⦂ ​Hidden Way​ ⦂ PART 1 / Chapter 1

Instructions

Chapter 1 : Raelin : Many people believe that the world can be a great place, others like me agree that the world can be pretty dark and cruel to everyone. Well, my opinion changed when I met the one person I could relate to and be relaxed with. We honestly didn’t get along that well at first and I didn't like her much. Then we started to get to know each other, and we complimented each other and had some similar interests. Actually, I might have developed some type of emotion or feelings towards her? Let me start at the beginning on how we were found. We all know about the mass population problem going around globally. So, the government made a law that families could only have two children within a household. If they had more than two children in their house, the child would be executed, and the family would be harshly fined. This law was declared the year that I was born, which caused a bundle of problems for my parents and family. There were numerous reasons why I was hidden, for one obviously because I would be executed. If they found me well we would have to explain how I was alive, which would lead to my mother lying that I died as soon as I was born.Which would lead to either my mother and father would be punished, or they would be executed. Every year the government would request that all residents of every household were counted. If someone said otherwise to someone else's response then that person's house would be searched. Also people get paid from the government to alert them if they suspect that someone is holding more than two children. Raelin would stare out the window into the deep evergreen forest surrounding her house. She would listen to the sounds and the sights of the forest, until she spotted a group of people approaching. Raelin immediately ducked seeing the new group of people moving closer. Moments later she heard a loud bang downstairs, then her mother yelled “Coming! One moment!”, then she heard the locks on the front door start to click undone. Then one of Raelin’s siblings walked up stairs to see her laying her belly first on the carpet, her sibling signaled for her to follow slowly. Worried about making any type of noise that might alert anyone that she was up there, she tried to ask why she wasn’t told that someone was coming. Raelin quietly walked up those attic steps without making any type of noise, she crept up into her room and lifted the steps up. She was confused and wondered what was going on downstairs, she wanted to know why these people came unannounced to our house. As Raelin sat in her attic room, listening to the muffled voices and sounds coming from the floors below, she couldn't help but feel a sense of dread wash over her. She knew that the arrival of unexpected visitors was never a good sign, and that they could mean trouble for her and her family. She strained her ears, trying to make out what they were saying, but the words were too faint to hear what was being said. After what felt like hours, the noise finally died down, and the footsteps faded away. Raelin cautiously climbed down the ladder from her attic, making sure not to make any noise that might give away her presence. As she made her way to the living room, she saw her family gathered around the table, looking tense and worried. "What happened?" Raelin asked, her heart pounding in her chest. "We don't know," her mother replied, her face lined with worry. "They were looking for something, but we don't know what. They searched the whole house, but they didn't find anything." Raelin breathed a small sigh of relief, grateful that the visitors hadn't discovered anything incriminating. But she couldn't shake off the feeling of unease. Wondering what would happen if they were to return. She knew that her family had to be extra cautious from now on, keeping their heads down and avoiding any attention from outsiders. As she settled back into her room, her mind raced with thoughts of what could happen next.