1 I'm Dead

"Delivery~"

DRAP DRAP DRAP

Ruby ran excitedly to the door while shouting 'I'm here'. Her little face was full of joy and if you look carefully, you would find some tears at the end of her eyelashes.

When the fried chicken she had been waiting for anxiously arrived, she was so moved, she started bawling. The still-hot fried chicken in her hands was like a treasure that comes from heaven in her eyes. She lifted the box above her head and sang happily.

"My hard-earned chicken!! Finally.. finally here!!"

"Smell so delicious!"

"Ohhh! I'm so happy.."

Truthfully, this wasn't the first time she had eaten chicken. But God knows how many times she had ever eaten it. She could count it with her fingers!

Ruby was poor enough that she could only live frugally every day. She first had to pay her school tuition, the apartment rent, and lastly her debt. Well, it wasn't exactly her debt. But she was the only person who was forced to pay, therefore she had no other choice but to agree.

Every little money she had left was to buy food for her to live on. Even the money for food expenses wasn't much. That's why it's very extremely rare to be able to buy fried chicken.

She stuffed her mouth and devoured the chicken with a speed of light. It was as though she didn't chew and directly gulped it down. She almost got choked from time to time but quickly recovered.

Five minutes later, Ruby rubbed her stomach contently. She sighed with satisfaction. Truly delicious! Even if she was to die after eating it, she will be very happy!

Suddenly,

Bzzztt~ zztt~ Boom!

..

It's said, 'A careless tongue can be more dangerous than a sword'

..

Ruby's face froze. She blinked rapidly, collected herself, and got up to check out the sound.

She went straight to the balcony only to find that there was a fire dancing madly on it. From the looks of it, Ruby was sure her balcony got struck by thunder.

Ruby was shocked. Her eyeballs were about to pop out of its socket. Her mouth went 'O'.

She froze again for a couple of seconds before she ran around like a headless little chick.

"FIRE!!! MY HOME IS ON FIREEE!!!"

"HELP! SOMEONE!"

In a panicked, she threw everything that she thought was able to extinguish the fire. The result was, of course, the fire got bigger and hotter. It directly led to a small explosion.

Boom!

"Oh gosh.."

Ruby was horrified.

In a rare sober mind, she ran to fetch the water in buckets. She kept pouring it down to the fire but got burned instead as time went by. Although it was really painful, Ruby's fragile heart was on the verge of breaking down. There were a lot of things that she cherished hidden in this apartment. How could she let the fire eat them all?

She was extremely unwilling. They were precious things she bought after toiling so hard.

She might as well try to stop it even if it was futile.

The alarm within the building had already rung for a long time. The whole resident had already evacuated, except for Ruby alone who stubbornly stayed.

Smoke and dust filled the room, making it hard for Ruby to breathe.

Her hands had long been tired from carrying the buckets, so was her feet.

She slumped to the floor, trembling, not far from the fire.

The hot wind blew in her direction.

With tears running down her cheeks, she coughed time and time again.

She had a bitter smile plastered on her face. She was poor and hadn't accomplished anything yet. She hadn't had the time, money, or opportunity to enjoy the world. Now that she will die in vain, Ruby felt deeply sad.

Watching the place she called home burning away, feeling the time she had were slowly running out, Ruby cried very hard.

She wanted to live, ah! Wanted to feel what is happiness!!

More importantly, she wants to fall in love!

Sob.. sob..