The Traveler | The Promised Neverland

Mama's Lies

The next morning, Emma didn't wake us all up.

I got out of bed quietly.  While the kids still ran around it seemed empty without Emma.

When I walked into the dining hall I greeted Ray and Mama and helped out with breakfast like normal.

When Emma walked in, she flinched when she heard Mama talking to Mark, and looked in her direction fearfully.

"Good morning Emma!" I greeted, knocking her out of her stupor.  I walked up to her and smiled.  "Smile, Emma.  Everythings fine."  She smiled at me.

"Of course!"

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.

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"Listen Emma.  We have to behave like we normally do.  Yesterday we broke the rules and went to the gate. But we didn't see anything," Norman said.

"But Little Bunny..." Emma furrowed her brow.

"Yeah. Mama probably found it.  But she doesn't know who left it there." 

"We just have to make sure she doesn't find out," I said, leaning on a chair in the dining room.

"Mama was smiling.  She doesn't show it on her face at all." 

"And that's what we have to do.  If our faces show it Mama will notice.  We can't lose, so let's smile."  Norman responded, smiling.  Emma returned it.

"The delicious food.  The white clothes that easily stain.  The regulated life...  It's all to maintain our quality as produce.  All we can do is wait to be shipped out indiscriminately."  

"It's not indiscriminately." I and Norman said simultaneously.  I nodded at Norman, telling him to explain.

"Remember what the demon said?  'Another six-year-old. We've been shipping out average quality goods lately.'

"What does that mean?"  

"Judging by those words, age probably means equals the rank of meat. If I remember correctly, the siblings who were shipped out were between six and twelve years old.  If six-year-olds are ranked as average, then the highest quality is..."  Norman explained

"Twelve years old!  But what about our scores?  Meat won't taste better based on how well it did based on some test, right?" 

"Well, only the full scorers were ever announced, but maybe..."  

"The order of getting shipped out?" Norman nodded.

"After we turn six, we get harvested starting from the lower test scores.  And when we turn twelve we get shipped out no matter what."

"So we were never shipped out because we had full scores?"

"But I don't know why it depends on our scores," Norman admitted.

I guess it wouldn't hurt to help in this case.

"It's the size of our brains," I said.

"That means..." Norman and Emma said together.

"That the brain probably tastes the best, which is why they put time and resources into developing them.  This farm is the optimal environment to develop our brains, so there's probably a lot of money put into it.  Which is why that demon said our meat was intended only for the rich." I explained.

"Eating... the brain?" Emma whispered.

"Try to remember Emma," Norman started.  "Conny was shipped out.  Before her was Hao.  Before him was Ceddy.  Based on the cycle so far, the next shipment should be two months from now at the earliest.  We need to find a way to escape with everyone before then."  Norman stated with a determined look on his face.