Groomed for Death ⚜ A TPN Fanfiction

~Grace Field House's Ghostly Incidents II~

[Narrator's Perspective]

During their free time after lunch, Emma, Norman, and Ray made their way to the library, with Emma dragging another reluctant companion from the table. The rain outside had put a damper on any plans to play in the forest, pushing most of the children into the playroom instead.

As Emma opened the door to the library, they were greeted by towering shelves filled with books that seemed to touch the ceiling. The scent of old paper and ink hung thick in the air, creating an atmosphere both nostalgic and comforting. Emma's eyes sparkled with excitement.

   "Which section do you think we can learn about ghosts from?" Emma asked, darting towards the picture book section and eagerly scanning the shelves for any titles that mentioned ghosts.

   "Hm, I wonder..." Norman mused, stretching on his tiptoes in front of the Encyclopedia section, carefully examining the spines of the books.

Meanwhile, Ninelie had already found her way to the "Fantasy" section of the library. Her eyes scanned the shelves, absorbing the titles of books filled with magic and wonder. Ray, noticing her presence, approached with a wide grin.

   "Do you think it could be here too, Nina?" he asked, his voice a blend of excitement and curiosity.

Ninelie turned around, her face lighting up with a small smile. "Yeah, definitely," she replied, her voice soft but assured.

   "Let me guess, because theyre..." Ray started.

   "Not real." they finished in unison, earning a grin from each other.

Despite the lingering awkwardness from the recent piano incident, Ninelie found herself easing into the conversation. For Ray, however, it seemed like a distant memory, long forgotten in his usual carefree manner.

   "Thought so," Ray said, reaching for a stack of books, some with worn covers and yellowed pages. He glanced at Ninelie, his expression eager. "Let's go read these together."

Ninelie gave him a nod, "Okay."

They settled at a large oak table, its surface smooth from years of use. Ray plopped down with the heavy books, the pages rustling as he began to flip through them. Ninelie picked one up as well, choosing a seat across from him. She carefully scanned the contents, the illustrations and words sparking her imagination.

   "Look," Ray said suddenly, pointing to a definition in the dictionary he had found. "Imagination. Imagination is defined as things that people think of but do not exist in the world." His tone was flat, clearly directed at Emma. It was his subtle way of telling her to wake up to reality.

Emma, who had been hovering nearby, peered over at the dictionary. "But we're not looking for e-magic-nation. Ghosts might still exist, you know. Right, Nina?" she said casually, her eyes fixed on the abstract definition.

Ninelie, her gaze steady on the book, mumbled, "I'm on neither side, but okay," and only shrugged slightly.

   "Why are you even calling her that? You're not even that close." Ray grumbled.

   "What do you mean? Nina is now my closest friend," Emma gave emphasis as she said the girl's nickname.

   "..."

Norman stood in the dimly lit library, his fingers tapping rhythmically against the wooden table, a clear sign of his growing frustration. He desperately tried to maintain his composure, knowing that if Emma sensed his irritation, she might no longer see him as the calm and collected friend he wanted to be. Little did he know, Emma had never perceived him that way in the first place.