A MAZE OF GREED

It had been two days since Ruth shared that most beautiful night of her life with the man she loved. She still had her doubts and suspicions, yet she was glad that the tensions between their relationship had eased out.

That night she realised how much he meant for her. She could not believe how she stayed away from him for such a long time. Ruth decided that she would get mad, angry, maybe even curse at him when they would fight another time, but she would never try to stay away from him.

However, she prayed that there would be no more fights amongst them.

The blue stoned earrings had become a part of her uniform as she wore them almost every day. And the jealous looks she received for it from other women made her joyous.

This fine morning, Ruth woke up late in the morning. And thus, was rushing to Elsie's chamber. She was so late that she had to carry her earrings in the pocket of her dress. She helped Elsie bathe then got her ready.

Today Elsie was going to meet her mentor, who taught her in the Academy. Ruth wished she also could have gotten a chance to receive a formal education, but that was an Elite's affair. Commoners like her could not afford the high fees. Besides, they did not get much time for anything other than earning the money.

Ruth was excited, thinking she could get a chance to go with Elsie. But when Elsie decided to take Ida with her, Ruth was a little disappointed. But what she could say in it?

She had to agree with her mistress!

After Elsie and Ida left, Ruth cleaned Elsie's chamber. Kept her freshly washed clothes neatly in her wardrobe. And by the time of the afternoon, Ruth had nothing much to do.

So she decided to see if Thea had time and if they could get their lunch together. But then she got to know that she was also busy as Lester and Edwin were engaged in some meetings and were planning to go somewhere in the evening.

It seemed like Ruth had to spend the rest of the day getting bored.

And then an idea popped up in her head. She decided to go to her favourite corner of the garden and practice her powers as she could not get much time for that recently.

She began walking in the direction of the garden. Meanwhile, she remembered to wear the earrings that she was carrying in the pocket of her dress.

She was humming some tune she had heard somewhere while earing her earrings.

"Oh no!"

She almost squealed when her earring slipped from her hand. Ruth began searching for it on the floor in panic. She could not lose the first gift that Edwin gave her. It was a symbol of their love... that was what she believed no matter how cliche it sounded.

Her panic only rose when she could not find it. Ruth squatted down and began looking around, yet she found nothing. She bent further, holding her face only an inch or two above the floor.

"Pchhh!" She kept making noises in annoyance.

She looked under the nearby piece of furniture, and as if luck had graced her, she saw something shining under the table in the dim light.

A smile crossed her face, and all the tension faded. Ruth stretched her hand under the furniture. Her fingers danced around until they got the earring. Ruth drew it back and was smiling brightly in relief when something else caught her attention.

She tried looking in the dim light under the furniture by narrowing her eyes. She again slipped her hand there and pulled it back after she got the hold of that thing.

It was a small bottle of palm's size. Ruth furrowed her brows in confusion. What was it?

She saw some yellowish liquid inside it. Ruth opened its cap and sniffed, but the moment its pungent smell hit her nostrils, her face cringed in disgust.

"Ewww! What the hell is this thing?" Ruth rubbed her nose with the back of her hand.

She closed its lid before she passed out because of that unpleasant smell.

Ruth studied the small bottle and found something written at its bottom. The handwriting seemed familiar. She raced up her mind, and then it hit her. She knew that handwriting. Perhaps this bottle belonged to that person.

With that thought, she picked up the bottle and put it inside her dress pocket. Her feet changed their direction as they began crossing the distance between their new destination.

Ten minutes later, Ruth stood in front of a large wooden door that was opened. Entering inside, she walked towards a small cabin, that had three chairs and a table.

A man sat in his side of the chair while scribbling something on the paper. As soon as his ears caught the light padding of Ruth's feet against the floor, he looked up from his work.

"Miss Ruth?" He was confused to see her there.

"Good afternoon sire! Do you have two minutes please? I hope I am not disturbing you in your work." She said politely after entering his cabin.

"Good afternoon! Of course, do you need any help? Please have a seat." He said.

Ruth shook her head with a small smile. "No thank you but I do not want to take much of your time. Actually, I came here to show you something." She pulled out the bottle from her pocket and put it in front of him.

"I found it in one of the corridors. Maybe it fell down and one could not find it because it rolled under the furniture. I found it accidentally. I saw your handwriting on it so I thought perhaps it belongs to you." She explained the situation.

The physician picked up the bottle and looked for its bottom. He frowned upon seeing his handwriting on it. He began opening its lid before Ruth warned him.

"It smells so gross!" She again crinkled her nose thinking about that pungent smell.

But the physician had no problem with the smell as he sniffed it. Maybe he was used to such unpleasant smells after years of medicinal practice.

The frown that formed on his face made Ruth confused. He did not say anything for a minute. Ruth was about to ask him again, but he abruptly stood up from his chair.

"Excuse me," He said before walking past her.

Ruth wanted to know what was happening, so she followed the man out of his small cabin. Walking the length of the large hall that had about ten beds ready in service of patients, he stopped at the wall-sized shelf, which was flooding with various sized medicine bottles.

The physician again checked the small bottle in his hand then walked a couple of steps to his right before opening the door of the shelf.

He glided his eyes from one row to another from upwards to downwards before his eyes steadied at an empty spot.

Ruth figured from the expressions on his face that the bottle belonged to that empty spot.

"Sire, are you... are you alright?" Ruth asked in worry when she noticed his hands trembling slightly. The sweat covered his forehead, and his face looked pale as if he had seen the ghost.

"Sire?" Ruth had to shake his shoulder to get his attention back.

He startled then looked at Ruth.

"What happened? You look pale."Ruth asked again.

The physician clearly looked troubled, his movements were tensed. He dabbed his forehead with a handkerchief that he pulled out from his pant pocket.

"Where exactly you found it?" He asked with a slight tremble in his voice.

"Erm, I found it in the corridor of the main building. Why?"

"Oh Okay. Thank you for returning it." He looked as if he was in hurry.

"What is in that bottle?" Ruth asked curiously.

The man looked more uneasy than before. "M-medicine. Excuse me!"

He almost broke into a sprint and locked himself in his cabin. Ruth found it weird. However, she was also concerned for him. He did not look good.

She thought of going to him again, just to make sure that he was fine. But then she changed her mind thinking she should not bother the man more.

*

*

*

Lester and Edwin were still trying to find out about the kidnapped girl. They were now walking on the route that Mrs Payne had shown them.

On Lester's demand, they reconfirmed her analysis about the saliva samples from one of the mentors from the Academy. Elsie was gone again to visit her and see if they could get anything more.

Thea had Edwin and Lester's dinner prepared early as they both were planning to go for a run.

She served them food in Edwin's chamber then left, giving them some privacy.

"Have you found any news on Mrs Payne?"

Edwin finally asked. He was a little worried for the woman after Lester told him that she had disappeared. Edwin did not want another hurt for Ruth.

Lester tensed instantly. He shook his head. "No. It is like she never existed. I still wonder how she escaped."

"What if-"

Lester scoffed even before Edwin completed his sentence. "She will come back, Edwin. I know she will! Do not worry."

Edwin only nodded his head. And hoped that Lester was right!