0.1 | No Exit from Deception ✓

0.21 | A Shocking Secret With Some Homespun Lemon Flavored Pancakes

Ruby never wanted to leave Joseph's house especially when the pale slate-gray clouds whirling upon the sky looked dangerously heavy, waiting for the thin layer of air to split through the center and the rain would start pouring. But not to forget, in the fight against hunger, hunger always wins and that is why she was now inside the grocery store. Clueless as ever.

She had never been to a grocery store all her life for it had always been Emily who was in charge of food shopping for the two of them. Ruby's puzzlement merged on her face and was practically readable by anyone passing by.

Even as, a handsome, blue-eyed, square-jawed salesman came to her rescue and asked her, "Hi, are you looking for something?"

"Oh, no-no. I just want to buy eggs. Where can I find them?"

"Certainly, it's in aisle 6."

"And . . . where is this aisle 6?" she asked through her teeth, making the other feel extremely confused.

"Third row, probably around the shopping carts corral." He gulped down his saliva, batting his eyelashes.

Ruby nodded, turning her face as she chanted the aforesaid information mutely. The salesman amusedly watched Ruby go away in the serried lane of the shelves.

A few minutes later, a mild cool breeze touched her cheeks and neck as she got out of the store and started to walk down the darkening street quickly. A light shower of rain led the birds in the idle boughs to cry in happiness. Ruby smiled as it began to pour down on her heavenly, alongside washing the dusty leaves of the tree and bringing up the good smell of the earth. She had exulted in it, even a little tired of the rain but she didn't mind getting wet.

Big pellets of rain were scarring the concrete surface. Ruby threw her shoes to either side and walked about barefooted. She was very sure on her feet. Surprisingly, her toes had grown accustomed to gripping all kinds of rocks, slippery or sharp.

As it came to her realization that she had been getting drenched for a little while, she picked up her shoes with her free hand and tightened her grip on the plastic bag of the eggs.

She headed over to the house. Upon entering she heard a loud glass-shattering sound somewhere from upstairs.

She dropped everything on the floor and climbed up the stairs to inch closer to the patent source of the sound. She did hesitate to take any further steps because Joseph had barred her to flounder around this floor; her feet went numb like anything despite knowing that Joseph was nowhere close to pulling her by her braid.

She stay put and from there, she expanded her pupils and averted to the closed room in the corner. A small room. She pursed her lips and closed her eyes as she took baby steps toward it and grabbed the doorknob gingerly. Giving her mind a 'go' signal, she barged inside and saw a pale woman in her late seventies, slouching down and picking up the pieces of the big glass shards.

"Who are you?" Ruby said breathlessly with her heart taking irregular leaps.

***

Just as Joseph entered Mrs Warner's bedroom, he saw Mark measuring his steps toward the exit. No emotion other than scorn crossed the younger's pale face.

"Finally the tiring job to look after this stupid woman is over. Now I can better get back to my room and never come out of it until the next morning, Isn't it Mark? Correct me if I said something wrong." Mrs Warner dared to speak Mark's mind, there was a solid likelihood that whatever she had said was the truth.

Ever since the car accident which shockingly took his father and sister's life ─ the two of them were very dear to his heart, Mark felt broken and barricaded himself from interacting with people. What further added to his pitiful state, was Mrs. Warner's least attention given to him in his younger days. Hence, he had emerged as a rare sight to see, speaking in his mother's language.