Alright, but you're not going to back down, right?" Ray responded.

"I assumed that it would be better to help you guys since this morning. I've been thinking if the tag is for the escape and of course, I can't let any of us getting...shipped anymore," she answered.

"Is that why you've been helping the younger ones a while ago?" Emma asked and Iris nodded.

"Then, it's been settled. No matter what we say, you can get through us. So, no matter what, don't back down," Norman said.

She's always been calm. She can probably take the truth in properly.

Norman told her everything. From what they saw that night to the things they've been planning, but he never told her about the 'source'. 

Iris kept silent as she stared at the ground. Her eyes wide and her fist shaking. 

"So Conny, Mike...and even him got...They're all..." she shakily breathed out. 

Warm liquid started to fill up her eyes as the eye patch started to get soaked. 

She kept her head low so it was hidden...but a tear drop betrayed her as it fell on the floor. This didn't get unnoticed by the three.

"Iris!" Emma hugs Iris and tried to calm her down. 

The younger girl buries her head onto her sister's shoulder and started to lightly sob. "Shhh. Its alright. I'm sure Cedric has been watching your safety. Everything is fine now. We'll escape this prison together."

"All my life," her voice shakes. "I've been studying hard just so when I'll meet him outside, I can finally beat him on academics. Now...I'm just doing this to be...eaten by those demons..." she continued as her sobs increased. She's crying.

"Iris...I'm sorry..." Emma whispered.

The two boys kept silent. 

They forgot about the fact that she's been close with one of their older siblings when they were younger. Cedric was one of the prodigy in Grace Field House and is good with instruments. He was the one who teached her how to play these instruments and made her improve with her studies. 

They usually read books, with Ray under the tree in front of the house...until he was shipped last year.

-----

"I think you guys should go now. It's already late," Iris stated as she wipes off the tear stains in her face. "Thanks...for telling the truth and accompanying me here."

"What about you, Iris?" Emma, who is the nearest one with her asked. Her worry did not yet disappeared.

"I-I'll go to the infirmary," the younger girl answered.

The other three just nod in understanding.

"Then, I'll come with you," Emma then proposed.

"No. It's alright. Besides, Gilda is waiting for you," the girl refused.

Emma contemplated for a while and reluctantly answered, "Fine."

The three began to move out off the room. 

Before Ray could close the room, he look back. He watches as the girl shakily remove her eye patch.

For the first time in a long time, he saw her blue eye. At first, he thought it was because she was injured since he last saw it uncovered when he was just 4 and she was 3. But now he saw it again, teary and dull. She was looking down as if...her eyes are empty.

I guess leaving her alone for a while will help her settle down.

He then closed the door and followed Norman.

---------

Iris was looking down on her eye patch for a long time. Remembering the time when her big brother, Cedric, told her that he was the one who found the eye patch when he was looking around the wall. 

She didn't know what he was doing there but still complained to him why he didn't bring it back to her. The only answer she got when she complained was,

"Because you're more adorable without it~!"

As he shuffles her hair.

She made her way towards the infirmary. She puts down the lamp she was holding on a bedside table along with the eye patch and sat down on a bed. She closed the lamp and leans her back on the wall.

I'm so stupid not realizing the truth. Demons? Never thought they exist.

She then hums a lullaby he usually hums to her when she had nightmares. She looks out of the window as it reflects her figure, then to the sky outside.

I wonder if you're watching me now...I hope you are in a safe place right now along with the others.

She then pulls her knees towards her chest and lay her head on it. Tears again started to form in her eyes.

I'm sorry I didn't help...even if I have suspicions since I felt something weird in the gate. I'm sorry for mostly ignoring you. Sorry for my ignorance. Sorry...

I miss you big brother...

------

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry for not updating for two weeks even though I have no reasonable reasons, to be honest. Its just that, I've no motivations.

But don't worry! I'm not going to give up on this book and I'm going to finish it! But I'm not honestly sure about it...and it bothers me if I can't finish it!

Geez! Make up your mind, MIND!

xD

Though, I'm really sorry!

Thanks by the way for the ones who are patiently waiting for the update and I hope you guys enjoy this chap!

>-<V