At least Ruby’s new prison was beautiful. There really was no denying how breathtaking every single inch of the city was. Ruby had to admit that humans really could make some amazing things. The most amazing human creations that they had made were created using a mix of magic and tech. She had never really understood why the humans hated that idea so much. North and South Novle spent so much time fighting over which was more useful, more ethical and more powerful. Why? Robert had explained these things to Ruby many times. But she still didn’t get it. Both could be used for good or evil, right? Magic and tech were equally powerful. Each came with its own strengths and weaknesses. So, why not use both? Why couldn’t the North and South agree on something?
Humans did seem to struggle to agree on things most of the time. Ruby couldn’t really blame them. She was like that too sometimes. Sometimes she just felt like disagreeing with the rest of the world for no reason whatsoever. Maybe that was just human/doll nature. Mary and the group left her on the edge of the city, in front of a sparkling apartment building. She gave Ruby a few more sugar-coated encouraging remarks. Ruby smiled and nodded her way through said remarks.
“Your first mission will be given to you tomorrow! Also, your stats will appear anytime you’re injured or you level up!” Mary said. Wow, that was it? This really was exactly like what Robert had described. The overseers really did seem to make up the games’ rules as they went along. That wasn’t a reassuring thought. But it did make sense. These games were meant to be messy and entertaining to the humans who watched them. Too much structure would ruin that.
“Thank you, Miss Mary,” Ruby said politely.
“Of course! We’re happy to have you here, Ruby!” She placed her hand on Ruby’s shoulder. “Don’t tell the others I said this, but I think you’ve got what it takes to win. There’s something special about you,” Mary whispered.
“Really?” Ruby gasped. She wondered if this was one of Mary’s go-to lines that she told every single one of the dolls.
“I mean it. Good luck! I think you can take it from here, Ruby! Cheerio!” With that, Mary turned to leave. Ruby waited till she was out of sight before turning to face the apartment. It was a bright red color, just like the crystal around her neck. She tried her best to relax and think things through calmly. This was her new home. Inside this building were people who were just like her. That still felt hard to believe. What kinds of people were waiting in there for her? Did they know who she was? Were they aware that she had escaped? Would that affect how they treated her? Would they be angry? All this stressing wasn’t getting her anywhere.
Ruby took a deep breath. For now, she would just focus on the positives. Her memories hadn’t been taken away, at least not yet. That was certainly a great thing. She focused on that as she walked up to the door and pushed it open. What did she expect to find? Honestly, she had no idea. But she was about to find out. Ruby stepped out of the light and into the darkness.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
The apartment was pitch black. The large windows had thick curtains pulled over them, blocking out the light. Upon looking over the curtains carefully, Ruby realized that they too were made of very thin layers of glass. It must have taken forever to make them. Once she finished admiring the curtains, Ruby turned her attention to the dark room around her. It was completely empty. There was no sign of any other creatures of any kind around her.
“Hello? Is anyone there?” Ruby called into the shadows. Silence was the only thing that answered her. An uneasy void began to fill Ruby. She could feel it sucking away all the excitement that she had in her just a moment ago. “Hello?” Still no answer. After a moment of hesitation, Ruby stepped forward into the darkness. Everything around her was still and silent. This first room was very small. It was also almost completely empty. The only things that stood out to Ruby besides the curtains were a few glass cabinets in the corner and the staircase that led up to the next level. Hesitation filled Ruby.
But what was she supposed to do? Should she just stand there alone in the dark? Well, Ruby had already made her presence known to anyone who was there. If anyone else was here, they had heard her calling. So, Ruby swallowed her fear and pushed herself up the stairs. Her own footsteps filled the silence around her. Now she could make out sounds coming from above.
She could make out hushed voices talking softly above her. Ruby wasn’t alone. The sounds of footsteps could also be heard up above. But all these sounds completely vanished the moment that Ruby reached the second floor. Squinting into the shadows, Ruby could see figures moving around.
“Hello?” Keeping her voice controlled was truly a battle. Not a single voice answered her. Ruby decided to keep her distance from the figures. A sense of panic was forming in Ruby slowly. Suddenly she felt the urge to dash back down the stairs and out into the world outside. But she didn’t have anywhere to go or anything to do.
This was her new home, and she would have to stay here. There was no escape. “I know that you’re there. I can see you, all of you. Please, I want to meet all of you.” Were the other dolls scared of her? Or was it something else? Were they hostile or simply nervous? Ruby stepped forward, towards one of the nearest figures. It shrank back as she approached. That looked like fear to Ruby. She cleared her throat. Maybe she should speak with a softer voice. Slowly and gently, she held her hand out to the trembling figure. “Hey, don’t be afraid. I don’t mean you any harm,” Ruby began.
Before Ruby could get another word out, she felt a glass hand on her shoulder. A cry escaped Ruby, and she spun around. But the stranger held her firmly. Ruby shoved the figure back and stumbled to the ground. The next thing she knew, she was surrounded by strange figures who were covered in darkness. There were so many of them. Now Ruby was the one who shrank back as terror filled her. A hint of sadness mixed with her fear. These were her people. Wasn’t she just like them? Why did things have to work out like this?