Cover art by the beloved -Aoi-Akane- <33

I'm going to put a trigger warning here for now and future chapters: You might've guessed from the last chapter, but from here on there are going to be darker themes for this story as it's intended for an older audience. If you like the story but don't enjoy the darker themes, you can always try the original version published on my account!

This chapter contains themes of mental instability and toxic familial relationships.

Please read safely!

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The sun was low on the horizon, washing the room in bright pastel oranges.  "Your hair is such a pretty colour," Yukko crooned, dragging a hairbrush through my hair. "You'll never cut it, right?"

The door creaked open. A young kid, maybe six years old, opened the door. I knew him as Leo, a rather responsible boy.

"Mama, the kids are looking for you..." His big brown eyes met mine, and he stilled. I wondered what kind of expression I was making for him to look at me like that.

"I'm busy right now," Yukko sighed, running the brush through my hair again. There were no longer any tangles or knots. Today had been hair cutting day, and Yukko had planned to trim my bangs so I could see. She hadn't gotten there yet. It had been over an hour since she started brushing.

Leo's lower lip trembled. "Are you okay, Y/N?"

"Y/N is fine," Yukko said.

"But the babies... they really really want you. I can't get them to stop crying..."

Yukko huffed irately, pushing back the stool. "I won't be gone long," she sighed, following Leo out of the room.

A harsh orange light glinted off of the razor-sharp blades of the scissors left forgotten on the dresser. Static filled my ears as I scooped them into my pale, bony hands.

"Y/N!" The quiet call came from the open doorway. I hid the scissors behind my back. Poppy beamed at me from across the room. The orange light made her strawberry blonde hair glow and freckles glow with warmth. "Hang in there a little longer, okay? It's almost escape day!"

My grip loosened on the scissors. With a nod and a glance down the hallway, Poppy slipped out of sight. I placed the scissors back on the nightstand, in an identical spot to earlier. Not one moment later, Yukko walked back in.

The mother smothered me with love for my every waking minute. Every night, she'd stay behind until I inevitably succumbed to exhaustion. Then she'd slip out of the room to contact headquarters, and would be back within twenty minutes. I never managed to witness this myself. No matter how good I was at pretending, Yukko could always tell the second I actually fell asleep.

On the thirteenth of January, the kids were particularly rowdy about never seeing their mother. For the first time in a week, Yukko took a break from watching me. In her place, she left Hannah with strict instructions to "monitor my condition" and to keep the door open.

Hannah watched her leave and once her footsteps receded down the stairs, used her foot to push the door until there was a sliver of an opening.

"Technically not breaking the rules..." she hummed, before her face hardened with urgency. "I have word from Poppy," she spoke. "Make sure you drink lots of water on the fourteenth." She rolled up her pants and pulled off a pair of boots, which she stashed in a loose floorboard underneath the bed. "Be ready for escape, and put these on when the time comes.

I shook my head. "Yukko will never leave me alone long enough to..."

"She has to," Hannah said. "Because that's when they're getting shipped out."

I blinked. "What?"

"She's gonna be walking Reina, Poppy, Hayato and Niko to the gate at the time."

My posture stiffened. "They'll die, then! I'd rather be left behind if–"

"No, stupid! There's also some gas and some matches down here thanks to our Plant 3 friends. You're gonna set fire to the infirmary. Yukko will forget all about the others and run back. You'll meet up at the same spot you've always been planning .

"And before you ask, everything else has been prepared – the supplies, the proper training, and Daisy's in on it now. Yukko knows they won't escape without you, so she hasn't bothered watching anyone else. We have the upper hand now."

She closed up the floorboard, wiping dust from her hands. "Well, I've done my part. Good luck."

My lips twisted into a frown. It was a risky plan – but it was the only plan we had. "I don't know that I'll be able to get out of here on my own," I said. "Will you help?"

Hannah eyed me up and down. "You'll figure it out."

The door flew open. "Hannah, I said not to close the door!" Yukko hollered like a banshee. A startled Hannah turned to her with wide, innocent eyes.

"I didn't. The window's open. Maybe the wind pushed it?" The ten year-old girl shrugged and walked out of the room. "Sorry Mama, I have to go study."

I watched the door swing shut regretfully.

"Did you miss me?" Yukko asked, sitting upon the stool. "I missed you so much."

I smiled. "Of course I missed you."

Yukko beamed back at me, wrapping her arms around me, tightly. "Even if it's a lie... that made me very happy."

I felt my stomach cringe as she pulled me close.

Four days, I reminded myself, and it will all be over, one way or another.

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Sorry for the short chapter— I should be releasing the next one soon!