Ruth

Age: 5

Adira sprinted through the dark woods, leaves and branches whipping around her and scratching her face.

"Ruth, come on!"

The old woman hobbled as fast as she could, but she was well beyond her years of athleticism.

"I can't, Adira, go without me."

The little girl grabbed the old woman's hands, tears streaking through the blood and dirt on her face. "No, come on! Get up!"

"Adira, just go. I can hold him off."

"But-"

"You don't want to let him catch you, do you?"

Adira fell silent. Time was ticking quickly by. "I love you, Ruth."

The old woman smiled and kissed the little girl on her forehead. "Run."

She resumed her sprint, refusing to look back even when the roar of flames grew louder and fire licked at her dirty calves. Almost at the edge of the forest, just a little farther......

Her hair caught fire and burned her scalp, but she kept running, right until the flames consumed her.

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Ruth!" Adira screamed and bolted upright in her bed. The old woman, knitting in the rocking chair by Adira's door, put down her needles and looked at her in concern.

"Did you have a nightmare?" she asked gently. Adira wailed and buried her face in Ruth's dress. "It's alright, it's over now." She held the little girl's hand and walked her to the light switch. The warm glow of the florescent bulbs brought some comfort. 

"Thanks, Ruth."

The old woman kissed her on the forehead, just like in Adira's dream, and said, "Now get to sleep, you have school tomorrow."

"Fine." Adira huffed and threw the covers over her head. "Can you sing to me?"

"Of course."

Ruth moved the rocking chair so it was right next to the little girl and continued knitting. The constant click of the needles provided the tempo and Ruth sang an old lullaby that her own mother would sing to her when she was young.

It didn't take long for Adira to once again surrender to the darkness of sleep.

As the little girl's breathing became steady, Ruth put down her knitting and rubbed her forehead. That was the third nightmare Adira had had this week, and she was positive she knew where they were coming from.

oooooooooooooooooooooo

"Ruth, what should I wear?" Adira held two outfits out in front of her, waiting for the old woman's opinion.

"Well, seeing as how your school has uniforms, I'm not sure how much help I'm going to be. But if I had to choose I'd say... the one on the right."

"Thanks!"

Ruth smiled.

Adira quickly dressed and slung her backpack over her shoulder. "Let's go!"

The old woman held up frail hand. "Go on without me, today. I'm not feeling too well."

The little girl looked confused for a minute then shrugged. She kissed Ruth's cheek and bounded out the door, headed for the bus stop. "Bye Ruth!"

"Bye Adira!"

The door closed and Ruth sighed. She walked down the hallways and peered into the nursery that held Adira's baby brother, Emmett. She wished she could hold the baby and sing to him, the way she had with her own children, but no matter how hard she tried, she never could. She kept walking and opened Adira's parents' door. She stared wistfully at the little girl's mother, Anise, wanting to hug her and tell her that she loved her. 

She hoped her previous goodbye had been efficient enough.

Anise's husband, Douglas, rolled over and released a monstrous snore. Ruth rolled her eyes. Douglas had been sweet, but he could be a little... much at times. She remained in the room a little longer than she should have before going back to Adira's room.

Ruth grabbed a candle. Then she cut a piece of hair off her head and placed it in the candle's flame. It vanished in a puff of gray smoke.

The whole world lurched around her and blurred.

When everything cleared, Ruth was standing in a graveyard. She followed the pathway she knew very well and ended up at an old, worn gravestone. 

"You stay away from her, Frank," she whispered, voice trembling with fury. "Stay away from my little girl."