Page 88 of Witness 8

For a second, his head came out from under the pillow and he saw the glass in Ruby’s hand, then dug his face back into the pillow again. Deeper, this time.

His voice was muffled as he spoke. ‘Don’t want it. I remember that drink from last time. Dirty juice. It tasted funny.’

‘It’s just orange juice. Come on. We can watchStar Warsthis afternoon if you like?’

He must’ve been struggling to breathe, because he shifted his body and turned his face away from Ruby toward the door.

‘Come on, it’ll be fun, munchkin man. I can show you how to make popcorn?’

No response. The boy lay there in the bed.

Ruuuubeeee . . . take the rope. Do it now. He’ll ruin everything . . .

Ruby sometimes caught a look in Tomas’s eyes that tugged at something inside her. It was the same look Ruby had once worn, when she was about Tomas’s age or perhaps older. A fear that a child carries inside them, all the time. Only at certain moments does it rise to their face and express itself fully.

Ruby remembered seeing herself in a mirror, maybe four years ago. Mother had sat her down in the living room and told her that she had to be strong. That men were coming to look for her father and he had to go away.

‘What men?’

‘Bad men. Men he owes money to.’

‘I know we’re not rich any more. But we have money, don’t we? Can’t Daddy give them the money?’

Her mother fell silent, but her face let Ruby know that she was composing her response and carefully choosing which words were least likely to wound her child.

‘Your father works hard, Ruby. But he also gambles and drinks too much booze. This is a bad combination. Because he’s no good at either of those things. We might have to move away from here.’

‘What? Move away?’

She nodded, said, ‘With your father. He’s upstairs now, packing. He says he will go and get a place for all of ussomewhere far away. And, once he’s got it, he will come back for us.’

As young Ruby had tried to take in that information, she’d stood and walked around the living room. It was then that she caught sight of her face. A layer of grime and dust covered the surface of the mirror. Although her home was clean, her mother never polished the mirrors. Perhaps because her eyes had dulled, and her lip now hung down a little on the right side. Maybe her mom didn’t want to look at her reflection. Her face was becoming an indictment of her husband. But, that day, Ruby saw through the dirt on the mirror, and saw real fear in her own face.

‘He told me he has a plan. Everything will be alright, Ruby . . .’

Ruby.

Ruuubeeeeeee . . . the rope!

Ruby shut her eyes tightly.

We are so close. Alison will throw you out of the house . . .

‘Please . . .’ said Ruby, and as she spoke, she wasn’t sure if she was talking to the red priest or to Tomas.

She put the glass of juice on Tomas’s nightstand and placed the cookie beside it. Slowly, she sat on the bed.

Tomas didn’t move when he felt her weight on the mattress.

Take the rope now . . .

With trembling fingers, Ruby reached down and touched the skipping rope. The white, woven fibers were strong. One of the wooden handles made a hollow tinkling sound as it rolled on the wooden floor when Ruby began to gather up the rope in her hands.

‘Please. . .’ she said.

Choke the boy . . .

Wrapping the rope around her fists, a length about a foot long in between her hands, Ruby knew there was no arguing with thered priest this time. His voice was getting louder, angrier. Soon her head would begin to ache and her nose would bleed, and he was right. She couldn’t risk this.