𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐲; 𝐫𝐚𝐲 𝐱 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 1

𝐗𝐈𝐕 - 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞

𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐏𝐈𝐓𝐘; 𝐑𝐀𝐘

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-ˋˏ " It saddens me, but I will not admit it. never. " ˎˊ-

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.ೃ࿐.✰

"Emma," a frown appeared on my lips as I leaned against one of the infirmary walls, arms crossed. "stop crying."
          she sniffed, wiping her nose into the sleeve of her collared-white button-up. "why should I stop? two of my best friends are to be sentenced to death."
"we won't die. we'll escape successfully, I'm sure of it." I lied.
          the ginger took in a deep breath. "right, right, I know. sorry."
I waved it off. "why are you apologizing?"
          she shrugged. "I don't know, sorry."
I laughed faintly, "stop saying sorry."
          "sorry! shit— I mean—" she covered her eyes as a frustrated groan fled her lips. "being cooped up in this room has got my mind all a mess."
I giggled and pushed myself up from the wall. "I can tell."
          "I just want to go outside already," she whined.
I laid on the bottom of the hospitality room bed, draping an arm over my stomach. "I know, but you'll be allowed later."
          "I won't enjoy it, though. I'll be too anxious wondering if the two of you escaped successfully or not."
          my lips curved into a frown at the thought. I decided to not answer. I enjoy just soaking in the sounds of air filling my best friend's lungs, knowing that there's a chance tonight the clean air won't fill mine.

.ೃ࿐.✰

I held my breath, staring at the concrete wall far in the distance.
          "are you ready?" Norman questioned with an audible gulp.
          I clenched my jaw together and didn't remove my gaze from the gray. I nod a yes.
          he breathes out, "okay. let's go, then."
          then we are running. I don't recall pressing my foot forward. one second I was standing there, the next I was sprinting beside Norman. we're throwing the rope, now we are climbing, and climbing. we've made it, we're at the top of the wall. what are we trying to achieve though? nothing, that's the answer. we aren't escaping, and we both know it. we've accepted our fate; we will die tonight. the only reason we're up here now is to examine beyond the wall and report back to Emma... and Ray too, I guess.
          I looked down with surprise, tightening my grip on the useless backpack. a cliff lies below.
          Norman gently touched my shoulder and brought me back to reality. "I have to ask you this to be sure. do you have the same thoughts as me? you don't plan on escaping, do you?"
          I shut my eyes swiftly and hummed a no.
          a quiet sigh fled his lips. "I feel the same way, we just can't. we're lowering the rates of the others escaping successfully."
          I plainly nodded.
          he stared at me for a moment. he sees how mentally exhausted I am. the albino opened his mouth to speak before quickly shutting it. I was startled slightly when his arms wrapped around me, pulling me into his embrace.
          "we're going to die, I know that," he spoke into my shoulder. I gently hugged him back. "but, at least we won't be alone."
          I feel warm knowing I won't be lonely on my death bed. Norman is a great friend, I've failed to see that all this time.
          after relaxing in each other's friendly embrace for a few minutes, we both pulled away with an exhale.
          "so, I'm going to run around this side of the wall and see if there is a crossable location. an extended piece of ground, a fallen tree, a leaning tree, anything." he pointed behind me, "you do the same over there, okay?"
          "okay," I responded.
          he nodded in my direction. "meet back here once you've finished, go."
          now we're running again, this time in separate directions. I carefully inspect every inch of the cliff, looking for anything. I'm praying at this point. they need to escape, they need to be prepared. we will prepare them.
          I let out a loud sigh of relief when I saw a point where the ground extended closer towards the wall. I smiled to myself, pulling out a notepad I had in the now-useful backpack. I scribbled down a diagram of the location so that we could show Emma. I shoved the paper in my bag, sprinting frantically towards Norman.
          "I found it," I panted. "the spot."
          the blue-eyed boy grinned, and his face was like the sun. "you're amazing."
          I smirked and reached for the paper, kneeling on the stone to show him. "I know." he bent down to get a closer look at the paper.
          I explained, pointing to things on the drawing. "there's a spot where the ground on the other side slightly expands over the cliff, just enough so that they'll safely make it across." I stood up and pointed towards the location. "around there, see?"
          Norman raised to his feet and squinted, using his hand to block out the bright sun. "ah, yes, I see."
          I nodded proudly. "is that all we must do?"
          a hummed yes exited his mouth quietly. "yes, I've written the rest down in a note."
          I lifted an eyebrow curiously, "a note?"
          he waved it off. "it just explains everything to Emma. what she must do and stuff. would you like to hear about it?"
          I sigh, "no thanks. you'll have plenty of time to tell me when we're dead."
          he scoffed, "you make the worst situations into jokes."
          I chuckled, "that I do, my friend."
          the white-haired teenager cleared his throat awkwardly, "there is something I should tell you, though."
          "hm? what is it?"
          he paused, "Ray plans to kill himself on the night of his fifteenth birthday."
          I went silent. "...oh."
          "...oh? that's all you have to say?"
          "sorry, that's... terrible." surprisingly, I wasn't expecting this. I am saddened, but I refuse to admit it aloud.
          "you don't seem upset?"
          I chewed on my cheek. "Ray and I aren't on very good terms right now."
          his eyebrows furrowed, "what?"
          "in his words, he hates me, he never cared for me, he's happy that I'm going to die, and he wishes he never met me." I listed the reasons off on my fingers.
          his white eyelashes fluttered as he blinked. "I don't-- I don't understand."
          I exhaled with a shaky breath, looking away. "me either."
          the albino didn't say anything else, probably deciding not to speak anymore on the matter.
          I held my breath when the orphanage came back into view, the sun setting in the distance. the sky was filled with an assortment of pinks and oranges. Emma, Ray, and mom stood on the grass.
          the woman looked relieved.
          the ginger looked shocked and distraught.
          the ravenette clenched his fists tightly, his jaw tightened.

.ೃ࿐.✰

Norman and I walked ahead of the other two as we entered the quiet infirmary.
          right as the door shut, Ray pinned the white-haired boy to the wall aggressively. "what are you thinking? huh? why didn't you escape as you promised?"
          the same cheerful smile remained on the boy's face. "I didn't promise anything."
          Ray let out a groan of frustration as he backed away. "you're going to die. you are aware of that, right?"
          a snicker exited my lips. "oh, we didn't have a clue."
          he shot his gaze angrily to me before flicking it back to Norman. "why didn't you do it?"
          Norman let out a sigh and shut his eyes. "after the wall lies a cliff."
          Emma blinked with confusion. she hasn't spoken, she's probably still in shock that we returned. "what-- what does that mean?"
          I pulled out the sheet of paper from my pocket, it's a bit crumbled now. "it means that it's uncrossable, except for a certain point where the ground extends." I tapped the location with my finger.
          Emma leaned closer to get a better look while Ray stood behind, refusing to step any closer to me. he acts as if I have a deathly contagious illness.
          "if you ran in a straight line directly from the middle library window and climbed the wall from there, you'd see it." I explained thoroughly.
          she nodded and exhaled, "thank you."
I hummed an "mhm" in reply, standing to my feet and brushing the dust off my skirt. "you're smart, I know you'll safely escape with everyone."
          the ginger opened her mouth to speak but was cut off when Phil entered the room. "Norman, y/n, mom wants to talk to you," he sung.
          I smiled as if nothing was wrong. "okay, thank you Phil." as I approached the door I ruffled his brown hair, causing a giggle to escape his lips.

.ೃ࿐.✰

I wanted to cry as I felt the dark-haired woman's fingers digging lightly into my shoulder blades.
          "may I have everyone's attention?" she questions as the room instantly goes silent, the children gathering around the three of us. "I know it's sudden, but I have wonderful news. Norman and y/n are being placed in a foster home-- together!"
          gasps could be heard throughout the white-dressed crowd.
          "no way!"
          "they'll be together? lucky them."
          "so soon? I'm going to miss them."
          some frowned, some beamed, some sobbed. and as for Ray, he remained blank as ever. I can't release the thought from my head; him trying to kill himself. It saddens me, but I will not admit it. never. maybe in our next life, we'll meet, but I swear I'll remember him. and I swear that I will not forgive him until he begs for my forgiveness. 

.ೃ࿐.✰

1673 words