“I love you, Ruby.” I murmured at my doll. I stared down into her red eyes that had given her her name. My daddy chuckled as he tucked me into bed.
“You know you don’t need to say that to her every night, love.” he told me. I stuck my tongue out at him silently, and he grinned back.
“That doesn’t mean I can’t. I’m gonna do it till she says it back” I pouted. My dad laughed and agreed.
“I’m sure Mrs. Ruby is very excited for your birthday tomorrow as well.” I nodded importantly
“She is! She told me she’s proud that I’m gonna be a big girl tomorrow. Also don’t call her Missus! She only likes Miss.” My dad smiled at me.
“Goodnight Fiona.”
“Goodnight Daddy!” I cheerily waved at him as he left. I shut my eyes and held Ruby close. I know Daddy doesn’t believe me when I say Ruby talks to me. But she does.
I try to sleep for a few minutes, or seconds. I’m not very good with time. I get bored, so I call on Ruby.
“Hey Ruby, are you awake?”
“Yes dear. I’m always awake when you need me.“
“Yay! I’m bored and I can’t sleep. Can you sing to me?”
“Of course, if that’s what you desire. However, as you know, I don’t know any english songs.”
“That’s fine! I really enjoy your songs.” I told her. I was honest, I don’t like fibbing, and I do love her songs even if I don’t know what she’s singing.
“Ангел света,
Умоляю вас,”
My eyes instantly started to flutter close as she started to sing.
“останься со мной.
Свет так легко заражается.”
Her voice was so pretty.
“Я только хочу защитить тебя.
Не уходи, как я.”
Next thing I knew, I was being woken up by Ruby calling my name.
“Fiona. Fiona! Please wake up!” I opened my eyes.
“What? Ruby, what’s wrong?” I ask, scared. I never heard her sound… not calm and happy.
“I’m sorry, but something bad is about to happen.” Ruby said. I sat up, holding her close. She had warned me about things like this before. Like bullies standing around corners waiting for me, or that they had put sand in my food.
“What should I do?” I asked.
“I need you to go downstairs and-”
BANG
I jumped.
“Ruby what was that?” I started shaking.
“Listen to me. You need to go downstairs and get a knife. You must not be seen.” She sounded stern. She had never sounded like that before. It scared me.
“But I’m not allowed to have a-”
“Go!” She yelled. I jumped out of bed in fright. I took her with me as I tiptoed down the stairs. I had done this many times to get myself food late at night, I knew how to be sneaky. I got to the kitchen and jumped up on the counter. I pulled the biggest knife out from the block and jumped down carefully.
“You need to get back to your room.” I quickly turn around to the door.
Someone was already there. I raise the knife.
“Awww the little girl thinks she can stab me. Why don’t you come see your Dad! I’m sure that’ll give you a REAL reason to stab me.” The kitchen was connected to my dad’s room. The door was open.
“Get back to your room Fiona. You know what’s in there. You’ve already lost your mom. That’s why you moved here and you found me here. Now you need to listen to me, because I’m the best parent you have now.” She was right. But I had to check. I had to make sure. On shaking legs I moved towards the door, ignoring Ruby telling me to stop. There he was. My dad. Dead. He had been shot in the head. Right between the eyes. Ruby went silent.
Did you know when someone is shot between the eyes, it’s a clean hole like you see in the movies? I did. The same thing happened to my mama. You get a clear passage of where they were shot. Just enough wide enough of a hole to be able to see the brain inside. But the blood. Everywhere. It goes everywhere. My dad laid there, in a pool of his own blood. The stranger behind me suddenly spoke out.
“What do you think of my masterpiece? Are you gonna cry? Pass out? Beg for my mercy?”
I started laughing. Laughing and laughing. I let Ruby fall to the ground as I clutched my stomach. Then I stopped and spun around, smiling. The stranger stumbled back, a look of shock and fear on his face.
“It happened again.” I said in a sing-song voice. “But this time… I get to meet the person who did it.”
“Fiona?” Ruby’s trembling voice came from behind me.
I lunged. I stabbed the man over and over and over. I heard cop sirens. I stabbed him until there was so much blood in my eyes I couldn’t see. I turned around to pick up Ruby. Then I saw the police officer outside through the window. I smiled and waved at his pale face, then I bent over and picked up ruby.
“Fiona… Please go back to bed.” I ignored her.
I went to the front door. I wanted the police officers to tell me I did a good job. I went outside.
“Drop the knife and put your hands up. We will not hesitate to fire on you.” said someone through a megaphone. I was confused. Why should I? I helped them.
“Final warning.” I held the knife out toward them, about to drop it. Then, everything got slowed down.
“I’m sorry. I tried to warn you. I can’t watch this happen.You should have stayed inside. Now you need to do for someone else what I tried to do for you.”
Everything got fast again, but now I was being held by my arm.
“FIRE ON HER!”
I couldn’t move my head, but just looking with my eyes, I could see I was being held by my own body. I got it then. I had switched with Ruby.
Gunshots ripped through the air. Ruby threw me backwards gently to make sure none would hit me. I saw multiple hit what was now Ruby’s body. She fell to the ground. She turned her face towards me as she coughed up blood. She smiled at me.
“I love you too, Fiona.”
Now I lay in that front yard, waiting. She said I had to do what she did. I didn’t understand. Not until 5 months later when the house got resold. A mother and a boy walked toward the house through the slightly overgrown grass. The boy stepped right on it. It didn’t hurt nor did I break, but I didn’t enjoy it. He stopped and picked me up. His eyes looked into mine as he asked a question.
“Who are you?”
I knew what I had to do.
“Ruby.”
“I’m Xander. You’re super pretty.” He hugged me. “I love you, Ruby!”