The Day Before

I touched my cheek and I could tell a bruise would come along, from both the slapping and the cans of food hitting my face. Dash whined, pacing around me. He licked the spot where Charlotte hit me and growled. I petted him between the ears, trying very hard not to cry. It seemed that everybody was against me. Eli, Benji, and now Charlotte. I didn’t even know what I did wrong!

I felt something lodge in my throat and I uttered a cry, silently trying to keep it all together. But I knew nobody would see me. Mostly because it would either be Charlotte or Eli, and they both hated me to no end. Dash sat next to me, putting his head on his paws.

I pulled him close, glad to have at least somebody for comfort. I heard a tentative step from behind me and I quickly wiped away the tears, trying to show at least some dignity top whoever the stranger was.

I turned around, sniffling and biting my lip. I saw Ruth, her hands were behind her back and she looked at me dead on. She raised up her hand in a little wave and stepped closer. When she got as close as she dared she opened her mouth, her index finger raised. It took her a moment, then she shook her head as if to think better of it.

“Oh, Violet.” she sighed breathlessly.

“Ruth.” I acknowledged her, my voice barely above a whisper.

“I-I’m not supposed to be here…” she trailed off, still standing before me, her hands were still behind her back and I cocked my head to the side.

She unfolded her arms and showed a white towel, slightly smudged and damp, hanging limp in her hand.

“It’s really hot out here, so I thought, you know…” she tossed it over to me and I caught it, a few droplets of water hitting my face.

She turned around quietly, and began to make her way to wherever the entrance was to the mall.

“Wait! Ruth!” I called out to her, my voice an unrecognizable croak.

She looked back and stopped walking in mid-step. I picked Dash up, momentarily catching him off guard, he perked up his ears and I clumsily made my way over to her.

“Take…him.” I choked out, extending my arms out.

“He won’t make it out here. It’s too hot, not a lot of water, too.” I confirmed, firing away reasons why she should take him. Right on cue, Dash whined, lolling his tongue around. I waited there expectantly, not moving an inch. Ruth fidgeted and after a few minutes, she grabbed Dash and nodded her head.

“Alright…But, you have to come, too. I can’t leave you out here. I can find a way without Charlotte knowing…” she trailed off, but I shook my head.

“No, I can do this. I’m strong.” I gave her a fake smile, I felt my cheeks strain from the lack of emotion.

I turned her around and gave a gentle push in the direction from where she came. “Go, before Charlotte realizes you’re gone.”

Her eyes widened at that, and she opened her mouth, but then left it hanging. “I-I can’t leave you!” she exclaimed, her eyes wide with panic.

“You can, and you will!” I yelled back at her, crossing my arms over my chest. “Please, Ruth!” I begged, not wanting to waste any more time.

She looked at me, a nervous glint in her eyes. “F-fine.” I felt a sigh of relief flood through me. I knew that I was going to regret the decision to stay behind, but I didn’t want any more problems. Not with Charlotte or Eli.

She took a long time to leave, she always looked back and clutched Dash to her chest like a little squeezable teddy bear. I waved every now and then, showing her I was okay. When she did leave I sat down and thought a whole lot about the situation at hand.

The world. And what was wrong with it.

Not necessarily the world, though, maybe just Florida. Or Miami for that matter. I remembered the man on the tape recorder, talking about a hurricane that was a level 6. He was raving about the end of the world or some crazy idea, it was all very fuzzy now. I mentally slapped myself for not bringing the tape recorder with me, it felt important now. More important than what I thought it would have been.

It can’t really be the end of the world, Benji had a helicopter with him. He had to have had a cell phone to call whoever it was manning the helicopter. And if it was the end of the world, then you wouldn’t really be able to use your phone.

So, now that I ruled out the end of the world theory.

What was really happening?