I officially woke up to someone patting my head. My eyes opened to see Anita. I raised an eyebrow.
"Anita, what's up?" I asked sitting up.
She stared into my eyes for a moment before smiling and exclaiming, "it worked!"
"What worked?" I asked giving her a weird look.
"You're eyes they had lost their light, so I was looking for your switch to turn the lights back on, and it worked! They're on again!" She was jumping up and down beside my bed.
I smiled and shook my head. "Thanks Anita."
"Come on! Breakfast is ready! Plus Dad, Jack, and Leo are still here!"
"What?"
"Come on!" She grabbed my hand and tugged me all the way downstairs.
On the way down I smelt eggs and sausage. My stomach rumbled, a sensation I hadn't had in days. I welcomed it. Before I entered the kitchen I examined myself in the mirror.
My red hair was tangled, so I put it up in a ponytail. I fixed my tank top and had to pull up my baggy sweatpants, which were extra baggy now. I still looked like a mess, but I didn't look like a depressed mess.
Anita pulled on my wrist again, and hightailed it to the kitchen/dinning room. As soon as I entered the room all conversation stopped and everyone stared. I slowly walked to my seat, which was between Jack and Anita.
Anita ran up to mom who was slaving over the stove, and tugged at her sleeve, "Mommy! Look!"
Mom looked down at and raised her eyebrow. Anita stood up on her tip toes and whispered, "Ryan's going to eat with us!"
My mom's eyes widened and she slowly look at me. I have her a sheepish smile. She walked towards me and engulfed me in a hug. "It's great seeing you out of that room!"
"Yes it's about damn time," my father grumbled.
Mom looked at him, "Steve be quiet. She's been through a lot."
"There's no excuse for her to be moping about, and not doing her job!" He said sternly.
My mom walked over to him. "She's an artist. They go in when they feel inspired. She's been doing wonderfully."
"An artist. What a pathetic and useless job," he rolled his eyes.
I wanted to stand up and tell him off, and defend myself, but I knew better than to do so. Plus I froze when I heard his voice, the voice that commands people to kill others.
"Steve you can't say that," my mom gasped.
"Screw it," I muttered. Jack shot me a warning glance, but I ignored it. I stood up. "No mom it's okay. He is the general after all he can do and say whatever the hell he wants. Plus father at least I don't kill people."
With that I did the only thing I apparently knew how to do lately. I ran. I ran to the one place I knew I was accepted. The shouts of my father behind me. I checked my pocket to make sure the letter was in there. It was, good because I had some explaining to do.
I got there and nobody was there. I sat down and waited.
And waited.
And waited.
Waited some more.
I waited for hours before I finally decided that Ash was not coming. The sun was low in the sky, he won't be here. I sighed and began to get up. I was at the mouth of the cave when I heard, "hey where you going?"
I turned around and saw a smiling Ash at the west entrance of the cave. I smiled back and ran to him and hugged him. He hugged me back and we sat there for awhile. When we pulled back we smiled at each other.
"Where've you been?" I asked. "I've been waiting for hours!"
"I'm not answering that question until you tell me where you've been. I've been waiting for a week," his expression became serious.
My face fell and I looked down. "Sit down, it's a long story." I took the letter out of my pocket. He didn't question a thing he just sat down and waited.
"It was three months after we graduated and began our jobs. Spencer gave me this letter. I wasn't allowed to open unless I was ready. Well inevitably I forgot about about it, and then I remembered it. And well, just read it." I handed him the letter.
Ash read the letter, keeping a hard face until the end when his eyes widened in realization. He sprang to his feet and wrapped his arms around me. He knew from me telling him that Spencer had changed since he went to war. He also knew that I hate disappointing people.
"How are you feeling?" He asked pulling back, grabbing my shoulders, and staring directly into my eyes.
"I-I'm alright now. I'm feeling better," I said staring back into his eyes.
"You sure?"
"Absolutely."
"How?" His face showed confusion.
"I sounds weird, but Spencer visited me in my dream last night," I explained.
Ash was definitely confused now. "Wait... What?"
We sat down, and I told him my dream last night, except I left out the part about loving someone else. I wanted to make sense of it first.
"Was it actually him? Or what?"
"I have no idea," I tucked my knees to my chest, and rested my forearms on them. I began to absent minded trace my pointer finger around my wolf head mark.
"There's something else on your mind," Ash said scooting closer to me.
I sighed. "My father, he wasn't exactly happy that I sat in my room for days, which led him to express that he hates that I'm an artist. He called it a pathetic and useless job."
"He did not!" Ash said angrily. "What would he know he's just a general in an army. He doesn't know the brilliance and creativity that goes into being an artist. Don't listen to him Ryan."
I gave a small smile. "Thanks Ash. Nobody really gets it unless they are an artist, but they also don't try. I appreciate that you're trying."
"Hey you've inspired me to learn more. You've taught me a whole new way of looking at the world. Don't let anyone discourage you."
"Thanks Ash I really needed to hear- Did you hear that?" There was a pounding of footsteps in the close distance.
"Yeah," he whispered. He went to get up and go to the mouth of the cave, but the hoard of footsteps came closer, so I pulled him back. I could see the flashing of flashlights, and I knew they were coming.
"We have to get out of here!" I whispered urgently.
"Uh... Follow me!" Ash whispered back and grabbed my hand, pulled me up with him, and began pulling me to the west entrance.
"Wait! That's your village I can't go there."
"Would you rather be caught by them?" He said gesturing to the group of men in the distance. You could just barely see them.
I recognized the sound of my father's voice yelling, "She was spotted going this way! Keep searching men!"
"I'd rather not let's go!" I whisper-yelled.
"Here put this on," he said handing me his maroon hoodie. I quickly put it on as we took off. Ten feet out of the cave we entered Fidem territory.. . .
It wasn't until we disappeared into a patch of woods, that we paused to catch our breath.
I looked at Ash his blue eyes darting around, his blonde and brown hair swaying in the wind, his lips parted slightly. He glanced at me.
"What?" He whispered.
"You've got dirt on your face," I looked in the direction of the cave.
He let out a groan and wiped at the nonexistent dirt.
"So what's the plan where are we going to go?" I asked.
"Hmm... Follow me," he said and began walking.
We walked in silence side by side. I had put the hood up so no one would be able to see my face. It was a bright night with the full moon high in the sky causing shadows to cast down on Ash's pale skin. I shook my head slightly and kept walking.
"Can you tell me where we're going?" I asked stepping over a fallen log.
"My house," he stated.
"What?! What about your parents?"
"Trust me they won't notice."
YOU ARE READING
Not Allowed
RomanceIt's been ten years since the war between the villages Spero and Fidem began, and it shows no sign of ending soon. Ryan, the 16 year old daughter of Spero's military leader, was brought up always hearing about the war and how terrible a place Fidem...