6: Loss

Outside their humble abode, a radiant smile graced Ruby's face as she slowly turned the doorknob, savoring the anticipation of reuniting with her beloved grandmother.

--Squeak--

As she stepped inside, Ruby's eyes fell upon her grandmother sitting on the worn-out couch. Her heart swelled with joy, and she warmly greeted her, "Welcome home, Ruby."

Being welcomed by her loving family was Ruby's greatest source of happiness, fueling her determination to do everything in her power to help her grandmother.

Amidst the joy, however, Ruby failed to notice the subtle darkness that clung to her grandmother's frail form. Her once vibrant skin resembled weathered tree bark, her unblinking gaze fixed in a single direction. And the most disheartening truth of all was that she was only 60 years old.

Ruby couldn't bear to witness her grandmother's decline. In the eyes of an ordinary observer, her once lively grandmother appeared as a dying candle on the verge of extinguishing.

Suddenly, a pang of guilt struck Ruby's heart as she remembered the special item she had acquired but forgot to give to her grandmother. She had been so preoccupied with helping the wolf that she had unintentionally neglected her grandmother's well-being.

With a heavy sigh, Ruby made her way to the kitchen, where her grandmother had left her a handwritten note detailing the potion she needed. The paper trembled slightly in her hands as she read the instructions, determined to fulfill her grandmother's final wish.

Hours passed, and Ruby painstakingly prepared the potion, meticulously following the recipe her grandmother had entrusted to her care. As she finished, a mix of hope and apprehension filled her heart.

With the potion in hand, Ruby made her way back to the living room, her steps tentative yet resolute. She gently nudged her grandmother, whispering softly, "Grandma, I've made the potion for you. It will help you get better."

But as the liquid touched her grandmother's lips, Ruby's heart sank. The potion had no effect. Panic washed over her, and tears streamed down her face. She felt utterly helpless, her desperate cries reverberating through the empty room.

Days passed in a haze of numbness and grief for Ruby. The weight of her grandmother's absence consumed her, leaving her feeling adrift and lost.

Every dream and aspiration she had cherished now seemed hollow without her grandmother's loving guidance and support.

Well-meaning friends and neighbors came to offer their condolences, but Ruby withdrew from their attempts to console her. She felt as though a part of her soul had been extinguished alongside her grandmother, leaving an emptiness that no words could fill.

On the third day, Ruby awoke with a flicker of determination. She knew that her grandmother would not want her to surrender to grief, but to honor her memory by forging ahead.

Summoning her strength, Ruby whispered through tear-stained cheeks, "I won't give up, Grandma. I'll keep moving forward, just as you would want me to."

And with those words, a glimmer of resilience sparked within Ruby's heart, lighting the path towards a future where her grandmother's love and guidance would forever be cherished.