(gxg) Red Riding Hood (ON HOLD)

chasing sydney

The dim lighting was not sufficient enough to hide the tinge of pink decorating her cheeks. She had backed away slightly when Ruby whispered her answer.

"I need to call the police." Sydney stammered as she changed the subject quickly. She had fully expected Ruby to stop her, but to her surprise, Ruby just stood rooted to the same spot and folded her arms whilst keeping her gaze towards Sydney.

Sydney shook her head quickly, as if trying to shake off whatever just happened. She wrapped her fingers around the cold plastic exterior of the phone and dialled for the police. She cleared her throat as she felt as if she was going to cry again.

"We apologize for your inconvenience, but all emergency lines are busy helping other citizens, please hold." A boring tune replaced the robotic voice and Sydney slammed the phone back onto the table.

"Ouch." Ruby said cheekily as she straightened herself and began strutting towards Sydney almost seductively.

"What's happening?" Sydney stated coldly at the girl as she dug her pistol between her jeans and skin. Any attempt to use it was futile.

The sound of crashing broke the less than peaceful silence. They both jolted in surprise while Ruby quickly snaked her arm around Sydney and before the latter knew it, they were outside the house, standing in the middle of the road, among the neatly lined-up houses to their left and right.

"Holy shit." Sydney gasped as she blinked a few times. She stared at Ruby, unable to form a sentence.

"What?" Ruby asked with a wry smile as she looked into Sydney's eyes.

"Well, we-" Sydney turned her  head swiftly and sneezed. "We just teleported here." She said with a nasally voice.

"Wait, Sydney. Are you sick?" Ruby's frowned and stared at Sydney intently.

Sydney gave her a puzzled look and pushed Ruby away lightly so she was out of her embrace. "Yeah, I guess I'm coming down with a flu?" She said indifferently and shrugged. "Kind of sudden, I didn't have it till-"

"Until you entered the house." Ruby interrupted her, squeezing her eyes shut in frustration. Sydney shot her a quizzical look while Ruby let out a troubled sigh. "Okay, look. Right now all I have time for is to tell you, I'm not from here." Ruby waved her hand around as she looked up.

"Right, because the best info you could offer right now is tell me you're a tourist." Sydney sneered.

Ruby rolled her eyes as she exhaled in annoyance. "I've no time for this. They know you are alive and are probably looking for you right now. And, for me, but that is not important." She whispered the last part as she stared at the ground.

"What? Whose 'they'?" Sydney questioned, with a hint of anger in her voice. She was not liking one bit of what was happening right now, not right after she saw her own mother's dead body. "I don't care-I need to find my sister and father." Sydney stumbled as she tried to walk away from Ruby.  She was determined to find them.

"Wait, Sydne-" She stopped as she saw the girl infront of her about to trip over herself and quickly dashed to break her fall. As a result, Sydney fell on top of Ruby, flushing their bodies together. Ruby tipped her head to the side, refusing to continue making eye contact with the other girl.

Sydney stared at the girl for a good 2 seconds before she started propping herself up and tried to stand up and continue her journey. "Shit, sorry." She did not know why she was apologizing, Ruby was a mere stranger.

"Wait, Sydney." Ruby stood up quickly and held onto her arm. "Do you even know where you're going?"

Sydney did not bother to turn her head, "No. But there's a better chance of finding them if i try than not." Her voice broke a little.

Ruby's expression softened, but she was still frowning. "Sydney-" She began but got cut off when Sydney shook her hand off and started walking again.

"Hey, I-"

"Don't." Sydney paused. "Don't try to stop me. They're all I have and I have to find them." Sydney felt her eyes welling up with tears for the hundredth time today. She kept walking.

"You're going to die." Ruby did not want to do this, but she had to. She could not let Sydney leave, and this was the last resort. Desperate times call for desperate measures, as they say.

It did not work. Sydney paused for a split second, but she only walked forward with more strength in her steps.

"SYDNEY." Ruby called with anger in her voice while trailing behind Sydney.

"I HAVE NOTHING TO LIVE FOR." Sydney snapped as she turned halfway around, shaking.

Ruby froze, she did not expect the outburst. She sighed and walked closer to Sydney.

"Stop it Sydney. You are so much more than you think." She whispered softly to the girl. Ruby had her face so close to Sydney, she could feel her warm breath on her skin.

"I don't even know you." They locked eyes, Sydney's filled with tears while Ruby's filled with determination.

"I know. But, you need to trust me. Please. Take it as me giving you something to live for." Ruby almost pitied the girl standing before her as she saw a tear slipping out from her eye.

"I-" Sydney felt tired. "I don't-" She felt weak. "I..." She felt her eyelids getting heaver and the image of Ruby and everything else blurring. "Ruby..." She breathed before her head tipped backwards and her legs gave way. Ruby kneeled down quickly, reached out her arms and braced for impact.

"No." She murmured as she held the weight of the shorter.

As Ruby held the other around her arms, the houses from the far end of the street were diminished of their light one after the other. That could only mean one thing, they were coming.