Six O'clock sharp. The house's morning starts with the ringing of a bell, signaling the end of children's dreams.

"Everyone, wake up!" Emma awoke everyone with her energetic calls. "Or you'll be late for breakfast!" Everyone arose one by one, and started preparing for the day. The little kids ran around, asking for help to tie their shoes, loose clothing hanging around their heads, and the usual messing around.

Ava groaned and covered her head with the pillow, attempting to stop the light and noise from waking her further.

"Please hurry up!" She yelled under the pillow. The response she got back was a hit to her stomach by another pillow. "Oof." She grunted tiredly. Too early. Slowly, she raised the pillow and peeked to see who was the culprit. A girl with two blonde braids beamed at her. "Anna!" She turned around again, now on her stomach with her pillow still over her head.

"Ava!" She imitated her mockingly.

"You got that from Ray." Ava mumbled, as the voices and heavy footsteps of children slowly drained away.

"Sorry." Anna giggled. "Come on! Everyone's going to start breakfast without us!"

"They'll wait for us. They always do!" Ava complained, starting to remove her covers. Anna handed her their day uniform and turquoise ribbon, neatly folded up. Ava started putting them on after mumbling her thanks.

"But we should spend lots of time with Conny today!" Ava turned up in shock, and slapped her forehead.

"I totally forgot!" She quickly slipped on her other boot and sprinted downstairs, grabbing Anna by her arm. They skidded to a halt by the stairs, nearly crashing into Emma who was playing with the younger children. Down the hall, they heard Gilda sigh, "They're at it again."

The two walked into the room, giggling at Emma's morning greeting to the others with Phil on her back, pulling at the corner of her mouth. When they all settled into their seats, Mama Isabella rang her bell, bringing everyone's attention towards her. "Good morning, my dear children." She smiled warmly. "Let's give thanks that all 40 of you siblings are able to live here happily, today too…" She bowed her head behind her clamped hands. "Thank you for the food." She said softly, letting everyone copy and repeat.

For the first few minutes, everyone munched on their food silently, then slowly, conversations started as they began to finish their food.

"Ava, are you going to make Conny a portrait?" Don asked from across the table, slightly pointing his spoon at her.

"Of course! It is her last day here."

"Just Ava's usual signature sign-off to everyone who leaves." Anna smiled at him.

"Can't wait 'til I leave then. I'll be able to show off to my family my sister's wonderful skills" He chirped brightly. Ava frowned slightly at this.

"But I don't want you to go." She whined. "Us older kids are the ones who I've known the longest. I don't want to let you guys go!"

"What about me?" Noah joined in from behind her. Noah's blonde locks had grown into a golden brown colour with a hint of pink ever since he was 3, which complimented his deep green eyes.

"Of course, I've known Noah the longest." Ava added, not even turning back to look at the boy.

"Hear that, I'm her longest friend", Noah said smugly, poking a thumb at his chest. Don scowled at him. Ava pushed her chair back, with her empty plate in hands.

"I'm leaving before this goes any further." She stated with a calm air. This wasn't that effective though, being the shortest amongst the older kids.

"What if Ava leaves before you guys?" Ray joined the (apparently not over) conversation.

"Then I'll make a portrait for everyone!" Ava smiled. "And I'll always visit - that way, the drawings will be up-to-date."

"But everyone who's left always says that. But have they ever visited?" He questioned.

"That's true. I wonder what happened to them." Anna said thoughtfully.

"Maybe the outside world is just too interesting? Maybe they just don't have the time?" Don wondered. But everyone was smarter than thinking that was true.

"I'll investigate!" Ava exclaimed, a light bulb above her head. "Then, I'll make sure that you guys get my letters - if there is anything preventing us from receiving letters." She thought back to when they had all decided to send a letter to their siblings who left, but not a single one ever wrote back.

"You suck at investigations." She glared at Ray.

"Do not."

"Do too."

"Let's play tag today! Before Conny goes." Anna intercepted their bickering, trying to stop an argument from happening.

A G E : : 1

The sounds of beeps and the ticking of the clock could be heard, as the children did their daily tests. Tick. Tick. Beep. Tick. Although everyone wore headphones, it did not cancel out the loud silence filled with tension as everyone was determined to get the best scores they could, whether it was to compete against others, or to impress their Mama, everyone wanted to do their best.

Many sighed when the test had ended, the tension leaving immediately. They conversed about how well they think they did, some taking a nap as soon as it ended and waited for Mama to announce the scores. She walked up to the front a few minutes later, a ream of paper in her arms. "Are you all ready for the results?" She brought the papers closer to read the names. "Norman. Ray. Emma. You three did an amazing job. You got all of them right! Perfect scores!" She announced happily. Ah of course. The top three of the class. Was it even a surprise they got 100% at this point? Ava looked around to see Don scowling, arms folded as everyone murmured about how amazing those three were. She watched in amusement as he got sick of hearing it all, and stood up, challenging Norman to a game of tag. She rolled her coral eyes. Here we go again. She thought. Her eyes slid over to Conny, on the other side of the room. Conny was so adorable - she'd be lying if she wasn't one of her favourite siblings. I'll really miss her. Smiling sadly, she stood up with and walked out of the test room with the others for a game of tag.

She ran into the forest and up one of the trees that was hidden from Norman's view. Climbing up, she stood on a branch and reached up, grabbing a sheet she had stained brown to match the tree a few years ago. Her trick had been caught numerous times when she was younger: the first time being the sheet was off-colour and another time she had simply been moving way too much. Eventually though, she mastered the trick and would often move which tree she hid in so they wouldn't be able to tell which tree to look for. She sat on the branch against the tree, and covered herself with the sheet. She knew she'd be there a long time, so she broke off a small branch and started carving into the soft wood.

Some time later she heard a set of footsteps running past her, and recognised it as Emma's from her light but louds steps and her panting. Not too long after, she heard another set a little further away and realised it was Norman's from how slightly tired they sounded. Ah. So It's only me and Emma left. Looking at her pocket watch, she decided she would reveal herself soon and win the game. Just like always. Though no one was as athletic as Emma, Ava was the best at hiding. She hopped off the branch, throwing the sheet upwards to hide in the tree and started walking towards the house. Emma and Norman caught up to her and she smirked lightly as Emma grumbled about being caught.

"You never get caught, Ava." She pouted at the younger girl. Ava gave her an innocent look.

"Everyone knows what I do. I hide."

"Yeah but so does everyone else!" She sighed exasperatedly.

"But the thing is there's a constant in their hiding spots. You can determine where they'll hide in the next game by following the pattern." Norman thought. "Ava chooses the most random trees-"

"It's not just trees, y'know." Ava smirked at the two. "But that's all I'm telling you guys." She said smugly.

"I knew it!" Norman mumbled to himself. He turned to look at Ava questioningly. "Did you hide by the area of land that's lifted up last Wednesday?" Ava only grinned wider, not wanting to say anymore.

They walked out of the wooded area to find the rest of the orphans waiting for them. The younger children called out to them as they made their way over.

"Ava always wins! Are your hiding spots that good?" One of them exclaimed.

"Who said it was only hiding spots?" Ava suggested.

"If only we were as observant and aware as her." another sighed. Ava giggled, patting them on their heads and made her way to Anna. After resting for a bit, Ava stared into the sky. She watched as the clouds flew from east to west, sometimes hiding the sun behind them. She wondered about her old family, though she couldn't remember much (granted, she was 4) she remembered the day vividly well. The way her Mama seemed to be on edge, when they started climbing up the wall, her never reaching it when a blue-ish fog flooded her vision and waking up in an infirmary. She thought about her family, how she hadn't seen Mindy since, the eerie aura of that Grandma, Her thoughts were interrupted when Don challenged another game of tag. She rolled her eyes and got up, off the grass, running towards the woods once again.

This time they had to go and look for Norman. She wandered around, not really motivated to look for him because she already knew she wouldn't find him. Light rays seeped in through the leaves, spots highlighting her face as she maneuvered through the trees with ease. She looked to her right to see Emma passing by further away. Knowing Emma and Ray knew Norman best, she decided to climb up a tree and jumped on branches lightly as she followed Emma through the thick wood. She wasn't too careful about being caught, but when she realised where they were heading, she became more cautious. She paused on a branch, letting Emma go further away and contemplated whether to continue following her or not.

"Why is she going towards the edge? Mama Isabella always told us to stay far away from there." She whispered to herself. Movement caught her attention from the corner of her eyes, and she found a raven black dashing from behind a tree, towards the two. Connecting the dots, she curiously followed Ray, wondering if Norman was in that direction. When she arrived at where Norman and Emma stood, she realised they were right by the fence and turned to look at Ray when she heard him say, "What part of this is dangerous?" Though she hadn't caught the earlier conversation, she could clearly tell they were talking about the fence. Mama Isabella always told them it wasn't safe past it and banned them from going past it. She looked back at the boy, realising he looked so calm and collected and made it seem as if he had been hiding there for a while to the others, even though he had only arrived there after Emma. Ava jumped back to the previous tree and sat from an angle they wouldn't spot her. "The fence is low, and I don't see anything threatening." He explained to the two. Ava looked past the fence. He was right. She couldn't really sense anything dangerous that might cause harm - but she did feel a little uneasy. There was something dark about the mystery and secrets held beyond the fence, though she couldn't pin point why. It just looks like the rest of the woods closer to the house, what is so dangerous about it? Bears? She questioned. Squinting her eyes, she couldn't see any signs that anything had been there - no uneven grass from footprints, no scratches on the barks of trees, no broken twigs laying on the ground - nothing. "You really do love Mama after all." She heard Ray comment. Looking back at him, she saw a familiar look in the way he stood. His shoulders slumped ever so slightly - as if he was giving up, he looked away past the fence - but there was no curiosity in his eyes. No. It looked a little more like dread. Dreading what was beyond the fence.

Suddenly, Don and a few others appeared, asking what they were talking about. Ava took this as her que to join them too, leaping down from her branch quietly, and joining the group.

"We'll eventually leave this place too, huh?" Don thought aloud, looking at their surroundings.

"This is an orphanage. Of course we'll leave eventually." said Nat. He turned to look at the rest of them. "Before we turn 12."

"You know what?" Gilda spoke up, everyone turning to listen to her. "We never receive letters from anyone."

"Letters?" Emma repeated.

"You know, after they leave the House, no one writes us."

"I'm sure they're being considerate to their foster parents." Norman reasoned.

"But we've all been together since we were born!" Don said, concerned. Ava coughed lightly to let them know that it wasn't the same with her. Ray turned to her.

"What do you remember past the fence?"

"Heeehh? I thought you guys already asked me that?" She sighed. "So many times, actually. When we first arrived." In truth, she was just uncomfortable about remembering the day she lost almost everyone. Though she knew they weren't gone from this world, they were gone from her life - and she missed them so much that her heart ached whenever she thought of them.

"How did it happen in the first place?" Norman asked, curious. She winced at the memory but sighed in defeat.

"After playing, we were going to go on a trip and started heading towards the wall. I thought it was weird, but Mama said we were going to climb over it as practice because we were going rock climbing." She started, but saying it all loud out now… It sounded - off? Strange? Her eyebrows knitted together in thought, but continued. "We were climbing up the wall, but before I could even start, well - I can't remember exactly but I think there was some kind of fog and the next thing I knew, I was in an infirmary." She concluded. She turned her gaze from the sky to the others and stopped tapping her lip in thought. "You already know everything from there." After a moment of silence, Emma spoke up.

"That's right! This is a company that has many branches!" She rested her fist in her other palm as if getting an idea. "So that must mean there's other Mamas and children." She looked at the others. "Do you think they also receive letters from their siblings?" Everyone looked towards Ava.

"I- well… I was only three or four, so my memory isn't the greatest. I just know I didn't know anything about anyone who left, but maybe the older kids did?" She scratched the back of her head. "Or maybe we were just really far away from the post office that they couldn't be bothered to deliver to us. We could have been in the countryside and away from the city." She smiled sheepishly. She then lowered her hand, an idea popping into her head. "Do you think this orphanage is also in the countryside?" Gilda sighed and crossed her arms.

"If our siblings are in the city, it must be so fun that our siblings have forgotten about the House." She pouted.

"Then it's fine right? I'm happy for them." Emma smiled. A groan escaped Gilda.

"I want to go outside too!"

"What would you do outside?" Nat leaned in curiously.

"Isn't it obvious? Get new clothes!" She towered over him, causing him to back off slightly.

"Not again." said Don.

"I mean, come on! We've only got this one uniform!" Gilda complained. She started going off about what else she would do, but Ava tuned out of the conversation. She curiously looked past the fence. What… What is this feeling? She asked herself. She sighed and brought a hand up to her the back of her neck thoughtfully. Her hand froze over her number. 58194. She turned to look at everyone else's numbers. Why do we have these?

"Once I get outside - well - I'd have to survive first." Ray's line brought her back into the conversation. It made sense, they didn't exactly know what was out there. There could be new diseases that they didn't have the antibodies for, or maybe new species of animals that could threaten them. Their sources were really outdated, after all.

"Ava?" She looked up, confused.

"Hmm?"

"What about you? What do you want to do when you get outside?" She thought about it.

"Obviously become a famous artist." Emma gloated. Ava huffed in amusement at this. What do I want to do? She asked herself, unsure. Ava was always a very decisive person, mainly because her instincts were very good and reliable, but for some reason, it became really fuzzy and unclear as to what she felt about what was beyond that fence.

"I'm slow, and I wasn't as smart as everyone, but even after I leave, I'll do my best!" Conny told everyone. Ava's heart started breaking again. "I'll have Little Bunny, so I'll be okay." She assured everyone in her soft voice.

"Conny…" Don started, his face barely able to contain a straight face, his lip was trembling and his eyes drooped in sadness. It was contagious. Ava had to look away before she, too, would break.

"I don't want to leave anymore. I want to stay here!" Conny exclaimed, the pain in her voice showing through as she started breaking down, hugging her toy closer. Tears started to fall from Don's face.

"Conny…" She looked away. She had to. She walked away. "Conny!" She heard him shout as he buried his face in his elbow, trying to wipe away the tears and the hurt.

She heard soft footsteps away from everyone else. Snapping her head up, she saw the door to the dining room open, if only slightly. The light from the inside pooled into the dismal hallway. I thought everyone was saying their farewells? She wondered. Silently, she creeped up to the door, looking to see who was there. Ray? She watched as he placed Little Bunny on the table top. When did he leave? And why does he have Little Bunny? She then heard a number of 'goodbyes' being said and made her way back to the crowd by the door. She hugged Conny before letting her go, without pointing out her plushie's absence.

Ava remained crouched on the floor, watching Conny and Mama Isabella's figures get smaller and smaller as they got further and further. She stood up and closed the door, looking around to see everyone stayed still, watching out the windows of the doors. A quick glance at Ray, got her really confused. He looked more downcast and dejected than when the others had left. Something's different this time. She decided. Something was up, and she was going to find out. Maybe it would answer her questions as to why Ray always had a melancholy look in his face. She thought back to the days events, and noticed how Ray seemed a little more interested and persistent about the outside. It bewildered her, considering he was always uninterested and bored. She narrowed her eyes. Did he know something? Ava's gut told her to wait, dreading something that would happen soon.

The children had decided to start their nightly routine, the some of the older kids would help clean up any mess left in the house, while the others would help the younger kids prepare for bed. Ava was sweeping the steps when she heard an outburst from Emma in the dining room. She rolled her eyes at her antics, but she felt a little worried.

"Conny's already gone!" she heard Gilda. Perking up a little, she listened closely.

"What should I do?"

"There's still time" Ray told her. "From the window, I saw the lights on the gate were still on. Mama isn't back yet either, so I don't think Conny has left yet." He reasoned. Ava was skeptical. Ray was never this insistent on returning something, instead, he'd have just told them to wait for Mama to come back and give it to her instead. But… He placed that there. What was he doing?

"Let's go, Emma." Norman offered, before hearing Emma agree.

Ava backed up the staircase when Emma and Norman ran out. After helping the rest of the children to bed, she walked back downstairs, wanting to speak to a certain raven-head. She found him leaning against the window, staring after Emma and Norman with one hand resting on the other elbow.

"Why didn't you go with them?" She asked, out of the blue. She watched Ray tense up, before turning to look at her with his stoic expression back on his face.

"What?" Ava narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"Why did you send them there?"

"To give Conny back her-"

"But she would have had it if you hadn't taken it from her." His eyes widened in surprise; his eyebrows raised a little.

"How do you-"

"What do you know that we don't?" Ava asked, trying to keep her voice steady and firm. He sighed.

"Of course you would have caught on." He shook his head, staring at the ground. Looking back up (down? She's a head shorter) at her he asked, "What do you know?" Ava thought for a moment, collecting her mess of thoughts and thought of her answer carefully. Staring him straight in the eye, she told him,

"You always have a depressed look in your eye. Especially when it came to the topic of leaving the House." She paused, watching him carefully. "You were awfully interested about what's out there, though, don't you think? And you were always interested in what I knew." He seemed to digest this before answering.

"I don't think what's out there is what you think it is." She raised an eyebrow, tilting her head curiously. "Let's just say - you'll find out more soon enough." He lay a hand on her shoulder as he walked past, sending shivers down her spine. She turned to look out the window.

More trees. More bushes. More grass. That's all there is to it. Those were her original Mama's words, before she suddenly started wanting to 'leave this place'. I don't think what's out there is what you think it is. But, what exactly did Ava think was out there? Something bad? you'll find out more- He had told her. -soon enough. Ava didn't know what to think, instead climbing up the stairs in a daze.

She sat on her bed, today was eventful. Troublesome even. Why couldn't people just be more honest? The world would be less problematic if it only were. She looked out the window to see Norman and Emma racing back, worry and fear etched into their faces. The looks on their faces were indescribable. She wanted to ask them about it when they entered the house, but as soon as her head hit the pillow, she entered a world of dreams once again. Filled with the smell of sweet vanilla, cloudy visions, and the creepy face of a woman who's face somewhat haunted her dreams. The days events finally caught up with her tired body.

Hey! Sorry about this really late update, but school's been hectic and I've been very unmotivated about everything. Anyways, the story probably isnt very consistent with the last two chapters, but I don't really care. I might upload this onto AO3 so I can include pictures!

Okay, stay safe!

-larika