The countdown

It was a fine day, Saturday, weekend they usually say.

Rubi and her friends were gathered at rubi's house after a long devastating home stay following the pandemic last year.

"guys I'm hungry for hugs - let me have it first" - Tarun said.

Tarun which I would describe as the most intimate person of them all. Everything a touch, voice , even a glimpse of the people he love mattered to him.
While the friends had their fair share of hugs and laugh that the lock-down already stole.
They were happy, of course they missed the 2 years that they lost, but isn't every one of us lost something, some worst than years only.
Ruby lying on the couch yawning by the boredom that soon hit them all said - "let's do something"

"do what, naachu?" - priya with her sarcastic tone replied quickly.

"well why not" - Pooja said laughing uncontrollably and well the only person laughing, in that room.
Which kind of made her awkward and she stopped herself.
They all were now clueless, staring at whatever they found, ceiling, eyes, faces, and well, uh I'll skip this one.
" give me your hand all of you" - ruby almost shouted, I'm sure her mother would soon be calling her for this.
She wanted to draw number on everyone's hand random number, she drew 10 on her own wrist, followed by 7 on tarun's, 2 on Priya's, 5 on pooja's.
"and now what?" everyone asked.
Now you have to make sure that you don't get it rubbed today,
That's a challenge, you have to secure it today.

While nobody seemed very thrilled or interested, they decided to play along and went to their homes, for the day.
Only priya lost the challenge her number disappeared, maybe by the constant rub of sanitizer.
And everyone washed it off the next day.
Ruby who's still in the shower, trying to feel good and fresh after her period started today, being attacked by biology, she would usually say.

She rubbed soap on her wrist as she also won the challenge by keeping her number secure.
10 it was written on her wrist.
It wasn't washing off.

She tried harder, but somehow it wasn't getting off. She looked frustrated, thought she should tried that blue soap brand meant for clothes that usually washed everything.
But this time even that didn't worked. She looked worried.

She left it on its own and continued with her daily chorus, she finished all her work by 11 in the morning, and as she was ready to get into a quick nap after continuously scrolling the short videos feed.
She noticed her wrist.
9 it now says. Her number, it changed to 9, she while wasn't sure of what she thought, she counted the hours, it's been 24 hours, the same time of day when she wrote it on everyone's wrist.
She called each one of her friend present that day, panicking,
Everyone said it rubbed off.
But why wouldn't her number go away

She was frightened now, she told her mother about the number on her wrist.
"what number" her mom asked
"this Maa, this number, 9 you see"
"ruby , beta there's no number, why are you panicking, you got your period today right?"

"are Maa, you know it's not about my mood swing, I don't have them usually, and no don't tell me, that's not a problem that I don't have frequent mood swings"

"Maa, you really don't see anything on my wrist?"

"no ruby, I only see my ruby's googly googly wush skin"

Ruby's mom was telling the truth, she really don't see anything, and it frightened rubi even more.

What could be, why is it happening, ruby was looking for answers but they weren't gonna pop up to her just out of nowhere.

Ruby opened her laptop, googled "the number on my wrist changed to a countdown"

And all the result were about wrist watches with timer, ruby sighed.
Her stomach was paining, she knew why, but knowing doesn't make it any easier.
And thought it didn't really bothered her most of the time, it was different this time.

She called Tarun - she clicked a picture of her wrist and sent it to him,
Tarun also was now, not scared, amazed kind of, that it really changed into 9 from 10.

Ruby seemed concerned, tarun trying to move her mind away from it, said

"you're sad because of the period"

"why it's always about period, they aren't the reason for me feeling this way, this number is"

Now even tarun knew she's scared and she won't take her mind off it.

They both were trying their best to find something about it,
And then Tarun recalled a movie where everyone dies in 7 days. That movie scared the hell out of audience when it was first released, even Tarun wouldn't dare watch it alone.
He thought what if it is like that,
Is ruby going to die?
He rushed to his house but was stopped by the police on the way, luckily they stopped him for mask but he was wearing one.
He went to ruby's. Told her to give her hand.

"ruby this is not 9, it's 8"

So it's not about 24 hours, even less, they saw each other almost sweating by the fear.
Tarun found some search result on the internet.

"ruby do you know, Greek mythology says, Zeus ate her wife?"

"tarun what does it has to do with my situation, do you think it's funny, it's freaking scary"

"no yeah, it's not related I'm just saying"

Suddenly the number started counting down again.
7
6
5

They both panicked, they brought hand sanitizers to wash it off, but it wouldn't
4
Ruby started crying
"ruby, hey I'm here" - tarun assured her while trying to hide his tense and tears
3
"ruby wait I'll bring, nail polish remover, maybe that would work" and Tarun quickly ran to where ruby said it'll be.

Ruby continuously sobbing
Looked at her wrist
2
1

"I brought it, try this" - tarun came with nail polish remover.

There was no one, on the ground there was the brown t shirt and a pajama that she was wearing...
There was no trace of her apart from her clothes.

Tarun was scared clueless,
10 appeared on his wrist out of nowhere...

~~~