" wake up!"

That was the voice echoing in her head. It was raspy and one she was sure she had never heard before.

" WAKE UP!!! WE NEED TO WAKE UP!!!"

Ruth wasn't one to listen to a voice in her head, but something about it made her snap her eyes open. Unfortunately the blinding light of the sun filled her blury vision. Groaning, the teen pushed herself into a sitting position and rubbed her sensitive eyes. When her vision cleared, she noticed the familiar blue eyes of her best friend staring at her.

" 'Bout time you woke up!" Emma scoffed as she moved from the chair placed in the corner of the room. " You've been asleep for hours!" She added as she plopped down at the foot of Ruth's bed.

" Wha? I slept for-oh crap!" The burnett gasped as she furiously rolled up her sleeves and examined her forearm.

" Got tattooed or something?" Emma snickered as she watched the short teen search for something that seemed non-existing.

" The black stuff! Woods! H-how did I get here!?!?"

The blonde shot her a confusing look.

" What do you mean? You mom said you stumbled into the house around 1 a.m. and started eating like a cave man."

" I-I don't understand...." Ruth stuttered. " I don't remember that."

" Huh." The light haired teen replied. " Well around three in the morning your brother called and said you were acting weird so I headed over."

" What do you mean by weird?"

" Oh child!" Emma laughed. " It was great! You aimlessly stumbled around the house grabbing weird food and had a high fever. "

" That sounds.....bad " Ruth sighed. Emma only chuckled.

" The weirdest part was your eyes. They glazed over to a white color and your mom was convinced you had gone blind. But once we got you to bed, the fever broke after a few hours."

" Ah...." Ruth chirped quietly, then sniffled. An odd look plastered the burnett's face which sent Emma into a laughing fit.

" Why do I smell like tatter totts....and chocolate?"

" Only thing we could get you to eat."

" I see....uh...did I happen to have some black goo all over me?" Ruth questioned, shivering lightly at the memory.

" No.....why?"

" Oh, I think I must have dreamt it then."

The blonde only shrugged.

" Dreams seem to be weirder when your sick."

Ruth scoffed and rolled her greenish-blue eyes.

" Your telling me, that was more like a nightmare...and it seemed so real...."

" huh....Well Ruthie, your doing better so I better head home." Emma stated as she got off the bed, causing it to rise up an inch or two.

"Kay....thanks for helping me I guess?" The smaller teen called as her friend exited.

" If you die! It's more then likely my fault!!!" Emma called from a distant room. Chuckling, Ruth could hear the footsteps of her friend fade into the living room and soon after the sound of a door closing filled the house. Laughing to herself, Ruth tossed away the covers of her bed and looked down. She was still in the same baggy shirt and work jeans, only now they were covered in mud. The small burnett sneered at the sight of the filth and scooted out of her twin sized bed. Groggily she headed down the stairs that led to the main floor of her home. In the kitchen her mom was cooking while at the table three of her brothers sat waiting for food.

" Hey! Look who's not dead!"

" Sup babe!"

" Sis! You look like crap..that's so gay "

Ruth stuck out her tongue at her three siblings and sat down across the wooden table.

" Glad to see your up." Her mom called from her place in the kitchen. " When you didn't come home I started to worry."

" We thought you were looking for the dog?" Her older brother Wesley shot out. Ruth only sighed.

" I fell.....took me awhile to get back....."

" Well being in that rain gave you a cold. " The elderly lady added as she pointed a spoon at her youngest daughter. " School is still canceled so you don't have to sorry about missing classes."

" Or Seeing Josh and Kayla make out." Carson butted in with a harsh laugh. Ruth sent him a deadly glare and hissed.

" Will you drop that!" She snapped. " I'm already over it!"

" Riiiiight....." the younger teen boy added. Ruth was about to shoot a snide remark, but the else voice from earlier cut her off.

" FOOD!!!"

The smaller teen jumper and looked at her brothers.

" Who said that!!" The burnett demand, looking at the three with with wide eyes. Her brother only looked at her like she was crazy.

" No-one said anything?" Carson stated sounding like he was concerned for her mental well being.

" You sure books said food...like in a dark creepy voice...."

" positive."

" Oh....well excuse me." Ruth whispered as she got up from her chair. " I'm not feeling so good...." she added as she rushed to the bathroom which was located on the second floor.

When she was gone the three looked at their mother with puzzled looks.

" Its the fever dears. She's probably about to throw up."

~

Entering the bathroom, Ruth locked the door behind her and grasped the edge of the counter and looked closely in the mirror.

"  Am....I going crazy?!" She gasped. " I was positive I years a voice...."

" We are not crazy " the voice from earlier chuckled.

" But we are hungry."

Looking at her own reflection, a short, brown haired teen, wasn't looking back, but a black, snake like face with a Cheshire grin.

" Ruth.....we are hungry." It hissed.

And that....that was when she passed out.

~

From the other room, Carson heard a thud come from the bathroom. Sighing he looked at his slightly older brother.

" Should we check on her?"

" Yeah....she might be dead."

" She better not be! " Carson announced. " If She is mom will kill us!"

The other brother sighed.

" Mom leaves for ten minutes and boom, Ruth has probably done something stupid...."