My Sister's Keeper: Chapter Nineteen [NaNoWriMo]

naquoya (67)in #nano • 8 years ago (edited)

Words uploaded so far = 26500. Words written in total = 31400. Lack of sleep = a lot. Still going = just. Does the story make any sense = I hope.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Ruby ran as fast her little legs would carry her. She ran until her lungs felt like they were on fire, tears running down her cheeks from the agony and terror of what had just occurred. She wasn't sure just how far she had run, or how many corners she had turned, or even in what direction she had come from. All she knew is that she had run, just as Anastasia told her to. Blindly, with no sense of anything else other than the need to get away from there as fast as she could. She remembered hearing a gun shot go off. But that was all. Ruby had no idea what had happened since.

She stopped, gasping desperately to get air into her lungs. It felt like needles piercing her airways as she fought to get as much oxygen flowing into her as possible. Her chest was rising and sinking like the oceans as she held onto the wall of the nearest building trying desperately to stay upright. She felt herself get light headed. I need to sit down, she thought, somewhere out of this lane way. She found a door into the nearest building, opened it and walked slowly inside. Apart from a crumbling ceiling, and a few bullet holes in the far wall, it all looked intact. It was still standing, and offering shelter. Something they had not had in any other town since leaving home. She lent against the wall, and slid down until seated, still panting for air, but over the worst of the pain. The events of the past few minutes started to come back to Ruby. What's going to happen to Anastasia, she wondered.

“Emma, where are you?” she whispered, frightened of alerting any nearby soldiers.

“I'm here,” she replied. Ruby turned, and saw her sitting beside her.

“Where did you go?” Ruby asked her.

“I've been here, but I was keeping an eye on Anastasia also.”

“In two places at once?” Ruby inquired.

“Yes, it's necessary sometimes. This is one of those times.”

“What are we going to about Anastasia?” Ruby asked Emerald.

“We need to rescue her.” Emerald answered nonchalantly.

“How are we going to do that?” Ruby asked, starting to feel more frantic as her breathing capacity returned to her in full. Her mind was starting to grasp the fullness of the situation she found herself in. It was all returning to her. This is a disaster, she thought. I know Emma can do so many things, but what can we do here, we're just two children?

Emerald turned to Ruby and held her hand. One of those things she could do well was read Ruby's thoughts. “Don't worry Ruby. I told you both to enter the town for a reason, and it wasn't to see any harm come your way.”

Ruby felt both reassured and immensely frightened all at the same time. She believed Emerald. She knew her to be capable of miracles. My sister is an angel, she thought. But she needs to be a very powerful angel if she is going to get Anastasia back from those soldiers.

“Whereabouts are they right now?” Ruby asked.

“They've taken her to the main square, to a small building just on the other side. Where the leaders are.”

“Can we sneak in there?” Ruby was still trying desperately to formulate a plan, but had no idea how to take on a dozens of soldiers. One of them already tried to shoot me, so they're not nice people, she reminded herself. “What about guns, do we need any guns?”

Emerald smiled at Ruby, admiring her enthusiasm and determination. “I have a plan all worked out,” she reassured Ruby. “By the time we are finished here today you will finally understand why those others back at Kirban were frightened of us. Why they were so superstitious. They blamed you, because they couldn't see me, they could only sense me. The thing is though, I meant them no harm. I don't mean anyone any harm, but these soldiers intend to do us all harm. They plan to kill Anastasia, and us too if they find where we are.”

“Why is it they couldn't see you?” Ruby asked, referring to the men in Kirban that had forced them out to fend for themselves.

“Because I am not what some people would call real, Ruby.”

“But you are real.”

“Yes, I am to you. And I am becoming that way to Anastasia. Some things are too hard for a young mind to understand. Even adult minds struggle to grasp what all of this means. And some minds fear what they do not understand. That's where the danger lies for us. For you.”

“But not for you?” Ruby asked, in response to Emerald's last statement.

“No, no one can touch me. But they will try to hurt you. I'm not going to let that happen.”

“So how do we rescue Anastasia?”

“We walk in and get her,” Emerald responded.

Ruby laughed, “that sounds like a plan I would come up with.”

“Technically you did.” Emerald responded, knowing the deeper significance would go over Ruby's head.

“So we are just going to walk over to the square, walk into the building, and rescue Anastasia?” Ruby asked. “And they're not going to do any thing to try to stop us?” she continued.

“They'll try to stop us. But I have a special trick that I have been saving up for just this moment.”

“A magic trick?” Ruby asked.

“Yes, it is a magic trick. The best tricks are magic.”

“What do I do in all of this?”

“Nothing, just stay by my side, and watch. They wont touch you. They'll be too busy trying to understand what exactly is happening.”

“When do we do it?” Ruby asked, starting to feel eager to rescue Anastasia. She hadn't felt this excited since leaving home, even since before their mother had died. It had all felt so grey for so long. But not right now, she thought. Emma is going to use magic to rescue Anastasia, and beat all the soldiers who are going to hurt her.

“Now is a good time, if you've recovered fully?”

“I'm fine now,” Ruby answered. She had recovered, but she wasn't going to let any shortness of breath stop her witnessing this magic show. Especially one where the soldiers get beaten by her sister, the magician. “I'm ready to go.”

“Okay then, let's go. Just stay beside me, and follow my instructions.” She was going to tell Ruby not to fear or worry, but she wasn't showing any. Not since hearing about the magic tricks. It had brought her back to life like she hadn't seen in quite some time. All part of the plan, Emerald reminded herself. The detour sometimes provides the required outcome.

They left the building they had hidden in for the past few minutes. Ruby followed Emerald, saying nothing, but dutifully going where she lead. Down all the lanes she must had taken earlier – I'm glad Emma knows where she is going, Ruby thought. There is no way I could find my way out of here. They kept walking down many lane ways, around many corners, and over several streets, until finally the reached what looked to Ruby like the main street she was at earlier with Anastasia. Emerald stopped.

“The square is around that corner,” she told Ruby. “Now remember, they can't see me, they will only see you. That is why they are going to freak out like they will. Just follow my commands, okay. This will all work out.” Emerald held Ruby's hand, and gently stroked it. She sensed a small amount of nerves, but knew Ruby would be just fine. She is starting to understand the nature of our relationship. Not completely, but she is slowly coming around.

Emerald walked out from the lane way into the main thoroughfare that lead to the central square. Ruby was directly behind her. The soldiers were busying themselves, some ways off still in the square, oblivious to their presence. That's a good thing about being small, she thought. They have yet to notice us. Emerald marched directly towards the soldiers. She was more determined than Ruby had ever seen her before. She really does know what she is doing. They had gotten within twenty metres of the first soldier when Ruby was spotted.

The soldiers quickly grabbed his gun and pointed it at Ruby, being completely oblivious to Emerald's presence. “Stop right there,” he ordered. His gun immediately flew out of his hands. He looked at them, with the look of complete bewilderment. “What the...” he started to say. He was unable to finish his statement, as he was thrust several metres through the air backwards by a force that was so strong that even Ruby felt it.

Ruby glanced sideways at Emerald, impressed and petrified, and finally starting to understand just how this rescue was going to work. So that's magic, she thought.

The remaining soldiers in the square had become aware of the commotion by now, and were all grabbing their guns, and pointing them in Ruby's direction. Emerald stopped, and turned to Ruby. “Tell them to put down their guns and no one will get hurt.”

Ruby relayed the message to the soldiers exactly as Emerald had instructed. She was met by stunned silence followed by howls of laughter. Several of them took aim at Ruby just to be met by the same fate as their colleague. Ruby watched as both of these men were thrust back through the air like rag dolls. Their guns were spun off far from any other soldier, as if by a force all their own. The other soldiers looked at Ruby in horror, but still convinced their guns afforded them a might that she couldn't match.

Emerald thrust three more back, this time even further, and with even more might. The soldiers were flung through the air, smashing with an incredible force into the street and pavement many metres away. Emerald caused all the guns to spin away from where they had landed and lay at her feet.

“Repeat the command, Ruby.”

“Put down your guns before any one else gets hurt.” Ruby told the remaining soldiers.

They slowly started to look around, hoping for another to lead the way. No one wanted to be the coward to cave in first, but not one of them had any desire to challenge Ruby any further. The first one finally responded, and slowly put his gun on the ground and backed away from it. He hung his head as if in shame. The rest of them joined him, one by one. Ruby collected the guns and put them in the pile with the other ones.

“Ruby, these soldiers all carry cable ties with them, for tying people up. Ask where they are located.” Emerald instructed Ruby.

Ruby walked over to the soldiers, who were too frightened and bewildered to make eye contact. “Where do you keep the cable ties?” she asked.

“In our backpacks. Mine is just over there,” the closest soldier responded, pointing with his head towards his bag. Ruby walked over and retrieved the bag. It felt mostly empty, but on opening it she did find the cable ties. She looked to Emerald, who proceeded to walk over to the group and start tying the hands of the soldiers together behind their backs. Ruby stood in front of the group, watching. She could see the eyes of the soldiers light up in terror at the sight of what they believed was the only one there standing in front of them. “Who's tying the cables” the first soldier asked, looking at Ruby, too terrified to look behind the row of men kneeling on the ground. “There was only one of you,” he continued.

Having tied them all up, Emerald walked back to the first soldier and whispered in his ear “where is the woman?” He tried to stand up, but was shoved back into the ground. “Stay there,” Emerald responded.

“You heard that, didn't you?” Ruby asked the soldier.

“Yes. Who is it you have with you?” he asked, his voice quivering as he tried to spit the words out.

“What you should be asking is – how many do I have with me,” Ruby responded. Emerald gave Ruby a look of surprise, as if to say well done. Ruby agreed, it was well done. I can play this game too, she thought.

“How many?” several of the soldiers asked in unison, starting to catch on to just what was unfolding in front of them.

“I have an army too, except you can't see my army,” Ruby responded. I've managed to make these grown men with guns frightened of a little girl, she thought. I like this magic trick.

Emerald walked over to Ruby and asked her to find out where Anastasia was housed.

Ruby turned to the first soldier, the one who seemed to be a de facto leader of the group. “Where is the woman you took earlier. Where will I find her?”

The soldier turned his head towards a building on the far side from where all the commotion was taking place. “In that building there,” he said.

“And how many are in there?” Ruby asked.

“There is usually six men, sometimes more.”

Emerald turned to Ruby and explained what was going to happen next. She listened intently, starting to truly believe that anything was possible. “But for now though, we need to get these men into that building over there, and then tie their legs,” Emerald told Ruby. Ruby instructed the men to get to the feet and march one by one into the abandoned building. Emerald knows exactly what she is doing, she told herself. And it is working. We will have Anastasia out soon enough. Ruby finished tying up the soldiers feet together, leaving them unable to free their hands or feet. The two sisters walked out of the building, shut the door, and looked towards the building where they had Anastasia held captive.

“Are you ready?” Emerald asked.

“Yes, now that I have my own army,” Ruby responded.

Chapters One and Two (Part One)
Chapters Three and Four (Part Two)
Chapters Five and Six (Part Three)
Chapter Seven (Part Four)
Chapter Eight (Part Five)
Chapter Nine (Part Six)
Chapter Ten (Part Seven)
Chapter Eleven (Part Eight)
Chapter Twelve (Part Nine)
Chapter Thirteen (Part Ten)
Chapter Fourteen (Part Eleven)
Chapter Fifteen (Part Twelve)
Chapter Sixteen and Seventeen (Part Thirteen)
Chapter Eighteen (Part Fourteen)