❦ℂ𝕒𝕘𝕖𝕕 - ℝ𝕖𝕒𝕕𝕖𝕣 𝕩 𝕋ℙℕ❦

«8 - Death's Doorstep»

When Emma, Norman and I went to gather information from Sister, this was how it happened:

*Present Tense*

As we arrive at Sister's room, I knock three times. Sister opens the door and let's us in, making sure to close the door after we walk in.

"Fire away." Sister begins the conversation. We look at each and nod. I'm the first to ask a question.

"Show us the device you use to track us." She took it out and handed to us without a second thought.
"It's pretty simple, but you can't identify who the mark is." Norman examines.

"I'm surprised you even know about it." Sister thinks out loud.
"Mama showed us once as a strategy." Emma answers.

"We don't know where the trackers are or how to destroy them, though." I lie.

"So that's why you can't escape, huh?" Sister fills in.
"Do you know where the trackers are Sister?" Emma asks eagerly.

"The location of the trackers... are somewhere in your left ear." She points to her left ear. "I wouldn't advise breaking it, though. Once you do, that thing and headquarters will get a notification."

She told us the truth. Now is how we react.

I feel behind my ear and gasp giving an appropriate reaction. Norman and Emma catch on, but were not as convincing in my eyes.

It should suffice, but one wrong move here and who knows what could happen.

"You have no choice, but to cut the tracker out." Sister advises.

"There aren't many sharp objects in this house. Not even the kitchen knives would do the job. Plus, we won't have any medicine when we make our escape. I'd rather not risk it." Norman says.

He's right. Mama made this pretty hard for us to escape. Good thing we have wits.

"A scalpel. There's a scalpel in the medical box in the infirmary. You could use that to cut the tracker out. There's even a cupboard of drugs and anaesthesia. I could teach you how preform the proper procedure. There's probably enough anaesthesia for 5 kids. And with that, next question!"

"Your age." I say blankly.
"Don't you know you shouldn't ask a grown woman's age... is what I'd like to say, but I'm 26. Isabella is 31. We were both raised in Grace Field House. At least that what her record says."

So Mama was born in 2014? That was before the book was published. So those books aren't telling us the world changed 30 years ago, but the author appeared that time ago.

"What's in the outside world? Have you ever seen it?" Norman interrupters my thoughts.

"Never." Sister says with a change of expression. She was telling the truth, "What did you expect me to say, yes? Even if it was a lie? Well, it's true. But I do know there are humans out there."

None of the adults here are from the outside world. They're just like us, all of them. Yet, they chose survival over the lives of the future. But what does Sister mean by she knows humans exist in the outside world? Does she mean... them...?