May muses 25: Too spooky
Day 25 of May Muses! The idea for today: What if Emma accidentally spooked Neal whilst telling him a scary story?
"And they never found him again." Emma turned the flashlight off that she had been perching under her chin and finished the ghost story with an over the top evil laugh.
"Alright kid. There was your spooky story. Bed time now." Emma waited for Neal to say his usual goodnight, but he was silent. "Kid?" Still nothing. Had he fallen asleep on her? Emma turned the flashlight back on and shown it over at Neal. He certainly wasn't sleeping. He was still sitting bold upright, clutching tightly to his quilt. He was staring straight ahead. "Neal, what's up buddy?" Emma asked him.
"Do you think he's going to come and steal me?" Neal croaked. Emma grimaced. She'd scared him. She had maybe got a little too into her spooky story for a seven-year-old. Her parents were going to kill her. Especially if Neal went running to them in a few hours with nightmares.
"Neal, it was just a story buddy. I just made it up there." Emma told him. "Nobody's coming to take you away, I promise." Neal nodded, trying to look brave, but he didn't feel very brave. Emma felt awful. Her and her big mouth.
"How about we have a sleepover?" Emma offered. "I'll stay up here with you tonight. That way, you know that nobody is coming to take you, because I'll be here." Emma told him. Neal smiled.
"You'd do that for me?" He asked, touched. Emma smiled, ruffling his hair.
"Of course I would kid. Now scoot over." Neal did as Emma asked, letting her lie down beside him. He moved back over, cuddling into his big sister.
"Night Emma." He said sleepily.
"Night kid, sleep well." Emma responded, equally as tired.
And that is how Snow and Charming would find their children a couple of hours later when they came up to check on Neal. Emma and Neal might have a bigger age gap than most siblings, but they still managed to get the big bonding moments in.
