My Muse || READER X RAY || The Promised Neverland

📷 My Muse || Chapter Four

"Care to explain?" 

After following Norman for hours after our test, I had finally cornered him in the library. He laughed nervously, pretending to examine some children's fairytales, ever so often glancing back at me. "If you're asking about what I said, I meant it." His pale cheeks grew a rosy pink, as he buried his head into another shelf of books. I felt my heart skip a beat. 

"I know you did. I could tell. But Norman," I grabbed his arm, forcing him to look at me. "Why did you look at Ray like that?" 

A smile crept across his face. 

"So you noticed." He smiled sadly. My firm grasp on his wrist loosened, as he enveloped my hand in his once again. "I'm just jealous that you spent last night with him." 

"H-How do you know about that?" I asked, my heart starting to race. 

"I know a lot of things!" He teased me, flicking my forehead softly. Any of my thoughts or doubts were brushed aside, as he picked up our favorite fairytale. The Adventures of Ugo. "Wanna read this with me?" His innocent smile made me feel safe and comfortable. "Alright." 

We sat down at a table, Norman pulling his chair close to mine. "Me too! Me too!" Yvette cried, holding her arms up. Many children were in the library, also reading our vast amount of books. I laughed, pulling the little black haired girl onto my lap. 

"The Adventures of Ugo." I said dramatically, pretending to be a narrator. "Written by William Minerva." The little girl on my lap, laughed, wiggling around.

Norman chuckled, flipping the picture book open. "Once upon a time, there was an adventurer named Ugo." A small man with rowdy black hair was illustrated on the page. "He was very happy and lived with his family, without a care in the world." "His family is so big!" Yvette cried, pointing at the group of fourteen people. "Just like ours." I replied, patting her head. Her crimson eyes shone happily. 

"One day, a monster showed up at Ugo's house." A large black creature with sharp teeth was drawn in the corner of the page. "I am going to eat you!" I recited, reading the monster's line. "No! You won't get us!" Yvette exclaimed, reading Ugo's. "Everyone! Come with me! We'll hide somewhere safe!" 

Norman turned the page, the plain scenery turning into a beautiful green forest, with small glowing bugs and bright flowers surrounding the family. "I am thirsty, Ugo!" little Mark joined in, tip toeing at the side of our table. Yvette smiled. "Don't worry brother! This plant stores water!" The little drawn Ugo peeled a petal off of the gourd like flower, water flowing into a jar his brother held. All of the family members smiled. 

The story continued for quite some time, more and more kids surrounding Norman and I, voicing different characters. At last, we turned to the final pages, a barren sandy desert as the only scenery. Ugo held his compass, standing on a certain yellow hill. He brushed aside the sand, pulling open what I could guess to be a latch. On the final page, Ugo and his family stood in a large bunker-like facility. They were all smiling, holding each other's hands. "The end!" We all said together. Yvette hopped off my lap, thanking me for reading the story. I smiled as she ran off into the hallway with the other children. 

"Isn't this weird?" Norman asked, tugging my sleeve. "Huh? I thought the story was cute. We haven't read it in years, after all." He shook his head no, holding the book up to my face. behind the back cover of the reading, an owl was embellished crudely behind the paper pages. A strange pattern of dots and lines created a circle around the eerie owl. "How strange," I whispered, tracing it's beak. "Everyone! Let's go play tag!" Emma's loud voice echoed from the lobby. Norman put the book down, turning to me. "Let's go!"