Goodbyes always seemed rather pointless to you. Especially considering you were an orphan it was obvious you would not be seeing any of them after you left. No one ever wrote letters back anyway and what few members of the house you did speak to were already gone. Though maybe it was after the events today that you couldn't help but feel a pang of some emotion in your chest. the blonde girl that had helped convince you to join tag was getting adopted but... you didn't feel happy for her. Maybe you were sad cause she was so much younger than you to get adopted? Or perhaps it was guilt due to going out of your way to avoid the others by napping? You couldn't quite tell but as the others around you were close to tears, you stared blankly.

???: I'm slow... and I wasn't good at the tests like everyone else. But when I'm an adult, I want to be a mother like mom! And I'm never going to leave my child!

Huh... Another wave of emotions rushed through your chest as Emma brushed past you to hug her. Emma was really close to all of her siblings and you could understand her tears but you couldn't even muster up a single frown. Why? You tried to wrap your mind around it as Emma and the rest of the gathered siblings moved down the hall and toward the front of the house where mom was waiting by the door. 

???: Oh yeah! 

The younger blonde placed her suitcase on the ground and took a few brisk steps toward you. Your muscles freezer up in response as the girl threw her arms around you. 

(Y/n): H-Hold on what-

???: Thank you for playing with me today! I know you usually like to sleep but it was really fun!

Your right hand lifted weakly and rested on the girl's head before she peeled away and returned to mom.

???: Bye-bye everyone!

And with that, she and mom were gone. Your tired (E/c) eyes lowered to gaze at the hand that had rested on her head. Why... You couldn't get the question out of your head. She was happy that you played with her one time in all the time you had been here... 

Emma: (Y/n)?

Your eyes now shifted to look at Emma. Her face held a look of concern. Concern... what did you do to earn that emotion?

(Y/n): Yes? What's wrong?

Emma: I should be asking you that. Are you ok?

(Y/n): Of course, I'm fine. I'm just a bit fatigued since I didn't sleep today.

Emma's hand raised and hooked behind the bangs that rested over your eyes and lifted them up. The girl leaned in closer allowing her bright emerald-colored eyes to look over your face before she offered a smile.

Emma: It's ok to cry, (Y/n). None of us would ever think of judging you! Heck, some of us are still crying now that Conny is gone.

(Y/n): What are you talking about I'm not going to cry?

You pulled away from her hand to let your (E/c) bangs fall back into place. What was she even talking about? You just needed to go back to sleep. 

Emma: Fine... But since you're not napping now you can help us with the chores!

(Y/n): Ah you hear that? Sounds like it's time for me to get some rest-

Emma: Not this time, (Y/n)!

Why? the question swept across your mind much like the broom Emma had handed to you as chores began. Why did Emma want to interact with you today? She usually just lets you sleep or at the very least wake you up much later. But you had managed to drag yourself through a full day with the other kids and it was... fun. Really fun. But was that because of them or simply because of Emma? Her overly energetic nature just seemed to have the energy for the both of you. And had she and Phil not woken you up today you wouldn't have cared about playing tag. you wouldn't have cared about Conny leaving. You wouldn't be doing chores and you could go back to simply being... alone. Alone in the middle of a large family. There was that feeling in your chest again as a sigh racked through your body.

CLANG

The smack of wood upon wood dragged you back into reality as you took note of Emma standing in the doorway of the dining room.

(Y/n): Emma what-

Emma: CONNY?! You forgot him! 

Your feet shuffled along the recently swept floor of the hallway before peaking your head in just as Ray brushed past you. In Emma's hands rested the bunny the blonde girl had been carrying all day. It must have been important and for her to leave it behind clearly made Emma upset. But why would she leave behind her stuffed animal in the first place?

Emma: What should I do?

Another girl you had noticed before but couldn't think of the name of stood next to Emma, her eyes showing concern behind her round glasses.

???: But Conny is already gone.

Ray: Maybe not. I saw from the bathroom window that the lights at the gate were on. And mom, who saw her off, isn't back. So I don't think Conny's actually gone.

Norman: Let's deliver it to her.

Emma: Norman!

The boy in question seemed to just pop up out of nowhere. But he must have been cleaning in here before Emma arrived. But wouldn't he have noticed Bunny as well if that were the case? 

Norman: But Conny would be happier if we did something sooner than later, right?

Emma: Yeah!

Something in your sleep-starved brain sparked. Your muscles seemingly humping into action before orders arrived as words were already leaving your mouth by the time your mind caught up.

(Y/n): L-Let me go to!

Emma: (Y/n)?

(Y/n): Ah well... I haven't done much to be a good older sibling and well... I want to do something to make Conny happy. She shouldn't have been happy that I managed to roll out of bed to play tag. I should have... just been better. So please let me go to give her a proper goodbye!

Your heart gave an overjoyed thump in your chest as Emma's face lit up light a lantern, her smile dazzling in the candlelight as she nodded her head. 

Emma: Of course! Come on let's hurry before she leaves.

Emma sprung into action first, brushing past you as her legs carried her down the hall toward the backdoor. Norman's face broke out into a soft smile as he moved past you as well, resting a hand on your shoulder. You set the broom aside to hurry and catch up to them but found yourself stopped.

Ray: (Y/n).

(Y/n): Hmm? Do you need something Ray?

Ray: Earlier. That look you gave me. You knew perfectly well you were going to beat Norman... didn't you?

(Y/n): I doubt now is hardly the time to discuss tag, Ray. I simply had a good idea that's all.

Ray: I suppose so. Though whatever you're hiding behind those half-baked smiles... don't let them hurt Emma. 

(Y/n): I don't mean to sound rude, but you really don't know anything about me and for you to think I would hurt her or any of my siblings is insulting. Why don't you stick your nose into another book and get it out of my business?

Emma: (Y/n) come on!

and with that you were off, jogging down the hall to find Norman and Emma waiting by an open back door ready to make the journey to try and get the stuffed bunny back to Conny. However, back in the dining hall, the answer you had given Ray didn't sit well with him at all. 

Ray: I don't know you huh... I know you much more than you think you do, (Y/n)...

The three of you ran through the night toward the gate with only the sound of your footfalls filling the silence. Saying goodbye to Conny was a good idea but getting in trouble with mom was not something you wanted to try out. The metal gate had been raised and the lights in the window were still indeed on, but as your trio reached the entrance it was dimly lit and empty except for a large contraption you remembered as being a truck from the books you had read. But what was one doing here... Was it for Conny?

Emma: Conny?

Emma was the first to break the silence as Norman headed for the cab. You meanwhile looked at the doors leading to the office, wondering if mom would jump out with Conny and punish all three of you. 

(Y/n): Maybe they are in the building? Why don't we just leave bunny here and head back... Emma?

You turned to propose your ideas to the others only to see Emma frozen to her very core, the very light she exuded dimmed terribly as the bunny toy rested on the dirt floor.

Emma: N-Norman... (Y-Y/n)...

Your steps carried you over to see what was going on but even your own body seemed to chill as you spotted the utterly horrified looks resting on her face and now Norman's as he joined by her side. Every signal and muscle in your body told you to turn back but instead, you lifted and hand and rested the back of it against the cloth barrier on the back of the truck. With a gulp, you pushed it back to reveal...

The mangled corpse of the little blonde girl, Conny.

A new emotion filled you to the brink, nearly causing your legs to give out as you tried to wrap every brain cell around the idea you were being shown. Conny... She's... why is she? But this wasn't supposed to happen. You were supposed to say goodbye then you could go back and everything would be normal... Why?

???: Is someone there?

A terrible voice filled the echoey corridor and sent, even more, shivers down your body. Norma gripped your arm and Emma's and took the initiative by dragging the two of you under the truck, hiding from whoever was there. Your eyes were still unbelievably wide, shining in the dim light of the corridor as any sleep your brain craved fled in the flood of this new emotion. Fear. You feared mom's punishment or doing something embarrassing in front of others. But this fear was different. It was sickly like it was infecting your chest with a disgusting virus, plaguing your limbs as they shuttered like you were in a blizzard. If you weren't careful you would be stuck in place. Taking a shaky breath, you pushed your face forward in time to see the horrifying visage of two monsters putting the sorry corpse of the young girl into a vat of some liquid. 

Norman: A demon...

Is that what those things are...? A silly tale to scare the younger kids into being good was now disposing of the corpse of the girl who just moments ago had been thanking you for doing something so stupid as tag? What is this reality you woke up in today? This can't be real. It... no... this has to be a dream... It has to be. No not a dream but a nightmare. A lucid nightmare.

???: Yes. Understood.

No...

???: The feed is in storage. I'm looking forward to next time.

???: Certainly. You can count on me.

This can't...

N-No... that voice... This nightmare had to pull search a dirty tactic? Did it find every vestige of normality you relied on and pull it from your weakened grasp? Why... Why was mom standing there with the demons? Why was she being counted on and why was-

Emma once more pushed your dark thoughts aside as she yanked your arm rather roughly, pulling you along as the three of you rolled out from under the truck and made your get away. Your wide (E/c) vision almost seemed to take with each step you took, weakly running after the other two. Today was just... it was so happy and now... This nightmare had to be coming to an end. It had to. You would wake up back in bed and Emma would rush off to the dining room and forget all about you. You were lost in the maze of your mind that you barely recognized the anguished wails of Emma as she cried her heart out. This was wrong too. Emma doesn't cry. She's happy and cheerful and... this was further evidence of a lucid nightmare of somekind.

Norman: (Y/n).

Norman spoke out to you as you stared blankly at the ground before you. He tried snapping in your face but it made no effect other than a blink. Next his hands raised to land on your shoulders.

Norman: (Y/n). We have to move. If they catch us we will all die.

(Y/n): Norman... This isn't real right?

Norman: It is. Conny... is dead. Something very wrong is happening here but we have to get back to the house right now.

(Y/n): I'm just going to wake up in a moment and this will be all over. I can wake up and emma will be happy. You'll be doing something a-and I can just go back to sleeping. 

Norman shook your shoulder's a bit but found it was having little to no effect. Your brain was analyzing every detail of a day it never could have predicted happening. Winning the game of tag. Spending time with the others outside of chores. And now Conny... Norman gulped as he shook you once more before lifting and hand to flick you across the forehead.

(Y/n): That hurt... Why am I not awake...

Norman: You are awake. We all are. Now you have to snap out of it. If not for your own sake at least for the others.

(Y/n): The other's... 

Norman: I wasn't expecting you to join us today but-

(Y/n): The others... they will become food like Conny won't they? And the three of us are no different. I... 

Norman seemed content with bringing you back from the depths of your mind and switched to trying to comfort Emma who sobbed on the ground. You too joined him next to her, resting a hand on her shoulder as she hugged into Norman.

Norman: Let's escape. We have to get out of here. We don't know what it's like outside... but in order to survive, we must escape. Don't worry we can pull it off. The four of us can do it I'm sure of it

Emma: Is it... impossible? If we leave them here, they'll get killed for sure. I can't leave them, I don't want any more of my family to die!

Your heart throbbed painfully in your chest, reminding you of the rollercoaster of emotions you had ridden today. Happiness, sadness... fear. Did Conny feel that same fear when they killed her? Would the other siblings feel that fear too?

(Y/n): N-No... It's not impossible.

Emma gazed up to look at you, your eyes sharpened under the locks of your hair as the moon light reflected off your (E/c) irises. What surprised her the most was the smile spreading on your face.

(Y/n): I've been a horrible older sibling but I won't let them die! They won't feel the pain Conny did! We will all escape... together. 

Emma blinked softly, glancing up at you and Norman. The white-haired boy's smile was comforting and kind, like that of a father looking after their child. When her emerald eyes landed on yours though, it was a toothy smirk, staring in the direction of the gate. It should have felt wrong but in the orange-haired girl's mind your defiance in the face of death reassured her immeasurably. The two of you were smiling because she cried... 

(Y/n): Now Norman's right. Let's get back into the house before mom arrives. 

You lowered a hand to Emma and she took it without a moment's notice, wiping her face free of tears as Norman steadied her ascent. The three of you made a silent pledge in this moment. No one else would die. The three of you would escape with all of your siblings no matter the cost...