Prologue

A mix of colours, swirling and dis-configured. Not many can see the meaning they’re trying to spell out, but at the end of the day, these seven can if they put their minds to it freely. They won’t understand it, but they’ll know what it means. Just as they know what their home is, they know what they are but they don’t exactly understand it.

They wake up. They eat toast. Some like jam. Some don’t. They don’t really like TV but they love reading, some hate thunder and lightening and some love a good storm. They’re just like any other child or teenager their age, and yet they’re not. It’s difficult to explain, so should I? So much is unexplained in the universe. Most would say they’d prefer not to know.

Why do occurrences like this happen? It started out, pure and natural and yet some were taken and…operated upon to guide as to how they should develop.

Strange occurrences happen all the time, humans barely care anymore and they don’t until they step too close.

They are not from this world, and yet they’ve never taken a step from the earth we call home. They are all from Earth…but… also not. Their home is here, but only for the time being. We’ll be rid of them soon but I doubt anyone will even realise that they’re gone, just like how few realise they’re even here anyway and even those few, although they know these people are strange, have no real idea of what they’re dealing with. They’re not a danger though, or at least they try not to be. They’re not here to hurt anyone at all. They’re here to hide.

To the naked eye they look normal enough. Seven young people, ranging from five to twenty in age. Three females and four males, all swearing they’re a family although none of them are related by blood. A few of them have shared each others blood in the past, but only in a medical way, the sort of saving a life.

They live together in a large house although none appear to work, or go to school. Their house has four bedrooms, despite the fact there’s seven people in the house and none are together sexually. The three youngest share a room which is sectioned off by bookshelves and curtains to give them all their own personal space. The next two, young adults at 19 years old, have their own rooms which leaves the two oldest to share one together, which they do maturely, despite the comments that are made. Nothing has ever happened between them.

Their house is split into two levels and has a surprisingly well cared for garden, considering the oldest is never seen outside, and besides him there seems to be no adults around. One of the females can usually be found amongst the trees and ferns, which she takes her name. She could look after the large thriving garden independently, even though a male of the same age is usually by her side.

Although they don’t seem to go to school they seem smart enough and are technically home schooled in a way. Each room, even the kitchen is wired to the internet and all of them, even the youngest child can access it with surprising ease.

They’re all very well spoken when they want to be, and they spend most of their free time reading or studying whatever takes their fancy that day. If they had been given the opportunities all human children get, if they had been given the chance to have proper schooling there is no telling to what extent their genius would be. Unfortunately though, they’re seldom seen leaving the gates of their home. The oldest female does to get food and she seems normal enough. A little shy and with a slight stutter, she avoids peoples eyes if she does have to talk to them and something just seems a little…off…about her. Other than that though, she seems nice enough and can often be seen with what could be her son, even though she’s young, down in the garden as he plays with the rocks and sticks, spelling out words or inventing his own little games to amuse himself while she sits close by and watches or reads a book, or sometimes joins in.

They’re all well dressed and they all look healthy. They’re all slim and have good complexions, even though the only exercise they seem to get is from the pool they have in their backyard which the oldest female seems to use the most, the salt water turning her dirty blonde hair that slime green colour, but it doesn’t do that to anyone else in the family, simply because most of them have darker hair. The girl used to dye her hair darker when she first moved in, but she must have stopped because eventually her hair was dirty blonde once more, just like the first day their small group had appeared on their street. At the strange time of seven in the evening, no bags to speak of. They had filed through the gate, into the house, and then there had been silence.

There just seems to be something that everyone should be worrying about, and yet no one can find a reason to do so. They look healthy and sane and happy, they can’t be a threat in any way, they’re only kids for crying out loud! It’s true they seem to all stay locked up inside the house, but maybe they’re home schooled and their parents live somewhere else, mailing them the money and looking after things from afar. Parents who work for the United Nations always seem to do that to their kids a lot, so that could be the answer, right? Somehow, everyone knows that’s not the answer, nor is any alike to it the answer either. Something simply seems off, and no one can place their finger on it.