At first, Ruby resisted the voices that were yelling at her and the hands that were shaking her. All that she wanted was to slip back into that delicious and peaceful darkness. Had she died? Was she being brought back for the next year of games? How much time had passed while she was dead?
“Ruby! Please answer me!” Hm? That was Ivy’s voice. Had Ivy also died?
“Ouch, you’re hurting me, Ivy!” Ruby moaned. She rolled over and curled up.
“Thank goodness! She’s alive.”
“No, I’m dead. Please just let me rest in peace.”
“But Ruby, dead people don’t talk,” Mia ruthlessly pointed out. With a sigh, Ruby forced her eyes open. Three blurry faces were leaning over her.
“What happened? Are you guys alright?” asked Ruby.
“We’re a little banged up. But hey, we aren’t dead,” said Ivy. “You look like you’ve seen better days, Ruby,” she added. That was probably true. Now that Ruby’s head was clearing, she could feel the pain fully. Everything ached and throbbed.
“So, I didn’t die?” asked Ruby.
“Nope. You just passed out. But you gave us a real scare. What’s your health at?”
“T-three,” muttered Ruby.
“Okay, yeah, you should take it easy for the rest of the day.” That sounded like a great idea.
“Is the game over?”
“No, but things have calmed down a little bit. We also got plenty of points. I figured we could spend the rest of the day hiding out here. Blossom and I properly blocked the door and windows,” said Ivy. Ruby felt as if a crushing, painful weight had just been lifted from her chest. They could rest and wait. Hopefully there wouldn’t be any more killing for a very long time. Mia snuggled herself up next to Ruby. Her large brown eyes glittered with warmth.
“Thank you for taking all the hurting away,” whispered Mia. Her little smile was enough to melt Ruby’s heart and make her smile too.
“I’m sorry. I don’t think I’ll be much help in this state,” Ruby laughed. More pain shot through her. She had hoped laughing would make her feel better, but it didn’t.
“You’ve already done enough.” Ivy gently placed one hand on Ruby’s shoulder and the other on Mia’s shoulder. “Thank you for fixing her. I didn’t know that you had that ability. I’m sure that this won’t be the last time you’ll be able to use it.”
“Ivy, Ivy, can we please play hide-and-seek? Pleeeease?” Mia asked, tugging at Ivy’s dress.
“Okay, but it has to be quiet hide-and-seek. So, no giggling or squealing,” Ivy said firmly.
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“Yes ma’am,” Mia whispered. She was across the room, hiding in the shadows in an instant. As she happily watched the two of them play, Ruby’s eyes landed on the shattered doll that she had fought. Now she was completely still and lifeless. Blossom or Ivy must have finished her off. That was one less painful thing for Ruby to have to do.
“So, that girl was already hiding in the closet when you got here?” asked Blossom.
“Yeah. She tried to kill Mia. I can’t imagine how scared poor Mia must have been. What in the world was that girl thinking, attacking a little girl like that?” Ruby whispered. At least Mia seemed to be pretty unaffected by the attack. That was one very resilient little girl, Ruby had to admit. Blossom shrugged and let out a sigh.
“I mean, it makes sense. Mia was easy prey, easy points,” said Blossom.
“I’ll never understand people who think like that,” was all Ruby could say. Blossom didn’t respond right away. She looked away from Ruby.
“I wish I didn’t understand people like that,” she said at last. That wasn’t the answer Ruby had been expecting. Her heart sank at those words. At the end of the day, she still didn’t know this person. There was no telling what kind of person Blossom really was. Just because she spoke kindly and smiled at people didn’t mean she was a perfect angel. Ruby needed to remember this.
She was desperate for friends, and she craved security more than anything else. It was strange to be surrounded by so many people and still feel so lonely. These people might be her friends or her enemies. It all depended on what games were played. Ruby hated that with every fiber of her being. But it was how The City of Glass worked.
The rest of the day was surprisingly peaceful. Every once in a while, Mia would demand that someone play a game with her. Ivy and Blossom would then take turns entertaining the child. But for the most part, the small group just sat in silence together. The four of them stayed huddled up close together, enjoying the simple but delightful comfort that being around other people brought them. Time passed painfully slowly. Ruby drifted in and out of a state that was somewhere between sleep and being awake. She wanted nothing more than to let sleep swallow her up. But she knew she must fight it. For once, the sound of Mary’s voice brought joy to Ruby’s heart.
“This is the end of round two! Great work to all the winners!” Mary sang out.
“We did it,” Ruby breathed. “But this was a really close call.”
“Thanks again!” Mia said, hopping to her feet. Ruby smiled at her. Things could be worse. They were all still alive after all. She had come very, very close to dying, but somehow this round felt even better than the last one. Maybe it was because of Blossom and Ivy and Mia. She felt less alone when they were all working together. Hopefully, she could spend more rounds with them.
“Alright, time for us to head back!” Ivy announced. Blossom and Ivy worked together to lift Ruby to her feet. Pain and weariness struck Ruby again and again. Ruby had to grit her teeth to keep from screaming. It would have been impossible for her to walk back on her own. She probably wouldn’t have made it if it hadn’t been for the others. Ruby thought of that with each agonized step that she took.
It was still true that she didn’t really know these girls. That was something that Ruby needed to remember. But for now, they were her friends. Ruby stumbled forward. Blossom caught her and Ivy stabilized her. Ruby leaned against them for support. These strangers were helping her, holding her up. How could she not care about them? But for now, they were her friends. It was just like what Ivy had said that morning of the first round. When the game is over and we return home, we are free to all be friends again. We are all free to care once again.
Level
2
Xp
7
Health
3/100
Strength
10/100
Stamina
2/100
Skills/powers
Fixing-spell