Valla slept peacefully, her head resting softly against the pillow. It was 11:39 p.m., on a snowy night in New York City. The low rumbles of engines was a soothing noise to her, keeping away her troubles from her sleep. Across the room laid Layla, the small girl of snow. Her little silk nightgown was a minty green, as the same was with Valla's. The twin's loved each other, and though they don't look alike, they both have the same personalities; shy, sweet and very protective.

The two young girls slept peacefully through the night, their tender and soft skin sliding softly against the silky pillows. The girls came from a rich family, yet the family wasn't as greedy as most people seemed. The Scott's were a loving family who took in anyone with open arms. Each year for Christmas, the family would give out warm clothes and food for the poor. This was the first year the twin's have been invited into the Scott's family, for the two lonely twins were orphans.

A stumbling sound from downstairs cut Layla out of her slumber, her tiny body heading to the door. She slipped her out and took a quick peek, examining the halls. Tomorrow was the twin's seventh birthday, and they were supposed to be sleeping peacefully, like their mother had ordered. But a strange noise had arisen Layla, and now Valla was up as well.

"Layla, what's wrong?" Valla asked, her voice tired as she rubbed her sleepy eyes. There was another sound downstairs, the sound of a door opening and voices talking. Valla was wide awake now, already working on a plan in her smart head. Within a moment, she started to explain to Layla.

"Go by the steps and see who's there. If it's the man in the metal suit, come running back. I'll get our clothes and items packed, getting ready to run. Go!" Valla ordered in a whisper. Layla did as she was told, leaving the room.

Tossing on some of her darkest clothes, a pair of gray sweatpants and a long-sleeve black shirt, Valla started to grab to black backpacks, slipping in a bunch of their clothes into it, along with a few books, their cell phones with trackers that Valla installed, and of course, their lockets. Without the lockets, their voices would be scarce, as the twins needed them to reveal the true identity to themselves. Valla slipped out the suits outside of the window onto the metal stairs that was the emergency fire staircase.


Layla did as she was told, sneaking out quietly, glad for her training in dance. This would've been a perfect spy movie for her, yet she was tense. Slipping by the railway of the staircase, she made her way quietly, slipping past the creaky floor parts. There were two shadows, each talking with each other in a low whisper.

Layla slipped past the light unnoticed, crouching behind a small chair that would be the worst choice to sit in. She listened closely, waiting for pounding of heavy metal footsteps.

"Henry," a deep voice greeted Layla and Valla's father.

"Master," Henry replied. Layla shivered, not used to hearing her father's voice in a stern tone.

"I believe you have marked them?" The deep voice boomed throughout the room, making her wonder who was the strange man. She had never heard of such a strange voice before, cold and heartless. Layla wondered how many children he must have and how he could treat them in such a way.

Metallic footsteps started towards her hiding spot, making her cower in fear. But instead of going, the footsteps stopped abrubtly. Henry hadn't answered him yet, and he seemed to have something on his mind.

"Have you?" The voice boomed out again. Layla took a chance and slipped part of her head from behind the couch. Henry was shifting on his feet, and Layla knew this must've been troubling for him. Henry's eyes were filled with fright as the man started towards him.

It was the man in the metal armor. A slight tremor slid down her spine, as she remembered what Valla had told her. But Layla's exits were blocked, with no way out unless she risked herself and her sister to getting caught. Looking around for another exit, a glimpse of neon green caught her eye. She faced the direction, widening her eyes as she noticed Valla.

"Yes, Master. They were marked during their slumber. By now, they should have it etched into the back of their necks. But please, answer me this. Will they be alright?" Henry's voice shook with fear, Layla noticing the tears.

"Depends if they follow the rules. If they do, then everything will be perfectly safe." Somehow, Layla knew he was lying. She could feel the cold smile on his lips. She watched as Metal Man turned and caught sight of Valla. Valla widened her eyes, running away. Before he could chase her, Layla sprung out.

"Hey, guy! I'm over here!" With that, Layla jumped out of the window, glad to be on the first floor as she connected with concrete. Her head started to throb, blood melting onto her tongue. She bit the inside of her cheek and now it stung as the blood flowed freely.

"Grab the girl upstairs! I got this one!" Metal man ordered. Layla felt a surge of heat rush through her veins as she ran. Running as fast as she could, her tiny 6 year old legs pushed past her limits and she turned into an alleyway.

It was a dead end.

Layla ran up to the brick wall, pounding her fists against it. Her wrists started to scrape, letting blood flow freely. Turning around, the metal man had cornered her.

"Good night," he said with a voice filled with anger. Layla fainted, her limp body falling to the floor. Making sure Henry had marked this child, he lifted her long blonde hair, and true to his word, their were two letters: OS