The Heist

Jan 1428 min read

Updated: 6 days ago

By Zoe Palyekar

Chapt's

1. The Orphanage 2. Class 7-1

3. An Abrupt Argument

4. Children Are Smart

5. Gadgets and Gizmos

6. Assembly

7. Preparations

8. Children Are Also Stubborn

9. Tragic Hatred

10. Convinced?

11. 2 Down, 1 To Go 12. Recruiting Adam 13. The Plan

14. Sabotage

15. The Real Plan

16. Christmas Eve

17. The Cage Escape

18. The Actual Plan

19. Adopted?

20. Everyone Knows

21. Snitches Get Stiches

22. Truce

M"t The Ch)act,s!

The F&est Owls

Ava Miller – Head Of Traps

Ellie Nelle – Head Of Planning

Olliver Johnson – Head Of Resources

James Brown– Head Of Strength

The Orphanage W&k3s

Ms. Alma – The Orphan Keeper

Ms. Selma – President Caretaker

Mr. Doug – Vice President Caretaker

Ms. Anna – Class 7-1 Caretaker

Mr. Smith – Class 7-2 Caretaker

Oth3 Imp&tant Ch7act3s

Ms. Claire – Librarian Of “The Book Nook”

Ms. Hannah – News Reporter Of “Reliable News Now (RNN) Bella Martinez – Trusted Friend Of The Forest Owls

Ava

E&ie

James

O&iv 4

Ms. Alma

Ms. Selma

Mr. Doug

Ms. A7a5

Mr. Smith

Ms. Cla;e

Ms. Ha7ah

Be&a

Chapt& 1 –

The Orphanage

In a lovely suburban area, a big, beautiful building was home to ‘THE SUNNY RISERS ORPHANAGE’ which was one of the most protected orphanages in the world. But such a high level of protection is not necessarily good.

The security was so tight that if you had to go to any place like even the bathroom, you had to get permission from the orphan keeper. So, there was no free will for any orphan.

And the fact that all the adults over there treated the orphans like dog droppings was like the rotten cherry on top of this poisonous cake of an orphanage.

This orphanage was like Alcatraz, but the punishments were “somewhat” less brutal more mental as they were children, but it was just as hard to escape because this orphanage was huge, in fact, the biggest in the country.

They were taught inside the orphanage itself, and were organized by grades, such as 1-1, 1-2, 2-1, 2-2, and so on.

Speaking of this, in class 7-1, the orphanage appointed a pretty looking middle-aged woman named Ms. Anna. Although, Ms. Anna was not new here, all the students thought she was because they were regularly forced to lose their memories by the orphanage. You may be wondering why they went through this procedure. Many children had tried to escape the orphanage, which prompted management to make ‘The Memory Chamber’. They thought erasing their memories was a good idea; it was not of course; all that protection (security guards, cameras, etc.) for the orphanage was expensive, so they couldn’t aXord to make a proper memory remover. But what I “DO” know is that all the people – sorry, the “DEMONS” did was medicate the children. Few adults grouped in a small room above the children’s sleeping area wore gas masks and sprayed a ‘secret’ sleeping gas in the floor vents (This was actually a chloroform-based gas)

Ms. A7a

Speaking of memory loss, the adults forgot that chloroform based gas does not erase your memory, all it does is put you to sleep. The students had foggy memories for a minute or so (because they were sleepy), and then they regained every memory they had, even the ones they had previously forgotten. So much for memory loss! All I can say is that memory loss aside, the life of the orphans here was ROUGH. All orphans ages 0-15 had to undergo this treatment. They would have probably been better-oX living alone as orphans.

After they pass the 10th grade, they will be able to finally escape “THE SUNNY RISERS ORPHANAGE” and get a real job in the real world. But by then they’re too traumatised to really do anything except sit in a corner covered by a fluXy blanket with a cup of tea and severe PTSD, bawling their eyes out and shivering with fear as if they saw the most frightening monster in the world chasing them in their nightmares. Obviously, something is very wrong with these orphans (other than the fact that they know how to do calculus in 3rd grade) but there is something that I must tell you, no matter what secrets I tell you about this orphanage, is that you (yes, YOU) must zip up your mouth and not breathe a WORD about any of this to anyone. Back to the story, so you know how I said that this was one of the most protected orphanages in the world? Here’s a handy tip that I forgot to tell you guys, it’s that NO ONE HAD EVER ESCAPED THIS ORPHANAGE. Until now...

Chapt& 2 –

Cla2 7-1

Class 7-1. The so-called ‘disorderly class but, the smartest class. Good but bad! Smart but naughty! Clever but curious! This class was built diXerent. This paradox of a class was handled by Ms. Anna. Every day she’d come in the class with a big smile on her young face and every second you saw her she had a smile when she looked at you , one of the only kind faces in this orphanage. But sadly, a fake smile is only a shield, that covers your real feelings. And that was the case with Ms. Anna, told and taught that a smile is necessary at all times. Legend has it, that if you ever see Ms. Anna without a smile on her face, you are doomed to go in the ‘Containment Centre’. Famously called ‘The Hole’ by the orphans, it is a box in the staX room, where the child is supposed to sit. They put a speaker on with eerie noises and fill the room with fake monsters and shut the door. They also place the fake monsters

such that as soon as the child tries to get out of the box, a monster is staring them square in the face.

This really worked well against the younger ones, but for troublemaking 12-year-olds, I mean, the older kids didn’t come out crying with wet pants, oh, no, no. You see, these smart 12-year-olds snuck in a torch, water, a sandwich or a banana, a watch, and crafting scissors from the art room.

This was their plan :

They were thrown inside the box at around 10 o’clock at night around bedtime for most other normal students. They would eat their snack at around 11, the sleeping hours of the staX and teachers. They would then get out of the box, turn on the torch, and use the crafting scissors to cut out the preinstalled paper monsters (they were made of cardboard and paper, so this was not too diXicult) and proceed to the washroom. By then it would be midnight, dark, scary, and perfect. They would quietly tiptoe back to their dorm, and sleep, happy and content by the adventure.

But other kids rarely were able to achieve the same result.11

Chapt& 3 –

An A7upt Argument

“We have to carefully sneak through the vents, quiet as a mouse, and Ava (this is where you come in) will throw her smoke bombs, got it?”

“Ellie, should I use the regulars, or the extra -smoky ones?”

“Well Ava, we will attack at such a time when there wouldn’t be a lot of people, but carry the extra-smoky ones, just in case.”

Olliver speaks abruptly – “What if we get caught?”

“Caught?” said James. “We’ll have to sit in the Hole, then! Work out through our “necessary punishment’.”

Olliver’s lip quivered. “The H-h-hole?” He was shivering. “B-b but the Hole is t-t-terrifying!”

Ava, understandably frustrated, spoke –

“Olliver, what has gotten into you?! You are the Head of Resources; this is your job!”

Ava E&ie James O&iv-

“Quite frankly, Ava is right. You are the best at swiping things! It is your skill! Square up!”

“Calm down, Ava and Ellie. Olliver is new here. He does not know the way we work. It is ok.”

“Yeah, guys. Please. Sometimes I-I just get scared for no reason. I’m – I’m just weird.”

“Well, so are we.” Ava said calmly.

“We are sorry, Olliver.” said Ellie, in a faint voice of apology. James chimed in - “I’ll say sorry too.”

Olliver sniXled. “Thanks. We should-um, uh....”

“Get back to the plan?” said Ellie.

“Yeah...” said Olliver.

“So, once Ava throws the smoke bombs, James and Olliver will jump out of the vents, using Ava’s noise-less boots, and raid the snacks supply. Take everything! By then we would throw down the rope for both of you to climb up on. We will do this at midnight.”

“But Ellie,” said Ava, “how would we meet, that is, how will we make sure that both boys and girls can pull oX this heist together?”

“With this!” exclaimed Ellie.

She pulled out a passkey-card.

“Where did you get that?!” exclaimed James.

“Me.” said Olliver.

Chapt& 4 –

Chil<en Are Sm>t

Everyone looked at Olliver with a great deal of astonishment. Him!? They couldn’t believe it. Oliver the scaredy cat had actually done something extremely substantial. After a handful of praise from each, they started to focus on the task at hand.

Children are smarter than we give them credit for. These kids had devised an interesting code, that each member had soon mastered. The words used to be spelt backwards, without the vowels.

For instance, if you wanted to write the word ‘intelligent’ in this code, you would have to write ‘tnglltn’ as your word. As for numbers, they would always be 3 lesser, so if they scheduled a meeting at 7:00 pm, the letter (written by Ava) would look something like this:

Rd Tsrf Lw Rbmm, Gntm t 7 mp

Sdrgr

Dear Forest Owl Member, Meeting at 7 pm

Regards

Each animal symbolized one of the team members:

Ava Ellie James Olliver The symbol was like a signature,

an animal inscription unique to only these kids. The Forest Owls demanded utmost secrecy, but on each message sent, the other side would have the symbol:

(That stands for Forest Owls)

TSRF sLW

If they did not get a chance to discuss, this would be the way they conversed. You may be wondering how they posted the letter. Simple. In one of the busiest hallways of the orphanage, there was a table where students could keep their letters. But the issue they faced (wanting to say derogatory things about

their teachers) was that each letter was checked to make sure nothing oXensive or otherwise was being communicated. And this is where the code comes in. The woman-in-charge of checking would just think that the person writing the letter was going raving mad and forgot it all.

And this is the trick: the teachers and staX all thought that the students were simply crazy. But the students weren’t, far from it actually. The Forest Owls were unknown to them, but one thing was known, and it was known only by the students.

A society formed!

Revolting Rebels.

R.R.

They are coming!

Chapt& 5 –

Gadgets And GCmos

Ava made the gadgets and traps herself. She couldn’t do this without the help of Olliver, who was sneaky enough to steal all the materials required. For example, extra-smoky smoke bombs.

Materials: 1 red matchbox edge, 1 large matchbox (with all matches), scissors, 1 keyring and tape.

Process: Remove all the matches and make a small slit in the large matchbox (bottom part). Make an open flap behind as well. Tape the red matchbox edge to the keyring well. Insert the edge into the slit. Take some matches (8 is good) and put half on the front of the red edge and half behind. Tape the bottom. Remember to do this carefully. Put the rest of the matches in and close the box. Tape the box shut. Your extra-smoky smoke bomb is ready! (to make regular smoke bombs, use a smaller matchbox.

She also make boots padded on the sole with multiple layers of the orphan keeper’s towels. This makes the sole really plush and using a hair dryer every now and then helps the noiselessness. But using them in water is a bad idea...

Chapt& 6 –

A2embly

The woman-in-charge gave a particular letter to Ms Alma The letter got Ms Alma all riled up!

“Assembly for Grade 7. Immediately.”

“Yes, Miss.”

The woman-in-charge left running as fast as her short legs could take her.

Ms. Alma sat at her table, pondering about what would happen. She realised that they would be secretive about who started it.

The woman-in-charge came back running.

“Miss, the assembly starts in 10 minutes at the Hall.” “We mustn’t be tardy, let’s go.”

“Of course, miss.”

They entered the hall to see a group of curious 7th graders, along with Ms. Anna, Ms. Selma (Ms. Alma’s sister and the head caretaker), Mr Doug (vice head caretaker) and Mr Smith (class 7-2 teacher).

“As you all know, indiscipline is absolutely not tolerated. But would you perhaps think and consider that sending a threat letter (holding up and shaking the letter violently) is a violation of this rule?” said Ms. Alma.

The children all replied with – “Yes!” and “Of course!” But only four children said “NO!”

Ms. Alma

Ms. Alma’s face grew red hot. No? Really? Surely the kids knew better than this. But then she saw who came up front on the platform.

Them - Ava, Ellie, James and Olliver. Little rascals. “Well then! Tell us why.”

“May I go first?” said Ava, in a kind and a sort of mocking voice. “Yes, you may.”

“This letter is only conveying an action that is to happen. How can it be a threat?”

Mr Smith had a serious look on his face. Ms. Selma was simply chuckling. She loved seeing her sister be flustered.

Ms. Alma abruptly spoke - “I will have to cut this short, Ava, but let me just read it out loud.

Dear Ms. Alma,

Be wary of the Revolting Rebels of the Seventh. The R.R. of the 7th. They are coming. They will attack. Havoc shall be wreaked.

Yours truly,

Commented [AP1]: Baba chk

See how is it threatening you by saying ‘havoc shall be wreaked?”

Ellie calmly (while stifling a chuckle) said – “That statement does not have any intentions of threat.”

“And let me tell you why,” said Olliver. “as the writer is only informing us about what would happen if the R.R. of the 7th ever broke loose!”

“And as we had justified before, the letter is only INFORMING, NOT THREATENING!” said James.

Mr Doug stood up and stated that the children do have a point. “Containment Centre.”Ms. Alma whispered.

She couldn’t handle the fact that the kids were right, and thus, punished them.

But this was just a part of the plan.

The Escape Plan Of The Forest Owls.

Or for short, “The Cage Escape”

Chapt& 7 –

Prep>ations

“You are absolutely crazy & I want to join.” said Bella, Ellie’s classmate, after looking at a pamphlet that Ellie gave her. It said:

Do you want to get out from this orphanage? Be free?

Not having any studies, nor instructions from middle aged men and women who want better in life?

All you have to do is this:

Meet Ava and Ellie near the water fountain next to Geography class, or James and Olliver near the lungs painting next to Biology class.

You can meet either of the pairs ONLY in Food Breaks and just before 10:00 pm. If you accept our deal, then you shall be a soldier taking part in this glorious war.

IF WORD SPREADS THAT AN ARMY IS BEING MADE, YOU WILL SUFFER A HORRIBLE FATE

Pick your side

We’re waiting for you

Kind regards

This was the letter given to EVERY single 7th grader by the Forest Owls.

By 10:00 pm (bedtime), 47 kids (including them 4) were ready to join!

But 3 kids were left.

The 3 most stubborn kids.

Yusef, Janice and Adam

Chapt& 8 –

Chil%en Are Also Stu01n

So, remember when I said that children are smart? Well, they are also stubborn. Really.

For example, Yusef!

Yusef literally shaved all of the hair on his head as a dare instead of just giving Olliver a pencil that he himself didn’t like!

And Janice!

She crept outdoors and screamed something rude (which is unheard of here) at 2:00 am instead of just talking to Nadia about her fight with Aidan.

The reason? It gave Janice nightmares. As if the slur she said wouldn’t give the whole area nightmares either.

Adam?

Honestly, he’s a tattletale

That one kid in front of whom you should always be quiet

All of these mishaps reside in class 7-2

And that’s even worse...

You’ll find out why!

Chapt& 9 –

Tragic HaMed

There is a reason this chapter is called tragic hatred. This long winded and amazing (ly boring) story is a tale as old as time, like Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet and- ok, this is getting too long, and I am sounding like a librarian. Funny I say that, though, anyway, let’s start the story. This is the reason 7-1 and 7-2 not getting along with each other

A pair of perfect twins, Nadia and Aidan, both were stars. All Ms. Anna could say is that once they leave, they would get far. But one day, Janice claimed that Aidan had mocked her. Turns out Aidan had just asked her if she needed help in one complicated problem in homework during recess. Result: A very red Janice holding a metal bottle next to a very unconscious Aidan. Of course, Nadia was angry. And obviously Mr. Smith took class 7-1’s side, but Janice was not happy

about that. And the slur that ensued was the reason that 7-1 and 7-2 have a very rocky relationship.

How was the story? Pretty generic, I must say.

But this event caused such a substantial rift between the classes that out of 50 kids, there are only 2 pairs of friends. But these friends were some of the most important people for this mission.

Chapt& 10 –

Convinced?

“Please, Janice, please!” said Walter. “It’s for your own good!”

“Sorry not sorry, but I ain’t going to join. You should know better, Walter!”

“But my 7-1 friend!

“Get lost. I thought being in 8-2 you knew better, big brother!”

Janice walked away from her big brother as if she was the Queen Of The World. And unsurprisingly, this Queen was also not that smart, though she thought she was OVER smart. She wasn’t that bright to find out that over smart had a diXerent meaning.

Yusef was also like Janice, albeit more gross. As Janice went towards Yusef, she always had to overreact for him to help her.

You see, Janice loved being the centre of attention. But only Yusef used to listen. Hm! Really makes you wonder. But anyways, she told Yusef about ‘how stupid it is to join the R.R. of the 7th’ and ‘how she is being pressured to join’ and also ‘how she absolutely hates her big brother’. While Janice keeps rambling on and on, Yusef wonders about whether to join or not. Janice realises that he is not paying attention and proceeds to strut her way towards her cafeteria table. The bell rings and after a mild slur she struts her way towards her next class, Geography.

Chapt& 11 –

2 Down, 1 To Go

As Janice struts her way to Geography, she notices Ava and Ellie walking back to their class. In a brief moment of desperation, she runs towards them and starts blabbering about all the nonsense she told Yusef. Ava and Ellie exchange a quick smirk before Ava says:

“Do you want your woes to be heard?”

“Yeah!”

“Then join the R.R. of the 7th !” said Ellie hurriedly. “Hmm... what does that stand for?”

Ava quickly and flawlessly said “ Ready Responses of the 7th .”

All three were five minutes late to class, but it was an achievement to see that only Yusef and Adam were left to sign up.

The next day was the 19th of December, when during the Lunch break, Yusef came to meet James and Olliver near Biology Class. Yusef said that he wanted to join the R.R. of the 7th.

The pair were delighted to see this sight. One signature later, 49 slots on their sheet were filled. But only one was left.

Adam.

Two down, one to go.

Chapt& 12 –

ReUuiting Adam

The Forest Owls figured that recruiting Adam in the R.R. would be quite diXicult to do, so imagine their surprise when Adam came trotting towards the Forest Owls at 9:57 pm on 19th of December, just as the group were about to head to their respective dorms.

“Hey, guys, can I...

“WHAT IN THE ABSOLUTE WORLD are you doing here, ADAM?!” said James, flabbergasted to see Adam pay at least more than a grain of heed to them.

“You see, I want to join your army. The look on your faces seems like you don’t want me to join. Well ok then, I’ll just leave~~”

“NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!” said the Forest Owls! They, by ALL means wanted Adam in the R.R. of the 7th .

“Ok, then! Just because you wanted me to so desperately join. Oh! Look at the time. It’s 9:59. Bye~”

The four sprint up to their dorms, each counting the time by the second. 5...4...3...2...1...

There was complete darkness in every single dorm. Only staX and teacher dorms, and the corridors’ lights were on. By 11, even those lights would be oX. Complete silence and utter darkness. No one would walk the halls.

And it was at that moment that all four realised - they never got the snitch’s signature.

The next morning on 20th the four rushed over to the cafeteria and got his signature. Now Adam was one and truly a part of the ‘R.R. of the 7th’. No amount of whining and crying to Mr. Smith and Ms. Anna would help him if he switched sides, because the Forest Owls had proof.

Janice had also put her (over) smartness to use and figured out that the R.R. of the 7th did not stand for ‘Ready Responses of the 7th’ but in fact the ‘Revolting Rebels of the 7th’. She was pretty mad for this name change and then, like the Karen she was, stormed over to the four people who had let her join, although calling it a diXerent name. This argument gets really long so I’ll portray it as a script, quick and easy . Here it is:

A: Hi Janice!

J: QUIET YOU LIAR!!! HOW DARE YOU TRY TO

SWINDLE AND SCAM ME WITH THIS STUPID R.R. OF YOURS!!!

E: Ok, Janice, not here! This is supposed to be secret, remember! Secret!

Jn: I DON’T CARE ABOUT YOUR SECRETS, OK? I AM A QUEEN! IS THIS HOW YOU TREAT A QUEEN? QUEENS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE TREATED LIKE THEY ARE THE ALMIGHTY GODDESS! THEY SHOULD BE WORSHIPPED! BUT NoOoOoOoOoO, YOU GUYS ARE JUST – MMPH! (James holds her mouth shut, and Ellie grabs hold of her hands.)

MMM! MHHM MH MHHHHHHHMMMMM MH HMH MHMH!!!!

Js: Ok now Janice, once we told you a secret it must stay secret. Got it? GOT IT?

Jn: nods

O: Let’s go. We need to talk. But not here, not now. Come on. And that was the long argument.

They took Janice to a hall filled with every single 7th grader in their orphanage, stuXing their faces. Janice was allowed to sit on a chair, provided she stay silent.

“Welcome to the first meeting of the R.R. of the 7th.”35

Chapt& 13 –

The Plan

“This plan will help us escape the orphanage. All 46 of you will quietly tiptoe near the main exit door at 11:59 am on Christmas Eve. Meanwhile me, Ellie, James and Olliver will steal some supplies from the storeroom. From there on you will be free. Considering your current level of smartness, you could get adopted, or just live alone. You could live with your distant relatives too.” Said Ava.

“Thank you, Ava, for this brief information about the plan. And now, let’s see the plan in MUCH more detail.” Says Ellie, while holding a rather large chart in her hand. She quickly attaches it to a stand and starts explaining.

Main The Plan

Exit

D*r

Wh.e a0 46 of

you wi0 be

Cupbo;d

James

Ava

O0iv.

“As you can see, this plan is divided into two parts. All 46 of you will quietly stand next to the main exit door, shrouded in darkness. Four of us will steal some supplies and snacks from the storeroom. We will spend the early morning in the forest nearby and then leave at the crack of dawn. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?”

“Yes, Ellie.” Said everyone.

“Good, because I forgot one detail. Not a single teacher, staX member or a student of a diXerent grade should wake up and see the escape. Or else, we are doomed.”

“Doomed, you say? Ha! I’ll make sure the only one who’s doomed is YOU.” Quietly thought Adam. A cunning smirk arose on his face. He knew exactly what to do.

Chapt& 14 –

Sabotage

Adam told Janice and Yusef about what he planned to do.

“They wouldn’t even know what hit them! It would be so glorious, and the best bit is, we’ll still get to escape! While they will have to stay in the box forever!” said Adam.

“Are you sure? Because I think if they are caught, we might get caught as well...”

“You just had to think negative? Seriously Yusef?” “That’s enough.”

“Let’s tell the teachers what they are doing!”

“Be the snitch!”

They tell Mr. Smith and Ms. Anna everything. Safe to say, the teachers were a wee bit angry.

“WHAT! THEY ARE STEALING! THEY WOULDN’T, THEY COULDN’T! AVA? ELLIE? MY, THEY WERE SUCH LOVELY GIRLS, BUT NO! THEY JUST HAVE TO STEAL FROM THE STOREROOM.” Said Ms. Anna.

“HOW DARE THESE 4 KIDS EVEN THINK ABOUT STEALING!!! I’M GOING TO TELL THE ORPPHAN KEEPER RIGHT AWAY!” said Mr. Smith.

Forget when I said they were a wee bit mad.

Now every single staX member knows.

But they won’t do anything.

As catching a thief red-handed is far more eXective.40

Chapt& 15 –

The Real Plan

On the 21st everyone but the three snitches were invited. As if the trio really wanted to go. But even if they wanted to, the R.R. switched meeting halls. Why, you ask?

Because this was planned.

Adam being a snitch was planned.

The teachers knowing was planned.

That night, when the Forest Owls would steal the snacks from the storeroom, the teachers and the trouble-making trio would barge in. But Ava’s smoke bombs would make stealing an easy

task. They would also tie up the teachers and the trouble making trio (Adam, Janice and Yusef). After that, the Forest Owls and the R.R. of the 7th would escape and finally be free.

“And that is the gist of what the real plan is.” Said Ava.41

“This plan is only known by the 43 of you and the 4 of us.” said Ellie.

“This plan will only work if the trouble-making trio DON’T know this secret plan.”

Said James.

“But once it does, we will be able to escape. Together.” Said Olliver.

“Together” Said everybody.

Chapt& 16 –

Christmas Eve

It was happening. It was well and truly happening. They would escape tonight. If it failed, there would be eternal doom for three more years. Life would be miserable.

“This is our final meeting for the R.R. of the 7th.” I hope all of you have packed all of your things. If not, GO and GET TO WORK.” Said Ava. “I believe this escape won’t go wrong if everyone just sticks to the plan.” Said Ellie.

“Congratulations. We made it this far. Every single year, more diXicult than the one before.” Said James.

“There is no point in turning back now. Let’s have our final lunch together.” Said Olliver.

It all came out, tears, sobs and cries of previous trauma. It all spilled out, all the bottled-up emotions first dripped, and then came running. All this time, they had been quiet. Like machines, like unfeeling robots. Not anymore. For this Christmas, they would get a gift. A gift that they had been waiting for the past 12 years.

Freedom.

The chance to not actually be required to do math problems at a cheetah’s pace. The chance to be normal, talk normal and live normal. The chance to actually be a real and proper kid.

It was all too much to bear.

The children, in a fascinating spectre, started sobbing. But not because they were sad. Because they were actually getting a chance to be free. And that’s all they ever asked for.

Chapt& 17 –

The Cage Escape

It was time. All the kids lay restless on their beds, waiting patiently for Christmas to arrive. At 11:55, they could wait no longer. The children got out of their beds, and quietly tiptoed towards the main exit door. Bella was clutching a bag and a small set of lock-picks given to her by Ava. She knew that if the clock strikes 12:00 am but there was still no one else coming, she had to use the lock-pick set and escape with the rest of the R.R. of the 7th.

James and Olliver swiftly jumped out of the vent and into the storeroom. The kids stole everything, now that they also had escape plans in mind. James and Olliver used the passkey card to meet up together. But that is not important. What is important is what happened after they held the snacks in their

hand. Ms. Alma and Ms. Selma barged into the room. James quickly tossed all the snacks up to Ellie, who was quickly catching each one. Meanwhile Ava threw her extra-smoky smoke bomb. As Ava threw her smoke bomb, Olliver quickly used his rope and tied up Ms. Alma and Ms. Selma. He also tied a cloth around their mouth so they couldn’t scream either.

After James threw all the snacks up towards Ellie, James and Olliver climbed up the rope and came back in the vent. The four crawled their way towards the smaller exit. Once they were there, Ava used her lock-picks to unlock the door and see the real world for the first time in 12 years. The moon looked stunningly beautiful, half-enveloped in soft, plush, pearly white clouds. The moon welcomed them, shining softly at first, and then beautifully. But the happiness was short-lived, as two guards crept up behind them. Ava noticed them and swiftly threw three extra-smoky smoke bombs towards the guards. The smoke dissipated after five minutes, but by then, the Forest Owls had disappeared into the dark forest at night

On the other side, it was 12:17 am. Bella had kept trying to pick the lock when she finally heard it – CLICK! She removed the lock from the door. She walked out and saw 23 guards staring at them. It was time to fight. The 46 kids started fighting the guards fiercely. Two kids fought one guard. 22 guards had fallen, but only one stood. The biggest guard of them all. He was known for being the most dangerous guard there ever

was. If you looked at him, he didn’t seem that strong. He looked weak, even. But the moment anyone would start a fight with him, they would inevitably lose because of his eyes. His eyes had such a weird power that anyone would lose as soon as they even took a glance towards him. Kate, realising this after Janice fell down because of his gaze, took Janice’s t-shirt from her bag. She then told Bella and the both of them snuck behind him. Bella picked up Kate onto her shoulders. Kate bravely balanced on Bella’s shoulders and quickly tied Janice’s t-shirt around his head, covering his eyes. He tried to untie the knot, but Kate had done a triple-knot. Bella screamed – ATTACK! And so, they did. And let’s just say, the grey cement floor had turned red. Janice got her bloody t-shirt back, of course! But this was not the time for woes and sorrows, so they all walked towards separate houses in the village. The people were kind enough to let them stay, as long as they took a nice bath. By 1:30 am, all 46 children were asleep on sofas, floors, beds or cuddled up against dogs and cats. All went well!

In the forest, the Forest Owls had long before found a tall tree that outgrew the rest of the others. The Forest Owls had to do with sleeping on grass for that night. But they fell asleep, looking at the stars and the constellations they formed.

Chapt& 18 –

The Actual Plan

“I feel bad for the R.R., you know? Well, not a lot, but still.” Said Ava.

“It is depressing that they too, will be cheated by the Forest Owls.” Said Ellie.

“Think about the bright side. We will be free.” Said James.

“And speaking of free, the kids will get a free life lesson on ‘how to escape on your own’!” said Olliver.

There was a secret plan that the 43 R.R. of the 7th didn’t know. The Forest Owls would first steal supplies from the storeroom. Then they WOULDN’T go help the R.R. escape. They would actually escape from the smaller gate that leads to a lush forest. The main gate actually led to a prison-like structure, which would be mighty diXicult to escape from. But the R.R. had been fed lies. They actually thought the main gate led to

the forest, and they were unaware of the smaller, more secret exit. And anyways, just following one’s orders did not make one a master.

Chapt& 19 –

Adopted?

As the kids woke up at 8:00 am the next day, they saw many presents under the tree. A few families actually found out these were escaped orphans. But instead of sending them back, a few actually adopted them. Like Bella, Kate, David,

Poppy, Bob and Joe. They also got Christmas presents. Bella even got a new phone!

As for the ones who didn’t, they would wander around, until they too, would eventually find a home. That same morning, Bella’s dad was reading the newspaper. Bella was sitting with her new sister Nancy, trying to figure out how to use the phone. Nancy first told her to keep a secret password. Bella kept the password as 2412. 24th of December. Meanwhile, Dad calls Bella - “Bella!”

“Yes, dad?”

“Were you the only one who escaped, or were there more?” “...”

“Bella?”

“There were 50 of us, but 4 of us didn’t make it.” “Are you sure?”

“I don’t know, those 4 were the smartest of the bunch.”

“Because here it says that 46 kids escaped from the main gate and 4 from the smaller one.”

“A smaller one? THERE WAS ANOTHER GATE! They’re alive...” “Good to hear.”

“I knew they couldn’t have given up hope. Those rascals. They left without us. It was just the thing I expected them to do.”

“They seem fun.”

“They are.”

Meanwhile, The Forest Owls have left for the city. There they go to a library. Inside, they see Ms. Claire. “Hel-lo, kids! My name is Ms. Claire. What book are you going to read today?”

“Um, we’re not here to read books.” Said Ava.

“But this is a library. People come here to read books.” “I know, but we’re here to see if we can get adopted.” Said Ellie. “Adopted? Dearie, I’m so sorry! I should have realised earlier.” “Can you, um, adopt us?” said James.

“Adopt you? The four of you?”

“Please?” said Olliver.

“Well, I’ll see. You can come home today, and I’ll decide tomorrow. You can stay in the library till then!”

“No, thanks. We’ll roam the city and be back till, what’s your closing time?”

“7 pm.”

“We’ll be back by 6:45.”

“Sure.”

The kids roamed around until they reached a T.V. store. The store had played the channel “Reliable News Now” or the “RNN”. And it was at that moment they realised – today’s news was about them and the R.R. of the 7th!

Chapt& 20 –

Ev&yone Knows

“Hello, my name is Hannah and welcome to Reliable News Now, where you’ll get reliable news – now! Today’s big news is about The Sunny Risers Orphanage, where reportedly 50 kids have escaped from the orphanage’s premises. All 50, strangely only being from the seventh grade. 46 kids escaped from the main gate at the front of the orphanage. Witnesses state the grey path had been made ‘red’. Chilling stuX! The remaining 4 children escaped via the smaller exit gate at the back of the orphanage. No lives were lost, but police found three small shells of what seem to be smoke bombs and a number of guards in an unconscious state. Police also found Ms. Alma and Ms. Selma tied up in the storeroom, fast asleep. Police have also found a letter on escapee Ava Miller’s bed. This letter was a bit diXicult to understand.

Um, just wait a sec- oh? Ok. What! Sorry for the interruption, folks, but we are going to have to take a break for this session for a discussion with Ms. Alma from the orphanage.

H: Hello Ms. Alma. Are you injured in any way because of the escape?

A: No, but I have been injured mentally. These kids really think they are smart.

H: Actually, Ava Miller has sent a letter to you. I have it with me, so I’ll just read it out loud.

A: No need! I’ll just...

H: Hello Ms. Alma. I know you are mad at me and the others but consider this as a gift. Four bugs out of your hair. You see, we’re not just some dumb kids who keep protesting. We protested, you declined it. Now what would be a better way to tell someone you don’t like them. You really thought that the Containment Centre could stop us? Really? Ha! Not in your wildest dreams. No point in apologising. We stopped that a long time ago. So, have fun! - Revolting Rebel, Ava Miller.

Ms. Alma, can I ask you a few questions about this letter? If you don’t mind, of course.

A: I MIND. I ABSOLUTELY DO MIND. HOW DARE YOU READ A LETTER THAT WAS PERSONALLY SENT TO ME TO THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE!!! AND THAT TOO, WITHOUT MY PERMISSION!

H: Ms. Alma, you don’t need to shout. Also, you are required to not mind if you don’t want to get detained. So, what will it be? Reveal? Or locked up?

A: ...Reveal.

H: Lovely. 1) Who are the four bugs?

A: Ava Miller, Ellie Nelle, James Brown and Olliver Johnson. H: Thank you. 2) What was the protest?

A: It was a silly protest, really. I don’t think

H: WHAT WAS THE PROTEST?

A: I had received an anonymous letter. It threatened me about the R.R. of the 7th. The R.R. of the 7th was a protest group. R.R. stood for Revolting Rebels.

H: Hm. And?

A: Well, I held an assembly and told every 7th grader that this was a threat letter. Four kids, the bugs, outwardly said no. I got angry and shipped them oX to the Containment Centre. This caused a lot of protest.

H: Interesting. And 3) What is the Containment Centre? A: Can we talk later about

H: Do not make me repeat the question.

A: Any misbehaviour of any child would not be tolerated. They would be sent in the Containment Centre. It was like the Chokey from Matilda. The kid would have to sit inside a box.

There would be carboard and paper monsters around the box. There would be a speaker that would play eerie music around the box. The kid would be traumatised inside the box.

H: I hope you are aware that this is not allowed.

A: I am aware.

H: You will be detained due to your actions.

A: I will not resist.

Ms. Alma was arrested, and her sister Ms. Selma was being questioned. But the kids thought that there is no point in staying any longer. The kids left the T.V. store because they knew nothing interesting would happen. They went back to the library, just in time at 6:45.

“Hm! Maybe I will help get you adopted, dearies.”56

Chapt& 21 –

Snitches Get Stitches

Unfortunately, the troublemaking trio also came to the library at closing time. As soon as they saw Ellie’s face, they knew their plan failed. Adam thought of revealing to Ms. Claire that these four are escapees. As soon as the Forest Owls saw them, Ava said - “Ms. Claire, let’s go now.”

“Why?”

“Ms. Claire, trust me, let’s go.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“OK, then.”

They leave, but not before the troublesome trio say- “Hey~~~ did you know they are escaped orphans?”

“HEYYY~ if we are escaped orphans, who are you, paupers, maybe?”

“You look the part.”

Janice was twitching while muttering something under her breath. She was clearly very mad.

James said-“Hey, I know you! You are those escapees! Ms. Claire, I think you should call the orphanage to send them back.”

Yusef said – “NO! I mean, no, because we are not orphans!” Adam said - “Yes! We are not orphans!”

“Then where are your parents?” said Ms. Claire. “Umm....”

They started to run away but the Forest Owls caught them and said – “CALL THE ORPHANAGE!”

Ms. Claire took them all in her small hatchback car. It was a tight fit, but as they reached the orphanage, the Forest Owls said to Ms. Claire - “Ms. Claire, we’ll stay here in the car.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes!”

“OK, then. But wait here.”

As soon as Ms. Claire was out of sight with the troublesome trio, the Forest Owls escaped from the car. They left a note. It said:

Dear Ms. Claire,

I know you may be wondering how we escaped, but some things are just better left unsaid. I think you are a very wonderful person, but this will take some thought. If

you do end up adopting us, it would be so amazing.

Anyways, you might spot us in the library at 6:45pm, but no promises!

Love,

The Forest Owls

Commented [JP2]: You are a wonderful person

Chapt& 22 –

Truce

The Forest Owls thought that sending them to the orphanage, even for them, was too cruel. Although it would be fun to see them suXer, watching their dumbstruck faces would be even

more fun. So that is why that night, the Forest Owls returned to the most least likely place they were returning to. They noticed that the secret back gate had far more security than before, but they were not one to be afraid. Ellie pulled out a jar of pepper

spray. Then Olliver, Ava and James also removed their own. The gang first threw some smoke bombs on the ground. Then just as the guards were able to make out something small moving around – SPRAY! Pepper spray wins. The guards stumbled around blindly, but then the kids blindfolded them. These blindfolds were special. They had many pins sticking out near the knot, so that the guards took a lot more time to get rid of it. Olliver swiped the keys from a guard and entered the orphanage. The gang split up. Ava and Ellie went to get Janice, James and Olliver went to get Yusef and Adam. Their facial expressions were priceless. “We’ll only let you escape if you don’t try to sabotage us anymore. Or else.” “Ok! We won’t!” But 60

Commented [JP3]: Not facial expressions, just expressions

when the seven all came near the gate, the guards had gotten rid of their blindfolds. Ava - “I really don’t want to do this.” James - “But we have to.” Janice - “This is going to give me nightmares.” Olliver – “Tell them to give you daymares instead. Now hush!”

Let’s just say the concrete was red again, with some particular kitchenware scattered around.

They slept in the forest that night, although it was more diXicult this time around due to a very unhappy Janice.

“Why did you send us back?" said Janice.

“To teach you a lesson.” said Ava.

“Ohhhh. Which lesson?” said Janice.

facepalm

By Zoe Palyekar

The Heist

Recent Posts

1 Comment

SIGN UP AND STAY UPDATED!