24 Hours: Prologue and Chapter 1 (Part 1)

Prologue

Jamie ran shouting Ruth's name. He was worried and his unrhythmic heartbeat was making it worst.

"RUTH," he shouted her name. For the past hours he had been searching for Ruth but couldn't find even a trace of her. He was out of breath, panting heavily he slump down and in frustration punched his hand on the ground. He did it in such a force that his blood were oozing out of his hand, but the pain wasn't even bothering him a little. God knows where she is.

Never in his life had he thought that he could even care for her a little. Hate and anger was the only thing he had been feeling for her. But then it wasn't the hate he had been living with. It was something else. Something he confused with the mere feeling of hatred. It was a unknowing bond they both had created unconsciously... with one another.

His one and only "Rival" Ruth, as he liked to call it, was the only person except Sean who knows each and every detail of his life. The only one who knows him too well, as well as his likes and dislike. After all it helped her to use it against him for every tricked he played on her. But then if he focuses more, Sean didn't know him so well after all, like Ruth did.

He was lost in his own thoughts when he heard a scream.

"JAMIE," a familiar voice screamed.

Jamie was startled and looked around. This time he heard the voice again.

"Ruth," he whispered and hurriedly stood up, ran in her direction.

He kept on running, ignoring the pain in his legs and from the cuts formed in his arms from the branches. All that matters to him was "Ruth." He needs to save her no matter what.

But when he reached there, his eyes widen with shock. He wasn't prepared to see what was in front of him.

Ruth was sitting terrified. A knife covered with blood lying beside her.

And few feet before her laid a lifeless body covered in his blood.

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Chapter 1 (Part 1)

There's nothing in this world as sweet as love. And next to love the sweetest thing is hate. - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

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"For God sake, will you ever stop doing it?" Ruth yelled.

Jamie was leaning on the wall taking to his best friend Sean. He looked up at Ruth and asked in bored tone. "What do you want?"

"What do you mean by, 'What do you want?' In fact what do YOU want?" She shouted at him getting angry.

Jamie blocked his ears, "Sheesh, would you please shut your mouth? You are going to deafen me?" Ruth fumed more at his words.

Sean was standing there confused and Stella who just entered the class hearing Ruth shouting, ran towards her. The whole class was interestingly watching the "STAR RIVALS", eager to know what will be going to happen next.

"What the HELL is this?" Ruth asked angrily, holding out a paper in front of his eyes.

It was a picture of Ruth with red horns over her head, and her canines extended out like a vampire’s in movies with an evil smile. And in large caption in red - "I THE CRAZY DEVIL," written at the bottom.

Jamie looked at the picture and burst out laughing. It angered Ruth more and she wanted to hit him on his face badly. But, since Stella was holding her back, Ruth couldn’t do anything.

"Wow, at last you have agreed yourself to be a Devil." Jamie said, trying to control his laughter.

"I know this is your work." Ruth lunged towards him, but Sean and Stella held her back.

"Come on. Who said it’s MY work? And, anyway, you look better here." He said showing the picture to her, "See, more like a devil." He mimicked the picture.

"I will kill you." Ruth said and freeing herself from Stella and Sean’s hold, lunged towards him.

Being good at fighting Jamie dodged her easily, while Ruth smacked her hand in the wall. Avoiding the pain she tried to hit him again, but before she could hit him somebody held her hand back. It was their young handsome professor Dan Myer. The whole girl population were head over heel into him and Ruth was no exception. While the male population respect his dignity and personality a lot.

Ruth was embarrassed as she was being caught hitting (though couldn’t) Jamie, especially by Professor Dan.

"May I know what is happening here?" Professor Dan asked with a gentle smile.
Unlike other teachers Professor Dan is soft and do not get angry easily. He is calm and handles a situation in a better way.

"A-Ac-Actually, I- I- I", Ruth shuttered in embarrassment.
Professor Dan noticed a paper lying down on the floor and bent down to pick it up.
But before he could, Ruth picked it up and hid it behind her.

"What are you hiding?" Professor Dan asked.

"No-Nothing. It's nothing." She said hurriedly.
"Oh come on Ruth. If it’s nothing then why don’t you show that to Professor Dan?" Jamie said with a wide grin.

Ruth glared at Jamie. "Really Professor it’s nothing." Ruth insisted.

But before Ruth could register, Jamie had already took the paper from her hand and showed it to Professor Dan.

Ruth’s face turned pale, while Jamie was smiling triumphantly at her.

Professor Dan looked at the picture and tried to hide a smile.

At that moment, Miss Sandra Hunt saw the picture over Professor Dan’s shoulder. "Aw, so cute." She smiled.

Nobody noticed her coming there. The scariest thing in fact. She is sometimes so quiet that some time her sudden approach scares the hell out of people. And I mean it.

"It’s so innocent and sweet." Miss Sandra squealed cheerfully.

Jamie got confused and went to look at the picture. And when he saw it, his eyes were wide with shock.

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Comment Replies:

Lucy: Thanks for help. And I hope you will like the story. By the way you mentioned yourself writing stories. But there are so many "Lucy" that it hard for me finding you. So please do tell me which 'Lucy' you are.

Amber R: I hope you will like this story. And do post yours too.

Author's Note:

I know I have delayed, but I was helpless, so I am really sorry. Workload at school is not helping much to write out these stories. But still I will try to post soon. For any information you can contact me on my Facebook account. Details are on my profile.