The Promised School

Ray

İt was quieter without them.

İt seemed, at first, to be more peaceful when there was no laughing and talking. Then  it was disturbing. Dull. He kept excpecting Emma to give a long sigh, Norman to ask her if she was okay. 

The silence did have a lot to say. İt whispered things, and leaked things into his brain. 

I like the silence. İt's nice. 

Then why are you crying?

Shut up. I'm not crying.

Yes, you are.

I'm not. There's something in my eye. 

Typical excuse, mister. You're crying. Why?

I...I don't know. And you, you're making it worse. Go away. Leave me-

Ah, I'm very curious what exactly I'm making worse?

Leave me alone.

You are alone already. You'll be alone until you die, which, judging by the time, should be about a  month away. Am I right?

Doesn't matter if you're right. You're me. You're just a voice in my head. 

So you admit it? Then doesn't that sound slightly strange..."You're just a voice in my head!"

Go. Away. Leave me ALONE!

He couldn't hear an answer. Ray clutched his cover tighter, and pulled the pillow over his head. He hated nightmares, but he always knew when they were coming so that made it... İt made it worse actually. 

He was alone in their room, with the window open and cold wind rushing in. He was still sweating though, even though he couldn't feel his hands. 

 Ray had always slept in the middle, between Emma and Norman. Emma's bed was neat for once, because she had made Norman tidy it before they set off. İt looked like a moss covered stone, standing there. İt started to annoy Ray, so he turned away.

He heard a light tapping, and sighed. "Emma, stop that-"

Oh wait. Emma isn't here. 

Dammit.

He curled up, pulling his knees up to his chest. He felt his eyelids droop, and didn't bother to close them completly to stop the tears. His eyesight blurred, and he didn't blink or rub his eyes to see better, because why should he. 

I tried... I tried to be your family, but it was HARD, you know? All those times I had to lie to you... I would see you both talk and tell me all your secrets and feelings, and I couldn't say anything because I was just jealous. 

İf I wasn't like this, I would have let myself care for you more, but I am like this. I tried to keep it in, but it ripped my heart to shreds and I can't even pretend to hate you two anymore

He had thought Emma and Norman were his best friends. Yeah, he often called them names just to annoy them, but they didn't take that seriously, did they?

Maybe you did. I have no way of knowing. 

Because Emma and Norman left me. 

Emma walked out, and Norman ran away.

Were you ever my friends? Were we ever proper family, or were we just three bored kids who needed somebody to cling on. 

Ray, I think the answer is yes! I mean, what else could be the reason you suddenley gave up?

Shut up. Just SHUT UP! LEAVE ME. ALONE!

Ha! You think it's that easy? You're the one keeping me here, pal. 

I JUST WANT TO BE ALONE! LEAVE ME ALONE!

No, you're lying. You don't want to be alone. You never did.

"GO AWAY!" Ray screamed into his pillow. "JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!!"

Ray dug his palms into his eyelids to try and pretend to himself he wasn't crying. He was tangled in the black sheets, in a pool of his own sweat, and he could feel the breeze blowing his hair back. 

Then he heard laughter.

İt was Emma. He could hear Norman, too, saying: Shhhhh!! You'll wake him up!

Emma! Norman! You're here?

Ray tried to get out of bed, tripped over the sheets and ended up on the floor, banging his head on Emma's bed when he fell. 

"O...O...OW!" Ray gritted his teeth against the pain.

"Dammit..."

 When he had tipped Emma of his bed, had she been seriously hurt? He never thought about that when he pushed her away or shook her. That time in detention when he shoved her into a chair... She had obviously been in pain when they were running to the library. He hadn't said anything.

Beating the thought down with a mental stick, Ray got up and opened the door.

To darkness. 

İt was completley dark. He couldn't even see his hand when he stretched it out in front of him.

I'm going crazy.

I'm losing my mind!

Stop laughing it's not funny, buddy. İf you're going crazy you should be telling somebody, not standing in a dark corridoor laughing.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...

Stop it, will you! Just stop. Go to sleep. 

Yeah, yeah. But I can still here Emma and Norman...

Ray.

For gods sake, whatever you are leave me alone. I told them about the demons. İt's their choice to run or die. I wasn't going anyway.

He blinked. He coulod hear Norman's heavy breathing when he got out of breath. İt was coming from down the corridoor. 

RAY!!

"HEY, RAY!"

"RAY! HEY! H...H...H...HELP!!"

Ray found he was shaking. He still couldn't see anything, but still stared into the dark. Then he saw a pale, scared figure crouching on the ground gasping for breath.

"Well. You look a lot like Norman, don't you? Don't mind me, I don't want to see him so I'll be going back to our- my- room."

Liar.

He narrowed his eyes. 

"You're just a ghost anyway."

"Wait! RAY! You have to listen!"

"No. I refuse to speak to... You."

Ray turned, and walked to their -his- door, opened it,  and locked it on the way in.

Sorry for the songs, they reminded me of Ray so I wanted to put them here :))