Rebecca+G

Island Map

Rebecca Garcia

= Down In Flames = The slice of the slick blade cuts through the flesh like butter. Of course, this was not butter. No, this was much better than butter. The girl with the flaming hair continued to slash with relish as she felt the chilling slab of fat graze beneath her fingers. As she continued this motion a frown crept upon her face as there was one important detail that had slipped her view. There was no oozing red liquid to be found. No blood. This victim had fallen prey long before she ever had a chance to attach her slender fingers to it. This victim was nothing more than a lifeless piece of chicken. The girl stared at the chicken. The raw chicken. Her gaze never left the thing until a tiny eyeball caught hold of her stare.

Then another one appeared on the wing right beside it. Slowly, yet all at once, the chicken grew human legs, arms, and feet until it completely materialized into a mundane. A human with a beating pulse. It towered over the girl in an overbearing fashion. She saw it. Her victim. Her target. She wanted it dead. It was oh so weak compared to--then just as quickly as it appeared, the human vanished.

The girl with flames for hair threw fire in a hideous rage as she peered down at her hand which gripped the knife so fiercely, that she had not noticed she left a trail of her own blood running down her arm. The raw chicken was still sitting lifelessly on the lavatory counter with slash marks running across its surface from where the girl had cut. No human. No victim. Just a chicken. The stab had awoken the girl from her fantasy; although, she felt numb. No pain emitted from the wound, but she began to tremble with turbulence.

"Hello, Ruby?" Soft knocks appeared at the door. "You've been in there for quite a while and others need to use the restroom. I believe it is about time you finish up," the voice said with gentle authority.

Ruby collectively replied, "Don't you worry, Andrew, I'll be out in just a few minutes." She made sure she had a certain lightness to her voice; although, it appeared slightly edgy.

"Don't give me that. I've heard that one before. Out. Now." Andrew spoke with more assertiveness with a hint of annoyance. "And how many times do we have to go over this? It's Dr. Deific to you!" Ruby began to roll paper towel and started to swipe at her bloody arm.

"You can't keep a feminine woman from her monthly needs Andrew," Ruby said nonchalantly. "It's sexist. You don't want to be considered sexist, do you Andrew?"

"Get out of the bathroom before I have to resort to the medics getting you out of the bathroom," Andrew replied with agitation, losing patience as Ruby cleaned at the knife once her arm was a perfect piece of spotless art.

"Now Andrew, you and I both know that you don't have the complexity in your system to start sounding crazy...but you know how you're sounding right now?" There was a pause as Ruby grabbed the chicken and placed it back inside of her backpack. “Crazy."

Heat rose up in Andrew's hands as they gripped hard against his sides. He knew how to keep himself calm and knew how to react diligently in situations such as these. He had been trained for it. There was something about this girl, however, that made him lose his mind at times. Just as his hands began to tremble with the urge to come up and make connection with the door, a serene face of beauty greeted his pumpkin brown eyes.

"Was that so hard?" Ruby teased as she half smiled with triumph and slid past him. Andrew was perceptive. Too perceptive for his own good. Ruby continued to glide down the aisle as she headed towards her irritating third class seat.

Having full awareness of the situation that she had been put in; she saw a girl with chestnut brown hair in her line of vision and took note that her bag was slightly ajar. Perfect. She wondered what the girl was diagnosed with. Anxiety? Depression? Schizophrenia? Then again, half of the people on this flight were insane anyways, while the other half treated the insane. Based on her youthful features, Ruby determined that the chestnut coloured hair girl did not fall under the second category. As she passed, she subtly dropped the knife into the bag in one quick flash. Gaining distance between herself and the girl, she pranced up towards a plastic flight attendant.

"Excuse me," Ruby said with a false look of concern, "I don't mean to be a bother, but do you see that girl over there?" She nodded her head towards Chestnut.

"Yes?" The flight attendant replied with question.

"I think she was able to sneak a weapon inside of her bag and I worry so much, you see. I do. I do. I do. I don't know what I would do if she tried anything because I know what the people on this particular flight are capable of and I-" Ruby rambled in a rapid speed of whisper before she was interrupted.

"Oh sh shhh shhhhh! Oh my goodness! It's okay, don't worry! We'll see to this problem right away! Thank you for informing me!" the Barbie said, attempting to calm down her passenger while she herself started to heave sweat.

The attendant immediately went over to the chestnut haired girl and with no surprise, the knife had been retrieved. A sincere look of shock appeared across Chestnut's face as she began to scream along with the attendant.

Ruby smirked and sauntered off further towards the front of the plane, the sound of commotion and high-pitched shrieks leaving a trail behind her. As all of the attention was paid towards the unstable girl with a knife in her bag, less and less attention was paid towards the front. The cabin. Too easy, Ruby thought. Ruby knew this would satisfy the hunger building up inside of her. She needed the rush. The edge. The stimulation.

Dusk had fallen in the murky atmosphere outside of the plane as they were eaten by a pool of clouds. It was as if the dark wasn't enough to swallow them whole. Then, a thunderous BOOM surrounded everyone's ears as Ruby felt her hands wrap around the pilot and snap his neck like a toothpick in one quick motion. She was free. She left the cabin with pleasure bubbling inside of her and felt as if she were a bird. A bird on a flightless aircraft.

All at once, the ground lifted beneath her feet as the plane hurtled itself downwards with frantic trembles. As it plummeted further and further in the air, slicing clouds in its decent, Ruby felt her heart race out of her chest and crash into her stomach with a rapid pulse. She closed her eyes and smiled wickedly as the force of gravity could not control itself. Screams pierced her ears and engulfed her in a simultaneous wave as she remained silent. She was miniscule compared to the plane. The flight went down. Down in flames.



= Flames That Devoured = She awoke to a blistering light that illuminated her flaming red hair in a subtle way. Her body was as stiff as cardboard as she began to take notice of the gritty sand beneath her, making her eyebrows furrow. Where am I? she thought. An overpowering ripple of sea salt filled her tongue as the tips of her touched the grainy sand in recognition. The shattering of waves crashed against her ears as she started to come alive.

Allowing her eyes to open, Ruby began to look around. The monstrous ocean went on forever in front of her and the glittering beach stretched for a few kilometers before the edges rounded. To her back, the sand eventually came to a stop and turned into dense forest surrounded in darkness.

Glancing over to her left, she could make out a figure in the distance. Hair soaking wet, she decided to stand; although, her body opposed. Taking small, irregular steps towards the mysterious shape in the distance, she edged forward. She squinted her eyes ever so slightly, but it was enough to finally put together who the shape was. Andrew. Great, she thought sarcastically. Debating on whether or not to continue moving towards him, Ruby finally decided that she should at least make it clear to Andrew that she was intact, and then give him luxury by feeding him to the sharks right after.

"Ruby?" Andrew exclaimed in surprise as he advanced closer to her.

"Andrew! What a sight for sore eyes!" Ruby replied in mock enthusiasm. "I don't suppose you have a boat here by any chance?"

"I can't believe we crashed! I can't believe I'm alive! That you're alive! What if we never get saved? What if we're stuck here forev-" "Shhhhh!" Ruby put a finger to his lips. "Andrew, you told me once that fear is only brought upon us when panic overcomes us. You're panicking. You need to relax," Ruby said smoothly.

This aggravated Andrew as she was right, even though he was the one who was supposed to be in control. He was the one who gave her that advice. He shouldn't have to be taking orders from a patient.

Angrily, Andrew replied, "It's DR. DEFIFIC! And I need to relax? YOU need to relax and try not to get anyone killed with your little problem! Or did you forget that you're diagnosed?" Andrew edged closer. "Diagnosed with-"

"Is everything okay?" a voice asked in softness.

Ruby's fierce gaze quickly locked eyes with a girl. A girl with chestnut hair. Ruby grinned. Chestnut.

Andrew let out an exasperated sigh as he looked back at Chestnut. "Yes," he replied then turned back and locked eyes with Ruby.

"Everything is just fine."

After about a second too long, Andrew trotted away from Ruby.

"Let's start making that shelter," he commanded.

Ruby observed the people around her. There was Chestnut, who introduced herself as Alice, but she preferred Chestnut in her mind. She had her copper coloured, medium length hair with a slender figure that matched her own. Then there was a boy. He was small and had black hair, along with a slim figure and sharp facial features. His name was Calvin. Finally, there was a woman who was middle-aged with greying hair. Her name appeared to be Vanita. This should be fun, Ruby sneered. Her victims were hauntingly stunning.

* 1 Day Later

Ruby stared. Stared hard at the four people lying unconsciously along the shore in the distance. She was near the entrance of the forest and stood a couple of yards away from the others.

The glistening moon shone like a spotlight on those four. Ruby stood there. She stood still. Hunger started to consume her as she remembered the thrill. The thrill of the plane crash. The intoxicating feel of slicing at warm skin. Spilling cold blood in showers. Four people. Four defenseless people. The dead of night brought in a chilling breeze that crept up along Ruby's spine, but she noticed something else. A faint clucking noise appeared to come from the depths of the forest.

Ruby was brought back to her barn in Arcadia. She had a distant memory of the chickens. The flightless birds. Forgetting about the sleeping four, she headed towards the sound.

* 2 Months Later

Ruby's scarlet hair fell in natural curls just above her waist. She trotted amongst the elongated grass as she carried a lump of dead chicken on a wooded spear she had made long ago. She took a glance at the lifeless poultry.

"Sorry," she apologized. She did this every time she killed one. It was routine of her to stab each chicken she caught straight through the heart and make a clean death. They were helpless. Trapped on the island as she was.

She remembered the last time she felt trapped. Not at her appointments with Dr. Deific, but in the dreadful place she called her home. The barn. There was always her mother, giving her "karate chops" if dinner wasn't cooked right. Then there was her father, and she could not even fathom memories of her father as they were far too personal and frightening to recall. One day she focused on the animals. Just the animals in the barn, and she remembered thinking about how they were all caged. They were never free. The chickens stood out to her in particular. They appeared to be the most vulnerable of them all. How cruel was it that an animal considered to be a bird could not fly? So, on that day, Ruby decided to free them. When she did this, however, she was not only freeing them, but she felt free herself. Later this would become an obsessive problem.

Surviving on her own had not been easy, but not entirely impossible either. Ruby had all the determination in the world. She found a tormenting comfort in being surrounded by chickens throughout the island instead of the three. The lost three, as she witnessed Calvin murdering Vanita with his bare hands. She would occasionally run into Alice and tried to avoid both Andrew and Calvin as much as possible. Alice had told her about a cabin she had discovered not too long ago which was where she was heading to. Curiosity had gotten the best of her.

Finally, she arrived at the ancient cabin. Ruby left her dead poultry at the doorstep and advanced inside. She peered around the area. The structure was made of decaying wood and Ruby was disappointed in finding little to nothing inside. Just as she started to consider leaving, she felt a cold hand clasp around her mouth and another grab her arm. She was slammed up against the wooded wall with great force in one quick motion and found herself staring into dark pumpkin coloured eyes.

"Haven't seen you in a while," Andrew rasped. His hair fell just below his eyes in long strands. They were wild with blood thirst. Ruby attempted to speak, but failed as Andrew's hand remained firm on her mouth. She also tried to wriggle out of his grip, but he overpowered her in strength and size. Slowly, Andrew began to bring forth a sharp blade out of his filthy pocket.

"Do you remember the first time we met?" Andrew had an alluring yet chilling tone to his whispered voice. He brought the knife up further to her arm.

"The only thing you would say is that you were wasting precious time sitting in my office." The knife slid to her elbow. Ruby's heart raced.

"Now, I've been trained to read a person. To know their thoughts." Andrew drew his eyes towards the knife as it glided a few inches higher.

"To know their feelings." Ruby felt quivers running all over her as the knife came to her collar bone.

"To know all of their intentions." Finally, the knife came to a rest at her neck. Andrew fixated his gaze upon Ruby.

"And out of ALL of the patients that I have treated, not ONE of them has managed to out-smart me." He stared fiercely at her emerald eyes.

"But YOU!" He nearly lost it as his harsh whisper rose to a thunderous yell.

"YOU STOLE MY FATHER'S WATCH THAT DAY AND EVER SINCE YOU HAVE DONE NOTHING! NOTHING, BUT CAUSE THIS AGONIZING RAGE IN ME THAT I.CAN'T.CONTROL." Just as the blade started to pierce through Ruby's skin, a subtle heat began to rise in the atmosphere.

Finally, Ruby was able to bite down hard enough on Andrew's hand to loosen his grip and hustle away.

Andrew wouldn't have it, though, and he started towards her. Soon enough, he had her cornered once again with lightning speed, but this time Ruby spoke as his hands clutched her tightly.

"PLEASE! ANDREW! LISTEN TO ME!" she wailed.

"You don't want to do this! It's not you! Remember! Dr. Deific! That's who you are!" Ruby pleaded in her justification. Andrew's grip started to loosen by his own doing and his eyes started to regain normality.

"Don't become like us," Ruby desperately whispered.

Andrew looked at Ruby in sorrow. After a minute of hesitation, he released her.

"Is that how it feels like?" A pause.

"All the time," Ruby replied with a knowing smile. The tension started to drop.

After a moment, Andrew's gaze began to shift again as an inner demon took over his body.

"Well, I like it," he wickedly grinned and Ruby lost her smile to a look of surprised fear.

Before she started to run, Andrew sliced a streak on her arm in a quick flash. Blood started to gush from the slash and Ruby began to tremble with nerves.

It was then that the cabin started to become engulfed in flames. Flames that devoured.



= Brighter than a Flame = Sprinting. Sprinting as if there was nothing left to do. Because there was nothing left to do. Ruby was on the run for her life.

Her feet flew beneath her as she took an extra gasp for air. Ruby had been running for a good fifty-six minutes straight, and she was becoming exhausted. Her frail body was beginning to reject her, and Ruby knew that time was slipping between her fingers. Andrew was on the hunt. The hunt for her.

She had barely managed to escape the escalating cabin fire, but fate had been on her side as she used her legs as electrifying bullets. When she escaped into the open forestry, however, Andrew had not fallen far behind. He had entered pursuit in their elongating chase of cat and mouse, and Ruby knew that if she didn't speed her tail, she wouldn't live long enough to see tomorrow.

Quickening her pace as she held on for dear life, she became engulfed in tangles, numerous tangles of greenery that enclosed themselves on her. Panic spread through her as she frantically tried to break free from the vines, and off in the distance she could hear her death itching its way forward. Her arms yanked hard, pulling with desperation, but her prison would not set her free. This was it. Ruby knew she was going to die. Her heart continued to beat at an increased pace, but as she let her head fall in defeat; she noticed a miracle. Inches from her feet, was a log. A log thick enough to defend with.

The leaves behind her began to shuffle quickly as Andrew neared, gasping wildly. In one smooth motion, Ruby reached for the log and swung with great force behind her. She struck Andrew with a great impact as she felt the weight of his head at the end of the log. He lay on the leafy ground. Unconscious. Ruby had two options. To kill or not to kill?

The stars twinkled with joy as they smiled back at Ruby.

She rested in a bed of leaves and grass, contemplating. Why? she asked to nobody in particular. Why me? Why had she become so corrupt? So filled with a raging fire burning beneath her skin? Why was it that she had a need? A need to kill? Why was it that once that need left, it filled another soul? A person who was the least corrupt of them all? Why him? she thought. She didn't have the answer. She didn't expect anyone to know either, but maybe the stars did.

A faint cluck appeared a few feet away from her. She eyeballed the chicken.

"Don't tell me," she said, "the answer rests within the all mighty chicken."

* 3 days later

The sunlight blazed scorching heat across the entire island. There was no wind, no moisture, just heat. The waves hurtled against the shore with enormous impact. Crashing in strong speeds.

Ruby nestled against a small burrow that she had made her home since the cabin incident. It was perfect. It kept her as hidden as possible, and she was certain that nobody would ever find her. She hoped at least someone in particular wouldn't find her. Who was she to take away a life? She begged that Andrew wouldn't find her, not only for her own safety, but for his. She didn't want it to come down between them. There was only so much time before Andrew would successfully kill her, and even though she did not want to die, she couldn't bring herself to kill Andrew. It was wrong.

"Found you!"

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" A high pitched shriek escaped out of Ruby as she nearly had a heart attack.

"Oh, oh no! I'm so sorry, Ruby, I didn't mean to scare you! I haven't seen you in forever, and I've been meaning to talk you!" Alice's kind words shattered any worry left in Ruby.

She continued, "I just wanted to say that I am so terribly sorry for what happened the other day! I had no control over that! That was not me!" Alice paused.

"I mean it was me. Technically, but it was a different me.....the other me!"

"Alice what are yammering about?" Ruby questioned with interest.

"The fire! The cabin! I mean I saw you go in there almost right after Andrew did so I was about to walk away, but then my personalities switched and next thing you know the cabin's on fire! I knew the troublemaker within me did it. I don't know why, I mean I guess because she's a troublemaker, but I am so sorry! I would never harm you two! I've actually been getting better, surprisingly! I don't know why but I've started to gain control of myself and not have as many episodes as before."

Ruby looked at Alice in bewilderment. Not solely based on the fact that she started the fire, but at the fact that she’d been sneaking around enough to keep her eye on everyone! She couldn't help but wonder if Alice knew something else.

"Alice, can I ask you something?"

"Of course! Anything!"

Ruby paused, "do you know where Andrew is right now?"

Alice flushed again, "Oh! You lost sight of him huh?" she winked and nudged Ruby playfully.

Ruby understood what was being implied.

She fake laughed and replied, “Well you know, nothing says 'I love you' like a knife to the throat!"

Alice lost her smile and Ruby explained to her the dire situation that she had been put in thanks to Andrew.

"I never really got a good look at his face, so I guess I never saw the change in him. He's around the cabin area where Calvin usually is. It was actually so nice that Calvin help me put out that fi-"

"Thank you so much, Alice!" Ruby quickly said. She knew that the cabin area wasn't too far from her little burrow and suddenly she began to run. She knew she had to find a different hiding spot now.

In the distance Ruby could hear faint yells.

"HE WAS GOI………BE BAC……………..SHORTCUT!"

She could barely make out the words and had no idea what Alice was talking about so she continued to run. Trying to get as much distance as possible.

Calvin brushed his feet upon the soft grass beneath him. He smiled at the delicate feel and leaned his head back against the tree. There were trees everywhere. Filled with exotic greenery and he cherished every second of it.

Calvin didn't want to go home. He saw things. He really did. Not in the way that he used to, but clearly now. Only in his dreams did he ever see something out of the ordinary as he was swept in a world of fantasy. The island. The island was his anchor. The only drug that he ever needed in order to cure him. He counted 47 days since he had his last hallucination. He had no idea why and he didn't want to. All he knew was that this island was a blessing and he would never take it for granted.

Alice had been taking great care of him, too. Maybe she was his angel. And as Calvin sat there in the midst of the forest, he couldn't help but wonder when his angel would be back.

*

Worry seeped through Alice as she paced back to Calvin. Had Ruby heard her? Surely she had....although; she was quite a distance away from her. Alice wondered if she should go back. She knew it was too late now, though. Alice put all of her faith that Ruby would be alright. She had to be, she was strong.

Unlike Alice, who knew that most of the strength that came out of her was from one of her personalities. The troublemaker. She absolutely despised the fact that the troublemaker was still lurking around inside her somewhere.

Over the course of the few months she had been making outstanding progress. Her personalities rarely came through anymore. Alice figured that maybe it was because the island had made her weak, thus, weakening her condition. Or maybe it was something else entirely that she hadn't figured out yet.

Ruby could probably figure it out. Anxiety filled Alice once again. No, she's okay. There wasn't even that great of chance that they would ru-. Alice stopped in her tracks as she caught sight of something that was running at full speed. She squinted her eyes, making sure she was able to view what was in front of her properly. Passing by Alice in a flash, was a bloody chicken.

Sunset began to fall over the tropical island as the heat remained in place.

Calvin felt beads of sweat run down his cheek as he patiently waited for Alice; he knew it usually took her awhile to get back.

The ruffling of leaves indicated her arrival and Calvin smiled.

"You know what I was thinking abo-"

It wasn't Alice.

Before Calvin had time to react, Andrew lurched himself right towards him. Calvin began to gasp for air as Andrew drove his hands into his neck so tightly that he became incapable of breathing. His vision started to become blurry, but just before he tried for one last breath, there was a yell.

"ANDREW!"

Calvin collapsed onto the leafy floor as the hands let go in an instant. Choking on air as he heaved for oxygen, Calvin didn't even know what had happened. Just before he fell into unconsciousness, he saw feet walking away from him and heard, "There you are."

*

She made sure that he caught a clear view of her, and once he did, she ran. Ruby could do it once, so she would do it again. She would run, as far away from the others as possible until she knew they would be safe. Safe from the monster that has possessed Andrew. The question was, where would she go? Ruby knew that she couldn't hide any longer. Not if it put both Calvin and Alice at risk. Andrew would stop at nothing until he had her dead. She had to make a decision.

Ruby carried on with great speed as she advanced further into the forest until she found it. There, in the middle of the forest, was a chicken hut.

*

"Calvin! Calvin? Please wake up!"

He heard a voice, or were they voices? Calvin slowly started to flutter his eyes open and in his view was his father. No, he thought, it can't be! But it was. He was right there. He could recognize his father anywhere. Calvin frantically squirmed himself away, but his father was still there. That dreadful man he despised with every ounce of his being. Rage began to fill within him as he stared harder. Half of his father's face was lighted in red as the sunset casted its glow. Calvin was no longer afraid. He was furious.

He thought he heard his father saying his name, but he barely noticed as he lunged forward and wrapped his fingers around his father's neck.

"WHY! WHY DID U DO THIS TO ME! WHY DIDN'T YOU EVER LOVE ME! WHY!" Calvin screeched. Sobs released as the yells continue and eventually cease. It took Calvin a moment to realize that the body had gone limp between his fingers. It takes Calvin another moment to realize that the body does not belong to his father. He stared in horror.

"No," he whispered.

"No. No. No. NO!" Calvin yelled. He then cradles the body against him and wailed so fiercely that it echoed around the entire island. His angel floated away from him as he continued to howl in sorrow under the chestnut tree.

*

Andrew followed the flaming redhead's trail with ease. He knows that he'd get her this time and he smiled viciously. The bloodlust within him was so vibrant, he knew that he could never live again until he felt his hands wrap around Ruby's neck until she was lifeless. As he moved towards where Ruby stood, the hunger within him grew fiercer. There she was. His beautiful victim.

*

The waves crashed violently beneath Calvin. Only he and Alice were aware of this spot. The tiny cliff at the top of the island. It wasn't as tall as he would have liked, but it was tall enough.

He took a little step forward. The tip of the cliff just inches away. Tears shed as Calvin silently cried. He stared at the thunderous waves. They were so repetitive. Crashing and crashing over and over again. They invited him. Called to him. Along with the mossy rocks.

Calvin unknowingly edged closer. His feet dragging themselves with a mind of their own. Calvin continued to stare at the same spot he had been for the past twenty three minutes.

Down below he could see Alice. She waited for him too. Her angelic laugh echoed.

Calvin knew with just one more step, he would get his wish after all. He would remain on the island forever. As Alice continued to giggle below, he knew that was exactly what he wanted. His right foot now hovered in air.

Just before he took one final step, Calvin realized one thing. He realized what had caused his last hallucination and with a smile, he knew the true source of the insanity.

"I'm not crazy," he whispered. And with those final words, Calvin fell until he became one with the island.

*

Ruby faced right into the eyes of the monster. Her monster. The sun blazed down upon them. It illuminated her face and ignited her flaming hair.

"Finally," Andrew started, "I knew this day would come, I just knew it. I was hoping it would be sooner, but you do play a fair game of hide and seek."

He took a few steps forward.

"I was never really a hider to begin with. I guess living in a deserted island teaches you a thing or two," Ruby replied.

Andrew smiled and edged closer.

"So, what do you plan to attack me with? A stick? Berries? Oh! You could always throw a chicken at me; I hear they're very rabid on this island." He was teasing her.

"I don't know," Ruby replied, "A simple log might just do the trick."

Andrew lost his smile. He was only inches away from her now.

"I can't kill you without a fair fight," Andrew muttered. "I never imagined killing you just in one quick motion. I need to know that you at least tried to live. You always had a little fighter in you didn't you?"

Ruby remained silent and stared at Andrew in wonder.

"C’mon," Andrew persisted, "I know you feel this. This lust for blood. It's so intoxicating Ruby, I don't know how I lived before this." Ruby stood as still as a statue.

Now Andrew began to stare at her in wonder.

"Where's that girl? The one who felt pure pleasure when she killed? The girl who would do anything to get her hands filled with blood? The girl with the flaming red hair and enticing green eyes who never failed to get what she wanted?"

Andrew edged closer.

"Where. Is. She?"

Then, Ruby let her flame throw.

"All of my life I've had this desire. This need to kill. Every time I would do it I would feel free. Feel absolutely sensational. Eventually it kept growing stronger and stronger, and I knew the hunger would never cease. Until this island. Being away from it all. Away from people and away from the constant pressure of trying to be 'sane', it made me grow and it made me think. What truly makes us insane? Is it something we're diagnosed with? Is it something we're born with? Or is it something greater than that? It's a choice. I did not choose to be the way I am. I had to live with it. Live with the hunger my whole life, not because I wanted to, but because I had to. It was the only thing that helped me release all the anger and sorrow that I held from the life I had to grow up with. You think I wanted to be this way? You think you can call us crazy because we have to live with a burden that other people don't have? Because we have to deal with a torturous condition that lives within us? No. We didn't choose that path, the path chose us. You, Andrew. You chose this path. You chose to be crazy."

A pause.

"We're not crazy. You are."

Andrew stood with an unreadable expression on his face.

"And I am not going to kill you or fight you," Ruby continued as she took a few steps back.

"If it must be between you or me, so be it. If I die, I die knowing that I did everything I could to try and be myself again. And I will not die with that traitorous disease within me any longer." Ruby whispered.

Andrew stared. He did nothing, but just stare straight at Ruby. The stare continued for minutes, hours, Ruby couldn't tell.

She finally broke off the stare and instead, looked upon the stars. She imagined what it would be like. To be a star. She pictured it would be heavenly. The stars had so much more advantages over the chickens. Ruby looked to them in awe. They were beautifully innocent. They had their freedom. She imagined everyone had their own sense of freedom. Whether it be in a sane or insane way.

And as the knife slowly slashed through her throat, Ruby closed her eyes.

At once, she flew. Wings had grown and as she flew she became free.

Among the millions of twinkling constellations lay three stars amongst them. They all appeared to be shimmering with light, but one was breathtaking. One shone brighter. Brighter than a flame.