Board Thread:Writer's Workshop/@comment-9041013-20170201195638

“Ruby, your breakfast’s ready”, shouted Ruby’s mom in the direction of her daughter’s room. Ruby's room was located at the second floor of the O’reilly’s privately owned Glasgow house.

Ruby yelled back, “I’ll be down in a moment”, as she is pulling her hair into a high ponytail.

She looked at the mirror, and with her sleepy green eyes, she sighed to herself, "Oh another day…" Ruby grabbed her school backpack and skipped downstairs into the kitchen.

“Good morning”, said her father, James.

“Morning, daddy”, the teenage girl answered to her father.

James looked at her face and asked, “Why don’t you ever smile, darling?”

As she was gently petting her dog, Duke, Ruby looked at her father once more and said, “Well, I just woke up and I’ve to go to school, with all the quote on quote smart kids, I don’t see anything to smile about yet”

Before he could answer, Ruby’s mom said, “Well our girl is right, considering she's an Einstein amongst her peers”

Ruby giggled at her mother’s comment and set down to eat her breakfast, which was made up of Scrambled eggs, Salami, a toast and some juice. Once she was done eating, Ruby grabbed her backpack and headed outside to the bus station. The front door was already closed shut by the time her parents had noticed that their daughter was gone.

Ruby was always a quiet girl, she did not have many friends, and in fact, she only had one friend from kinder garden up until her high school days. She was always happy; at least that’s what she claimed, as nobody really knew what was going on inside of her mind. She was not a girl to talk about her emotions, problems or anything of personal nature.

Ruby stood at the bus station, pulled out a set of headphones out of her jacket’s pocket and stuck them into her ears, waiting for her school bus to pick her up while she’s listening to classic rock music. After a few minutes of waiting, her ride arrived it was a typical school bus, yellow in color which had become almost brown with the years. The driver, a balding fat man in his fifties shouted at her, “Get on already, O’reilly”.

Ruby got on the bus and went to the back of it; she threw her backpack onto a seat and sat herself next to it. As in every morning, she just stared through the window until her bus arrived at its destination in about thirty minutes.

Once she arrived at school, Ruby entered the main building, went past most of the hallway until she reached her locker. Once she did, she opened it and stuffed her jacket inside; she then proceeded to take out one notebook and started looking for a book. While she was looking for the book, the school bullies; Andy, Mark, Ben, Adelina and Charlie showed up next to her. They were always together, always picking on people together, especially Ruby who never really gave them much attention to begin with. Andy shoved the locker door while Ruby’s head was still deep in her locker and she luckily managed to dodge the steel door that was flying her way. In spite of being surprised, Ruby’s green eyes stayed as cold and emotionless as ever, she saw the group and asked, “What do you want?”

Andy answered to her mockingly, “For weird freaks like you to be gone from my school” As he said that his posy began laughing at his remark.

The whole school knew Ruby was different, to say the least, they were told she has a Schizoid personality disorder; a mental condition that makes people distant and emotionless, it also causes them to be socially inept and distanced. Whether this was the truth or not, none of the students knew.

As the five kids were laughing, Ruby just stood there, stone cold, she looked at them and sarcastically said, “Will is a good thing.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">Ben didn’t like Ruby’s response and shoved her to the floor he yells, “Who do you think you are to talk to him like that, you abomination?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">At that moment, Ruby’s only friend, Chelsea, showed up and saw what was happening, so she yelled at the group, “If you guys don’t leave her alone, I’m calling the headmaster!”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">Andy got a little worried, not wanting to get in trouble he said, “Alright guys, let’s go, these little shits aren’t worth our time” and the whole group just walked away.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">Chelsea ran to Ruby and began to help her up as she’s asking, “Why don’t you ever show these guys, we both know you can”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">Ruby dusted herself off and said, “I just want to cause too much noise, that’s all”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;"> Chelsea looked at Ruby with a disappointed look in her eyes, grabbed her by the hand and started walking while saying, “Come on, let’s go to class before we’re late” Ruby just dragged herself along with her friend.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">The first two classes passed quietly for Ruby, nobody was bothering her. She was an excelling student, always listening, writing and generally participating in her classes, the teachers loved this girl, perhaps that was the reason so many kids didn’t like her much in edition to hearing of hearing about her supposed issue. Nobody really likes the teacher’s pet, right? For Ruby, however, none of this mattered, the same way most things did not matter to her.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">Once the bell rang for the long break, Ruby got up, collected her belongings and so did Chelsea. Both girls left the classroom and just a few feet away from its entrance, Adelina bumped into Ruby spilling her yogurt over Ruby’s shirt. Chelsea pushed Adelina away and the two girls kept on walking, as they did Chelsea asked angrily with a sarcastic tone to her words, “Is this girl serious?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">Ruby answered quietly, “Don’t mind it, I’ll clean it later” as the girls were approaching their lockers. Ruby opened her locker and pulled out her jacket which she proceeded to wear.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">While she was wearing her jacket, Chelsea smiled and said, “Y’know, Ru, sometimes I think you’re too nice for your own good”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">Ruby smiled back at her friend and said, “You and me both know that I’m either too nice as you put it, or way too not nice”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">The girls giggled at Ruby’s remark and proceeded to go into the classroom where they will be taking their exam.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">Once the bell to the end of the break rang, the classroom was filled with students, everyone took their place and Ruby set at the third row of the first column of seats, behind her set Charlie. Their History teacher, Mr. Jones, handed out the test papers and as he did, he warned the students that the one who will be caught looking anywhere but at their paper will immediately receive an F.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">The test began in silence, ten minutes in, Ruby felt something hit her neck, a paper ball. She ignored it. For the next ten minutes, Ruby kept feeling paper balls hitting her hair and neck but soon she got tired of it so she reached to the floor, picked one of the paper balls thrown at her from the ground, took a turn to Charlie and threw it back in his face.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">He smiled as the tiny ball of paper hit his face.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">He smiled because he saw Mr. Jones saw the whole ordeal and stood behind Ruby who turned around, and handed her disappointed teacher her exam paper. She packed up her belongings and quietly left the classroom without uttering as much as a sound.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">An hour and a half had passed and the test was over, a crowd of students began fleeting out of said classroom and Ruby took this to her advantage in order to disappear from the eyes of her friend, Chelsea.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">During the last couple of classes, Ruby set alone, quietly, at the far back so nobody would notice her. Once all her classes were over, she headed out of the school building and into the bus that was supposed to take her home. She set at the back of the vehicle, stuck her headphones into her ears and stared through the window once more.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">After half an hour of listening to her music, Ruby got off the bus at the station near her home; she pulled out the headphones from her ears and went into her home’s front yard. The place was quiet, too quiet… Even though the girl’s parents weren’t home, her dog, Duke, was supposed to be jumping around her by now as he does every time she comes back from school.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">It all seemed weird to Ruby.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">She began looking for the dog; she looked around the whole house calling his name and whistling, but to no avail. Ruby stopped at the backyard, where she saw a dog’s corpse under the cherry tree that stood there. Once she was close enough to the tree she noticed the dog was not her own, she sighed in relief, figuring her dog must be alive and well somewhere. It was a corpse of a German shepherd cut in half. Someone had taken the time to mutilate the corpse and throw it into the O’reilly estate.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">Ruby began looking for any clues onto who could’ve done such a thing, she found on the basements window a writing, written in blood, it said, “We’ve your dog, he’s fine – You’re gonna get him back quickly if you do as we say”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">Ruby figured out quickly who had done this, who had stolen the one precious thing from her. She then entered her house, grabbed a piece of paper and a pen, and she wrote on it, “Mom, Dad, I’m running some errands today, so I’ll be home late xoxo Ruby.” After leaving a message to her parents, Ruby went upstairs, changed her dirty shirt and put on her black trench coat and left the house afterwards.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">Ben Peterson returned home late in the evening that day, he found a latter at his doorstep, “In order to celebrate a great day, I’ve prepared a surprise for you – meet me at the abandoned barn, Love Lina ;)”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">Ben and Adelina were known as an odd couple who would go to secluded places no one else dared to go to be alone. Ben thought it’s going to be just another one of their endeavors, so he opened the door to his home, dropped his school backpack inside and went out to the abandoned farm at the edge of town.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">It took him forty minutes to get to the farm and as he did, he looked around calling for Adelina and when she did not answer, he decided to check out the big barn building at the center of the farm. Ben called out for Adelina once more, “Lina, you here?” there was no reply, so he tried again, now a little worried, “Adelina, my beautiful, are you here?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">After a few moments of stifling silence, Ben received a response, one that sent chills down his spine, “Y… es… I’mmm here”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">Adelina’s shaky response sent Ben running into the depths of the old building riddled by darkness as he screams for her, “Adelina, are you okay? Honey, is everything alright?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">Ben never expected to hear what he heard next, “Ay, she’s fine, just putting up an act”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">His body froze in place, his heartbeat began to skyrocket and cold sweat ran down his face, he asked nervously, “Ru…. Is that you?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">The voice did indeed belong to Ruby O’reilly, who at that moment flew into a state of rage and called out, “Ru… Ru… since when are we friends for you to call me that? Huh?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">Ben quickly realized something wasn’t quite right with her voice, it was full of intention, it was driven, it was ecstatic. Before Ben could say anything he heard a metal object hitting the floor near him, the loud sound made him jump backwards thinking something was thrown at him.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">Ruby told Ben in a calm but loud tone, “Call your friends, tell them I’m coming to have a chat with them…”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">Ben flew into a rage and yelled at her, “What are you gonna do if I don’t, you crazy fuck?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">Ruby smiled, pressing something against Adelina’s neck, smiling while she does. The cold feeling on her neck made Adelina cry out, “Benny, do as she says, I don’t think she’s joking”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">Ben became worried, he was afraid of letting his love get hurt, he was afraid of Ruby at that moment. So he pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed up a group call with his friends, as they all picked up their phones Ben simply said, nervously, “She lost her mind guys…fuck...” before dropping his phone onto the ground and yelling at her, “What else do you want from me?!”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">“Now you see, they all say I’m schizoid, but you know what, thats not the truth Benny… The voices tell me I’m just Schizo, they also told me to put the knife at your feet, and make you decide which one of you love birds goes, so I did”, said Ruby coldly. “So decide, your life or hers, one of you has to go, now!”, she continued.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;"> Both Ben and Adelina began crying and begging for Ruby to stop, Ben pleaded, “I’m sorry alright, it was just fucking joking, it wasn’t serious, we… I… I never meant to hurt you, just please stop, I’ll make sure no one ever does anything to you again, neither you nor Chelsea… please, just stop, I beg you!”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">Ruby began laughing softly and said, “Well, I guess it worked, you guys got the point, I guess I should stop this little cruel game… hey Chels, come out! We’re done here.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">Both Ben and Adelina sighed in relief, Ben was about to say something but Ruby cut him short, “Not really...”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">Both of their heart sank to their feet, neither of them could believe what was happening, the fear returned, and with it so did Ben’s anger, he shouted at Ruby, “You fucking mad cunt!”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">Ruby pressed the metal object again against Adelina’s skin making the girl squeal. Ben heard the sound and picked up the knife that was lying at his feet, he grabbed it in both his hands and said, “Fine I’ll do it, just let her go…” With tears streaming down his cheeks he raised the knife in the air, towards himself and said, “I love you, Lina” before stabbing himself in the gut.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">Adelina jolted forward as she screams, “No!” but her screaming was cut short as the object held against her neck was a knife and she accidentally committed suicide, her throat was slit by her sharp motion.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">Ruby dropped Adelina’s body onto the floor and uttered in disappointment, “What a shame, I was gonna let one of them live, oh well you’ve gotta break some eggs to make an Omelet.” Ruby then walked towards Ben’s body, took the knife out of his body and wiped two of her fingers through the blood that was coming out of his body, she used the knife to draw a big red smile across her face and then proceeded to go out to Mark’s house.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">Once she got to Mark’s house, she noticed that his family’s private garage was opened, she sneaked to the side of the garage and looked at the window, inside she saw Mark working on his car and a bottle of water on a nearby desk. Ruby started looking around for ways to get rid of Mark and then she saw something that made her burst out in laughter, “Isn’t it ironic this guy lives so close to deadliest thing to him on earth?”, Ruby uttered to herself. The sight that made the teenage girl jolly was that of a peanut bush, as Mark was extremely allergic to peanuts.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">Quietly, Ruby approached the bush and plugged a few peanuts; she proceeded to crush them into tiny bits and powder in the pockets of her coat and then she set there, waiting. Once Mark left the garage building, Ruby ran inside quietly, she took the bottle of water and filled it with the bits of peanut. She was closing the bottle as she heard steps getting closer, she finished closing the bottle and quietly ran out of the garage, after that she set next to the garage wall and began waiting once more.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">Sometime later, Mark drank the water in the bottle and began feeling tingly in his throat, soon enough, he wasn’t able to breathe, he was losing air quickly and he collapsed on the floor clutching his throat.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">Ruby appeared at the entrance of the garage and waved with her hand at Mark as a sarcastic sign of goodbye as she smiles gleefully at his suffering, he tried calling her for help but she instead just locked the door preventing him from escaping, getting any help or anyone even noticing his condition until it was already to late.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">After leaving Mark to die from his allergic reaction, Ruby headed to Charlie’s. Charlie lived in a multistory building, his apartment was on the tenth floor. Ruby took the lift upwards and when she arrived at the desired story she knocked on Charlie’s door.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">He opened the door and saw Ruby standing there, smiling, with her painted face. She looked completely crazed. The sight surprised Charlie who stumbled back due to it, Ruby took the liberty to rock herself into his apartment. Charlie kept stumbling back from the sight of Ruby who pulled out a bloodied knife out of her sleeve and Charlie just fell down on his bottom.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">He asked, “Wha… what… what are you planning to do?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">Ruby, stumbled closer to him and said, “Well, isn’t it obvious?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">Charlie began crawling backwards, until he hit a table while mumbling along the way, “No, No, No, No, No…”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">To which Ruby cheerfully replied, “Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes!”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">Charlie rose up to his feet leaning on the table and broke down into tears, “I’m sorry, they all forced me to do this, they all forced me to be cock to you… please don’t hurt me, I’m willing to do anything, please…”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">Ruby stopped and said, “Well, usually it’d work, but you see, I had a few drinks and I’ve got this idea, why don’t I gut the fuckers? Hmm I didn’t care about the things at school, but stealing a person’s dog…”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">Charlie cut her off then, “What dog, I don’t know what you’re talking? I don’t know anything about a dog…”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">Ruby started walking towards Charlie again as she says, “Oh now he’s lying as well…”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">Charlie kept on walking backwards until he found himself on the edge of the balcony, shaking, terrified for his life. Ruby pretended to lunge at him and he stumbled backwards once again.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">One too many times.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">Charlie found himself on the concrete below, ten stories below his apartment.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">Ruby ran to the edge of the balcony and looked down, she saw Charlie’s limp body laying lifeless on the street below her and said, “Oh that must’ve hurt like hell”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">Once Ruby was through with Charlie she went on to Andy’s house, he was the final bully on her to do list, and he was the one who had her precious Duke.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">Once Andy’s house was in sight, Ruby could hear a familiar barking sound, she was sure; it was the barking of her own five-year-old black furred German shepherd. The closer she got to the house, the louder the barking sounded, when she was close enough to make out details, she noticed her dog, Duke, standing in the yard, not even chained or tied to anything.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">Most importantly, he was alone, and he was happy to see her.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">Ruby ran to her dog and began petting him, all the while telling him how she’s sorry he was taken away from home.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">A few moments later, she heard someone coming, and she commanded the dog to stay silent, being the perfectly trained dog he was, he stayed silent. The person she heard was Andy himself, Ruby hid behind a bush in Andy’s yard and waited to see what he’s planning to do. Much to her surprise, he started petting the dog.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">Ruby jumped from behind the bush and yelled at the dog, “Bite”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">Duke grabbed Andy by the arm with his teeth and jumped on top of him, toppling him to the ground. The young man tried fighting the dog off, but the beast was too heavy and the pain of his arm being torn apart was too great to bare.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">Andy began crying, “Please, make him stop, I’m so sorry, I swear, It won’t happen again, just let me go… Please… It hurts so much, Please, make it stop, Please, I beg you!”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">Ruby set beside Andy’s body and looked him in the eyes, her gaze cold and void of emotions, “You know, Andy, I’m suffering from a condition known as Antisocial Personality disorder, in words you can understand, it means I lack the thing that’s called Empathy, completely”, she said.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">Andy didn’t know what to make of it, he was in too much pain to try to understand what she was talking about. Ruby went on, “You see, I practiced martial arts to avoid doing what happens now, for the discipline – not for the fighting, but you… you and your kind of people… Well, let’s say you broke the final straw. Now tell me, is there anyone home, love?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">Andy’s teary eyes stared into Ruby’s void, almost inhuman green eyes and threw his head from side to side; the teenage girl got up and said, “Well, that’s a shame”. Ruby then turned around and commanded coldly, “Bite.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">The next morning, when Ruby got down for her breakfast, whilst petting her five-year-old German shepherd, Duke, Ruby’s mom put her newspaper down and said, “Be careful at school today, apparently five kids from your school died last night; three of them in accidents, and the other two committed suicide, they were a couple or something…”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;">Ruby smiled at her mom and said, “I promise, I will be” all the while thinking to herself, “Smile, Glasgow, smile… I’ve ridden you of five bloody pests.” <ac_metadata title="Smile, Glasgow, Smile (Unreviewed)"> </ac_metadata>