silence and sound → the 100 ²

[ 20 ] kiswamplei, the kiss of death.

— CHAPTER TWENTY,
kiswamplei, he kiss of death.

WITH HER HOOD DRAWN UP, RUBY WALKS THROUGH THE DARK STREETS OF POLIS. Her sword is thrown over her shoulder and her dagger rests in its sheath.

Ruby is not afraid to admit she's angry.

Angry at Murphy, angry at the girl he left his own sister for. Angry angry angry.

As she walks along the silent streets of Polis, she catches sight of a girl around her age. She has a tattoo on the side of her face and a glove covering her left hand.

The girl looks over her shoulder just before she slips down a quiet alleyway.

Ruby's speckled eyes narrow slightly. She turns the corner to go down the alleyway, pulling her dagger from its sheath. The girl gasps as a hand grabs her shoulder.

Ruby spins her around and shoves her against the old brick wall, pressing her dagger against the girl's throat.

"Three goddamn months!" Ruby seethes. "You kept my brother away from me!"

The girl's eyebrows furrow. "Ruby?" She questions. "How long have you been awake?"

"Long enough to kill three people." Ruby snaps, rage in her brown and red eyes. "Don't make it four."

"Ruby, what the hell!?" A familiar voice sounds behind her. Murphy reaches out and grabs Ruby's arm. He pulls her away from his girlfriend. She turns to look at him with a strong glare. "How long have you been awake?"

"Why is everyone asking me that?" She scoffs in irritation. "Long enough."

"Why does everyone keep asking you that?" Murphy repeats her question as he raises his eyebrows. "You were in a coma, Ruby. For days. Everyone's gone back to Arkadia."

"Is it possible for me to leave?" She asks.

"You want to leave—"

"Of course I do!" She snaps, "there's nothing here for me. You're shoved up her ass. And don't say shit about not being because you left for three months, Murphy."

Murphy stares at his younger sister as huff fills his eyes. "You don't get to say that." He whispers as he shakes his head hastily. "You were gone too, Ruby."

"I didn't have a choice!" Ruby shouts in anger. "I was a Reaper! I would've killed everyone! You weren't even here! You didn't even know I was gone, Murphy!"

The girl Ruby attacked stands stunned. Her eyes dart between the pair of siblings, positive they're about to get into a fight right here in this alleyway. Murphy and Ruby glare at each other strongly, challenging the other.

"There's a way for you to leave," Murphy's girlfriend speaks up, hoping to break the brother and sister's stare-down. "I'm Emori."

"Ruby." The Carson girl says, despite knowing that Emori already knows her name. "Get me the hell outta here."

─────────

Ruby treks through the streets of Polis. She keeps her eyes downcast, hoping no one recognizes her. The Grounders will easily be able to identify her by her eyes.

Murphy and Emori are planning on leaving Polis as well. They have no one to say goodbye to. But Ruby does. She has to find Marcus and Octavia before she goes anywhere.