The next morning, we hear a few loud knocks on the door, followed by a loud shout.

"Anybody in there? We're here to take you somewhere safe. You don't need to be scared, just open up." We grab our bags and run to the door, unlocking it and pulling it open so fast that I'm surprised it managed to stay on its hinges. Outside are two police officers armed with handguns and batons, waiting to leave.

"Don't be scared, everything's gonna' be fine. Get your things cuz' we're leaving right now. It's not safe out here anymore." One of them smiles at us and starts walking down the path, gesturing for us to follow. I glance at Ruby, who, looking terrified, has started following them already.

"Where are we going?" I ask one of the police officers, a bald man in his forties.

"We've been told to take you to some other officers in the woods, and they'll take you somewhere else." I nod, not feeling the need to talk anymore. It seems like a good plan, but I don't see why they can't just take us there themselves.

We continue walking for a few minutes until we reach the edge of the woods surrounding the local park. Waiting on the treeline are two other officers, both looking impatient. The officers that walked us here leave as we reach the two new ones.

"You okay kids? We're taking you to the nearby hospital, it's probably the safest place around here right now. You ready to go?" We both nod. "Alright then. But where are your parents? You can't have been at home by yourselves all this time, have you? I can tell you're not old enough to live by yourselves, so don't lie to me."

"Our parents are on holiday in Hawaii for their honeymoon, sir. We were meant to be at home by ourselves for two weeks. They should be back next week, but now they won't know where we are."

"I see. Well, you don't have to be scared anymore. We're harder to see in the woods because the trees block the view. There are patrols going around the area, so if your parents are looking for you, we'll find them. Also, you might want to think about putting that away, love." He gestures towards the knife in my hand which I've been clutching since we left the house. It makes me feel a lot safer, so I shake my head and give him a pleading look.

"Alright then, but you'll have to hide it when we get to the hospital or they'll take it from you, for safety precautions. Can't have everyone running around with knives now, can we?" After a twenty-minute walk, we finally reach a building painted white with a red cross in the middle. I remember this place from when I was little. I got rushed here when I feel out of a tree and broke my arm. But it looks very different now. Four police officers are stationed outside, armed with guns, ready to shoot at any threat that appears.

We write out names down on a sheet of paper on the reception desk, and I notice how many names have already been scribbled down. There must be hundreds of people here. Two nurses take us up four flights of stairs and down a few corridors to a room filled with ten or so children, all looking under twelve.

"This is your new room until everything's back to normal, so you'd better get comfortable, and try to make friends with the other kids. And please, don't argue with each other, we don't have any time to deal with that sort of thing." I walk to the corner of the room and drop my bag next to an empty bed. I lie down, staring at the cracked ceiling while Ruby sits down on the bed next to me. She starts to unpack some of her things into the bedside cabinet, but my mind is too occupied to do the same.

This can't be happening. This is all some crazy dream that I'll wake up from, and everything will be back to normal again. I'll be at home with Ruby, waiting for mom and dad to get back. All I need to do is fall asleep and everything will be normal again like it should be. Just go to sleep, Lilly.

I close my eyes and eventually grow weary, not caring that the afternoon has barely begun. Everything will be okay soon; all I need to do is wake up.