Let's find out what happens next

Chapter 9:

Groaning softly as she rolled onto her side, Ruby took a deep breath. She couldn't believe she was back to doing this. And yet here she was. What made this hell even worse was that Cinder had promised her that she would be here even though she wasn't. Something Ruby knew she would need to get back at her for, but she was fine for one meeting really.

"Ruby, you've been here for twenty minutes into our hour. And you haven't said anything to me." The blonde doctor said calmly as Ruby just sighed softly. "I know you aren't overly fond of our talks Ruby. Specifically how I did have to report somethings to your mother. But even though it has been years since we parted ways, I can assure you now I don't need to tell your mother anything if you don't want me to." The blonde psychiatrist said softly as she began to fix her glasses. "I mean your mother just mentioned how you seem to have blocked some more moments out of your memory. She didn't mention the situation that lead up to it, or anything else. This is all up to you."

Grumbling softly, Ruby just rested her head on the rest again as she took a deep breath. "I also don't like the crap tonne of pills." Ruby mumbled as the green eyed woman just nodded her head gently. "But I don't know what happened. I went out to a party with my roommate because she was mad at me holding myself up planning to not go out and do something stupid like party this year... she even thought it was because I broke up with Reese a month back... then I woke up nearly noon the next day in a ditch in Patch. Hell I'm only here because it was the only way I could get my Mom off my back and let me go back to college."

Nodding her head gently, the psychiatrist started to write something down. "Ruby, can you see this from your mother's perspective? That is something most people would be worried about. Even with your long and mostly blocked out memories. Not to mention add in the break up with your long term girlfriend, the stress of starting college, and to top all that off memory ending at a party and waking up in a ditch a couple dozen miles away from your college."

"Reese and I are still close friends Glynda. And It is just another memory I don't have. Like nothing solid until I was five. And there is no real stress of college. I got the course I wanted with lots of room to spare because shocker women aren't common in aerospace engineering and everyone practically wanted me." Ruby stated calmly as she could see a look in her doctor's eyes. "Plus I'm not even really that mad about Reese and me breaking up. I mean there was no real hard feelings to begin with. We both kind of felt the relationship ran its course."

"Be that as it may Ruby, it is still something to worry about. I mean you told me some of our last visits that you were starting to make some worrisome comparisons to some of the memories you've gotten back." Glynda spoke as she flicked a few pages back. "Like and I quote 'Reese means the world to me. If she breaks up with me I don't know what I'd do... I'm just constantly reminded of the same feeling of abandonment. The silver eyes staring at me with minor contempt in them...' So you can see why I'm a little sceptical of that claim."

Grumbling softly Ruby began to pull her knees up closer to her chest. "Reese and I dated for a year after that... and I had intentionally forgotten about those eyes." Ruby muttered softly as she took a deep breath before she continued. "Not to mention I still don't even remember the face...or who it could belong to. Just the eyes. And the cold feeling. Like water." Ruby stopped to shiver a little as she looked at the ground by Glynda's feet. "And then next thing is me walking into Mom's room because I had a nightmare... and her warm eyes as she gently tried to calm me down."

"But that is why your mother searched me out originally. Because you wanted to know so much of your past which she didn't have the answers for."

"Yeah but what is the point of searching for them now? Mom has given me a great life. I have amazing friends and am getting an amazing degree doing what I love. I either became a great person despite the memories, or because them. And those aren't very good odds." Ruby said softly as she took a deep breath. "As for the party missing memory... if movies and tv shows are to be believed... I got drugged and possibly raped... but I don't see that happening. I spent most of the part I remember in the darkest corner away from everyone. Only person that came towards me was my roommate. And she just handed me a beer that someone else got for her."

"Maybe you were drugged. Just not the intended person." Glynda spoke as Ruby just shrugged her shoulders. "I mean it isn't impossible to rule out."

"Doubt it. Yang doesn't even look that hot to me. Like I know some people find her hot but I don't think any of those people are the type to drug her." Ruby stated softly as she sighed softly to herself. "Plus I've done some drugs... and it wasn't the same feeling. Normally in my experience you do notice a slow fading from reality. This is just once the beer was done, a couple minutes pass... Yang is making out with someone who I assume is the person she was looking for then things start to go dark as I try and sit back down in the corner I was happy in."

Leaning back as she fixed her glasses, Glynda sighed softly. "I thought you've told me that you don't like drugs."

"No. I just don't like taking a million and a half pills which are meant to royally screw with my brain. I mean you put me on things for anxiety and depression and for my OCD and my panic attacks and for my small bit of bipolar tendency and my ADD and then my sleep." Ruby recited off all the things she can remember as Glynda simply held up a hand. "I feel like I'm missing one or two."

"Ruby, I know it seems like it was a lot. But if you recall I never claimed you had anything close to resembling bipolar disorder. I said one of the pills I was taking you off of for depression and putting you on instead could be used to treat bipolar disorder. It was for your depression. As for your obsessive compulsive disorder, and attention deficit disorder, that is things you should have been on for a while." Glynda said calmly as she began to flick some more of the sheets back as if to jog her memory. "Yeah, in my notes I have it mentioned that you often complained about those two things but felt like your mother didn't listen to your complaints about it and just said that it was normal. Tell me are you still taking those at least?"

Crossing her arms tightly across her chest, Ruby sighed softly. "Yes. It just makes everything about life easier to do for me... and now that I haven't taken them in a while it is starting to suck." Ruby huffed softly to herself, just loud enough for Glynda to hear. "But I haven't been depressed recently and been sleeping just fine. And while I've been having mild panic attacks from anxiety that is purely from moving from home into a dorm. Which as the days move on it is getting easier and easier. I think Mom is just starting to suffer from empty nest syndrome."

"I'm not qualified to talk about your mother like that. I'm not her doctor. But what I do know is your mother cares for you deeply and just wants to see you achieve everything you want." Glynda stated as she began to fix her notes looking up at the clock that was just above the door. "But we have ten minutes left. So is there anything you want to talk about now?"

"Not really... I just came today to appease my mother. And she probably spent a lot of money to get this rushed appointment so I'd feel bed if she wasted money like that. Could have gone to charity." Ruby mumbled again as Glynda just smiled softly.

"Okay. But it might hurt you a bit for me to tell you that we have another ten meetings booked. Same day and time each week." Glynda said as Ruby let out an elongated groan as she rolled onto her back. "Again she is worried about you Ruby."

"Doesn't make it less sucky." Ruby whined softly as she began to sit up. "No offence Glynda." Ruby continued as she looked turned a little to look towards the clock, just making a mental note to herself to chew her mother out for that broadsiding and sending her to this hell weekly all of a sudden instead of the much more preferable once a month one she would have taken as a compromise.

"None taken." Glynda said standing up to match Ruby who just smiled. "But I think this is us done for this week. I'll let you get back to doing whatever else you planned for today."

"Thank you Glynda. I suppose I'll see you next week then." Ruby said as she gently followed Glynda to the door. Just laughing softly as she could hear Emerald and Neo feuding over what she knew was the ice cream for breakfast.

Opening the door, Ruby just chuckled softly as the door opened revealing the duo getting ready to jump into a fight with each other. Rolling her eyes gently, Ruby took a deep breath as she spoke to them. "Come on guys... we should get going. I need to talk with my Mom..." Ruby said snapping their attention to her with a simple shrug of their shoulders.

"Shotgun." Emerald said laughing softly at Neo's hurt look on her face. "Yeah that's right small fry. I get it this time madam 'I'm going to shove the seat back forcing the tall person to have her knees embedded into her chest.' I get it."

"Oh, I'm going to shank you in your sleep."

"Guys. Enough of this... we must escape hell first."


Hearing the phone ringing, Cinder pulled back looking at the black and red marks littering the brunette's body, Cinder just smiled as she could see the blonde tied boy nearly gagging at the smell of cooked flesh wafting up.

"Wake the bitch up and keep them silent. Private phone is ringing." Cinder said dropping as she carefully tossed the red haired man the iron she had just used to brand the men what they were. Walking over to the table, Cinder smiled as she could see the urine bucket that had been under the man getting tossed onto him to wake him up.

Smiling softly, Cinder could see the name she often adored to see coming up on her phone. "Make sure they don't make a sound." Cinder snapped as she could see some of the guards of the room nod as Roman just smiled softly as he started to twirl the branding iron like it was his cane before he placed it back into the still burning fire.

Happy that no one was going to interrupt this, Cinder quickly slid her finger across the screen as she took a deep breath. "Hey Ruby. What's wrong? If this is about Glynda, I'm so sorry I couldn't be there for you. My hands are tied at the moment."

"You blindsided me with that hell Mom! And now I'm meant to go every week!? What the damn hell Mom!" Cinder heard her daughter yell causing her to sigh softly. A frown starting to grow as she could see out of the corner of her eyes the bowler hat wearing man just barely withholding a laugh. "Honestly Mom. I feel so betrayed."

Sighing softly, Cinder pinched the phone between her head and shoulder as she picked up one of the old and rusting knives that littered the table. Bringing her finger across it lightly to test it's sharpness, causing her to just take a deep breath as she held the phone to her head again. "Ruby, you wouldn't have agreed to one meeting if I didn't. And I'm deeply worried about you." Cinder began as she quickly embedded the knife into the wooden table with a small frown.

"And this is something we should talk about face to face Ruby. I promise I'll be home in time for dinner." Cinder said as she took a careful step to the side picking up a hammer which she began to toss lightly in her hand as if she was trying to judge the damage it would cause.

"Fine Mom. And we are totally talking this out... but can you send Mercury by the house? I'm also inviting Reese and my roommate over. Be glad I'm not blind siding you like you did to me today." Ruby hissed lightly as Cinder began to press her lips into a thin line as she took a deep breath. "It is just to get high Mom. I just want to have some fun so I can forget about needing to talk about those damn eyes, and the cold water."

Sighing once again, Cinder gripped the handle causing her to quickly snap the tip off the blade. "Fine Ruby. But don't go too far. I'm not going to let him give you much though Ruby." Cinder said calmly as she could hear Ruby just sighing on the other end.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you Mom. And I'm making demands like a spoiled child. You know I love you."

"I do Little Gem. And I love you. Just don't get into too much trouble. I'm bringing Roman over as well. So don't let Neo get into much trouble like she is so inclined to." Cinder said as she pointed the jagged tip towards the red haired man. "Drive safe and don't drive under the influence."

"Tell Roman I said high. And I won't Mom. Bye." Gently nodding her head Cinder said a simple 'bye' as she tossed her phone onto the table as she took a sharp inhale.

"Say one word Roman and you are ending up in the same position." Cinder stated as she tapped the three inches of the rusted blade on the table as she turned towards the nearly crying duo. "Now, as I was saying before the one person you shouldn't have harmed called me. You two, our time is nearly up. It certainly is up for your time with Mercury." Cinder said as she took a few more steps towards them where she lightly rested what she had to assume was the blade portion on the shoulder of the blonde man. "Mercury go bring the girls a few ounces. Remind the blonde if she is there about our chat and how it would be terrible if we had to have another one because I won't be as nice."

Bowing his head gently, the silver haired twenty one year old nodded his head before righting himself. "I'd get going Mercury." Cinder said lightly tapping the the knife once more onto the cowering blond's shoulder.

"What if the women doesn't head the warning?"

"Then I guess these two will have a guest joining them." Cinder said with a laugh as she swapped the hand holding the knife, dragging the jagged metal across the brunette man's shoulder. Just smiling at the blood starting to rush to the surface. "Now go Mercury." Cinder barked the final order as she could see the man quickly walking off.

Turning towards Roman, Cinder just smiled faintly at him. "Did you know you need to get a tetanus booster every decade? They just wear off."

"Yes, but that would only matter if skin is punctured by something rusted that happened to stay outside in animal shit for months." Roman said calmly as he began to inspect the second branding iron. "Oh wait... is that the knife we used to disembowel the undercover agent for the White Fang last year while he was low ranking? Because if so, they might just have a chance of getting tetanus. We still have days to find out the old fashion way."

"Hear that boys? We have days to find out if you'll start to have painful muscle spasms." Cinder spoke lightly tapping the bruised face of blond man as she began to drag the knife down his upper arm. "You never know, I may get bored by then and you two might live. If I don't take your genitals that is. I know how you college boys think your life depends on your dicks. Pity they are tiny right now." Cinder taunted softly as she swapped the knife with the new branding iron being handed to her by Roman.

"Now Blondie, I don't think it would be fair to brand you as a rapist. After all thanks to your friend's accidental confession we all know you just simply watched. You watched a woman get defiled after drugging her because you thought you were going to get the blonde women I had a chat with... so I hope you watching your friend get branded taught you not to move too much." Cinder said as she pressed the red hot metal into the centre of the man's chest. Taking some joy at the muffled crying sound coming from the man as Cinder pressed harder. Taking some minor joy as she could hear the faint sound of bones cracking under the pressure the smell of burnt flesh started to become pungent. "Maybe if you live this will teach you both a valuable lesson. But we still have some hours to play before I make that decision. So why worry about the future? Especially you two. You might not have long." Cinder said in a chilling tone as she tossed the most recent torture device down as she could feel her mind starting to rush with ideas causing the corners of her mouth starting to hike up into a menacing grin. Cinder knew that this was going to be a great time just reminding the world of what will happen when someone harms Ruby.

Author's Note:

And done yet another chapter.