Downside Up [W.Byers]

001

"What are you doing?" Will questions as Ruby continues to flare her fire repeatedly. "Practicing. I've got two people to protect now." She says calmly, still focused. "Soon enough, you're gonna get sick, and it's not gonna be good." She sighs.

"Sick?" He asks worriedly. "It happened to me. This place does something to you when you first get here. It's a terrible sickness that lasts about a week or more depending on the person who gets it. You're lucky you've got me." She stops practicing, looking to Will once again.

He remains silent, gulping. "After that, you pretty much get used to being here. It doesn't get any less cold though, I've had to use my powers a whole lot to keep warm." She sends him a sympathetic look, handing him some more water. "Save some for later." She says, yawning.

"You can't stay up every night, you know." He sighs, taking a sip. "I'd feel terrible if I didn't. You need to stay warm, especially during your first few days."

"I'm not a baby. I can take care of myself." He defends. "At home, you can . This place isn't like the real world."

"Well-"

Will is quickly cut off by her finger placing itself on his lips as ruby cautiously peers outside. In the distance, low growls can be heard. "Stay inside. They're here." She whispers, slowly exiting the fort. Will worriedly watches her leave as he shivers in the now much colder fort.

Ruby checks her surroundings, fire held out directly in front of her. With a scream, she creates a much larger fire, threatening to the creatures. They shriek and growl before backing away, surrounding the blonde girl.

"Okay, Ruby. It's what you practiced, right?" She exhales, preparing herself to try something she's never done before. She takes the fire, attempting to shoot it at one of the beasts, yet failing. "Shit." She mutters.

She struggles to create a new fire as the creatures approach, getting closer and closer. She anxiously backs away, not bothering to look for any vines behind her. Just in time, Will runs out of the fort, taking the bucket of boiling water and splashing it all over them. With more shrieks and screams, they run off.

Ruby turns around, angrily glaring at the boy. "That was our water for the whole week! You can't just do that!" She shouts. "I just helped you." He argues, following the angry girl back into the fort.

"I didn't need any help." She crosses her arms, sitting down at the corner of the fort. "It looked like you did."

"You should have listened to me and stayed inside." She sighs, trying her best not to cry from the shock. "You would have died, Ruby!" Will pauses, beginning to feel uneasy.

He falls to the ground, clutching his stomach. "Oh no, I think the sickness is kicking in. And you waisted our water." She mutters. "Look, Will. I need you to stay here while I go get water. Please stay quiet and safe. I won't be long."

Will weakly nods, sighing. "Here." She grabs a plank of wood, setting it on fire. "Stay warm. The fire won't last long, but I'll be back soon."

She exits the fort, setting out with her bucket to go retrieve more water.

"So I got us some more water and I just have to boil it-" Ruby enters the fort, gasping as she finds it empty. In the distance, she can hear screaming.

She lightly drops the water, then runs off into the darkness that is the forest, setting off towards the yelling. "Help!"

"Will!" She screams, wheezing as she runs at her fastest speed. Once she arrives, she finds Will trapped in between vines, whilst two monsters surrounding him. "Hey! Get away from him!" She shouts, shining her fire brightly, blinding them.

Once they shoo away, she runs over to the helpless boy, burning the vines off of him. "Come on. I promise I won't leave you alone again." She tries to pull him up, but he struggles to stand. "Will?" She asks.

He's passed out. He's really sick. Ruby sighs, lifting him up and carrying him back to Castle Byers, where she sets him back down on the cold dirt.

She sighs, once again lighting a fire on a small wood plank, then reaching for a blanket. "Guess this is for you now." She sighs, placing it over the boy.