Ruby was strange. That was what the other people in town said. The kids didn’t make fun of her, they just tried to ignore her. The adults looked at her sideways. And the old people whispered about her when she went past.She didn’t really care. Ruby lived in her own world. One no one in town could see or experience in the same way. Not even her parents could understand.She spent most of her days wandering in the woods. It was there that she felt most alive, most connected to something bigger than herself. The trees whispered secrets to her the animals looked at her with knowing eyes, and the wind carried messages from faraway lands.Today, Ruby was going to one of the off-shoots of the river. It turned into a stream and ended in a pond that was perfect for skipping stones. That was a good use of the day.Her parents were having company, and Ruby didn’t like the newcomer to town. She didn’t know why, but something felt off whenever they visited.Slapping herself a little, she returned her focus to the woods, the water that rushed beside her, and the delicate wind that blew. It was really a perfect day. A magical day. The sort of day where fairies played or princes rode around looking for their one true love.Ruby was a bit of a romantic. At twelve, she had read practically every fairytale and myth in existence. She created her own secret society with codes made from a mix of runes and hieroglyphs. Her trusty permanent marker helped her tag buildings and other surfaces with her secret messages to herself.As Ruby walked along the stream, she saw something glinting in the water. Curious, she walked closer to the edge and peered in. The sun was hitting the water at the perfect angle, revealing a beautiful silver necklace resting at the bottom of the stream. It looked old, maybe even ancient, and Ruby knew she had to have it.Without a second thought, she waded into the water, ignoring the cold water as it rose from her ankles to her knees. She reached down and grabbed the necklace, feeling the smooth metal in her palm. As she looked closer, she saw the necklace had a strange inscription on it.Her mouth quirked to the side as she examined it in the bright sunlight of the early summer day. Where one side of the pendant on the necklace was entirely smooth, the other had something carved into it. Ruby tried to make it out.The design was almost like a rune, but not like any rune she’d ever seen. As she held the necklace, the metal warmed from the frigid cold it had been to matching the temperature of Ruby’s fingers.She stared at it a little longer, lost in identifying the marking. A bee flew right past her ear, making her jump at the sudden buzzing right next to her. Ruby fumbled with the necklace, catching it just before it went into the water again.Holding her treasure close to her chest, Ruby made her way back to the banks of the river. She put it on over her head so her hands would be free to climb out. Once out of the water, she sat on the banks and took off her shoes to let them dry while she looked at the necklace some more.The more Ruby looked at the necklace, the more she felt a strange energy emanating from it. It was as if the necklace had a life of its own and was trying to communicate with her. She couldn’t quite understand what it was trying to say, but she knew it was important.For a moment, she considered taking the necklace off, afraid of the power it held. But she couldn’t bring herself to do it. It was too beautiful, too precious. It had chosen her, and she was meant to wear it.Time passed, but Ruby didn’t know. She never saw the sun set. Never heard the crickets and frogs’ songs filling the night. All she could do, all she wanted to do, was stare at the symbol in the softly glowing metal.It filled her with a peace she’d never felt before, at least outside of reading her books. This was the feeling she had when a story or a myth resonated with her deeply. Her heart swelled.This was even better than any story she had ever read. She knew the necklace wanted her as much as she wanted it. She spent the entirety of her life waiting for this. The start of her own magical tale.As darkness descended upon the woods, Ruby finally came to her senses. She realized she had been sitting there for hours, lost in her own reverie. She quickly picked up her shoes, put them on, and started making her way back home.Before she got back to the road that would herald the beginning of town, she tucked the necklace under her shirt. This was her prize, her treasure, her gift. She wouldn’t let anyone else have it.Ruby could feel the warmth radiating against her skin. It felt safe, like a blanket firmly wrapped around her. It gave Ruby the feeling she had when she was tucked away in her room, away from the noises of the world.When she finally reached home, she opened the door cautiously. She was supposed to be home before the sun set. Her parents were probably worried.She could smell the scent of dinner cooking, but her eyes were drawn to her father standing in the living room with the phone to his ear. He was turned away from the door and his hand was gripping his hair.“She was wearing a pink tank top and orange shorts with her favorite sneakers, the ones with the glittery laces. No, I don’t know where she was going today. It’s not like she tells us her plans,” he snapped at the person on the phone.It wasn’t her fault she didn’t tell them. They didn’t seem to care when she used to try. They barely listened when she would try to talk about her day. None of them really listened. Too many people got fed up with her.Ruby stepped into the house and closed the door gently behind her. She took a deep breath, gathering her courage, and walked towards her father. He turned around and saw her, relief washing over his face.“She’s here. Let everyone know for me.... Yeah.... Thanks.”He hung up the phone and looked her over. When he saw she was okay, his relief turned to frustration. He gripped her shoulders and tried to look into her eyes, but Ruby looked away.“You’re supposed to be home before the sun goes down. Your mother and I were worried sick. Everyone was out looking for you and all we could do was sit here and hope you came home,” her dad growled.She didn’t like how he was gripping her. Ruby didn’t like being touched by people very much at all. And she really didn’t like it when they got close to her face.“Look at me when I’m talking to you.”Ruby tried, she really did. She turned her face a bit, but looking at people directly was always hard for her. No one seemed to understand just how difficult.“Eric, is she home?” her mom asked as she entered the room, probably drawn by the irritation in her father’s voice.“She’s not talking. Just waltzes in here like nothing’s wrong and she hasn’t been missing for over an hour after she was supposed to be home.”“Let her go. You know she’s only going to shut down if you get in her face like that. Doctor Desmond said we need to avoid stressing her if we want her to be more normal,” her mom said.Eric grunted and released his daughter roughly, nearly making her fall over. Ruby was used to it. Her dad didn’t like it when she went quiet, but he also didn’t have the patience to talk to her. She really didn’t know how to make him happy.“Bonnie, you need to deal with your daughter. I’m going to step outside and try to calm down. I want to know where the hell she was when I come back.”With that, he left the house. Ruby squeezed her hands together. She knew how mad she made him, but there were some things she couldn’t help.Her mom knelt down near her with a sigh. “I know you lose track of time and that’s okay, but you really had us worried, sweetie. Can you tell mommy where you were?”Ruby nodded. “I went on an adventure in the fairy woods and saved a magic amulet from the river demons.”Though her voice was quiet, the sound filled the room. Bonnie looked down and saw her white shoes were not as stiff as they had been before. She shook her head.“That sounds like a big adventure. Why don’t you take off your shoes and put on the house bunnies? Then we can have some dinner. I made your favorite tonight.”Ruby smiled a little and nodded, then went to put on her bunny slippers. She didn’t enjoy having bare feet if she could avoid it. Her mom led her into the kitchen and she washed her hands in the half bath off of the dining area while her mom served the food.When her dad came back to join them for dinner, her mom explained what Ruby had told her. Ruby was far too focused on her food to pay attention unless someone said her name. She loved pasta and her mom gave her a big plate. It was perfect.After dinner was bath time. She didn’t need anyone to watch over her anymore. Part of the work she had been doing with the doctor had gotten her to that point. She was proud of herself. Her parents sometimes seemed sad when she did better things, but one day they would be happy with her.In bed that night, her mom and dad came into her room to give her goodnight hugs and kisses. It was something that she loved and the only time she was comfortable enough to look at their faces.But when Ruby looked at their faces, she saw their eyes were entirely black. It overwhelmed her, and she shut down out of fear. Her parents thought she was just tired and tucked her into bed before turning off the light. She closed her eyes and tried to relax, but the image of those eerie black eyes kept swimming through her mind until she fell asleep.‘I’ll protect you, little one,’ the spirit in the necklace vowed as the little girl drifted into her dreams.