Who Is the Liar

by Laura Lee Bahr

The time my hamster disappeared, that was the worst. Ruby said she had nothing to do with it, but her lopsided smile told me otherwise.

Oh goodnss if yku are insighted go killaimals ataykijng age tha means yku are predisposed to psycopathy

There’s Dale, the bad one I don’t like. He’s mean. He hurts animals. And he likes to pick on me, with her approval.

WHo are these damgerous eple my goodness

“Do you know what rape is?” I don’t know. “Yes,” I say. I don’t want her to tell me. She laughs. “You don’t know. But I do. It’s not something I could tell you. Telling you wouldn’t really tell you.” She has finished

My goidness im triggered like what is thus cncersation abd ir almist seems like hes proud to be descrubibg wbsg thus is not ecen remotely perturbed

man is tied up, silver tape on his mouth and blood on his face, and with an open blue eye that stares right into the light.

Who has riby trapped in their basement?!? How old is she

Feed him to the Beast in the cold space. The one blue eye.

Did she capture the mirderer?!

Could it just have been a bad dream, that some strange man is in the cold space?

Ruby sits on the pew between Mom and Dad, her back straight, her hands folded in her lap reverently. She gives me that smile where her mouth is closed but

So dichotomous tgat riby goes tok church abd is akigned w those values yey she contrasts wuth her devious actiobs abd rebellioys actions irs like psycopsths can acckimate abd mirror and camoflauge ibti sicuety si well thry are inconspicuous and dont let on they ate jarred

swallow it. Bishop Baker is talking about Heaven and how great it is for everybody there, especially kids,

Ruby watches Bishop Baker speak as if she’s interested in what he’s saying. But none of us sisters are fooled. She doesn’t believe in the Church or the Bible, or in angels, or even in God. She has told all of us sisters so, laughing at our shocked expressions. She’s told us we’re all fools and blind to believe, and we will find out the truth for ourselves soon enough. Usually

“Because, silly . . . he’s in the cold space.”

Is he the beast

“He deserves it. Baby, you don’t know what terrible, terrible things he did to those poor kids. You don’t know how many more kids he would do it to if I hadn’t trapped him. And now I’m going to kill him so he can’t hurt another poor baby like you ever again. Don’t look like that. It’s a good thing. I’m actually doing something good and right, here, Topaz. Honestly. It’s a good thing.”

Ok rught but how abiut instead of killing him se bring him to tjr policeeeee

“Shouldn’t you give him to the cops?”

He’s hypnotized me, part of my mind says as the other plays always smiling at you, always smiling at you.

“Don’t be scared,” he says. “I know I look scary, but don’t be scared of me.” He tries to smile, and I don’t yelp. I am afraid, but I’m also brave.

I wonddr if hs trily isjt baf yet ruby is telling her this is the rapist whdn sheeeeevi the evil one

“Ask her how she knew that it was me. That I did the terrible things you and she have accused me of. Killing . . . children. Ask her how she knows that. Let her tell you, then repeat back what she said and ask her if it’s true. She will say no. And that is how you will know she is a liar.”

“Yes,” she is telling the truth, “No,” she is not lying, but which came when? And I don’t have time for Ruby. “I don’t know,” I say. “No, you don’t. And

Wow sheis so afraid of ruby ndthe man its likw who t be loyakt

“You say yes, I let him go,” she says. “You say no, he dies tonight. You decide, baby. You. All that power. Life or death.

Somuxh power to decie

“You are grounded for this entire week. No movies. No mall. No telephone. You are going to be helping me with chores and doing homework and that is it, and if you ever touch your sister again, so help me, you can

sheis so vioke eve at ayoung aei be terrified

“Who is Janie Potts?” I ask. “She’s the girl who just disappeared,” Lavender answers. “Police were coming into the classes and asking about her.”

How mucc do you wantt bt ruby had smtin to do wit thi

God, I thought I was doing the right thing by telling Ruby to let the Beast go. But I guess it was the wrong thing. I made the wrong choice, and I am sorry. Please don’t let Janie Potts die because I made the wrong choice. Please help me, because I am disappointing Mrs. Mitchell and talking back and not doing what you want me to do, but I don’t think Janie Potts should have to die for it. I know that Ruby said he would come after me, so I guess I need to be scared he will eat me. But it’s unfair that he got Janie first.

Oh goodnes has ruby brainwased jrinto beieving her decsioon to relwase t beast was ge reason why tis girl ks missn t ismssve responibikfity an sooodebilitating a unfair to make her seem that powerfulfoesomeoneelse decisons

“You let him go and now he’s taken someone from Lavender and Lily’s class, and there were police at the school

WOw id be distraaght if somene made me beueve that iwas ressonsibke for a serial killers axions

“I’m sorry I said to let him go,” I say, quick and quiet as I can. “I chose wrong. I should have believed you.”

Making topaz more loyal andfearfl of ruby. More cmplocit

It’s you he will be after now. I have to do something to make sure he can’t get me or anyone else. But what?

“The one who is always smiling at me.” “‘Always smiling at you’?

ant trustayone esppcialy ruby as se is always smiling

other missing children. Cynthia Hill, a blond girl with green eyes, who isn’t smiling at all, no matter if she was told to say cheese or anything else to make her show her teeth. “Eleven years old and was last seen walking home from school . . . has been missing for two years.” Another girl, with dark hair and blue eyes that seem to sparkle like she just told a joke or heard one.

Its givin stephen kings it

knows it better than anybody. If she says it’s not broken, it’s not broken. And if she says I’ll be okay, I’ll be okay. Ruby always knows what to do, if you just let her take care of it. “What the hell is wrong with you two?” she hisses at the twins.

RUby is trrifyin like itsherway or he highway such conreol foe such a ykung kid whht adysfunctionak family dynamic

first. They yell at her, calling her a psycho, and say she belongs in a psycho ward and a psycho school and they hate her. She doesn’t seem to be listening to them.

I mease she does

time. So he couldn’t have taken Janie Potts. And if he didn’t take her, he didn’t take 79any of them, and he’s innocent just like he said he was, because he’s the Truth-Teller.

So wre is janie does dale have anythung tkdowththis

“Dale took Janie Potts. He’s the one who did it!”

Called it

“You’re going to kill Brother Johnson, but he couldn’t have taken Janie Potts. That means he’s innocent.”

I’m setting Brother Johnson free.

Who gets to say who deserves what, and then who gives them what they deserve? We have policemen, lawyers, judges, jails. But sometimes innocent people pay the price for guilty people, and guilty people go free. And then after we die, God sorts it out, I guess. I know they have 98explained in Sunday school that it is all a test.

Wo has the ulttmateconrl at the end ofda

No one deserves to be trapped like that in the cold space.

Except ruby

All men are dogs, people love serial killers, and evil is boring.

“Ruby will go to jail. Do you think they’ll give her the electric chair?” “She deserves the electric chair!”

maybe Ruby did catch the killer.

Or she is the kilker

Archie comics

loveeeee

“You never can tell which is which and who is who . . . You don’t let a man be alone with a girl. End of story.”

Not just her foot. She seems so embarrassed about how slow she moves, like when she hobbles on her crutches, then stops and pants in frustration. She keeps apologizing that she hasn’t gotten used to the crutches yet, and keeps insulting herself under her breath, like, “I had no idea I was so out of shape,” or

I understabd this insecurity

“Identical except I am prettier. That is why four different guys have asked me out and none have asked you. With the weird voices that you do and those weird wizard books you read and that scar on your face—”

Afain me and my sister are twins and far more people like her

“Ruby is a monster!”

Brother Johnson is home. So who is the man in the cold space?

Hmmmm

“Every rock is special,” even if it looks ordinary. You just have to look closer. Some have interesting shapes or textures. Some have cool flecks of color. Some sparkle inside.

sedimentary, igneous, metaphoric. Sedimentary rocks are like the ones she found at the bottom of a dried river. They’re the size

I loved this class it was so un

Igneous rocks are all cooled lava, both inside and outside the earth. I found one in our backyard shaped like a heart—white filled with flecks of black.

Ruby has taught me 156about rocks, and she has never said, Stop copying me! and she’s never stolen any rocks from my collection—at least, not

Its ufnny cayye her name is that offa crystal

Rubies are blood red and precious. Topazes are yellow and semiprecious. But even though topazes aren’t as expensive as rubies, they are one of my mom’s favorite gems because she and Dad went to a place called

Ohhhh so naming their kids off of their favorite stones are they are precious althouh onei more valued thanthe ohr

Something is wrong with Ruby. She is always in trouble at school. She is always making trouble at home. And something is wrong with all of us now.

“Because Brother Johnson’s home now. So we don’t know who the man is in the cold space.” “What are you talking about, Topaz?” Ruby growls.

“Has it occurred to either of you,” Lavender asks, “that maybe Ruby has made this all up? That she has some sort of weird revenge thing about Brother Johnson because she’s

Yesss i geel like she just wants to inceininage father johnwsn bht why