Ruby

The explosion knocked Ruby from her bed. She jumped to her feet, ran to the door, pushed it open, and stepped into the hall. Thick black smoke made her cough.

Ruby ran in the direction of the kitchen, but the smoke forced her back. Beyond the blackness, she felt the heat of the flames. She called out for Mother. Above the roar of the fire she heard Mother’s scream, “Ruby! Get out! Go outside!”

She hesitated and called for Mother again. “Run, Ruby! Go outside!” Mother screamed. Ruby turned and followed the wall to where she knew the door should be. As she neared the door, which had been blown out by the blast, Ruby felt the blessed cool air. She slipped into the dark night and ran.

The forest closed around her. In the darkness, she bounced off trees and kept going. “Run, Ruby!” Mother had yelled. Ruby did as she was told and kept going.

The heat and flames were gone. Darkness surrounded her. Ruby ran. Branches slapped her face and poked at her eyes

She walked into a tree. The rough bark ripped the skin off her nose. Ruby bounced off, landed on her butt, and cried. A branch snapped! Something or someone moved through the forest to her right. Ruby held her breath and moved away from the sound.

She crawled on her belly. The ground dropped beneath her, and she found herself in a depression covered by thick pine branches. She curled up under the limbs and hid. Night sounds surrounded her. Branches scraped together with each gust of wind. An owl hooted. Mosquitoes swarmed around her, sucking blood from her body. Exhaustion took its toll. Ruby fell asleep.

Dreams of smoke, fire, Mother screaming, “Run, Ruby!” and the warmth of the sun penetrating the thick canopy of trees woke her. She stood. Her hips ached from a night of sleeping on the hard ground. Birds chirped their blessing to a new day in the trees around her.

She crawled from under the branches that hid her through the night. She thought she heard water trickling over rocks and turned toward the sound, ignoring the thorns that sliced her legs. She sat down, drinking as fast as she could. She jumped up when she heard strangers calling her name somewhere behind her, higher up. She wasn't sure. She quickly stepped back and her hair got tangled on a low branch. She wrenched it free, her panic having dulled all pain hours ago. The forest canopy swallowed her, as she whined and stumbled. Repeatedly, in her head, she heard mother, “Run, Ruby! Run!”