November 10, 1946

Rainy weather, and sunlight glow, didn't match with the threads of destiny weaving that were about to happen due to a fatal experiment that was later a stain on the soul. Stain on the Earth in this case.

Elizabeth Jacobs, a seasoned researcher, led her team in a race to combat the global virus, Morbus Mortalis. Her and her team desperately tried to invent the cure to that virus, but their attempts never worked out. While initially focused on the cure, they discovered a potential breakthrough; a tear in the fabric of reality.

Driven by ambition, Dr. Jacobs sought to widen this breach, and after relentless effort, her team devised a method to manipulate the anomaly. The entrance grew open more and more like a wound, soon, it was so big that a person could fit through.

Dr. Elizabeth Jacobs stood nervously in the spacious office of Dr. Fernsby, the headmaster of the Quantum Research Institute. The walls were lined with books on advanced physics, and a holographic projector cast complex equations into the air.

Dr. Fernsby, a stern figure with graying hair and piercing blue eyes, scrutinized the data on the screen before him. The room hummed with cutting-edge technology, a stark contrast to the grim news they were about to discuss.

"Are you certain about this, Elizabeth?" Dr. Fernsby asked, not lifting his eyes from the display. Despite his high position, he already called Dr. Jacobs by her first name.

"Absolutely," Elizabeth replied, her voice steady regardless of the weight of her words. "We've successfully managed to expand the entrance to the parallel world we’ve recently found—I mean, it expanded itself. Researchers explored some parts of it and it mirrors ours in almost every way—the world even has the buildings from the current year. It's the same. Except it has a peculiar atmosphere and no detectable signs of life from what we know so far."

Dr. Fernsby finally looked up, his expression a mix of curiosity and concern. "And you believe this... other world could help us with the current crisis?"

Elizabeth nodded, taking a deep breath. "It's risky, but our options are limited. Perhaps we could see if this other world could neutralize the virus from the dead corpses. Just an experiment."

She paused for a moment, glancing at the screen filled with data from their previous explorations of the parallel world.

“You’ve seen the readings, Dr. Fernsby,” she continued, her voice taking on a more confident tone. “The atmosphere over there is... different. There’s no sign of organic life—nothing decays, nothing changes. The environment seems to preserve everything perfectly, as though time doesn’t affect living tissue the way it does here.”

Dr. Fernsby tilted his head, his brow furrowing. “Are you suggesting that this world’s atmosphere could contain the virus indefinitely? Keep it dormant?”

Elizabeth nodded again. “Exactly. The virus thrives on decay, on biological breakdown. But if we expose the infected bodies to an environment where decay can’t occur—where the virus can’t find hosts—it could neutralize itself. At least, that’s the theory.”

Fernsby leaned back in his chair, his eyes still fixed on the screen as if trying to predict the outcome. "A strange theory, but we're running out of time and options. If there's even a chance that this world can halt the virus's spread, it might be worth the risk.”

They came up with the solution of leaving the bodies that couldn't bear the virus at the mercy of the parallel world, instead of burying them. People protested, wanting to keep their loved ones in the graveyard, though the authorities couldn't care less. They needed to see how the infected bodies would react. They wanted to see if the eerie atmosphere of the other world could neutralize the virus. But that was just a cover. In fact, they needed to test how the infected human organism would actually react for further exploration.

That night, under the cover of darkness, a convoy of trucks arrived at the entrance to the parallel world—it grew even bigger.

Scientists in hazmat suits moved with grim efficiency, unloading the deceased and transporting them through the entrance whose appearance mirrored a large bloody wound. The eerie silence of the other world swallowed them, the bodies disappearing into its surreal landscape.

"Let's finish up here and head back," Elizabeth instructed her team, exhaustion and relief mingling as they completed their grim task. “Dr. Caddel. Don't lift your eyes from the screen for a moment. Make sure to know what's happening,” she ordered, turning to the scientist that was chosen to watch the corpses intently.

In the observation room, Dr Caddel, was peering through a monitor. Though after several hours he fell asleep.

Meanwhile, a slight movement near the body showed on the screen, yet Dr. Caddel didn't see that at first. It was a slight worm. Just a slight worm but this tiny creature had the unexplainable power to wound the fabric of reality.

The worm crawled to the inside of one of the infected bodies, stretching around the organs. The worm was enveloped in a strange thick matter, and passed this envelope on the body. The worm gave life to a dead body and a word monster formed. More worms took ahold of the bodies at a horrific speed and strange monsters formed. They were tall, with long limbs, appearing lifeless.

And they were emerging towards the entrance to the real world.

Dr. Caddel, who awoke at the loud sound of defeating footsteps, adjusted his focus, his heart skipping a beat as he noticed the monsters.

"Something's wrong," he whispered, his voice barely audible over the hum of machinery. He hit the alarm button with a trembling hand. Red lights flashed and sirens blared throughout the laboratory.

Panic erupted as scientists and staff scrambled to comprehend the threat.

"Evacuate! Evacuate now!" Fernsby's voice boomed over the intercom, urgent and commanding. Elizabeth and her colleagues raced through the corridors, the demonic creatures hot on their heels.

Screams echoed as the monsters tore through the staff, leaving carnage in their wake. Only a handful of scientists managed to escape, sealing the laboratory's entrance behind them. The creatures, thwarted by the barrier, roared in frustration but soon turned their fury on each other.

Gunfire shattered windows, drawing the creatures back to their own place. The laboratory was swiftly shut down, its horrors hidden from the world. A shadowed realm, mirroring our own, stirred with unseen life, waiting for the curious and the desperate to unveil its secrets.

After Frensby had passed during these tragic events, Elizabeth learned that he bequeathed his belongings, including the laboratory, to her, who inherited everything from his money to his lab remnants. She never used it, not even the money. It felt awful to use someone's money. Money of someone who died because of an experiment she began. She regretted her choices every day, every night, perhaps, every sleeping moment.

She was scared to proceed with this experiment, though curious about what the other world hid, because it never disappeared. More entrances near the site where it all began were created by the creatures—that’s what they were later named as, taking lives away from innocent people.

Elizabeth's daughters were too young at that time the incident occured, though after eleven years, when one of them proved that she deserved the money—while the other one ran away, she passed the inheritance to her first-born daughter, who later used the lab space to secretly continue the experiment.

Elizabeth's first-born daughter continued this forgotten experiment, claiming that it's for the best. What a liar she was.

—

September 11, 1957

Eleven years later, the site of the abandoned laboratory had been replaced. The government wanted to repurpose the land after the tragedy, as a way to cover up what happened back in 1946.

In twilight's embrace, where the shadows glow, now eleven years later stands an orphanage, whose past hasn't yet unfold.

Children played in the sunlit yard, unaware of the dark history beneath their feet. Mrs. Agnes, the headmistress, watched the children with a smile, the past seemingly buried. But some shadows never fade completely.

March 28, 1978

Sister Mary assigned Theo and Ethan the last task of the day, which was cleaning the dusty old library. They exchanged a knowing glance before nodding in silent agreement. Entering the library, Theo took a different path than Ethan, his gaze immediately drawn to the rows of ancient books and mysterious artifacts that lined the shelves.

"I'll catch up with you in a moment," he called to Ethan, who simply waved him off and disappeared into the center of the room.

The room was utterly cold—and the library was one of the warmest rooms in the orphanage. It was filled with a metallic scent that seemed to come out of nowhere.

Lost in the quiet solitude of the library, time seemed to slip away for Theo. But when he finally tore himself away from the shelves and approached the center of the library, he saw Ethan standing there, his back to him, reaching out towards an entrance to a dark place that was painted in red hue. Theo couldn’t see where it led because Ethan was blocking his view but he stepped closer, and suddenly, the metallic scent his nose met before increased. It was coming out of the entrance.

"Ethan?" Theo called out, his voice barely above a whisper.

Ethan was observing the entrance, glancing at Theo as he heard his voice. Yet before he could respond, a sudden force pulled him into the unknown realm from behind. The thing that pulled him looked weird, from what Theo saw its figure was like a human figure but the limbs were unusually long and the whole being was like it was from another world—which was. Acting on instinct, Theo dashed after him, only to find the entrance gone as he reached it. Instead, he hit his head against the shelf. His last recollection was of his surroundings fading into a blur before he blacked out.

—

March 29, 1978

The following morning, Theo woke up in his bed with his vision slightly blurry—someone from the orphanage’s staff must have found him and brought him back to his room. Glancing around the room, he realized Ethan was not there. Theo hurried to the door of his room, the memory of Ethan's disappearance weighing heavily on his mind.

Mrs. Agnes, the stern but ‘caring’ matron of the orphanage, was the first person he encountered.

"Good morning, Theo," she greeted him with a warm smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Good morning," Theo replied, trying to keep his voice steady despite the knot of fear in his stomach. "Have you seen Ethan?"

Her expression faltered, and for a moment, Theo thought he saw a flicker of concern in her eyes. "Ethan?" she repeated, her voice carefully neutral. "Theo, I am sorry, but he got sent to a special facility this morning, it’s easier for him to find a home that way. He had left while you were still asleep. He didn’t tell you earlier, because he knew you wouldn’t let him go.”

The words hit Theo hard. "But he would tell me," he protested, his voice rising in confusion and fear.

Mrs. Agnes sighed, her demeanor softening slightly. "Perhaps it's time to let go of him, Theo," she said gently.

“Is there any chance I could write him a letter at least?” Theo asked, his voice hopeless.

“No,” Mrs. Agnes cut him off, turning away and disappearing down the hallway.

—

Ever since Ethan disappeared, Theo returned to the library every single day, searching for any clues. But he never found anything. Even the strange metallic scent and the eerie chill disappeared with the entrance. Though, there was something about this other world that was bleeding in this reality the more human fingerprints touched it.

—

April 13, 1978

About two weeks had passed since Ethan's disappearance, and Theo knew that Mrs. Agnes lied to him, at least he hoped so.

Later that evening, the sound of a car engine outside drew Theo’s attention. He peeked out through the window in the upstairs narrow hall between the children's rooms to see the main gate, down this small hill leading outside the orphanage wide open.

An elderly looking, black car parked stood in front of the gate. Sister Mary and Mrs. Agnes stood in the middle of the gate, Sister Mary a few steps behind Mrs. Agnes. They were greeting a tall man in a suit who was standing next to a boy who was about fifteen.

The boy looked around nervously, his eyes wide with apprehension. He had raven curly hair, quite similar to Theo’s hair color and his hair was about a little more than shoulder length, falling into his eyes. His skin was the color of an almond, he was quite tall, about 5 '7' feet—the same height as Theo. He wore a plaid shirt layered over a graphic t-shirt, along with loose-fitting gray trousers, the colors muted and earthy.

Theo watched as the man in the suit handed some papers to Mrs. Agnes before getting back into the car and driving away. The boy appeared lost and out of place as he stood there, though his lips were slightly curled upwards.

Sister Mary placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and guided him inside. Theo, feeling a knot in his stomach, turned away from the window and went back to his room.

After a while, as Theo sat on his bed, staring at the now-empty bed that used to belong to Ethan. Sister Mary entered with the new boy. Theo has spent the whole time in the orphanage sharing the same room with one person—Ethan. This felt awkward.

The bedrooms in the orphanage were all the same—a small rectangle room, 2 uncomfortable beds with almost no space between them, small arched windows and bedside tables next to the beds.

Sister Mary approached Theo, "Theo, this is Carmen," she introduced him with a warm smile. "I think you guys could get along," Carmen offered a tentative smile, and Theo managed a weak nod in return.

After Sister Mary left them alone, an awkward silence lingered between them. Carmen placed his suitcase on the bed and began unpacking. There wasn't much to unpack. Theo watched him for a moment before gazing out the window, listening to the soft tap of rain against the glass."I can tell that you don’t really wanna…Uh…Get along, right?" Carmen spoke softly, breaking the silence.

Theo turned to him. "No, it's not that," he paused briefly, "It's just that the last few weeks have been tough,” he added.

Carmen looked at Theo and responded with a warm smile.

Later that evening, when it almost stopped raining, Theo decided to bring Carmen to his favorite place in the orphanage—a big oak tree where he and Ethan used to sit and talk for hours. He enjoyed having Carmen there with him, but the more time he spent with him, the more Carmen reminded Theo of Ethan. They sat under the tree, staring at the walls all around the landscape of the orphanage.

“What is it like behind those walls now?” Theo asked Carmen.

“You’ve never left the orphanage?” Carmen was surprised.

“I did. But not recently. Ethan and I once tried to leave, though we didn't get far and it ended up with him almost dying and—” Theo stopped abruptly, his words trailing off.

“Who’s Ethan?” Carmen asked gently.

“He was my roommate,” Theo looked up at the oak tree, “ And he was my best friend. We grew up together in the orphanage, and about half a month ago, some weird things happened,” Theo said, his voice tinged with sadness. “But I don't really want to talk about it right now.”

Carmen gave Theo an understanding smile, respecting his need for privacy. They sat in silence for a while.

“So I wanted to ask how did you get into this orphanage?" Theo asked, breaking the silence.

"Well," he began, "I lived in a far away poor village. Once my mother went down to our basement, and I heard her screaming. I ran there quickly, but the doors wouldn't open. So, I called the police. They didn't let me go into the basement and told me that mom had slipped on the stairs and died. Kind of hilarious thinking about it now,” he paused before continuing, recalling memories. “They said they couldn’t find my dad and I remember those weird guys with big guns in our village. Anyways, after that, they put me in foster care for about three years. Now they've placed me here. It all sounds so made up, like they wanted to hide something but I don’t really care anymore”.

Theo listened “I’m sorry, Carmen. It must’ve been tough,”

“The first few months were,” Carmen replied softly. “But I don't deserve the ‘sorry’. It wasn't bad, I love my foster parents.”

“Whatever you say.” Theo nodded, shifting his eyes away from Carmen. “Though I’m surprised you told me all that. No one here—not even my best friend, Ethan ever told me how he got here. And I didn’t tell anyone either,” he paused and took a deep breath. “It’s this little thing between everyone that we just don’t talk about our pasts. When you look at anyone here they look traumatized, and prove me wrong,” he let out a giggle along the last words.

Carmen raised his eyebrow, glaring at him and they both went silent again. He then switched his gaze up to the tree, breaking the comfortable silence. “You know, I’ve always found trees like this fascinating. I like the branches.”

Theo nodded, his eyes tracing the rough bark of the oak tree. “I believe that this tree has witnessed everything, because like it has been here for what? Hundred years?”

Carmen looked thoughtful. “Maybe it has.”

Theo smiled a little, appreciating Carmen’s insight. “Well, I hope it really hasn't because there are some things I don’t want the tree to remember.”

Carmen widened his eyes.

“Oh no. You pervert,” Theo smirked. “I meant like some of the conversation I had under this tree. I’d appreciate it if they stay a secret, some of them are really weird.”

“A bad day for you then. This tree heard it all,” Carmen tased him, then he slapped that rough tree’s bark. “Good job…Tree.”

“You’re so weird.”

“Get used to it,” Carmen offered a warm smile, the sun danced across his skin just as warmly.

The rain was still pouring softly and as it catched the sun, it turned into a rainbow. Theo sat right in it, at the end of the rainbow.

“When did you get so colorful?” Carmen pointed out when he noticed the rainbow wash over Theo.

“What?” He looked at himself, and realized the same thing. “Where’s the treasure?” He added jokingly.

“I think you're the treasure,” Carmen laughed. His laugh was like a melody, a sweet and harmonious sound that filled the air.

Theo rolled his eyes, but a smile tinged his face.

Suddenly, a distant sound of a bell reverberated through the corridors, signaling the start of dinner. “We should probably head back,” Theo remarked to Carmen. “I’m not particularly hungry, but it’s best not to risk getting in trouble.”

“Yeah,” Carmen agreed, nodding in understanding.

They made their way back to the main hall, where the aroma of freshly cooked food filled the air. Almost all the other children were already seated at the long wooden tables, chatting as they waited for dinner to be served.

Eileen’s face lit up when she spotted Theo entering the hall. “Hey, Theo!” the girl with light brown hair that she always had in a braid called out, waving excitedly. Theo and Carmen approached her.

“You actually came for dinner,” Eileen remarked, giving Theo a quick hug.

“Yeah,” Theo replied with a shrug, his gaze flickering briefly to Carmen.

“If you miss out on meals because you miss Ethan, you could have talked to me, you know?” Eileen continued, her expression softening with sympathy. Then, she turned her attention to Carmen. “And who’s this?” she asked curiously.

“This is Carmen. He just arrived at the orphanage today. Sister Mary thought we would get along,” Theo introduced, gesturing towards Carmen.

Eileen raised an eyebrow, a playful smirk forming on her lips. “I don’t know how you managed to get him out of bed,” she teased, shooting Carmen a friendly smile.

"Alright, Lee, let's settle in and wait for dinner," Theo said with a gentle smile. Eileen nodded in agreement, and they all found places together at one of the long wooden tables.

As they waited, a line began to form as the other children queued up for their meals. They all joined the line, eventually reaching the serving area, from where they were coming back to their seats with a plate of spaghetti coated in a peculiar sauce. Back at their seats, Theo hesitated, pushing his food around on his plate as if lost in thought.

Carmen noticed his lack of appetite and leaned in, concern etched on his features. "Hey, is everything alright? You haven't even touched your food," he remarked softly.

Theo looked up, offering a small smile in response. "I'm fine, just not a fan of spaghetti," he admitted with a chuckle, grateful for Carmen's concern.

Then Theo took a deep breath, “You know what?” Carmen stared at him. “I hate spaghetti, I hate the weird long shape of them and how they weirdly stick to your mouth. Honestly, I have a strong hatred for them”.

“That’s a lot to say just about a type of pasta,” Carmen admitted with a chuckle.

After dinner, they tidied up their eating area.

“Good night to you both,” Eileen called out cheerfully as they departed.

"Good night, Lee," Theo called out softly.

"Night, Eileen," Carmen echoed, his tone quiet and subdued.

Theo back in his bed quietly snuggled under a blanket, fully clothed in the same attire he wore during the day. He pulled the blanket around him, its familiar warmth a comforting presence in the dimly lit room. It was Ethan’s blanket—the one Ethan came to the orphanage with, the only thing he brought from his home, the only thing that made him feel a sense of comfort when he was little. Carmen changed into his pajamas and settled into bed. He laid there in darkness, trying to fall asleep.

May 6, 1977

Theo woke up shortly after the middle of the night, a cold wind slipping through the slightly open window, chilling the room. He rubbed his eyes and glanced over to Ethan’s bed, finding it empty. A pang of worry hit him, but he quickly realized where Ethan must be. Carefully, Theo climbed onto the windowsill and began his ascent to the roof. The night air was biting, and the tiles were slick and treacherous from the day’s rain. Each step felt precarious, and he could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he struggled to maintain his balance. Just as his foot slipped on a particularly wet tile, a hand gripped his arm, steadying him. It was Ethan.

“Thank you,” Theo said, his voice trembling with a mix of fear and relief.

Ethan responded with a reassuring smile, pulling him up to sit beside him.

“What are you doing here in the middle of the night? What if someone came to check on us?” Theo asked, wrapping his arms around himself to fend off the chill.

Ethan’s gaze was fixed on the forest surrounding the orphanage “I don’t know,” he replied softly. “Just wanted to clear my mind”. He paused. “We should escape soon, Theo. We’ve been here practically our whole lives. We’re like prisoners in this place.” His words hung in the cold night air, heavy with truth.

It took Theo a moment to find the right response. “You’re right,” he admitted. “I am surprised people even know this place exists,” he paused before continuing. “When you think about it a lot of children get adopted but we've never seen any grown ups coming here to choose, like it’s done anywhere else. The forest surrounds us, isolating us. The nearest lights we can see… Well I wish we could see any”.

“In case we escape, far, I have something to tell you. But just in case,” Etham said out of the blue after a quiet moment.

“Why can’t you tell me now?”.

Ethan didn’t respond.

They sat in silence for a while after that, gazing at the constellations, or the stars dancing around them. When Theo glanced over at Ethan, his freckles reminded him of those constellations.

The wind rustled the leaves of the trees below. Despite the isolation and the sense of entrapment, there was a strange comfort in sharing this moment with Ethan.

They made their way back inside the room, both in their own beds. But when Theo woke up in the morning too early. He found himself in Ethan's bed instead. He didn't recall how he got there, but perhaps he had sleepwalked. And apart from being in the same bed as Ethan, he was also sleeping on his chest.

—

May 7, 1977

“Hm,” Theo murmured. “How did I get here?” He rolled over from Ethan's chest.

Ethan woke up at the sound of his voice. “You had a nightmare, you were literally shaking,” his voice carried less weariness than Theo's, instead, he kept it regularly calm.

“I don't remember that.”

“I think you have nightmares so often that you don't recall them anymore. You really don't remember?”

“No,” he laid on Ethan's again because he realized how comfortable it actually was before. “But I dreamed about us.”

“Yeah? And what were we doing?”

“We were running around in the mountains, I remember them vividly. They were interesting, I guess. Anyways, then we came across this lake.”

“Mhm,” Ethan said as Theo spoke.

“And then I shoved you in it.”

“Oh you made that up.”

“No really. You got mad and started chasing me around.”

“Yeah, that's something I'd do,” Ethan claimed proudly.

“But I felt kinda free, you know. The dream was what I imagined as free.”

“Well, I have to break it to you but if I'm getting shoved in a lake in what free is, then I don't want it to become reality.”

Theo smirked and then, without even realizing, he drifted off to sleep again because it was still too early for them to start the day—the sun had barely arose.

—

Later, still in the morning, they woke up quite late. Children usually go to the library to study, or outside for a while before breakfast.

Theo opened his eyes and glanced over at Ethan Before closing them again, shifting under the blanket they both slept under. Suddenly, with a swift movement, he tumbled off the bed, the blanket tangled around him.

Ethan couldn't help but giggle at the sight. He extended his hand to help Theo up, still chuckling.

"That's for stealing my blanket," Ethan asked, amusement clear in his voice.

Theo grinned as he took Ethan’s hand and sat up. "Thanks," he said, his own laughter bubbling up. "That reminded me of when you fell from the chair in the dining hall because you were swinging on it, and the room was almost completely silent."

Ethan groaned playfully, rolling his eyes. "Oh, come on, we agreed we wouldn't talk about that."

They exchanged a look and then Theo sat down next to Ethan with a serious expression.

"So, I was thinking… Before we make our escape, we should gather some supplies. We don’t know how far the nearest town could be," he suggested.

“It’s not that far,” Ethan realized he shouldn’t have said that only after the words left his mouth. But luckily, for his fortune, just as Theo wanted to say something, the sound of a bell echoed through the orphanage, signaling breakfast time.

"I'm still in my pajamas," Ethan remarked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Yeah, me too," Theo agreed, forgetting what Ethan had said before. "But we don’t have time to change right now. You know how they hate when we’re late."

Ethan grabbed at least a hoodie from the floor and draped it over his shoulders.

Theo raised an eyebrow as he recognized it. "Isn't that my hoodie?" he asked, a playful smirk tugging at his lips.

Ethan simply nodded, a nonchalant expression on his face. "Yeah, it is," he replied casually, eliciting an eye roll from Theo. “But in my defense, it’s not my fault that someone accidentally caused my hoodie to fall out the window. Straight into mud,” he added.

“Die,” Theo said as they made their way downstairs.

Ethan responded with a warm smile. Like a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day.

The dining hall was a cacophony of noise, with children chatting and laughing, the clatter of plates and utensils filling the air. Theo and Ethan joined the line for food. As they moved along, Sister Mary handed out bowls of blueberry flavored yogurt.

“Good morning, boys,” she greeted them with a warm smile.

“Morning, Sister,” they chimed in unison.

They found seats at a long wooden table next to Eileen and her roommate, Eleanor.

“Hey, you two! Managed to get out of bed, I see,” Eileen teased, a twinkle in her eye.

“Barely,” Theo replied, sitting on his chair.

“Attention, everyone,” Mrs. Agnes clapped her hands, and the room fell silent. “Today will be a bit different. We had a lot of learning yesterday, so this morning will be a free period for most of you. However, those of you older than six need to head to the study room for the daily study session until lunch. After that, you’re free to do as you please. Understood?”

“Yes, Mrs. Agnes,” the children responded almost in unison.

Theo turned to Ethan. “Hey, I think it’s best for us to escape today,” he whispered.

Ethan responded with a nod. They both stood up and went to stack their trays.

Sister Mary approached them.

“Today, you two will skip most of the studying because you’ve been assigned to clean the dishes,” she informed them.

Theo and Ethan exchanged a quick glance and nodded in agreement.

As Sister Mary walked away, Ethan sighed.

“Great,” Ethan said to Theo, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

“Yeah, but at least we get to talk more about our plans,” Theo replied. “I thought we could climb the big oak tree and jump onto the wall from there.”

“I agree,” Ethan said, nodding. “But we should probably do it before lunch. No one will be around then, and escaping at night would be too difficult.”

“Where are we even going?” Theo asked, a note of uncertainty in his voice.

Ethan didn’t answer immediately because, truthfully, they didn’t know. They just wanted to leave this place. Finally, he shrugged. “We’ll figure it out. Let’s do the dishes first.”

They made their way to the kitchen, where piles of dirty dishes awaited them. The clinking of cutlery and the sound of running water filled the room as they worked side by side, their minds racing with thoughts of their impending escape.

As they scrubbed and rinsed, Theo asked, “What about Lily, should we tell her?”

Ethan dried his hands. "We don’t have time to tell her in person. She’s in the study room. We can write her a letter."

Before Theo could respond, Sister Mary approached them. "I see you two are done. You should join the others in the study room."

Ethan quickly thought of an excuse. "Can we get dressed first? We’re still in our pajamas."

Sister Mary sighed but nodded. "Only this time. You should have been dressed already."

They nodded and hurried to their room.

As they dressed, Theo said, "We should pack a few things now. We won’t have time later."

"Yeah," Ethan agreed.

They quickly packed a flashlight and a water bottle. There wasn't anything else to pack though. Suddenly, Ethan pulled out a rope from under his hoodie.

"Where did you get that?" Theo asked, surprised.

"I took it while we were cleaning the dishes. It was lying in the room with the cleaning supplies," Ethan replied with a mischievous grin.

They both giggled and finished packing. They left the room and joined the others in the study room. Theo didn’t pay attention during the lesson. Instead, he scribbled a quick note to Eileen. When the teacher wasn’t looking, he slipped the letter to her and whispered, "Read it later”.

Eileen glanced at the note and then nodded, a look of understanding in her eyes. After class, instead of heading to lunch with the other children, they made their way to the oak tree, the chilly wind trailing behind them.

"Are we really doing this?" Ethan hesitated, his voice laced with uncertainty. "We still haven't figured out where we're going," he added, casting a glance at Theo.

Theo turned to him, the wind tousling his long hair. "I know, but let's give it a try. What's the worst that could happen if they catch us?" he reasoned, a determined glint in his eyes.

“Don’t act like you don’t know”.

Ethan knelt down to retrieve the rope from their bag. Ethan tossed the rope up to wrap around the highest branch of the tree. "After you," he offered, gesturing for Theo to go first. Taking hold of the rope, Theo began to ascend the tree, his movements slow and deliberate. Ethan followed closely behind, securing the rope back in their bag as he climbed.

Once they reached the top, Theo surveyed the distance to the wall below. "Now we'll have to jump," he said, his gaze fixed on the obstacle ahead. The jump appeared daunting, but not insurmountable. Without further hesitation, Theo leaped, his hands grasping for the edge of the wall. Ethan watched with bated breath, relief flooding him as Theo successfully made the jump.

"I don't think I can do it, Theo," Ethan confessed, his fear evident in his voice.

"I'll catch you," Theo reassured him, his tone calm and steady. With a deep breath, Ethan summoned his courage and ran, Theo's outstretched hand waiting to pull him to safety. Ethan barely made it, his fingers slipping just as Theo's strong grip cathed him.

"Thank you," Ethan breathed, relief flooding his features as he returned Theo's smile. As they rose to their feet, surveying their surroundings, they were greeted by the sight of endless forests stretching out before them.

"How do we get down?" Ethan asked, his voice tinged with apprehension.

Theo's gaze shifted, and his expression turned grave. "I don't want to alarm you, but I see Mrs. Agnes in the field, approaching us," he replied, his tone urgent.

Ethan followed Theo's gaze, his heart sinking as he saw Mrs. Agnes drawing nearer. "What do we do?" he asked, panic edging into his voice.

Theo scanned their surroundings quickly, his eyes landing on a river on the other side of the wall. "We have to jump into the river," he said decisively. "It looks deep enough. We don't have any other choice."

"But neither of us can swim," Ethan protested, his fear palpable.

"We have to try," Theo insisted, his voice resolute.

With Mrs. Agnes's angry shouts growing louder behind them, Theo seized Ethan's hand, and without another word, they leaped from the wall, plunging into the cold water below. As they hit the water with a splash, the shock of the cold engulfed them, stealing their breath for a moment. Instinct kicked in, and Theo kicked his legs, propelling them towards. Breaking through, they gasped for air, their hearts pounding in their chests. Ethan's panicked eyes met Theo's, but there was no time for words as they were carried downstream by the swift current.

They struggled to stay afloat, the icy water threatening to pull them under. Suddenly, Theo's foot brushed against something solid beneath the water. With renewed hope, he kicked towards it, pulling Ethan along with him. Gasping for breath, they reached a shallow bank and dragged themselves onto solid ground, panting and shivering from the cold.