Somewhere on another side of the world,
8-year old Anya went down the stairs that made her feel smaller--like she’s inside a giant's house, which she loved. She woke up at 2 am feeling thirsty so she went to the kitchen and drank 3 full glasses of water. She was about to go up before her mom might catch her and thought she’s staying up late. Though, she heard two familiar voices outside. She decided to check out.
When she approached the glass doors, she saw two of her sisters talking. Beside them are pieces of luggage and bags. 
“We will jump over that fence” The 17-year-old whispered to the 16-year-old. “We will make a few sounds as possible.”
Suddenly, they stopped talking and looked behind them, where the sound of the door slamming came from. “Anya?” 
“Ate, where are you guys going?”
The younger one kneeled and hushed Anya. “Anya it’s nothing,” she chuckled. “It’s a prank! We are just playing with ya babes~! You know what Anya, you should go inside or else we-”
“Anya we’re running away.”
The younger one looks at her squinting and her teeth grit, mouthing what are you doing?! At the older.
Anya drops her head sideways. “What do you mean?”
“Anya, don’t listen to Dianne-”
“Anya,” Dianne, the oldest, kneeled beside the other.
“Do you wanna get caught?!”
“Teki, she needs to know the truth.” Dianne tucked Anya’s brown hair behind her ears. “She is not like the others. She’s good.”
Anya smiled at Dianne as she caressed the youngest’s hair. “Anya, listen to me: We will go far from here. We’re leaving this place, and we might not come back.”
“But why?”
Anya felt Dianne’s grip tighten on her shoulders. The oldest is looking at the ground, watching her tears fall on the small stones.
The child does not understand why her sister’s shoulders are shaking but Teki does. She kneels beside Dianne and moves her hands up and down the oldest’s back. She then looks up at Anya. “We’re running away because I feel like we are in the wrong place.”
“What do you mean?” The child replied. “You are in your place. This big house was once yours!”--she put both her arms up and spread them whilst shaking her hands like she’s presenting the house--“You’re just sharing them with me and mom!”
“The thing is, our dad is gone and-and now it feels like we are not safe here anymore…”
“I can protect you!” Anya poses with her fists on her hips. “Whatever you are afraid of, I WILL NOT! I am strong because a big heart can scare the DAAARRKKK~!!!” She whisper-shouted the words, aware that people were asleep. 
Both her sisters laughed at how adorable Anya is. As the kid saw the tear stains from Dianne's cheeks, which the older wiped, her eyes widened then her eyebrows furrowed. “Ate, why are you crying?”
Dianne did not answer and instead smiled. Anya smiled back, as she always does. She does not understand what’s happening but she knows what smiling could mean, and she will be happy when her sisters are.
“Can you get off the ground? Those small rocks might hurt your knees.” Anya demonstrated this by kneeling for a few seconds and standing back up. “See? Ow!” She dusted off her knees. 
The two stood up while giggling at how cute her sister is. 
“Can you tell me what made you afraid?” Anya then asked. 
The older sisters look at each other, not sure how to explain it.
As always, Dianne found a way to explain it well to her innocent sister. “Let’s say that we are in a cave, and the cave has a lot of shiny things and everything beautiful! Instead of feeling happy, we felt trapped because the cave has too many rules to get what we want, or else rocks will fall over us. Teki and I just want to get far away from the cave and breathe for a while outside the cave. Do you get it?”
Anya nodded slowly. “So you want to get out of the cave so there are no rules?”
“Yes, Anya!” Teki said, smiling.
“But in this cave, you have a lot of things you want right? Why do you not want to follow the rules?”
“Because-” Teki sighed. “We hate the rules. And although we can get what we want, we can’t be who we want. The rules make us confused about who we really are and what we even want.”
“Who made the rules? Can’t we talk to the rule maker and change it? I’m confused…” Anya pouted and itched her head, strands of hair pushed back and forth together as her hands moved.
“Anya,” Dianne said. She smiled again. “I know you’re not like them.”
“Who?” This made Anya more confused.
“You are a kind kid. You’re so sweet and kind. We hate to leave you here.” Dianne’s voice cracks, but she holds herself back.
“Anya,” The kid looked at Teki. “Please don’t get lost in the cave, okay? You need to think of yourself.”
“O-okay.” The kid did not get it, but she decided to follow the orders of her beloved sisters. “Where are you going now?”
“To the forest,” Dianne said, then ordered Teki to double-check their bags.
“But you might get lost in it!”
“It’s alright Anya. We will get lost, but we could find ourselves in it too. When we’re free, we will be able to know about what we’re doing here.”
“O-okay.” Anya just nodded. 
“Everything’s set.” Teki came up behind her. 
“You’re going now?” Anya’s voice pitched a little higher, her eyes getting watery. 
“We have to.” Teki walks up to Anya and hugs her tight.``I know it’s hard to understand, but one day you’ll know. You’re smart Anya. I am sure one day you’ll know.”
“Sh-should I get your guitars and keyboards?”
“No need. They are all yours. It’s my gift for you.”
Anya sniffles on her sister’s shirt, and Teki lost control and cries as well
Dianne wiped her tears and walked up to her two sisters and formed a group hug. “I’ll miss you, huggy.”
“D-don’t forget me.” 
“We won’t. We promise.”
“Sister’s not by blood?” Teki said through her cries.
“But by heart!” They all cheered quietly.
Anya went back to her room upstairs, following what her sisters told her, then looked down the window as she watched her sisters walk up to the fence and hop over it.
Anya always loves it when her sisters are with her; she feels comfortable and safe. Thinking they will leave hurt. She hugged the big stuffed unicorn her sisters gave her as a warm welcome to the Moore family. They only hung out for 4 years and yet, Anya held on to them like they were there since she’s in the womb.
The day after that, Anya’s mother conducted a search party, but she couldn't care less about them after two days of searching--they were not her real daughters anyway. But Anya cared for her sisters and think about what they did for 13 years, although she has no idea what her sisters meant.
Now she did, as she ran with Sadie in the forest. Although it’s hard to look at her companion with the lack of light in the dark, she keeps looking beside her, then straight back. Now she’s out of the cave, and to the forest. What’s next? She wondered to herself. How will I be able to find myself under these foreign trees? Over this unfamiliar path? Under a different moon and stars?
But what’s important is that you’re free, right? I just have to know how to get out of the woods.
Don’t worry, Anya, You’ll find your way.
Sadie
Finally, I’m free
Free from Anya’s parents and... away from mine as well…
Anya and I are in what seems like a dark never-ending forest. We keep running blindly, leaves and small sticks crunch with every step, our heaves are colliding in the air and non-stop, yet our feet keep going. Just get far away from here, like what Anya said when we started running. I don’t know what is happening, and why we are running. I feel my hands tremble and my legs about to give up. What am I doing?
Suddenly, I feel the side of her arm on me, and her hands gripping mine. I look at her, and I saw her silhouette looking back. Although the night sky is not enough to illuminate the whole room, it gives me enough light to see Anya’s big bright smile. Her laugh is loud to fill the spaces of this forest, and that sound calms my nerves. The pain on my thighs disappears, the anxiety dies down, and my lips form into a smile. I look forward again as she does. We keep running, faster than before, our hands clasp like they’re tied. The sound of Anya’s whoos and aah’s feels like a booster as I start to shout as well. We run laughing. There are sounds in the forest that are peculiar to our ears, and we have no idea where this path will lead us, but we’re happy. We are having fun. We are unafraid. We are free.
We run and run until we make it to the clear. We feel uncontrollable but manage to stop right below a hill. We are gasping for air. That was the longest run I’ve ever made without stopping for hours. I look at Anya, who’s already looking at me--surprising--and she smiles. I smile as well. Being with her in just hours just made this moment so...Magical. Not because she is the pop sensation, but because...Being with her made me so happy all of the sudden. 
This happiness. Maybe this is what I need before I leave the world on its own.