Chapter 6: Helga von Schabbs
Ruby woke up and rubbed her eyes. She looked out of the window it was still night. She was startled by a thud. Her glowing eyes gave her the ability to see in the dark.
She saw Helmut at the end of the floor after she opened the Door. He made strange noises, like he had trouble breathing. His uniform was also covered in blood.
“H-Helmut, are you alright?” She asked a little scared. But Helmut didn’t react. She turned him around with a fore hoof. Helmut faced the filly. His eyes had a fiery glow, and his mouth was covered in blood too. “Helmut?!” He burst into flames.
Ruby pushed him away. She ran back to her room, tears in her eyes. She had slammed the door shut, as the monster formerly known as Helmut charged at her.
Ruby dashed to the bed to hide under it, where she curled up in fear. The monster began to bash at the door. It took only a few seconds to destroy the Door. Ruby covered her eyes as the burning Helmut slowly walked into the room.
Ruby, told herself that is wasn’t real over and over again. She slowly uncovered her eyes. She heard the noises of the monster. It was in front of the bed. Ruby looked in horror as the monster looked into her eyes. In the blink of an eye, it charged at her.
She woke up with a scream. She also painted heavily and had cold sweat on her face. In record time, Helmut ran in, worried about his guest.
“Ruby? Are you alright?” She hugged him tightly while sobbing. “Shh, it was just a dream, shh, calm down.” By her action, he knew that she had a nightmare.
Heike also came. Her heart melted and broke at the same time. “You can sleep with me, Ruby.” Helmut carried the filly to his bed. Again she cried herself to sleep.
“You are already a father for her.” Heike said to him before she went into her bed.
“Don’t worry Ruby, Daddy is here.” He whispered into her ear before he was asleep. His mother was right, Ruby saw him already as her surrogate father.
In the morning, Helmut woke up. He smiled when he saw Ruby sleeping peacefully. He climbed carefully out of the bed not to wake her. After all she had experienced, Ruby deserved some rest.
After a good breakfast, he heard hoof steps. Ruby trotted into the kitchen. “Good morning, Ruby. Did you sleep well?”
“Yes, I have. What’s for breakfast?”
“How about some oatmeal and juice for you?”
"Yes please.” Heike joined them for breakfast.
Ruby enjoyed her breakfast. “I have an idea. How about I show you the village?” Ruby lowered her ears.
“A good Idea. But most people will probably freak out when they see me.”
“Don’t worry. I just tell the people that you are just my daughter in her costume. And I will say that your glowing eyes are just part of it.”
“This could be working.” Her ears stood again.
There was a knock on the Door. Helmut was surprised to see a woman with brown hair, a bandage around her left leg, in the uniform of an Obersturmbannführer. “Hello Frau Obersturmbannführer von Schabbs. I’m Private Helmut Neumann, how can I help?”
“Hello Herr Neumann. I was on my way back to my room in the tavern, but my leg kills me. Since your Family is known for their hospitality, I thought I’d drop by. If you don’t mind.”
“Not at all, Frau Obersturmbannführer. Come in.” Helga von Schabbs entered the house.
“Do you want to drink something?”
“Yes. The best Wine you have. Who is this?” She looked at Ruby.
“This is my daughter in her Costume, Anna.”
“Why does she have yellow eyes and a magnifying glass on it?”
Ruby answered her question, “Because I am interested in spirits and I am really good in finding things.”
“Where is your mother?”
“S-she died a few years after I was born. She gave me the nickname Ruby.” The filly replied sad, remembering her father's death, which was always painful for her to tell, dispite never knowing him.
“Ruby. A nice name.”
“Thanks.”
“Ruby, would you help my mother with the wine?”
“Yes, Dad.” Ruby trotted off.
“Where I put the wine again?” Heike wondered
.
“Over here.” Ruby pointed with a hoof to a Shelf.
“A Château Margaux from 1921. Frau Obersturmbannführer von Schabbs will like this for sure. Thank you for your help, Ruby. You are really good in finding things.” Ruby blushed at the complement.
Heike followed by Ruby walked with a wine glass and the wine into the living room. “Here, Frau, Obersturmbannführer von Schabbs. A Château Margaux from 1921.”
“Thank you. 1921 was certainly a great year for the French estate.”
Ruby wanted to walk away, but Helga said, “Wait Ruby. Have a seat.” Not wanting to get into trouble, she obeyed.
Helga showed Ruby a map. “Does it fascinate you, Ruby?”
“Yes it does.”
“As a child, I would draw my own maps and dig for treasures in the forest outside our estate. It was my escape. Then a polio epidemic spread through the area. Months I spend in bed, dreaming terrible dreams while my leg withered and died. Do you think I broke down and cried over this? Of course I did. Crying is human behavior. Giving up, however, is for degenerates. I never gave up. I took control of my fate. Are you in control of your fate, Ruby?”
“But of Course.”
Helga gave Helmut the wine glass. “Go ahead, taste the wine for me.” Helmut wasn’t much of a wine drinker but he tasted as ordered. “Good?”
“Delicious.”
“Your daughter has a curious accent.” While Ruby spoke fluently German, she still had a barely noticeable accent. Helga drank the wine.
“It’s been very long that I drank a good wine like this. But now I have to leave, before this idiot of Schreiner comes. Thank you for your hospitality.”
“You’re welcome,” Helmut said.
“I must say that Helga von Schabbs is a very nice person.”
"Yes she is, Ruby.” Heike said to her.
“Let’s go Ruby, we don’t have all Day.”
“Have a nice Day!” Heike called out while they left.