Don't Leave Me Alone

~11~

⚠️TW: Violence

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~Gilda's POV~

Thump.

Someone's in the office!

Don turned off the lantern, and I put my hands over my mouth.

"Please let them know I'll be right back."

It's Mom! What do we do!? Did she come to the office because she noticed the key was missing, or did she come to the office for a different reason? Calm down. What would Emma and them do?

"Do you think they really told us the truth?"

"If you think Emma is lying, come back to me."

Did Emma lie about the kids being alive? Are they...But Emma wouldn't tell a lie as cruel as that...

Don interrupted my thoughts. "We need to get out of here."

"Right." Maybe Mom didn't notice anything. "We need to be quick and quiet, so that she won't see us."

"Let's go!"

~Ray's POV~

"I'm surprised, though." Norman was walking down the stairs behind me. Emma was in front of us. "Finding those bookplates was more expected from Ray, since he's always reading."

"I didn't find them. Phil did. He was the one who told me about them."

"Phil?"

"Yeah. He was reading one of Minerva's children's books. All I did was look at some other books."

"Ah. That makes more sense." I smirked.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Emma pouted. "I can be observant if I want to be!"

Norman laughed. I glanced back at him and noticed a slightly sad look in his eyes. I frowned a little bit. What was that about...?

"Hey, where are Gilda and Don?"

Don and Gilda didn't seem to be in the dining hall.

Don said he was going to go help with dinner.

Norman opened the pantry door, looking inside. "They aren't in here either."

"Tch. Where are they?"

~Mom's POV~

Someone was outside the office door. I opened it.

"Ah. Eugene, do you need something?"

He smiled and held out his palm, which contained the master key. "I found this on the ground."

Shit. When did it go missing?

I crouched down to Eugene's level and patted his head, taking the key. "Thank you, dear."

There's no hole in my pocket.

~Norman's POV~

Gilda and Don stood in the hallway behind us.

Emma let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank goodness. I thought you guys..."

Ray cut her off. "Where'd you two go?"

They stayed silent. More kids started to enter the dining hall, and a few hovered around us.

"Others will notice." I whispered to Ray.