Ruthegim
Chapter 1
Ruth Frier woke up with a sudden chill. she was hit by a wave of nausea and confusion. Ruth wondered if she were dreaming or not. She felt scared. Alone. She looked around. The first thing she saw was a letter. It was stuck on the wall. She got up from where she was and got it. It said the following: "I watched as more people died each and everyday. All suffering the same exact death. The disease that haunts all. The Gim. It came from an animal that was found in Europe by a farmer. No one knew what this animal was. The farmer called a scientist, John Grace, to capture this strange creature, and to do tests on it. John and his team of scientists went to the farm and got it. In the lab, something went terribly wrong and the animal attacked John. It bit him and he immediately fell on the ground. He told his team that he was alright but he started feeling different. He didn't tell anyone of the sudden pain rising above his heart. He collapsed onto the floor. His team then realized that something was wrong. They took him to a blood testing machine. They got a sample of his blood and ran some tests. They saw a weird black gooey liquid in it. Then all of a sudden, as they're checking his blood, John attacks one of the leading scientists and scratches her. She falls in shock and doesn't move. She gets up slowly and starts to scream. She charges to one of the scientist and scratches him. He came running at me. And before I knew it he scratched me. I felt something change in my body. I suddenly could not move. After a few minutes I felt something crack in me. No, not in me I realized. But out of me. In the room. I had one hand on the mans throat. I lifted him up and I felt as if I were sucking out something in him. We didn't know what it was then, but the gim was suddenly in me. In my blood. In my veins. It felt good. Powerful even. I couldn't stop. Until it was too late. I took the mans life. I fell onto my knees. Ashamed. Not believing what I had just done. I got up from the floor of the lab and I fled the lab that day. I saw the chance to escape the first outbreak. And so I took it. It was horrible, yes. Leaving my friends behind. But I could only think of one thing at that moment. I was special. I have the power to take the disease. Away. From the people. But at a terrible price. I have only one goal. To stop a disease that'll have you dead in minutes. It spread at an alarming rate. But I can fight it. God I wish there were a way to cure this- this disease. This monster. Not with me taking the lives of others. I've been looking for a cure for quite awhile now. I am Ava. Daughter of John Grace. My goal is to stop the Gim. I will help the human race build up again. Ruth, we could build this world back together. Help it rise as it was before. I thought I could do this by myself. Boy was I wrong. Even with this ability I possess I couldn't possibly do it alone. We could find more people like me. I have a power. I have the Gim. But nothing of what the people could possibly think. I could suck up the disease and it'll have no effect on me. It gives me strength. Gives me power. I lead a rebel group called the degims. We've been hunting down people like me that have certain abilities that could help us. I've been searching for many months now. I could tell no one else could do what I can. One of my colleagues told me you had a certain ability that could help me. That could help us. Will you help me Ruth Frier?"
That was all the letter said. She ripped it off the wall and felt the edges of the letter. It was covered in dust and she noticed that the paper was made of some material she didn't know. Ruth was so confused. She saw an envelope on the floor which she assumed was where the letter was from. She picked it up and then a picture fell out of it. It was a girl. Well a women, tall, and skinny. She had curly brown hair and hazel eyes. She looked like she was 24 years old. She noticed in the picture that the women had some sort of tattoo on her right forearm. It looked like an eye. It was black. It gave her an odd feeling as if Ruth had seen it before. She'd have to worry about that later. She looked around the room. She was in a jail cell. She looked around the cell and noticed a huge hole in the left side of the cell. She didn't bother looking inside. Ruth didn't want to know what would be in there. Or where it lead to. Ruth sat in the middle of the cell and thought. Why was she hear.? Where is she? So many questions, but not enough answers. Ruth suddenly felt a chill crawl up her spine. She turned around and her eyes grew wide with shock . She couldn't believe her eyes. It was Ava. The Ava Grace. The one that supposedly thinks she possesses an ability like her. She looked back at the picture in her hands. She couldn't believe it. "Well hello there Ruth," Ava began but Ruth interrupted her. Unable to stop the questions from coming. "How do you know my name? What is this place? Where am I-" Ruth couldn't, wouldn't stop. She felt as if she were about to lose it. Go mad. She felt a sudden wave of fear. She couldn't breathe. "Zip it Ruth. Now if you want to get out of this prison then follow me. No buts. Understood?" Ava said sounding annoyed. As Ruth got up from the floor, about to speak, there was a crash just outside of the cell. "Hurry we must go. Quickly!" Before Ruth could react, she was already being dragged by Ava. Into the hole. Her eyes grew wide with fear. "Hey!" She started but then stopped. What she saw was terrifying. Two men were standing in the door way. They looked hungry and ready for a meal. Ruth hoped she want in the menu. She knew what they were. "The Gims! Hurry we must run," Ruth said. But what happened next was beyond Ruth's comprehension. Ava was sucking the disease out of them! Ruth realized what she read about Ava was true. That this ability of Ava's could help. There are others. Ruth was finally understanding. The two men laid silently on the floor. Lifeless. Ruth felt unease to the bone. When Ava was done Ruth started to talk. "How did you do that? Are they dead? I can't believe this! Why-" Ruth couldn't stop. Always with the questioning. Ruth noticed that there were more Gims coming. "Come on we mustn't waste time! Let's go through the tunnel," Ava said. "What tunnel?" Ruth began, but remembered the big hole on the left side of the cell. A tunnel. She realized. She felt stupid for being scared earlier. She laughed at herself. "Of course," she murmured to herself. There only way out. Ruth knew then that her life was about to change. She will be special.
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Chapter 2
Ruth regretted going in the tunnel the second she set her foot inside. Neither said a word. Ava led the way. She seemed to know where she was going. Ruth didn't mind. She was glad for the silence.
An hour past until Ruth could see fire light. They past a torch that looked as if it were lit a few hours ago since the flame started burning out a little. She assumed that Ava had lit it on her way to get her. Ruth noticed there were more ahead.
"Where are we?" Ruth asked quietly, fearing that she might be heard from another Gim. "We're just below the prison. You and I are going to the head base of the degims. Alter. It's a two day journey but I'm sure you'll make it." Ava didn't say anything else. Ruth was still confused. From the events that occurred earlier. She wanted to ask more questions, but she didn't want Ava getting mad or trying to hurt her like she did to those two men. Back in that prison. Something that she won't regret. Ruth wondered how old Ava was. She didn't know much of her at all, now that she thought about it. "Ava?" Ruth said so low that maybe Ava didn't hear her. Surprisingly, she did. "Yes?" Ruth could almost hear the exhaustion in her voice. So she wasn't the only one tired. "I was wondering, since you probably know more stuff about me than I do, if you could tell me a little bit about yourself. I mean I totally get it if you don't want too. I'm just curious." Ruth waited for what seemed like hours, but it was probably just all in her head. "Well I'm Ava Grace, but you know that since you read the letter yes?" Ruth nodded. "I am the only person with this ability I have. My father, John Grace, was a psycho. All he cared about was his stupid studies and experiments. And he dragged me into it." Ruth could've sworn she heard Ava sniffle but she said nothing. Ava continued. "I was 17, your age, when he took me to one of his lab studies. He told me something big was going to happen that day. That was the day when.. well you know," Ava glanced at her direction. "Yes," Ruth muttered. She looked down to her feet. "When a farmer called in." Ava didn't need to say the rest. Ruth already knew. Everyone did. "5 years later and now look what's happened." Ruth stole a glance of Ava waving her arms in the air showing off her anger and sadness she'd been keeping inside. "This planet we call home is rotting. And there's nothing we can do to stop it!" Ava raised her voice at the last part. "Sorry," Ruth whispered to herself. Ava scoffed. Ruth didn't speak another word.
On they went walking and walking, deep into the fire-lit tunnel. Ruth had finally felt comfortable only to be filled with unease once again, when they reached the end of the tunnel. Ruth didn't notice before, how exhausted she felt. She glanced around. A forest. They were in a forest. Ruth couldn't believe it. She didn't think she would ever set foot in a forest. Not after what she had done. Ruth told herself she wouldn't think about it. Never again. 'Enough of this nonsense' Ruth thought to herself.
As far as Ruth could tell they had been walking for hours. "Ok we should rest for a little bit and then we can start walking again." Ava said pointing to a trail in the forest. Ruth was glad for the break. She didn't think she had ever walked so much in her entire life. Ruth felt exhausted. She fell onto her knees and laid back in the grass. God did it feel good to lay down. She missed the feeling. Ruth closed her eyes. She heard Ava shuffling around something. A backpack maybe. Ruth didn't notice one on her. "Here," Ava said, tossing a piece of bread to her. "No use in walking around in an empty stomach. Eat up." Ruth gladly took it, eating it in less than a minute. She didn't realize how hungry she was. Ruth wondered when was the last time she had ate. Her stomach made a low grumbling sound. It must've been hours since she'd last ate. Ruth got up on her feet. Feeling a little better but still very hungry. She didn't want to ask Ava for more.
Ruth walked around, stretching and getting ready for the long walk to Alter. She saw Ava doing the same thing. Gathering all of her belongings. Ruth looked around one last time before heading off into the forest. That's when she heard someone approaching them. Ava reacted first. Ruth froze. "Who goes there?" Ava asked. She waited for five minutes and no one responded. "Enough of this nonsense let's go" Ruth noticed a shiny thing on Ava's wrist. Of course. Ava would have a watch. To keep up with time. She didn't even bother telling Ruth. "How come you didn't tell me you had a watch?" Ruth asked but Ava didn't reply. Which got Ruth angrier. She didn't like this.
They stayed quiet for a few more minutes until they heard the noise again. "Alright, enough playing around who goes there?" Ava said sounding alert. Focused. Ready for a fight.
Right in front of them appeared two young children. They looked like twelve years old. One boy and one girl. The girl was hiding behind the boy. Ruth assumed they were siblings. "We mean you no harm we've just come from the lost city of Barthos just across the Noorian river and we come seeking for food," the boy said calmly almost robotic sounding. Ruth felt goosebumps rise up her arms.
"P-lease you think we, degims, are going to believe that crap, come on Ruth let's show them what we're made of," Ava said. Ava waited for her to respond. Ruth didn't know what to say. She had a bad feeling about these kids.
"I really think we should-" Ruth started but then the girl jumped on her. Ruth fell backwards from the momentum of the little girl. "Don't you want to help a little girl and her brother? Please share some food with us...GIVE ME FOOD NOW," the little girl said. Ruth noticed a wild look in her eyes. The little girl had her pinned down to the ground. With her hands on Ruth's throat. She couldn't move. She was very strong for a little girl.
"They have the Gim!" Ruth shouted, pointing out the obvious. Ava smiled. "It's all good just suck it out of them, Ruth, you got it" Ava said. Ruth never felt so frustrated and confused till this moment. She did as Ava commanded. She couldn't. Ruth wasn't special. She realized. The little girl watched Ruth having trouble. She started to giggle. "Ava-" Ruth said. But Ava just stood there. Watching and observing her. As if Ruth were a rat in a maze trying to find the way out. "HELP ME AVA. IM NOT LIKE YOU!" Ruth shouted with a fearful tone. "AVA!"
Ruth was struggling to get the girl off of her. Not trying to hurt her. That seemed impossible. That's when Ava noticed something was wrong with Ruth. As soon as she realized that, she did her magic. She shoved the little girl off Ruth and sucked the Gim out of the little girl. Not only that but the girls life! Ruth started panting hysterically.
"What-did-you-do?" Ruth said. She looked at Ava with disgust.
"Oh come on, are you really scared of me, Ava Grace? I just saved your life. Now come on." Ava tried giving her a hand to help her up but she refused to touch it. Ruth remembered about the little boy.
"What about the oth-" Ruth began, standing up, but the boy was already on top of Ava before she could even warn her. Ava was trying to fight him off but the boy didn't budge.
It all happened so fast. Ruth didn't think. She just reacted. She felt as if something were coming close together in a tight circle. Pulling her. She was creating something. She knew it. She's had this feeling before. Before she was brought into a prison. She didn't want to open her eyes. Remembering the events before she was brought to the cell. Green and blue lights flashed beneath her eyelids. She opened them to see two spheres of some type of energy forming just above her hands. The boy was on his knees staring at the strange light of energy. Ava was staring at Ruth. Mesmerized by what she was doing. Ruth never felt so much power. Energy.
Something in Ruth's mind tells her that she needed to get closer to the boy. She did. The boy did not flinch. Ruth put her hands on the boy's cheeks and closed her eyes. She knows what to do. Ruth felt a tiny pull of energy and she tightens her grip on the boy. She does all this with her eyes closed. Not wanting to break her concentration. She notices the lights get brighter and brighter. Finally, she lets go. And then in a blink of an eye, it all vanishes.
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Chapter 3
Ruth fell on her knees. Eyes wide. With her hands clenched in fists by her ears. Her head hurt terribly bad. That's all Ruth could think about. All she could hear was the pounding in her head. She couldn't take the rush of pain. "Ruth-" Ava said stepping towards her. That was the last thing Ruth heard before everything went black.
-
And then the dream came
-
Ruth loved to draw. She was working on a new drawing, since she had already finished her drawing of the meadow down the river. This drawing was different. Ruth wanted to try something new.
It was an eye. She worked carefully. Not trying to smear the ink. Drawing lines of black and silver. Taking the time to perfect the little designs of the eye. Ruth was so deeply concentrated on her work that she barely noticed the sound of the crickets from outside. Ruth had a good feeling about this one particular drawing.
She smiled. Something she rarely did.
She heard the door open from downstairs and mother greeting someone. It must be the daily food delivery. Ruth continued on with her work. If only uncle Aleo were here. He would love this drawing. He always thought she would be a famous artist when She got old enough. He taught her how to draw. Teaching her the patience one needs to have when drawing. 'A drawing is unique. Special. No one can replace it. Just like you' he would say.
Ruth started to tear up. She smiled thinking of her Uncle Aleo. She looked at the picture frame beside her bed. It was her Uncle Aleo. She missed him so much. He was all her and mother had. Before the second outbreak of the Gim took him. Ruth didn't want to think of him any longer. She focused back to her drawing.
"And just a little ink around the edges...and done!" Ruth stared at her drawing feeling proud. She was about to go show her mother when she heard a crash coming from downstairs.
"AHHHH" Ruth's Mother screamed.
"Mother!" Ruth screamed so loud that she could probably be heard all the way from the Noorian river. She dropped the drawing on the floor not caring if it were dried or not. She ran out of her room. Down the stairs. To the kitchen.
She couldn't believe her eyes. How could he be here? Everyone thought that he was dead. There was no way he could have lived through the second outbreak of the Gim. It was simply not possible.
~
'But then how did we' she thought.
~
"Uncle Aleo?" Ruth stood by the door frame of the kitchen. She narrowed her eyes. "What are you doing here? How are you here?" Uncle Aleo didn't pay much attention to her. He had his full attention on Ruth's mother. His sister. His eyes were full of rage. For what reason, she didn't know. Ruth guessed his anger was set on her mother, but she didn't have a clue why. He must have had the Gim. Uncle Aleo would never hurt us. At least Ruth hoped so.
She had to act quickly. Before her mother, or herself would catch the disease. If they didn't already have it. "Please, Uncle Aleo, you're not thinking straight please listen. Put my mother down and let's talk." Ruth started feeling worried for her mother. She didn't want anything bad happening to the one person she had left in this hell we call home.
"Ruth please go back upstairs. I'll handle this." Mother said looking at her straight in the eyes. Reading Ruth's thoughts clearly. " Al listen to me don't you dare hurt my daughter. Leave her out of this. Whatever you're here for, take it."
Ruth was so confused.
What was mother talking about? She was about to ask when Uncle Aleo spoke for the first time since she came downstairs.
"Her," he pointed at Ruth. She froze. "I want her now! Ruth come with me NOW!" Uncle aleo said. Ruth was terrified. The way he sounded. It was just inhuman. It sounded disgusting. Raspy. Hoarse. Poor Uncle Aleo. Whoever did this to him will pay. Ruth would make sure of it.
"Ruth get away! Run now!" Mother told her. She couldn't. Ruth could not abandon her mother. She could not. She had to think. She looked around for anything she could use as a weapon to deafened her and her mother. Uncle Aleo seemed to catch on to what Ruth was doing and jumped into action. He ran towards her. Ruth suddenly could not move. He was on top of her. "Uncle Aleo please! Leave us alone! Stop this!" Ruth said but she realized this wasn't her uncle anymore. This person was infected. He had the disease. He had the Gim. And there was no way to reverse it.
~
'If only there were a cure'
~
Ruth woke up. She gasped. The sudden rush of pain knocked the breath out of her. She was confused. Why was she dreaming of that again? She didn't want to remember. She cannot remember.
'I killed her'
Once Ruth got her breathing in control, she looked around. She then remembered what happened. The flash of lights. The boy. Ava.
"Ava!" Ruth yelled she started to panic. She heard footsteps coming towards her.
"Ruth finally! About time you wake up!" Ava said acting all normal. As if none of the events from earlier happened. "So.. how'd you do it?" Ruth was confused. "The green and blue lights and the ball?" Ava said. To Ruth, she looked like she was excited. Why would she be excited? Ruth felt horrible for what she did. She was pretty sure the boy was dead.
The guilt came rushing back. The boy. "Ava where's the boy? Is he alright?" Ruth hoped that she didn't kill another person just because she couldn't control this ability of hers.
"Those are some great questions Ruth," Ava said smiling. "He is alive."
Ruth couldn't believe it. Did she take away the Gim? She felt a sudden rush of pride. She was surprised. Ruth thought he would be dead. Like her mother. "Where is he? Can I speak to him? Can I see him please?" Ruth wanted to see for herself. She couldn't believe it. She had to see it with her own eyes. She got up and started to look around. She heard someone walking behind her. She turned around quickly, and on instinct, she reached out and grabbed two little hands. The boy. She stared at his hands. And after an awkward silence, she let go. She still couldn't look at the boy. She didn't want to see his eyes. If he still had that crazy mad look in them. Ruth finally looked up. She saw the little boy. No sign of the Gim. How was this possible? Ruth had no idea.
"Hello Little boy my name is Ruth," Ruth smiled. "What's your name sweetie?" She didn't want to frighten the kid. She waited patiently. After a minute or so, he answered.
"M-My n-name i-is Raleid, please don't hurt me. I don't know what happened to me. I want my mommy." Raleid started to cry. Ruth didn't know what to do. She was never great with kids. She started to panic. She hated having these panic attacks. Ever since that day she was imprisoned, she always got them. She hated the feeling of being scared. Alone. And never seeing the light. Only the dark. Ruth breathed in. And breathed out.
"Ruth calm down," she heard Ava say. But it sounded so very far away. She could only here a ringing sound. Her head started to pound. 'Why am I feeling this way?' Ruth thought. She knew this feeling. 'Damn it,' she thought.
She took one last glance at the boy and then the world tilted back and turned pitch black. Again. Ruth fainted.
-
The dream came rushing back. The memory.
-
Ruth couldn't think. She felt useless. Uncle aleo was trying to bite her. She felt a sudden pull of energy in her. She had never felt this before. She felt as if her chest tightened like a knot. She didn't realize her eyes were closed. Ruth saw green and blue flashes of light. She opened her eyes and she saw that her hands were wrapped around her uncle Aleo's throat. She didn't realize that she was crying. What is this pull of energy? It's as if it wanted her to take something away. Ruth didn't know how to describe it. She saw a sphere of energy forming under her hands. She had let go of Uncle Aleo. Ruth looked at her mother and saw pure horror on her face. She was terrified of Ruth. That's when Ruth lost control of whatever pull of energy she was feeling. It snapped.
Everything around her exploded. She fell on her knees. She noticed she was in some type of bubble of green and blue energy. No not energy. Power. She realized.
She looked around her surroundings. She screamed. She couldn't believe her eyes. She didn't want to believe it was true. There she was. Her mother. Dead. The power didn't even try to go away.
Ruth didn't stop the tears from coming. They fell. Each one stinging her cheeks. Ruth did this.
She looked around for Uncle Aleo. He had disappeared. Ruth didn't have time to worry about him. She tried to call off this power but then realized that would be a big mistake. The dust and smoke from the explosion would harm her. She said goodbye to her mother and ran out of the house, before the remaining parts of the house fell on her. As soon as she ran out, the house collapsed.
She looked around. She was surrounded by police officers. "Hands up Ruth Frier we have you surrounded! Surrender or you will be shot!" One of the policemen shouted. Ruth didn't care. After what she had done she didn't care at all. She would never forgive herself.
Her mother.
Dead.
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