𝒷𝓁𝑜𝑜𝒹 𝓁𝑜𝓁𝓁𝒾𝓅𝑜𝓅𝓈 ~ 𝓇𝒶𝓎 𝓍 𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹𝑒𝓇

The Escape

—♡︎—
"About why you always lose at chess. You're too scared to sacrifice your queen."
—♡︎—

Ray was always let down when his birthday came around every year.

All of the other kids were ecstatic when the time would come. They'd barely get any sleep at night, restless for the morning to come when they could officially call themselves a year older than the day before.

Ray was restless the night before his birthday too, but not at all for the same reason.
Even before he learned about the farm at the early age of six, the day always seemed rather anticlimactic.
It was just like any other day, why should he lose sleep over it?

After the discovery that they were being raised as cattle, his birthday was a yearly reminder that he lived another year while much more innocent, much younger kids, were murdered.
It seemed like everyone was congratulating him for a race he'd never win.

This year was different, though. This year he was restless, nervous, and maybe even a little excited.
This year, Ray was going to kill himself.

As soon as the twelve chimes of the grandfather clock had ended, signifying that the date would now be January 15, he'd strike a match and watch the house he grew up in burn to the ground with him inside it.

He didn't need much with him. A crate of gasoline, some matches, and a recently acquired letter secured safely in his pocket.

He checked the clock as he sat at one of the dining tables.
Twenty three minutes left

He smiled to himself and took a quick glance at the door to the dining room. If he was even half as smart as everyone said he was, Emma would show up through that door any minute now.
It's all about time.

He heard the door click, and two shadows stood in the frame, waiting for him to make a move like they were predators hunting prey.
But Ray wasn't prey, he knew something along these lines would happen. He knew he was being hunted.

Ray placed his book down on the table, standing up to be face to face with grace fields sisters.
Although not identical, Emma and (Y/n) posses the same annoyingly determined glint in their eyes.
He looked between the two.

"Ray." Emma breaks the silence.
His face doesn't react. "Well here I was, thinking you'd be smart enough to give up. But you never do."
Emma nods and her sister loosely chuckles from beside her. "Giving up has never been her style, now has it?"
Emma kicks her in the shin.

"You're right. I haven't given up." The ginger replies; however Ray's face doesn't show any type of surprise. "I've been thinking this entire time. I wondered what I should do for Norman's sake. And the answer had been to do nothing. Everyone was telling me to give up and accept defeat. But you guys know me, I never, ever give up."
(Y/n) glances at Emma, but she doesn't look away from Ray.
"I won't let Norman die in vain, no way. What about you, Ray?"

Ray finally breaks the eye contact.
"So we're always thinking the same thing in the end. You ever wonder why that is? It's kind of weird, no?"
Emma ignore him. "Let's run, Ray. That's what we came here to say."
The boy sighs, finally accepting the rawness of the conversation.
"Well I have things to say too. We haven't been able to talk much since mom has been watching us like a hawk." He says while glancing to (Y/n).
Emma nods. "We weren't even doing anything, but she still never took her eyes off us." She said, "That's not necessarily a bad thing though. It meant that since she was busy watching us, she had her eyes off of everyone else."
Ray raised his chin at her words. "Don and Gilda, hm? I'll admit that's clever."

Emma nods, explaining what her and her sister have been up to the past two months. She explained the plan to him— well, maybe not all of it.

(Y/n) took this time to look around the cafeteria. The room was usually so full of joy, filled to the brim with children, food, and laughter. Now the cafeteria was just an empty shell of what it was during the daytime. She couldn't help but feel uncomfortable seeing the room so bare, being stripped of all its personality. She realizes that this will be the last time she will be standing in this room.
She eyed the crates on the table beside them, breath catching in her throat once she realized what they must be.
She only looks away once Ray starts speaking.