Ruth's story begins when she is thirteen. She had just moved to a new town, Willard. She was upset about this because it was in the middle of the school year and she had to make new friends while catching up with the curriculum. On top of that, her house only had two bedrooms and since she was the youngest she didn't get her own room or even a room at all. Her brother, Johnathan, got his own room and her mother said that her bed wasn't big enough since her dog slept with her too. Her mother, then, told her something that angered her. Of course she would just have to learn to deal with it.
"You have to sleep on the couch in the living room."
It was the start of Ruth's degradment. To her it was if she had a lower status than a dog bright side was that she at least got to have her blue dresser in her mom's room. As Ruth was unpacking she discovered that she wouldn't have anywhere to put up her dresses or coats.
"Mom, where am I going to hang up my coats and stuff?" she asked. Tear began to gather in her eyes at the thought of losing even more freedom.
"Um.. I guess you'll have to just put them in your dresser and sell the rest that won't fit."
"Oh, ok." Ruth said quietly. She couldn't voice her disagreement since her mom was under enough stress as it was. Her grandmother kicked them out of their other house and said that they were on their own. This caused her mother to be snappier than usual. Also, there was the fact the Ruth was generally a quiet child at home because her brother would make fun of her if she did something strange; which happened quite often with her.
Ruth kept unpacking her clothes and sorted through what she needed to keep and what could go.
"I guess I can keep all my shorts since summer is coming up and I have keep my jeans because those are expensive. I don't have any shorts that I don't need, so I get to keep all of them. Hmmm, I guess I can throw out all of my skirts and dresses since I don't normally where them," she murmured to herself. She was so focused on her task that she didn't hear someone come up behind her.
"Hey Sissy, why are you talking to yourself? Maybe you should go to a crazy house. Are you hearing the voices again?" this came from her brother who loved to torment her whenever possible.
"No, you know that I haven't heard them since fourth grade."
The voices were characters from her favorite books. They were her imaginary fronds as a child since she didn't trust any of the other children in her grade. Whenever she told her family about them they would just laugh and pass it off like it was nothing. Until fourth grade when something horrible happened.
"Hey Ruth."
"Yes, Fang?"
"You know what you should do?"
"What?"
"You should take that knife and you should cut your finger with it. It feels amazing better than tasting ice cream."
"Won't it hurt?"
"No, it feels good."
"But, I'll get in trouble. Mommy says not to hurt myself and even if I don't get hurt it will leave a mess."
"You can make it look like an accident. You're supposed to be opening a movie, right?"
"Yeah, but how can I make it look like an accident? I'm not that stupid anymore. You know that."
"But, they don't. Besides you li,e feeling good, right?"
"Well, yeah who doesn't?"
"Then try it."
"Alright. I have to make it loo like I was trying to open this movie with that knife?"
"Yep."
"Alright." She grabs the knife and positiontoot so that when she pulls it down the security seal it will cut her finger.
"Yes," Fang purred." That's it. Now cut yourself."
She cuts along the seal including her finger. She instantly drops the knife and the movie. She runs to the bathroom. Fang silently follows,chuckling to he enters he sees Ruth sobbing.
"You said it wouldn't hurt." She choked out.
"I lied. It felt amazing to me to see you follow my instructions, even though you knew it would hurt. You wanted to feel pain. You know that you need to be punished."
"For what? I haven't done anything wrong."
"Not yet, but you will so why not just atone for your sins now and then you don't have to later."
"Oh, ok." Suddenly, someone knocked on the door.
"Oi, Ruth, where is that movie. I thought you were excited to watch it."
"I am. I just cut myself a little bit when I broke the seal." She lied.
"You see? This is why it hurt you. You're lying to your brother."
"Shut up, Fang."
"Ruth, are you talking to one of your friends?"
"Yes, Fang."
"Alright, well I'm coming in, so tell him to go away."
"Ok,goodbye Fang." As she dismissed him, he disappeared. Johnathan, then,entered.
"Holy shit, Ruth! That isn't a little cut, I can see the bone! Mom! Get inhere I Need you to help me stop the bleeding."
"What did she do now?" her mother sighed.
"She cut herself opening the Chamber Of Secrets." Johnathan replied.
"All right. Get me a towel."
"Yo, Ruth! Are you going to answer me?"
"Im sorry what did you say?"
"I said that I need you to do the dishes because I'm going out to hang with friends."
"Oh, ok."
"You need to listen to me. I'm your big brother which means you're my servant and have to do what I tell you to."
"Yes sir." Ruth, then, went back to her task of sorting out her clothes.