Ruth: Reimagined

Run

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Run
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Torture. She'd given herself up to it for hours, weighing,  if the water was poisoned or not. With her stomach growling, her lips and tongue  stark dry,  tears slipped into her mouth, a drop in the ocean of the relief she'd needed.

Ruth had had enough.

Crawling towards the water, she took hold of the cup, and at the first gulp, when her thirst was met, when hope could be thought of again, when she could breathe easier, because her empty twisting stomach, found relief in the water, she met eyes with a man she'd thought she'd never see again.

The lamp's light illuminated the face of Mahlon. His brown eyes held hers,  broken. "Ruth."

Gulping the whole cup of water, Ruth was still uncertain if it was all real. It must be a dream again, she thought to herself.

So, instead of reacting, she  threw the cup on the floor, upset, her heart thudded against her chest, in deep grief. Ruth crawled back to the corner of the dungeon, away from the false dream that would tear at her heart when she woke up. With her knees up to her chest, she shut her eyes tightly and covered her head, whispering over and over, "Go away, go away."

Mahlon keyed the dungeon open with urgency at the sight of Ruth. She was alive! Pulling the gates wide open, he stepped in tentatively. She hadn't reacted to his presence. What lay in the depths of her dark eyes was something dead, almost numbing. It tore at his heart. She hadn't even responded to the sound of her name.

He wondered if maybe she'd gone insane in this dark dungeon, left alone.

"Ruth," he spoke gently. "Ruth," he said again," as he heard the words she whispered under her breath.

Then, when he was closer, he crouched down beside her, touching her arm gently. Ruth's breath caught in her throat, her heart stuttering. Slowly, lifting her head, she held Mahlon's gaze,  through teary eyes.

"This..." Ruth began with a fragile voice. "This is real?"

Mahlon nodded, and he couldn't hold it any longer. The tears gathered in his eyes. "Yes, Ruth, this is real. I'm getting you out of here."

She threw herself into his arms, and he caught her, holding her tightly.  "Thank you, Yahweh." He said, under his breath, holding her tightly, kissing her shoulder. "Thank you," the tears escaped his eyes.

Ruth felt as though she was drowning in the embrace Mahlon gave her. Her heart pounded harder, calmer, an outpouring of relief on her soul. He was hope manifested. He was real. She never wanted him to let go.She'd never felt so–

"Mahlon!" Amos's voice broke through, excruciatingly loud. Mahlon's stomach dropped.

Quickly, he pulled away from the embrace of Ruth, meeting her frightened gaze. Standing, he helped her up.

"Mahlon, run!" Amos sounded to be in pain, his voice distant. Mahlon's heart pounded against his chest, wanting with everything in him, to go back for Amos, yet looking at Ruth's vulnerable state he—

"Get out of here!"

It was as he stepped out of the cellar, holding Ruth up with the lamp in his other arm, that he saw Amos fighting off Eglon. They had no weapons, both of them using their fists.

Mahlon walked faster with Ruth, stopping her from turning her head at the sight behind them.

"Run!" Amos yelled.

Despite himself, Mahlon turned to see Amos left lying on the floor and a furious looking Eglon who held a dagger in his hand, running towards them.

His heart almost stopped. At the pace they were going, he would catch them in no time. Ruth turned to, and at the sight of Eglon running towards them, crazed, she started hyperventilating.