this is definitely not inspired by anything

---

•Chapter 1•
•Hope•

soon it'll be morning. then i'll be transferred to a new manor.
i guess it'll be like when all those younger kids came here. except i'll be the new one. i just don't understand why i have to go though. there's honestly no point since it's all the same except for location.
all i know is that i passed some test after being observed, along with the other kids here, for a week. by some strange men in suits and dark round pieces of glass on their eyes.
guardian says they're called sunglasses. weird name for some serious-looking men.
but, anyways. i'm not the only one that passed the test, but they want to transferr the ones that passed at different times. i heard some of them talking to guardian about the next one being sent a few months after me.
i don't really know any of the other chosen kids. i probably should get to know them. but, i guess i'll have to do it there.

i just hate how i'll have to say goodbye to my friends.



She re-read, then stared at the page, satisfied with what she wrote.
Her mind was filled with all sorts of questions and possibilities for her future, some of which she feared.
The thought of saying good-bye to her friends hurt her.
She wouldn't even get to spend a last Christmas with them.
The announcement was so sudden.
She wished she had at least another week here.
Something, anything, she just wasn't ready.

A knock on the door and a call for the youngster in Guardian's voice rang out, alerting the young 14 year-old out of her thoughts. Throwing her journal under her bed, she stated that she'd be ready shortly.
Guardian told her that she'd be waiting downstairs with everyone else.
The girl said something acknowledging what Guardian said under her breath, then rushed over to the closet in which she shared with 8 other girls, to find her travel briefcase.
Every child received one at age 5, as every child would someday leave with a family.
She took it out and opened it for the first time in years.
It was a greyed, powdered shade of blue, wrinkly leather, and brand new smelling on the soft velvet casing inside.
Taking in a deep breath and then shuddering as she let it out, she thought about this whole situation.
It was scary.
Never coming back here again.

She shook herself out of it, telling herself to not get preoccupied with these kinds of thoughts.
She then lay the briefcase down and shuffled to the right.
Her drawer of clothes, filled with a few white collared shirts, and a few navy skirts with plaid patterning.
Very uniform.
But, it was all she had ever worn.
So it was a special kind of familiarity.

Quickly, she put in the clothes into her briefcase.
Then pulled out the small fabric bag where she kept her white socks, and laid it onto the clothes in the case.
Her feet slid easily onto her navy shoes as she was currently wearing socks, which wasn't a rule she kept often.
The girl rushed to her bed and pulled out the book from under it and tucked the leather-bound book snugly into one of the hidden pockets of the briefcase.
Satisfied, she buckled it shut.

She pulled out her little sun hat from the closet, and shut the doors.
The doors had mirrors along them, so she looked at herself as she lay the hat upon her brown hair that was dark enough to be mistaken as black.
She made sure she looked presentable, picked up the briefcase, and stepped out of the room.
Shutting the door behind her with a click.

Walking down the very bright and wide corridor, that had a long carpeted path, made her feel small, very insignificant.
She straightened up and walked past the doors of the other dozens of bedroooms as she headed towards the staircase.
Looking down from the stairs, she saw Guardian, and the other children of the manor, each of them a monotone smile upon their faces.

Except for her few closest friends, of which had twitching faces, showing their forced cheeriness.
She quickly descended the stairs stumbling over her own feet, of which brought a slight frown to Guardian's face.

Embarrassed, she avoided eye contact with the possibly hundred individual eyeballs peering at her and dashed towards her closest friends.
All she managed was a hug and the ability to thank them without showing any emotion.
She had to forget them.
They were no longer going to be a part of her life now.

She turned away from them, and walked up to Guardian, who would bring her outside to the men in suits.
Who would, in turn, bring her to her new home.
As soon as they had gone outside, Guardian took out a small wooden box from the foldings of her dress, and held it out for the girl, who took it.

It was strangely quite heavy though, but she paid no mind and quickly put it into the front pocket of her briefcase.
Guardian told her to open it only once she arrived at the manor, to which the girl nodded in understanding.
She was then told to follow Guardian, so she held onto the motherly figure as she followed with her free hand
In fear or not, she did not know.

The rising sun shined into her squinting eyes, pushing through her long eyelashes.
The girl let go of Guardian and pushed her hat down in front of her face, in an attempt to push out some of the light.
The sky was a beautiful shade of orange and pink, and some areas in the sky were still a deep navy with the barely visible twinkle of stars.
The world was awakening for a new beginning.
A fresh start.
She was blissfull, even with what was happening.
Nature could easily cure anything for her.
Surprisingly it wasn't cold at all, not even a speck of winter seemed to exist.
But, winter was a rarity in this land, so this was honestly quite expected.

They walked down a very old-looking stone path, which was surrounded by large trees and bushy flora.
The view of the mountain down onto the valley scared her back again into her thoughts of being nothing but a speck.
A few minutes of walking in silence brought her and Guardian far enough away from the manor for it to not be visible any longer, despite the size of it.
All she could see were large oak and pine trees, grass and a large variety of wild flowers.
She looked up at Guardian in curiosity, who had suddenly stopped.
With a gentle smile, she said should would miss her child.
She was shocked to know Guardian would actually miss her presence, and that she considered the girl hers.
They hugged tightly, and the girl felt tears growing in her eyes.

After releasing Guardian, she noticed two of the suited sunglasses men coming up the path.
She looked at Guardian as she wiped the her eyes, who pensively looked down at her.
A final goodbye and another quick hug.
After being released this time, she was pushed towards the strange men.
Her future entrusted into them and their competence.
They looked at the child, waiting for her to begin walking towards them.

A final glace back.
Guardian waving at her with a shining smile-- or maybe it was just the sun behind her.

The girl turned and walked away, towards her new future.
The strange men waited for her to pass them, then followed behind.

After walking for a while, they walked up to a strange machine.
It had windows, lights, and four wheels.
One of the men opened a sort of door, revealing soft clothed seats inside.
He looked at her, expecting her to enter.
So she did.
He shut the door after her.
The other man had already entered.
Soon after, he entered the machine, and sat into the seat in front of her.

The machine suddenly jolted, making a constant rumbling noise.
She gasped in surprise as everything started to move.
The man in the passenger seat turned to her and pointed out her window.
So she turned her head and looked out the window, watching the world move by faster and faster.
Faster than she had ever seen it move.
This...
This was amazing!
She'd never seen, or experienced anything like it.

Maybe the future wouldn't be so bad-- maybe it'd be like this machine.
Strange, but once she gets to know it, it'd become something amazing.
With a new hope, she pulled her briefcase closer to herself, hugging it.
Smiling.

---