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Chapter 3

      Ruby smiled to herself as she placed the picture back on the stool, her  first real smile since the incident. Years ago, before her life as a criminal, Ruby would smile and laugh, but those days were long gone, as gone as an ice cream cone left out in the middle of a California summer. Ruby was no longer that person, and she had accepted it years ago.
      Now, 6 years after the photo was taken, there was no way that Ruby could go back to that pampered life.
She still missed it, of course, but it was more of a sad longing, nostalgia at most. She figured that she was better off fending for herself. She would be more prepared for danger than other girls her age and she never had to worry about trivial things like her appearance. But still, despite all of the ways that she tried to convince herself that she was better off than most people, Ruby still missed her old life.
      Buried deep in thoughts of her old life, Ruby almost didn't notice the slight creak of a floorboard, a sound that could only be made by a human. Quickly and gracefully, she leapt up from the stool, grabbing her weapon as she crept toward the front door. She listened carefully for a few seconds, but when she didn't hear anything, she cautiously pulled open the door.
      A flash of movement caught Ruby's eye and she moved, running swiftly toward the back of the house. In a manner of seconds, she had the intruder pinned to the floor.

"What do you want?"

She asked, panting only slightly from her chase. When the woman that Ruby had pinned didn't say anything, she spoke again.

" You'd better say something."

She growled.

" Because I have a knife and I'm not afraid to use it."

When the woman still didn't say anything, Ruby moved to grab her knife, but when the woman saw this she put up her hands in surrender.

"Okay, okay."

She gasped, glaring up at Ruby.

"I just need somewhere to stay for a while. I saw this house and, well, ..."

"And..."

Ruby prompted, pinning her more forcefully.

" And I thought maybe I could stay there. It looked pretty abandoned."

This surprised Ruby , and suddenly she had an idea.

"Alright."

She said gruffly, loosening her grip on the woman's arm.

" What will you give me if I let you stay?"

The woman let out a sigh of relief and grinned.

" Anything you want."

She said desperately.

" I can give you money or food, I can make you a fake identity..."

This idea intrigued her

"You mean you can make a new life for me? You can make me someone else?"

Ruby asked, excited. This was her chance. As someone else, she could show her face in town and maybe even try to gain forgiveness for herself.

" Deal."

Ruby said, letting go of the girl and pulling her up to her feet.

" My name's Ruby, by the way."

She walked off towards the house before the woman could tell her hers.