//Iris//The Promised Neverland //ON HIATUS//

Chapter 3

Iris' Point of View

"What's wrong Emma? You look so pale."

I heard Mama's voice.

"Now that I think about it, this morning, you weren't in your usual good spirit." she stated.
It may not be obvious for the others but one can notice if they are as good in observing as Mama. I've thought the same thing, but I guess I should give Emma and Norman some time to explain.

But now, I managed to hear them upstairs as I was about to call them for dinner.

"It's nothing. I was just thinking that I'd soon leave the house...and..." Emma answered.
Is her feet...shaking? "I'm gonna miss you."

I furrowed my eyebrows. Is this really the reason? Since that night, she only approach me and the others when she needed help, or talk about the usual things. Emma and Norman never brought the topic about last night.

"Do you like the house?" Mama asked.

"Of course! I love the house and I love you!" I felt her jump to Mama. "I wonder what Conny is up to now." Her voice sounded sad.

"You know, she said she wanted to became a great mother. Just like you once she grows up."

"Yeah I know," Mom then stood up. "I'm looking forward to that. I'm sure she'll become a fine adult, and a great mother as well."

Everything suddenly tensed up.

I can feel Norman's presence yet no one is moving. Even Emma didn't move nor flinch.
This might be a right time to show up, since I already reached the second floor.

I sounded the bell I'm holding and broke the silence.

"It's dinner time. Everything's prepared on the table, Mama."

The doors open and the children came out of the rooms. I guided them down the stairs, but I didn't join them on going to the dining room. I hid just behind the wall before the stairs to wait for them to go down. The two walk down the stairs but were stopped by Mama.

Then she asked an unexpected question, "Did you two go to the gate yesterday?"

!

How?

Oh yeah, the watch...

"No, we didn't. Those are the rules right?" Norman answered. "We were so into our game of tag yesterday."

"Right! Though we had a hard time finding you." Emma added, hiding the fact that we went near the fence.

It must be also because they went through beyond the fence a while ago...since I got curious and had a peek on where were they going.

"Why are you asking?" Norman asked.

They never said they gave Bernie to Mama. If Mama is asking now, they didn't tell her.

...Come to think of it, where's Bernie?

Why did they even have to lie...

...unless they found something they shouldn't have.

I took a peek on the stairs, noticing that their hands are shaking.

Yep, they have known something unpleasant. Or maybe something terrifying...

"No reason, don't worry about it," Mama then walks away from them. The two continue to walk down and suddenly, As they reach down the stairs, Emma suddenly fell on her knees. The thud was heard behind the wall I'm pressing my back into.