Nightmare

"C'mon, Emma, we have to hurry and give Bunny to Connie before she leaves!" Penny gasped, running over to Little Bunny.

"Right!" Emma nodded, following her.

Penny scooped Little Bunny in her arms.

"Little Bunny?!" Gilda asked, walking into the room. "But Connie's gone!"

"What should we do!?" Emma yelped.

Ray walked in. "There's still time."

"Huh?"

Ray continued. "I can see it from the window. The lights of the gate were still on. Mom hasn't come back yet, either. So I don't think Connie left just yet."

Norman turned to Emma and Penny. "You two, let's hurry!"

"Hold it!" Ray frowned at Norman. "Are you sure that this would be okay for Penny? You know how she is when people leave."

"Ray," Penny smiled at the black haired boy lovingly. "I think I will be okay. I just wanna give Connie my last goodbye." She glanced at Ray, giving him puppy dog eyes. "Pleeeaaassseeeee? I'm sure Connie would be happy to see us give her her best prized possession."

Ray let out a heavy sigh. "Fine. If that's what you want."

Norman sent Ray a smile, and glanced over at Penny. "You coming? We need to hurry or we'll miss seeing her off."

"Right." Penny nodded. She grabbed Emma's hand and hurried after Norman.

When they made it to the gate, all seemed quiet.

"Never go near the gate...." Emma whispered.

"Or the fence." Penny quoted.

"Yeah, I know." Norman said, eyes never leaving the opened bars. He turned to the girls and smiled. "We'll all get in trouble later."

The three siblings crept into the open gate. There seemed to be nobody there...nothing. Only a truck parked in the right corner of the gate.

"So this is what it looks like when it's opened..." Penny mumbled, glancing inside. She hugged Little Bunny closer to her, a weird feeling drift inside her. "Strange, why do I feel like something bad is gonna happen..."

"Connie?" Emma called, scanning the gate.

Norman walked off, followed closely by Emma and Penny. Penny eyed the truck, hugging Little Bunny tighter.

The three continued walking down the hall until they made it to the truck.

"Is that the truck that's going to take Connie to her new home?" Emma asked. "I've never seen a vehicle in real life."

Norman walked up to the truck's driver section and poked his head through the window.

No trace of Connie.

"Maybe she'll find Little Bunny if we leave her in here." Emma suggested, pointing to the back of the truck that was covered by a thick cloth.

"Yeah, maybe." Norman said in agreement.

Penny walked up to put Little Bunny in the truck, but stopped dead in her tracks, dropping Little Bunny out of wild fear.

Norman and Emma turned to her.

"N-Norman...E-Emma..." the ten year old whimpered in horror.

"Penny?" Emma asked worriedly, running to join her. "What's-"

She stopped short, too.

Norman took a sharp, deep breath and walked to the vehicle, drawing back its curtain, and then he too stopped short.

CONNIE.

She was in a horrible situation...her eyes were wide and empty, staring into nothingness. She was covered in blood. The thing that horrified Penny the most was a red flower stuck in her precious little sister's stomach.

It was the most horrifying thing Penny had ever seen.

"Is someone there?"

Penny, Norman, and Emma gasped in horror, glancing at the nearest door.

"Hey, did you hear voices just now?!"

Norman grabbed Penny and quickly pulled her behind the vehicle. Emma quickly grabbed Little Bunny and joined them, shaking.

"It's just your imagination." The voice hissed.

Hearing another door creak, Penny, Norman, and Emma turned to it. Norman jerked his head at the girls to hide underneath the vehicle, and Penny and Emma quickly followed him, Emma hugging Little Bunny tightly to her chest.

"If it was a stray cat I would've caught it for dinner."

"You eat those disgusting things?"

Penny watched as Emma scooted up for a better look, and nearly screamed. Thankfully Norman clamped a hand over her mouth to stop her, and he quickly clamped a hand over his mouth.

IT was horrifying.

IT had a terrifying long grey head with two shining eyes stacking over each other.

IT had claws.

Penny had to keep herself from screaming as she watched the monster lift Connie's dead body into the air, opening its mouth, its long tongue extending while it shook with laughter. "It looks so delicious! Human flesh is definitely the tastiest!"

"No..." Norman whispered.

Penny watched in pure horror as the monster plopped down a container, dropping an undressed dead Connie in its liquidly substance.

"I wish I could have just a fingertip..." His companion hissed.

"Don't joke. It's valuable merchandise. Definitely something we are meant to enjoy, the human flesh from this farm is the highest quality. Only the rich can afford it."

Penny shakily glanced at Norman and Emma. "Where's Mom?" She squeaked out.

"SHH." Emma and Norman quickly shushed her. The two turned around to continue watching.

"How's the gunpa now?"

"It's mostly done, sir."

Penny hastily forced herself to glance up at the monster as it read from the list. "Another six year old. We've only been shipping out average ones lately. But we'll be harvesting some of the high grade stalk soon enough. Right, Isabella?"

Norman, Penny, and Emma shared a shocked glance, turning shakily to their mother, who was nodding at the monster. "Yes."

"These three with full marks are to be prepared for plucking."

"Yes, sir, I understand." Isabella said.

"Hold on. I smell something."

The creature glanced around and turned over to the truck, glancing under it, his eyes moving to something fluffy.

Penny, Norman, and Emma ran as fast as they could, trying to get as far away from the gate as possible. Emma and Penny both shrieked as they tripped.

"You okay?!" Norman gasped, panting.

Emma was hyperventilating. So was Penny. The two couldn't stop...they were too terrified to speak. "This place..." Emma gasped out while Penny continued hyperventilating. "Is a farm...we're all just....food?! It can't be!....didn't everyone go to foster homes?! And Mom is... a normal loving mother?! Right?!" She glanced up at Norman, terrified. "This is all a mistake! What we saw wasn't Connie! It couldn't be!"

"Connie..." Penny whimpered, her breathing slowing down, her heart pounding.

Norman panted, trying to calm down his heart. He stood up, pain in his eyes as he glanced down at the petrified girls.

Norman sucked in a deep breath. He didn't want to believe it was true, but it was.

"I'm afraid...it was Connie."

Penny and Emma's eyes swelled with tears, and they both let out an anguished scream.

When they finally made it back to the house, Ray met them. Penny instantly ran up to him, engulfing him in a tight hug, shuddering.

Ray glanced at her, and then up at Norman and Emma. "Welcome home. How'd it go?"

Norman glanced up at Ray, sadness in his expression. "We didn't make it in time..."

Ray watched as Emma and Norman staggered up the steps, and he wrapped his arms around Penny, quietly leading her to her own bed. He didn't ask her anything, much to her relief.

It took a while for Penny to fall asleep, but eventually she did, thanks to Ray's humming. The boy glanced down at Penny with a determined expression.

"I won't let anything hurt you. I promise I will protect you, Penny." he murmured, brushing a strand of hair from her face. He sent her one last smile before blowing out the lantern and climbing into his own bed.

"Have we been living here this whole time..." Emma hiccupped. "Just to end up as food?"

Norman took a shaky breath and glanced at the calendar, a determined expression in his eyes. "Let's escape, Emma. We'll get out of here. That's right, we can do it. Between you, me, Penny, and Ray..."

"And the others?" Emma whimpered, sobbing. "What about them? We can't leave them! If we do, we'll be killed for sure! I can't take it...I don't want to loose anymore family!"

Norman placed a hand on her shoulder. "And you won't have to.

Emma glanced at him.

Norman slid off the bed and sat next to Emma. "Try not to worry. We'll flee, all of us."

"Really?" Emma sniffed. "But...how? How can a bunch of kids run away from those monsters?" She turned around, and then her eyes widened when she remembered something Ray said. "Strategy...like when we played tag."

"Right." Norman smiled gently. "We will find a way. One that ensures all of us survive."

Emma sniffed, and gave Norman a determined glare.

They were going to get out of this alive. Together.