Competition Entry - 'Don't tell a soul'

January, 2019 prompt

Ruby wakes in the morning to learn the schools are closed due to a snowstorm the previous night.
Ruby is delighted and prepares to spend the day with her beloved twins.
Mid-day, Ruby has coffee with her neighbor, Linda, who is uncomfortable when Ruby mentions the children are outside playing in the snow.
After reading a nap-time story for the twins, Ruby sets the table and prepares dinner.
When her husband, Joe, comes home and sees the four place-settings, he's sad and says something to Ruby.
Ruby has an emotional reaction to what Joe says.

Don't tell a soul

Arms wrapped tightly around herself, legs curled up close and cocooned in a thick blanket, Ruby was warm. But the day had started. She was vaguely aware of this fact through the haze that was still thick upon her. Make it to Jo. Steal his warmth. He can make more. From there they could tease the first few sleepy moments of the day away. She made a break for it, unwinding from her state of safety and risking it all. Hands and feet wiggled across the cold expanse of mattress in search of his warmth. And found nothing. Joem?

         Cold found its away into Ruby's den, a silent insurgent that swept in, biting yet rousing. Her thoughts cleared and her brows furled softly. Where was Jo?

         She opened her eyes. The double bed was hers alone. Memories started to take shape from sleep, dreamy speculation crystallising into mundane facts. Facts like 'Jo isn't here'. Facts like 'Jo hasn't been here all week'. Facts like 'it's time to get up, you dozy cow'. Where did that come from? Ruby thought to herself with a drousy smile.
         When you have a strict routine, you stop needing the time aids you used to build the routine. In the village of Altsdale, its people had been waking to the toll of its great bell for so many years that they welcomed its single morning chime fresh faced, awake and raring to go. Ruby took it as a challenge; don't get caught in bed when Rise tolls. Beat the bell. And so, awake, dressed in thick cotton layers and almost warm, Ruby welcomed the morning's single chime.
Chime...
Chime.. Ruby froze. It wasn't Noon yet!
Chime.. Three chimes for Sundown.
Chime.. Four for fire! Ruby's heart beat faster and faster.
Chime.. Five for snows. Please no more! Please not six chimes!
...
         A soft frown framed Ruby's dark eyes. Her eyes were not as concerned as they were seconds earlier; there was no fire tearing through their small collection of houses. Or worse; six bells. But five bells could be worked with. She tore back the insulation and opened the window hatch to see the effects. The faint light of the rising sun played off the sporadic, lonely flakes; residue from last night's storm. Patches of path were still visible, evidence that the storm had left them relatively unscathed. The bell spoke volumes however; it wasn't their village it warned them of, but of the High Pass above them. Ruby snapped herself out of her reverie, a slow smile forming on her face. Plans would have to be redrawn.
         'The Pass is closed, little ones,' said Ruby, as she bustled around the snug a short time later. Water for eggs and tea gurgled enthusiastically in a little pot over the fire, spitting boisterously at the coals. A slender knife danced over tough scraps of mutton, familiar in her hands. 'Warm clothes! Three layers!'

         'Little one.' A soft voice insisted from the doorway to Kate and Kaleb's downstairs bedroom.

         'What's that, dear?'

         'Little one. I'm bigger than Kaleb. He's the little one.' Kate spoke with the playful petulance of the truly young. She scrunched her brow up, folded her skinny wrists and asked, 'What do you mean, 'closed'?'

         'I am NOT little!' came Kaleb's battle cry; flying out of the bedroom and onto Kate's back.

         'Ouch!!' cried Kate, stumbling fully into the snug with her twin's arm around her neck. 'Get off, you'll make me fall!'

         'Say I'm not little!'

         'You don't listen to anything!'

         'Cut it out, the pair of you!' Ruby spoke over their tugging and playfighting, the sharpness in her tone taking a lot of energy out of their struggle. 'I'm with you all day. We've got loads of fun things to do. But you can say goodbye to all of it if you can't behave.'

         'What do you mean?' said Kate. She had won and was now climbing off Kaleb.

         'High Pass is closed' came Ruby's reply.

         'Why aren't we getting ready for school?' said Kaleb. 'Why did old Ben get the bell wrong? And why did..'

         Ruby lowered herself in front of her twins, her skirt mushrooming around her legs. She brought them both into her chest in a big, smothering hug cutting Kaleb off.

         'Listen, you little monkeys,' she said, kissing their fidgeting foreheads one at a time. 'We can't go to school because High Pass is closed. It's dangerous because of the snow. So we get to spend the day together.'

         'Aunt Jess won't be happy about this,' warned Kate.

         'Is it because we'd fall off the mountain?' said Kaleb.

         'Wait. You called us 'little' again!'

         'Your legs are longer. You wouldn't fall. When do we get to see Den and Merc?'

         Ruby shushed them by bundling them even closer into the folds of her dress, much to their squeals of delight. 'So many questions! Kate, we'll go to your Aunt's a day later. She'll see us tomorrow. And little is relative. You're both little compared to me. We're ALL little compared to the mountain..'

         'But..'

         'Kaleb, I'm getting to you,' said Ruby, patiently. 'If you interrupt your ma then I'll stop answering all together...' Kaleb wriggled but kept his mouth closed. 'Better! Now, I can't go to school either, nobody can get through the pass. That's what the bell's for. We aren't going to see your cousins today because they're also up the Pass. But we'll go tomorrow. We can go with Dad.'

         Kaleb writhed happily and breathed the word, 'Dad!' with fierce pride, but otherwise stayed silent. Kate studied her mother thoughtfully.

         'Ma? Didn't Dad say he would see us there tomorrow?'

         'He will,' replied Ruby. 'But because of the snow he'll also get to see us today first. We'll go together to see your Aunt and cousins tomorrow. Now off you go! Moosh moosh! First dressed gets to help Ma with breakfast!'

         The twins remained perched on her lap, sensing a better deal could be struck.

         '..second dressed gets to help Old Ben empty his chamber pot!'

         The twins shot off amid much hooting and shrieking. Ruby smiled deeply to herself. Even though they were twins, Kaleb took after his father in many ways. Apart from his size. But it was Kate that Ruby was most pleased to see engaged. She sometimes acted like a much older child, or not even a child at all. She could come across aloof, always drifting away in thought. I wonder who she got that from? I don't come across aloof, do I?
'..aaaa! Maaa! Maaa'

         Ruby came too to find young Kaleb bleating up at her. 'Kate's hidden my socks! I don't want to see Old Ben's poo!'

         'And wee!' informed Kate from their bedroom, failing to keep all the glee from her tone.


The bell beat twice and a suspicious silence settled over the small village of Altsdale. It's tiny populated was even more depleted at this time of year and a nervous energy now infected the handful that remained. It wasn't that they expected the bell to chime again, but a snowstorm was so rare. So why not fire? Or worse? Only Old Ben in the Church knew no other chimes were coming - for it was he who manned the bell.
         One such silence fell upon a small house on the outskirts. Linda peered over her steaming mug, hesitant and daring the bell to cry out again. Ruby sat opposite her friend, more at ease but still wary. The silence stretched and then solidified, transforming from possibility into history in a few brief seconds. Time moved on and with it their conversation.

         'Joem organised it' said Ruby, pushing forward. 'But I've been going on about not seeing my sister for weeks. So it's not all coming from him.'

         'Yes, but isn't it odd that my Fen also had me seeing family on the other side of the pass today? Why not meet us here tonight and we could travel together in the morning!'

         'Maybe they both knew the weather was closing in?'

         'A week in advance?!' Linda raised a sceptical eyebrow. 'They're good men, but they can't predict what day comes next, let alone the weather we've had recently. Which is why it's so odd that they've organised this.'

         'It's a good idea. Maybe one of them suggested it and the other borrowed it?'

         'Yep. Maybe. But I still think they're up to something. Some romantic gesture I hope.' Linda scoffed and took a long sip from her mug, breathing in deeply as she did so. The aroma of freshly ground coffee filled her little house. 'Where are the little ones?' A touch of concern entered Linda's tone. She really was a worrier.

         Ruby fought to keep a smile from her face at Linda's turn of phrase. Kaleb and Kate had been pestering her all morning about how they weren't 'little' and were warmed up for any discussion on the topic.

         'Outside playing in the snow, I imagine,' said Ruby. She watched her friend carefully, and saw the tell-tale signs. A slight pursing of the lips, the foundation of a frown on her forehead; not yet built into a full scowl.

         'Do you know where exactly?' said Linda, hiding her mouth behind her mug and attempting nonchalance.

         'In the snow bank with all that broken glass in it. You know, the one surrounded by old mining shafts.'

         Linda's serious face was touched by a flicker of amusement however she fought it down. 'You and your fancy talk of glass! You don't know how strange you sound to us bumpkins! However Joem managed to steal you away..'

         'His.. 'arms!' revealed Ruby with a sly smile. 'They don't grow that big in the Capital. You don't know how lucky you girls are!'

         The girls shared a knowing look and a giggle.

         'Actually speaking about his arms... They're good for stealing women away. Even better for digging mine shafts!' said Linda, steering the conversation back, a smug look on her face. 'Which little boys and girls can fall into if they aren't supervised. This whole hillside is littered by them. Last just week my Fen found another one! Opened up as close to the Church green as we are now. Got him right excited. And there's the mining 'quiptment...'

         'They're playing in between our two houses, Lins,' said Ruby, cutting her off. 'Your Jake is a good kid, and Kate is sensible. Our men leave their tools locked up. All the men do.' Ruby continued, but noticing the expression of concern, she added, 'Look, we'll go check on them in a few minutes. It's just nice to get out of that cold!'

         'It's Kaleb I'm thinking about,' said Linda. She grimaced, 'I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude. It's just, he has so much energy. Always wanting to do more than the other two. What if he leads them astray? I've just got this crazy image of little Kaleb running around with a pickaxe!'

         'He's a five year old boy, not a deranged maniac!' Exasperated but amused, Ruby continued, 'I also told him I'd hidden a copper 7th in the yard,' said Ruby with a chuckle. 'He'd be tearing the snow up until 3rd Chime if we let him! The others won't leave him. C'mon, worryworm. Let's watch them.'

         The two friends shuffled out of the hovel, their slight bodies made clumsy with layers.

A weary sun battled to stay above the horizon, tired as it was at this time of year. Twilight settled over the quaint village of Altsdale. Most families had made their way into town for Christbirth days earlier and before the snowstorm, however a few stoic chimneys could still be seen chuntering dark woodsmoke into the sky. Two such chimneys perched proud on their homes not a stone's throw apart, the snowy yard between them raked and scattered as if by a massive claw. In the larger of the two houses, Ruby bustled about quietly. The soft sound of cutlery clinking could be heard over the quiet rattling and calling of the wind. It had mostly blow itself out over the day. Every few minutes, Ruby could be seen pausing in her preparations to listen at the downstairs door. The twins had tired themselves out in the snow, and now dreamed of fairies, princesses and magic, courtesy of a well-thumbed volume sat on the stool in between the two beds. Satisfied, Ruby went back to her chopping board. Joem will be home soon!
          There was a sound at the door. Ruby almost passed it off as the wind, except for a sharpness to it. Metal striking metal. Then the big door was thrown inwards, exposing an even bigger man behind it. He was a terrifying thing to look at, almost bestial. You couldn't point to where his hair ended and his beard began; both wrapped around the back of his face and out of sight. Maybe they never ended. And yet there were laugh-lines around his brilliant blue eyes. There was a promise of softness hidden in the planes of his hard face, and that promise broke free as soon as his eyes settled on Ruby. She skipped noiselessly over to him, her finger rising to her lips. Joe's eyes cross to the twin's room and then to the set table, and some of the weight had had tried to hide slid back into place. He made no effort to move from the doorway, and the cold wind battled to slither past him and buffet the room.

         'Roo, why are you still hear?' An urgent whisper. 'I thought we'd agreed! You should be with your sis.'
'What are you on about?' Ruby faltered in her joyful skip towards Joem. 'Nice surprise to see you too.' She was ashamed to hear the naked hurt in her tone.

          'It's not that,' muttered Joem, rubbing his red face with a big hand. 'It's just, we'd agreed..'

         'Tell that to the snowstorm.' Ruby's voice crept up. The children would be awake now. 'Come on in and close that door. Food won't be long.'

          'I can't,' said Joem with a wince. 'There something I need to do.'

          'Now? At this time in the day?'

         'Look, just keep quiet at stay in here. I'm being serious, Roo. I won't be...'

         'Oh I just knew it! Lins was right. I knew you were up to something!' Ruby glared up at the big man. 'Tell me you're not up to something!'

         'Hush! Yes, damnit I'm up to something. Please keep it down!' Joem had an almost frantic look in his face and he darted a quick look back out behind him.

         A chill settled over Ruby. 'This isn't like your last plan? When you found so-called priceless animal dung...'
'No. It's not. I really did find something. It could be really good for us. But I'm scared I've gone to far. I thought you'd be gone.'

          'Joem. What's going on?' Ruby said it carefully, studying Joem's face like a puzzle. 'What have you found?'

         The big man peered nervously down at his wife, a great hound deferring to a lap-dog. 'Something valuable. Something from before. Underground. And people are here to collect it.' He stumbled slightly over the word 'people'.

          'At this time? In this weather?' Ruby frowned up at him. 'What sort of people?' A prickling sense of unease had found her. Something didn't feel right. 'Jo, what have you done?'

          'Quiet, please!' hushed the big man. 'Jesus I think I've messed up. They aren't good people. And you shouldn't be here at all.' He was rambling now. 'But they'll pay well. We can do anything we want... just have to stay quiet!'

          'What sort of not good people?' demanded Ruby in a furious whisper. ' And how do you know what we want if you don't speak to me?

          'I wanted to surprise you. I wanted a better life for us and the bairns.'

         'We chose this life!' snapped Ruby, anger flaring. 'We had an easy life. I had an easy life. Have you forgotten where we came from?'

         'Where you came from, you mean. I've always been here, or here abouts. I wanted more for you. I wanted you to think more of me. To think I was more than just a stone-striking oaf..'

         'Well that worked out nicely!' said Ruby. 'I swear if you've brought trouble to our front door...'

         'I think I've messed up.' Joem cut her off, his admission frank and honest. His eyes were wide. 'Worse than ever before. Please stay inside and let me sort it.'

         'You're getting me really worried now, Jo. Why are you talking like this? Tell me what you've done.'

         The two shared a long glance, Joem's size and stature worth less than a scrap in this exchange. He was pale where the wind hadn't scuffed his race a ruddy red. And then Ruby heard another sound, a stirring in the snow along with a grunt. She knew it and yet didn't. Or maybe she just didn't want to believe. It stirred something cold and long forgotten in her soul. Something she had fought so hard to leave behind. Something she had replaced with love. She moved. Straight for the door. For a fraction of a second it looked like Joem would try to bar the way, but the big man crumpled and fell away into the night like a piece of paper succumbing to flame.
          Ruby's feet made sharp wounds in the snow. A few quick paces and she was clear of the house and fully outside. Twilight drifted around her and she stood in horror. There were shapes in the snow. At a glance they were men. But something was wrong about the way they moved and they way the horizon played off them. They were big. As big again to Joem as he was to her, perhaps more. 9 feet. Twice a man's height and easily five times the weight. There were a few in front, and more had passed the house, following a swinging lantern off to Ruby's left. Ruby just took the sight in, the icy temperatures not touching the furnace within her. She heard heavy steps approach from the direction of the house. His scent reached her before the tentative hand on her shoulder. Joem you fool. You don't know what you've done.
         The wind pusher her billowing dress straight out in front of her. This was why she heard it so clearly.
         'You're awfully small.' The voice was human, but dry. Not used to talking. Croaky. Ruby's stomach felt cold and she turned around to see who was addressing them.

         It was humanoid, but its face was a mass of scars like it had been picked apart and sowed back together again. The rest of its huge body was covered in heavy fabric, black but wind kissed by white frost. Its eyes were black, empty, endless and hungry. But most terrifying of all, whilst it spoke so that Ruby and Joem could hear, it was hunched down next to the small window hatch in their downstairs bedroom. Don't say anything prayed Ruby. Stay silent!

          'Small is relative,' came the reply from inside, nervous but confident in her mother's words.

         If she said anymore then it was lost, as everything started to happen at once. In the distance, Old Ben's great bell started singing. Faster than normal. Out of time. Ben was pulling for all he was worth and he wouldn't stop. A few meters away, the huge creature's arm shot into the house in an explosion of wooden splinters and falling roof slates. A piercing scream tore through the wind, slicing Ruby to the core.