Chapter 8 - Shipment

"Y/n! Tell us a story!" Eugene requested as he crawled to my lap. I giggled and patted his hair. Naila, Marnya, Sherry, Mark, and even more children decided to join in.

"Tell us a story about a princess!" the girls said but the boys disagreed.

"No! Tell us about monsters and a handsome man who beat them all up!" the boys argued.

"Ok. But don't fight, I'll just put them both together, let's see..." I thought until an idea of a story popped in my head. I smiled and told them to huddle up.

"There once lived a princess who was trapped in a tower. She wanted to see a flower field that she read in a storybook but she couldn't go out because her mother told her how dangerous the world is. The Princess wanted to escape the tower, but she couldn't because no matter where the princess runs, her mother will know and bring her back to the tower. When she was a child, her mother treated her with so much care and even lied to her that the world is dangerous. Until one day, a Prince went to the tower and fought many monsters to tell the Princess the truth about the outside world. When the Princess found out, the Prince told her that he would help her escape and so they struggled through hardships, and then they finally escaped." Naila raised her hand.

"What is it Naila?" I asked as I smiled at her while patting Eugene's head.

"Was the outside world really dangerous?" Naila asked and I paused before answering her.

"When the princess and the Prince escaped. A lot of monsters fought them, but the Prince and Princess helped each other to fight through it all. While they were fighting the monsters, two very special people came into her life, and more and more and together, they fought the monsters. And in the end, they got to see the flower field with everyone special in her life. The world was indeed dangerous, but beautiful at the same time." I answered Naila's question as I thought about Ray being the Prince. Sherry raised her hand.

"Yes, Sherry?" I asked and she blushed and looked away in embarrassment.

"She wants to know if the Prince and the Princess ended up together!" Marnya answered for Sherry which made Sherry blush more.

"Hmm...I'll tell you that one day. Just not now." I giggled but the children groaned.

"Guys, Phil is back with the fl-" Marnya was about to say something until Sherry covered her mouth.

"Shhhhh! It's a secret we can't tell Y/n!" Sherry hushed as Marnya struggled to get out.

"What secret?" I asked them and they all started to panic.

"The secret when Eugene wet his bed last night!" Mark pointed at Eugene and the girls laughed.

"What! No, I didn't!" Eugene started to argue with Mark until I told them to stop arguing.

"Y/n!" I heard Phil call me. I looked at him and he had his hands behind his back as if he was hiding something.

"Look! I made you a flower crown! I read in books on how to make one since Sherry, Marnya, and Naila told me you liked flowers. Eugene and Mark were supposed to distract you while I made it." he showed me a flower crown and he placed it on top of my head.

"Y/n, you're our princess!" Naila said as she grinned. I felt my heart get warm again. This happiness....is overwhelming. I felt tears roll down my cheeks.

"Y-Y/n!!! Y/n's crying!" Eugene panicked as he started wiping my tears with his shirt.

"Y/n...do you not like it? Did I do something wrong?" Phil said in a sad tone. I shook my head.

"Then why are you crying?" Sherry asked me as she looked at me with concerned eyes.

"I'm...I'm just so happy." I said as I wiped my tears. They all hugged me and I hugged them back.

"Y/n" I heard that familiar voice call me. I stood up and turned around with a smile and I turned around to see Ray holding his camera and a snap was made.

"R-Ray?" I asked as I blushed in embarrassment.

"Psst! Let's make Ray the Prince!"

"They look cute together!"

"Y/n the Princess and Ray the Prince! Perfect!"

I blushed even more as I heard the comments of my children. I turned around and they all started looking somewhere else as if they weren't just talking about me and Ray.

He glanced at me and the photo, but he mostly stared at me with a flushed face.

"Let's start." Ray cleared his throat and I nodded. We commenced the plan and I was in my position.

I made sure I can get a good view of the South window and I started playing with a child while taking glances at the window.

Don was playing with Lannion and Thoma while Gilda carried Carol in her arms.

After a while, I saw Mama come out of the House. I looked at Don and Gilda and they seemed surprised too.

"I have to go to the washroom, for a while. Are you all ok with that?" I asked and they smiled and nodded. I put down Mark and started running towards Don and Gilda.

"Go! I'll get Ray." I instructed and they nodded and started running into the forest.

"Ray!" I called out and I started sniffing the House and following his scent. The closer I got, I could hear pounding. I ran to the sound and stopped in front of a specific door.

"Ray? Are you in there?" I asked as I knocked on the door.

"Y/n?! Tell Gilda and Don to bring Emma and Norman back! Leave me." he said.

"No! I already told them about it and they're heading there right now. Now step back." I said and I heard shuffling from inside.

I kicked the door open and it broke. I sighed in relief as soon as I saw Ray I ran up to him and hugged him.

"We need to hurry. I saw Mama check her tracker." I said and we started running outside and into the forest but it was too late.

'Fear. Pain. Despair. All of these are radiating off of Emma.' I thought and that's when I saw her twisted leg. I gasped and saw Ray, Gilda, and Don with shocked faces.

"That's right. I'll control you until the end. That's how special you are. A special meal that only a special one can eat. The highest quality children that I have raised." Mama wrapped something around Emma's leg and used a stick to support her leg.

"Then..." Norman whispered which made Mama turn to Norman.

"That's why I have to protect you, no matter what. I had to do this because you weren't going to give up." Mama placed her hand on Emma's cheek.

Emma started screaming in agony. I couldn't bear her screaming. I can't. That scream...I covered my ears and closed my eyes.

'I failed. I failed to protect you all. If only I had been better. Stronger. Quicker. If only I wasn't who I am then maybe it wouldn't have happened this way.' I thought. I can't breathe. Why is everything so blurry. Why is it so dark? What's happening?

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"Mom!" Naila called.

"Mom, what happened to Emma?" a group of kids surrounded Mama who was carrying Emma.

"Did she get hurt?" a kid asked. Mama only looked at Emma in silence.

"Ray, what happened to Y/n?" Phil asked as he looked at the girl getting carried by Ray.

"She passed out." Ray said.

Thoma and Lannion started sweating as they remembered what Y/n told them.

Nat and Anna were both shocked and you could see them visibly shaking, thinking about what Y/n said.

She told them about the secret of the House that they all call 'Home'.

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"Now you can't move for a while now. You can welcome tomorrow safely." Mama said as she caressed Emma's cheek.

"Tomorrow?" Norman asked.

"Yes, tomorrow. Stay put and celebrate, Emma. I got a notice from the higher-ups." Mama looked at Norman.

"Congratulations, Norman, Y/n. Your shipment date has been set. You're both getting adopted into the same family."

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(A/N: Eyooo! Bet you didn't expect that! Anyways, I'm quite surprised since I used less than 2000 words in this chapter. That's 1408 words. Peace out!