Maria woke up to the sound of hurried footsteps approaching her. When she opened her eyes, the guard was standing beside her bed, holding a written note in his hand. "It's time, Maria. Come, you must come with us."
Maria slowly rose, feeling a sense of unease fill her heart. She had no idea what awaited her on this new day, but she knew there was no choice but to comply.
She followed him silently to the main courtyard where the other children were gathering, all of them around the same age, as though they were mere numbers in a dark world. It was here that she noticed two people approaching her for the first time.
"I'm Alex, and this is William." Alex said with a friendly smile. He was a few years younger than Maria, but he seemed easy to talk to. William, on the other hand, appeared to be at least two years older than her, his face carrying an air of seriousness that made Maria feel he was not one for small talk.
"Where do we eat?" Maria asked softly.
"There." William pointed to a corner of the courtyard where small tables were set up, and other people were eating. He added, "We're allowed to play for two hours a day, but don't expect much fun here."
While Maria was scanning the place, her attention was drawn to a group of children surrounding a girl who appeared to be her age. They were talking to her in a strange way. There was also an older boy standing next to her. His hair was shiny and brown, neatly styled, while the girl seemed to have something mysterious about her.
William noticed her gaze and said, "That girl's name is Ella, and the boy next to her is Johan. They're older than us, but my advice is: don't get too close to Ella."
"Why?" Maria asked, her curiosity growing.
While Alex was sketching something on a piece of paper, he calmly said, "Because they're... obsessed."
Maria took a moment to think about his words, then looked toward the other side of the courtyard where a large building stood at the end. "What about that?" she asked, pointing to it.
William interrupted her, saying, "That's the isolation wing. It's where they send the children who don't follow the rules or can't control themselves."
"Like the clown and the savage dog." Alex laughed in a way that felt off, causing Maria to raise an eyebrow in confusion.
"Who are they?" Maria asked.
William looked at her seriously and replied, "There's a boy named Joe, who's called 'The Clown,' and another named Luke, who's called 'The Savage Dog.'"
"Why are they there?" Maria asked.
William answered, "They broke the rules. They got into a violent fight that caused part of the wing to be destroyed. No one here can stand up to them."
Maria was stunned. She couldn't believe that there were people capable of causing such destruction. How could two children bring so much chaos in a confined space?
As she pondered this, Alex's voice interrupted her thoughts: "You're here now, Maria. And you'll soon find that things aren't as they seem."
What did he mean? Maria wondered as she continued walking through the crowded courtyard, her questions growing.
After a short while, Ella approached Maria with a mysterious smile on her face. She walked with confidence, but Maria couldn't ignore the strange feeling that surrounded her. Beside her was Johan, standing so close that it felt unnatural. He was always near her, as though there was an invisible bond between them. He seemed far too serious for the situation, his eyes never leaving Maria.
"Hello, I'm Ella, and this is Johan." Ella said in a soft voice while looking at Maria with a strange gaze, as though studying her reaction.
She then said something that made Maria feel uncomfortable: "I hope you'll be a part of my simple family."
Maria fell silent for a moment. The words were strange to her, and she didn't fully understand what they meant. Was it an invitation? Or a warning? There was something in the way Ella spoke that made Maria feel like she was being drawn into something larger than just a normal relationship. But with everything going on around her, Maria didn't have the right words to respond.
Fortunately, the conversation was cut short. The two hours of play had ended, and everyone returned to their respective tasks.
Maria headed back to her room, her thoughts tangled in her mind. She kept wondering what was really going on in this place. She felt as though there were secrets hidden behind these walls, something bigger than what appeared on the surface, behind all these faces and conversations.
As she walked through the narrow hallways toward her room, she reflected on everything she had seen and heard, determined to uncover the truth behind this mysterious place.