Read The Creative Fire: 1 (Ruby's Song) for Free Online Page A

him?” His voice had a tiny bit of hurt in it, which tugged at her. But he was her friend, not her man, and so she ignored it. Besides, in truth, his anger had fled, his face showing only wonderment as he looked up. “Think we can get up there?” he asked.
    “How?”
    She looked around, but of course there was nothing. “Do you know what happened?”
    “Maybe. The Jackman says the ship’s getting old. They’re making people line up and putting them on trains so they can fix this part.”
    “Can they fix it?”
    “I don’t know.” He was still looking at the roof. An eerie quiet settled around them, with no sirens and no noise except the faint, slow flapping of the ripped material. “We should go,” she whispered. “Besides, I’m cold.”
    He took a last look, and then he took her arm. “You’re shivering. We should run.”
    They passed through the park’s gates and pounded through the tunnel. It was a relief to be somewhere with lower ceilings and more holds on the wall. If the gravgens failed now, they’d be all right.
    They raced through the corridors that led home. As they burst through the opening into the housing rows she lived on with her family, a red stepped in front of them.
    He was thick-bodied, older than most reds, familiar. Ruby cursed under her breath and just managed not to run into Onor as he stopped.
    “Ben.” She gasped, nearly out of breath from running. “Hi.” Ben had been scolding her and Onor for breaching safety rules since they were kids. If she let Ben tell her no she’d be lost. “I need something for Ma. She’s sick, and she didn’t bring anything with her. I’ve got to get clothes, too. My uniform. I’ll just be a minute.”
    Ben narrowed his brows and started to shake his head.
    Ruby’s heart sank.
    “We won’t be long.” A thin, dark-haired wraith of a girl emerged from behind Ben. “Come on, Ruby. Hurry.” Marcelle looked up at Ben, her most winning smile pasted across her thin face.
    The red stared down at her.
    “I know. I’m supposed to be at the train,” Marcelle pleaded. “But I was waiting here for Ruby. Let’s go. We’ll hurry. We know the dangers.”
    Ruby added, “We won’t go anywhere else. You know our place is nearby.”
    Ben stepped aside. “Two minutes.”
    “Thank you.” She reached toward him to touch his cheek, then decided he might trap her hand and keep her with him in spite of his step back.
    Marcelle darted away, Onor right behind her. In moments, they’d crossed two corridors and turned down another, stopping at Ruby’s door. Ruby held up her hand and the door opened for her. She stopped Marcelle and gave her a hug. “How’d you know where to find me?”
    Marcelle grinned. “How do I ever know where to find you?” She pointed to Ruby’s torn shirt. “You weren’t going to let anyone herd you onto a train with nothing to wear.”
    Ruby laughed, almost giddy with exhaustion and excitement mixed up together in her body.
    “And you’ll want your journal.”
    The confrontation in the corridor seemed like days ago now. Ruby clenched her jaw, steeling herself in case the reds hadn’t brought her journal back before the damage started. Thankfully, it lay on the table by the door. She grabbed it and then scooped jewelry from her one private drawer into a bag.
    The floor nearly fell out from under her. Marcelle gasped as Ruby lost her footing and slammed into a wall of drawers.
    Onor snapped, “Ready?”
    Ruby shoved clothes into the bag and grabbed up a uniform shirt in case Ben asked her to show it. “Ready.”
    The sirens let out a short, high-pitched burst, and then another, and then they went off in an ululating cry so loud it drove them through the door. “Maybe we won’t get your stuff,” Marcelle told Onor.
    “I know.” His face was white and his eyes wide.
    They headed into the corridors. Marcelle grabbed her own sack as they passed her door. It bulged even fuller than Ruby’s.
    They raced back the way they