But there were men blocking the gate. They had guns. The guards laughed at the children and pushed them to the ground. Micah's face was wet. His mouth made a terrible sound. The men hit him. He fell quiet.
They took Micah away. Ariana watched from the yard. She could not move. Her hands were frozen to the dirt. Her heart was like a drum.
After that night, the compound changed. The gate closed earlier. The guards did longer checks. They took away small things. They said, "No more moving at night." They put more locks. They moved people to different rooms so groups could not meet.
Hope shrank inside the group. People spoke less. Lila's small smile went away. Jonas looked older. Naomi cried alone for a long time. Ariana felt tired in a new way. She felt the cold of fear.
At dawn, Micah came back. He was not the same. His face had many new marks. He walked with slow steps. He did not talk. He only gave a small nod to the others. He could not sleep. He woke often and stared at the dark.
That day, Jonas sat close to Ariana and said very low, "We will not give up. Micah made a mistake. He was scared. But we learn. We change plans."
Ariana wanted to believe him. She looked at Micah. The boy tried to smile, but it broke. Ariana felt something hard inside her chest. She held on to that pain and turned it into a promise, she would not cry now. She would learn.
The next few days were harder. The guards watched everyone more. They shouted for small things. They beat those who did not answer quickly. Food became less. Nights were colder.
But the group did small things like before. They moved quietly under the thin roofs to whisper. They watched the guards' steps. They wrote small marks near the back wall to remember times. They practiced moving like shadows, slow and small.
Jonas found a new chance. He watched the gate where food came. The men who brought boxes were not the same as the night guards. They had fewer weapons and they opened the small back door more. Jonas said, "We use food gate. We hide in the boxes. When the men take the boxes inside and open, we run."
The idea made Ariana's stomach turn with fear and hope at the same time. It was dangerous. If they failed again, they would not get another try. If they won, they would be outside.
They kept silent. They practiced under the blankets. They moved their bodies like small animals. Every night they learned a little more.
Even with the fear, a small light came back. It was not big. It was small like the light of a match. But it was there. They hung on to it. They had to.
And so they planned again.
The plan for the food gate became their secret hope. Every time the truck came with boxes, Ariana's eyes followed. The men always pushed the boxes inside, dropped them close to the kitchen, and left quick.
Jonas told them, "We must wait for one night when the guards are tired. If we rush, they will catch us again. This time, we cannot fail."
The days crawled. Each morning, Ariana woke with a dry throat. The bread they gave was smaller now. Sometimes she saved half for later, but hunger pushed her to eat it all. Her bones were showing, her cheeks sinking.
She thought about her mother. About the house. About the life she lost. Her chest felt heavy each time. But then she remembered the slap from Selene, the iron gate, the night Micah was caught. She whispered in her heart, I must get out.
Micah hardly spoke again. He sat by himself, his eyes dark. When Ariana tried to talk, he only gave small nods. Still, he stayed close during the night whispers. He wanted freedom too, even if fear had broken part of him.
One evening, Naomi touched Ariana's hand. "Don't lose hope," she said softly. "If we leave here, I want to see the ocean. I've never seen it in my life."
Ariana squeezed her hand. "We will see it. All of us." But her voice was shaking.
The night of rain came. Heavy drops beat the zinc roof, covering noise. Guards sat under a small shed, their bottles in hand. Jonas's eyes lit up. He leaned close to the group.
"This is it," he whispered. "Rain will hide our steps. Tonight, we move."
Ariana's heart jumped. Her legs trembled, but she nodded. Lila pressed her lips together, strong and steady. Naomi closed her eyes, as if already praying.
Jonas counted the time by the guards' laughter. When the truck brought boxes late in the night, he motioned with his hand. "Now."
They moved like shadows, crawling on their bellies. Rain covered their sound. Ariana's chest was beating so loud she feared it would expose them.
One by one, they reached the boxes. Jonas lifted the lid of one, just enough. He climbed inside and waved for the others.
Lila pushed Naomi in. Then Ariana followed, her body folding tight in the dark wood. The smell of onions and damp cloth filled her nose. She bit her lip, holding breath.
Micah climbed into another box. Two more boys joined him. Jonas closed the lids. Darkness swallowed them.
The truck men came back. Boots thudded. Voices shouted. Boxes moved, lifted, thrown into the truck. Ariana's body shook with every bump. Her hand pressed her chest as if to stop her heart from exploding.
Then the truck started. The sound of the engine covered everything. For the first time in weeks, Ariana felt a small taste of hope.
But she also knew, if they opened the boxes before the gate, everything would end.
The truck jolted. Boxes moved as men shouted. Ariana felt every bump like thunder. Her breath came short and fast. She pressed her face into the wood and tried not to make sound.
They drove slow at first, then faster. Rain tapped the truck roof. It covered some noise, but not everything. Each time the truck slowed, Ariana's body froze like stone.
After many minutes, the truck stopped. Men opened the back and began to move boxes. The light from a lamp fell inside. Panic ripped through Ariana. She held her breath so hard her chest hurt.
A man's hand reached the lid. He lifted it a little. Light spilled into the box. Ariana swallowed a scream. She saw the shadow of his fingers. Her heart jumped to her throat.
"Who put this here?" the man muttered. His voice sounded bored but hard. He pushed the lid back down. The truck moved again. Ariana's knees knocked. She did not know if she could take another check.
They drove on. At one point the truck stopped near a small gate. Men lifted boxes down to carry in. One of the boxes Ariana could hear being set near the gate. Her hands were cold. She hoped they would not open it there.
The men moved slow. One guard walked near. He kicked at the box, he tapped it. Each sound made Ariana feel the world close in. She curled small, pressed her hands on her mouth, but the wood had holes. She could not hide her breathing.
The guard bent and peeped inside a different box. He pulled a cloth, sniffed. Ariana's lungs wanted to explode. She thought, this is the end.
But the man only grunted and walked away. He did not see them. He did not look long. The box was heavy. He thought it was full of food like the rest.
The men carried boxes inside and closed the gates. Ariana counted the steps as if they were beats of a drum. One, two, three, then the men left. A heavy chain clicked. The main door shut. The sound fell like iron on Ariana's ears.
Inside the compound, lights blinked. Men moved like ghosts. Ariana lay very still. Her hands were cramped from holding them tight. She could not move for some time. Her legs felt like jelly.
When quiet came, Jonas tapped the box lid very softly. He pushed it a little, then opened the box just enough to slip out. Lila came first, then Naomi, then Ariana. Micah was last. Their hearts beat like drums in the dark.
They moved like shadows across the compound. The rain had made everything wet and slippery. Their shoes left no sound. But then, A guard shifted and his lamp swung. Light cut across the yard. For a moment the light fell on Lila's face. She lay flat. Her breath stopped. Men's steps got closer. Ariana could hear them talk, but could not make out words. She felt hands on her arm. Jonas pushed her under a broken crate and covered her with his jacket. She could smell oil and dirt.
The steps moved past them. A guard kicked a bucket near the back door and cursed. The lamp swung away. Ariana trembled until her teeth knocked. She wanted to cry out with relief, but the air was heavy with fear.
They crawled fast. The back door was near. The weak padlock looked small in the dark. Jonas pulled it. It stuck. His hands were shaking. He pulled again. The chain did not break. He tried again. The lock made a low sound. Ariana's mouth went dry.
"Push," Jonas whispered. Micah shoved with all his strength. The lock broke with a little snap, like a soft bone. The door moved. Fresh night air hit their faces. They ran like the wind.
They ran into black trees, the rain hiding them. Branches slapped their skin. Naomi stumbled but Jonas grabbed her. Lila ran with long steps. Ariana kept going though her legs burned. Behind them, shouts broke the night, men with flashlights running, doors slamming.
One guard fired a shot. The sound cracked the air. Ariana's ears rang. She kept running. She did not look back. She kept her eyes on the small path Jonas knew. At last, the shouts faded. The rain swallowed the sounds.
They reached a small river where trees made shadow. They hid there, wet and cold. Their clothes clung to their skin. They were safe for a short time. Naomi cried soft. Micah sat with his head down. Lila pressed their hands together and whispered prayers.
Ariana put her face to the earth and wept without shame. Her tears were loud, hot, and real. She was free again, just for that night.