Dark World

by Concerita Tortorici

  Joshua lowered his gaze. He had thought that the kids had perished with the fire. That was until he bumped into Ruby. Granted, it took him a little while to figure it out. And once he did. Once, he invited her out. He fell. Hard. Harder than he had ever before. He wanted to protect her, not only from the outside world but from herself. He didn't know what she was capable of. And if that morning was any indication of what was to come, he was going to have his hands full.

  He wandered until he made his way into the park. The people stood staring as he passed them by. He had grown accustomed to the stares and whispers. Finding a bench, Joshua sat and looked up to the grey colored sky. Surely, there was something he could do. He sat for hours, deep in thought watching as the people passed him by wondering why someone as handsome as he was, was all alone.

  Alone. A word he hadn't heard in a long time. He had been alone for centuries. He didn't care if he was alone. He enjoyed the silence that came with it. Enjoyed the solitude. However, as he sat there on the bench alone, he felt uncomfortable. Like something was missing. Looking to his side, he saw an empty place. An empty place that should be filled with her. Those short hours being with Ruby had given him a need he had never felt before. And now, being away from her, he felt empty.

  He rose and stood for a moment. The air around him grew colder, and the people who were once wandering around seemed to have vanished. The eerie silence surrounded him and made him feel a bit uncomfortable. Something was wrong; he just wasn't sure what. Looking to his left, he saw a young man walking by wearing a white turtle neck sweater, with a red collar and darker red cuffs. Joshua watched him for a moment; the young man's smile gave Joshua weird vibes. As he passed by, Joshua knew the reason why. The smell of blood lingered on as he passed as if he had just fed on something.

  Joshua's eyes widened, and he darted off in the direction the man had just come from. Where? Where was his recent kill? He searched all over the city but came up empty-handed. Joshua stood in the middle of the street, looking all around him for any sign of an attack. When he didn't, his mind quickly went to Ruby.

  He darted back in the direction of her home. When he arrived to find the house dark and without a soul in it, he tried to focus on her. He needed to know she was safe. Closing his eyes, he breathed in slowly, allowing the silence to cover him once again. His ears became alert to every sound around him, from the soft drips of the ran that hit a puddle next to him to a person eating a piece of lettuce a mile away. He narrowed his focus, trying to pin-point Ruby's location.

  Standing in front of her home, Joshua felt a strange and dark feeling lingering toward him. He had felt that feeling before, mere hours ago in his apartment. Ruby was on the verge of shifting. Joshua felt the darkness creeping closer to her. Letting out a breath, Joshua moved quickly, making it seem like everything around him stood still. He needed to make it in time before Ruby would do something she'd regret.

  «Ruby!» he yelled as he burst through the door.

  Her hand was reaching out to another girl, and her eyes had become clouded with darkness. Joshua noticed the other bystanders and their scared expressions. He let out another breath. He had made it. Barely. He rushed toward her and stood behind her. She felt cold as he stood inches from her, just like she had felt that morning. Twice in one day. Something had to have triggered it. As he looked to the blonde girl with blood dripping from her hand, he figured that was the cause of all of this.

  «Come back,» Joshua whispered as he placed his hand over Ruby's eyes and pulled her close to him.

  He hoped that, just by being next to him, would bring her back. He watched as her arm lowered back to her side, and felt her go limp against his body.

  «Ruby? What happened?»

  Joshua looked to the young bartender who rushed toward them. He looked frightened for her. Joshua held her tightly out of reflex as he watched the young man look to the other girls.

  «Are you three, okay?» he asked.

  «No,» the blonde said, «what the fuck is wrong with her? Is she on some kind of drugs?»

  «I looked like she wanted to eat us,» another girl added.

  «I... Ruby... she's not like that...» he replied, «I've called for an ambulance for your hand.»

  «We won't be coming back,» the blonde blurted out, «unless that psycho is fired. Right now!»

  Joshua could feel the girls fear in her words and looked to the bartender, who looked to Ruby with a somber look.

  «I won't do that,» he declared, «Ruby isn't like that. She wasn't going to 'eat' you. She was probably reaching out to help you.»

  «I fucking doubt it,» she replied, «come on. We'll wait outside. Away from that psychopath.»

  Once the girls had left and the door closed shut behind them, Joshua looked to the man standing beside him. His body trembled but not with fear. No, this time, Joshua sensed anger. But not toward Ruby, or himself. His anger was toward the girls who had called Ruby a psycho.

  «Is she all right?» he asked as he looked to Joshua.

  «For now,» Joshua replied, «I'll take her home and...»

  «No,» he blurted, «take her back to your place.»

  Joshua was confused for a moment. Even though the safest place for her was with him at his apartment. Joshua thought it would be best for her to wake up in a familiar place. However, seeing the look on his face, Joshua felt compelled to do what he asked.

  «All right,» Joshua replied.

  «Good,» he said and smiled, «if her brother saw her, he'd freak and cause more trouble for her.»

  As Joshua held Ruby in his arms, he wondered if he should tell her the truth or not. No matter how he looked at it, she was going to be even more confused than before. He looked back to her friend, Joshua could see that he had calmed a little.

  «I'm Reid, by the way,» he said, «I'm one of Ruby's friends.»

  «Joshua!»

  «She's okay right?» Reid asked, «She's not...what they said she was?»

  «She's not,» Joshua replied.

  She was something a lot more dangerous. But he couldn't tell him that. Hell, he couldn't even tell her just yet. There was no telling how she would react to that. But, he knew he couldn't keep it a secret for long. Sooner or later, he would have to tell her the truth. For now, his only focus was taking her back with him.

  15

  «I'm sorry»

  Reid let out a soft breath. The last person had finally stumbled out, and now he was left with nothing but silence. It had been ages since he had felt the calmness of the pub. But after what happened with Ruby, he wondered if anyone would come back.

  The tables were soaked from the countless drinks that had spilled throughout the night. Even the crumbs left behind had stuck to the table like cement. It would take hours to clean all of this up himself. He thought of calling in another employee. But with it already being so late, He had decided to tackle the mess himself.

  His mind felt numb with the thoughts that circled above him. He had never seen Ruby like that. That vacant stare, the slow movements. Everything about it made little sense. She wasn't some sort of monster. She wasn't like that. Was she? After all, he knew very little about her. Ruby kept her personal life to herself. Well, most of it anyway. Reid's hands shook as he thought of her attacking those girls.

  «She wouldn't do that,» Ried told himself, «she's not a monster.»

  His words, though shaky, held the truth. His truth. Reid would never consider Ruby to be a monster. She was just... different from everyone else. And being different wasn't a crime. Shaking his head, he continued cleaning.

  Time ticked by slowly as he rubbed down the soaked filled table. Though his body was busy with the task at hand, his mind, however, wouldn't let the thought of what happened go. He tried to think of something else, anything else, like planning his second date with Nikky. He smiled, Nikky was such a sweet girl. Whenever she came in with Ruby, his stomach would fill with butterflies, and his heart would beat a mile a minute. He was shocked when she a
greed to a do-over. This time, Ried was determined to have nothing ruin their night.

  With his mind tackling two things, Reid started to feel a bit dizzy. Taking a seat in the booth he was cleaning. He leaned back on the leather seat. He wanted to make both of them happy. He wanted to make whatever was happening to Ruby disappear so she could be happy once more. With no knowledge as to how to really help her, Reid felt lost. He wondered if Nikky might know something. But shook his head. If Ruby didn't tell him anything, the chances of her telling Nikky were slim as well. He was right back to square one.

  «Damn,» he said.

  Placing his hand over his mouth, he tried to narrow down his options. As long as Ruby was with Joshua, she was safe. And as long as Nikky was at home, she was safe, and Reid would do his best to keep it that way. Rising from his seat, Reid walked over to the bar. Since there was no one around, and closing time wasn't for another few hours, Reid felt it would be an appropriate time for a drink.

  Walking around to the other side of the bar, Reid grabbed a shot glass and a good bottle of whiskey. He hated the taste of whiskey; it always burned his throat and left a bad taste in his mouth. However, it was the only thing he could think of that might help ease the thoughts, while keeping him a tad bit sober. Pouring the amber liquid into the glass, he took a deep breath before taking a sip. Just like every other time, the drink burned its way down his throat and into his stomach. Reid coughed a few times as the liquid settled into place.

  Looking out to the empty pub, Reid couldn't help but think of the time he had first met Ruby. Nikky had brought her in and begged him to give her a job. Reid didn't know what to do. But seeing those pleading emerald eyes, he couldn't help but agree. He never regretted that day. He had watched Ruby grow from the silent waitress to the waitress full of spunk that wouldn't take shit from anyone. She would laugh and smile with the regulars who hit on her and politely turned them down. Ruby was one of the best waitresses he had ever hired. And now, she was going through something he didn't know about. Something he couldn't help with. His anger with himself grew, and he slammed his fist into the counter.

  «Whoa there. What did the counter ever do to you?»

  Looking up from the counter, Reid saw Kai walking toward him. A feeling of dread fell over him as Kai continued to draw closer. Of all the people to show up, Kai was the last person he had expected to see. Kai looked a little worse for wear like he had been out drinking most of the night. And now he was here probably wanting to drink more. Reid took a deep breath and readied himself for whatever Kai was going to throw at him.

  «Where is she?» Kai slurred.

  «You're going to have to be more specific?» Reid replied, «who is 'she'?»

  Reid knew full well Kai was looking for his sister. And like hell was he about to give up where she was. She was safer away from her brother.

  «Ruby,» Kai barked, «where is she?»

  «Not here,» Reid replied, «and she's not hiding in the back either. So don't even bother looking for her there.»

  «Then where is she?» Kai demanded.

  Reid had to stand his ground. Ruby wasn't in any position to see her brother. Or to be bothered by his countless rules. Glaring at Kai, Reid hoped that maybe he could get him to leave without speaking to him. When Kai sat at the bar, Reid realized he was going to have to force him to leave.

  «I sent Ruby home,» Reid began, «she was feeling under the weather, so I told her to take the rest of the night off.»

  «That's funny because she's not at home,» Kai declared, «I should know. I was just there.»

  «She's with Joshua,» Reid said, «he came and took her back to his place.»

  Reid could tell by the hateful look in Kai's eyes that he didn't like what he heard. In fact, Reid didn't like telling him. But he didn't have much choice. With any luck, Kai would take this information and leave her be, and maybe just leave in general.

  «Why the hell did you leave her with him?» Kai barked, «she needs to be at home. Where she's safe.»

  «She is safe,» Reid began, «besides, she doesn't want to see you. I thought she told you countless times that she didn't want to see you.»

  «I'm her brother,» Kai shouted, «I can protect her.»

  «She doesn't want to see you,» Reid yelled back, «she hasn't seen you in 10 years. And you suddenly stroll back into her life and expect her to treat you like whatever happened in the past didn't happen. Ruby doesn't need you. And, as far as I'm concerned, she has more family here than with you. Now leave!»

  Reid felt his heart race with each word, and his blood boils with anger. He was beginning to understand why Ruby hated him so much. Kai just didn't get it. Ruby had everything she needed here. Reid made sure of that.

  Reid watched as Kai rose from his seat. He stood for a moment before glaring back at Reid.

  «I don't care,» Kai said, «I'm her brother. I'm the only one who knows how to keep her safe. How to keep her from ever finding out the truth.»

  «The truth?» Reid repeated.

  Seeing the look of shock cover Kai's face, Reid knew Kai had said too much. Now, Reid's curiosity grew. What truth did Kai know? Did he know why Ruby had been acting weird? Before Reid could press him for more answers, Kai turned and darted out the door just as another customer walked in.

  Ruby awoke to find herself blanketed in darkness and in an almost unfamiliar place. As her eyes adjusted to her new surroundings, she found herself in the bedroom at Joshua's apartment. She was alone and the room was silent. It was almost eerie how silent the room was. Turning to her side, she half expected to see Joshua lying beside her. However, the spot beside her was empty. Not that she could blame him. She'd want to sleep elsewhere too if she had another freakout.

  As she rose, she began to question how she got there. She remembered seeing Nikky, barely eating the meal she had, then that run-in with that guy. Her body shivered with the thought of his red eyes staring at her. She had gotten to work...her head felt fuzzy and began to ache. She remembered the girls who had cut themselves with glass and the strong scent of blood in the air.

  Shaking her head, she tossed the blankets to the side and placed her feet on the floor. She tried to gather her thoughts to make sense of everything, but it was all blurry after the girls. Running her hands through her hair, she let out a breath. It was hopeless to force it out. The only thing she could do was piece it together slowly. And what better way to figure things out than to take a nice hot shower. And from where she sat, she could smell the awful stench of sour booze on her. How? She wasn't sure.

  Joshua's bathroom was a lot larger than she had expected. The walls were white to match the sink and tub. Next to the tub sat a mannequin with a white robe wrapped around it, which seemed pretty convenient to her. Next to the tub was the shower. The white brick tile surrounded the inside, and there was even a small place to sit. The large square-shaped showerhead dangled from the ceiling, there was even a handheld one as well sitting on the wall opposite the bench.

  Since she hadn't heard Joshua, nor had she seen him in his apartment, she thought he might not mind if she took a quick shower. She stripped slowly as her muscles felt tense and ached. Why? She wasn't sure. And she hoped the shower would help.

  Sure enough, as the warm water rushed down her, she felt better. Even if it was just a little bit, she thought back to what happened after Ried had told her to take a break. She had sat deep in thought, staring at the drink he had made her...Then the girls...one of them got cut on some glass...Ruby remembered the crimson smell that danced through the air. It called to her...She felt strange after that. Like something had taken over. She had felt so thirsty. But not for alcohol or water. That thick sweet-smelling liquid that dripped from the girl's hand...

  Her body trembled. She wanted to drink that girl's blood. But why? Who in their right mind would want that? She felt frozen as her eyes widened. The only creature known to drink the blood of humans was Vampires. Her heart began to race as her mind searched for an answer
. She couldn't recall ever being bitten by one in her life. But that doesn't mean much. It could have happened at any time. She cursed under her breath. Then she remembered how many hidden traps she had placed in her home. There was no way anything could have gotten in. So why?

  «Damn it,» she cursed as she slammed her fist into the shower wall, «what the hell is happening to me?»

  Had she been cursed? If so, by who and how could she reverse it? Was there even such a thing as reversing it? She cursed once more. There had to be some sort of explanation for what was going on. This couldn't be in her mind. People had seen her change... She had felt the change herself. She crouched down and slid her hand down the slippery tiles. Everything felt hopeless. Her body began to tremble once more with the fear of the unknown creeping up on her.

  Suddenly, she felt arms wrap around her and wet clothing clung to her skin. Her heart skipped when she looked to see Joshua behind her. The moment she noticed him, she felt a rush of emotions flood over her. She had tried her best to stay strong. And for so long, she had kept up the act like she wasn't terrified or breakable. However, as Joshua's arms tightened around her, Ruby lost all sense of strength. Her body trembled as the tears streamed down her face. She twisted herself around and placed her hands on Joshua's soaked shirt.

  She felt her tears stop, and her body regained its stability. She didn't want him to see her like that. No one had ever seen her like that. Except for Kai. She thought the walls she had built were strong enough to hold off anything. Yet, whenever Joshua was around, she felt exposed.