Don't Forget to Take Your Joy

Chapter Three

Richard quickly grabbed Ryan's arm.

"We have to go, now." He said. Ryan was confused. He had already accepted his death. "When I say go, we need to run for the door. Push the constable out the way and run. Just keep running. Get away." Ryan was terrified, but nodded his head, tears still in his eyes. The room was spinning. He was so confused. The constable with the breathalyzer was nearly upon them.

"GO!" The two men sprinted full speed into the constable, catching him completely off guard and knocking him to the floor. Ryan didn't see Richard. He didn't see the constables chasing him. He didn't see the drug crazed citizens chasing him. He just ran. He ran until he couldn't run anymore. Before he knew it, he'd made it to the Dilapidated District Gate. He picked up a rock and threw it as hard as he could at the glass. It shattered and Ryan quickly left the city.

What he found outside was not very comforting. He saw constables across the street and hid. They were no doubt looking for Downers. A Downer in ragged clothing ran into her house at the sight of them, but wasn't quick enough. The constables raced after her. They disappeared into the house and all Ryan could hear was the screams of the woman, being beaten to death. He shivered. "Why did I love this place?" He thought aloud. A voice next to him spoke up.

"Because that's how you were taught," it was Richard. He'd survived. "When the Germans won the war, they forced everyone to take Joy. Now, it's just a habit." Ryan turned to Richard and swung for him. His fist connected with Richard's jaw with a loud thump. It startled Richard and he fell to the ground. "Hey, buddy," Richard said. "Calm down."

"What did you do to me?!" Ryan yelled at him. The citizens in the District watched the scene. Some approached the two, who were obviously Downers. Ryan suddenly felt a hard blow to the back of his head. He tumbled to the ground, clutching his wound. Someone had struck him with a shovel.

"Kill the bloody Downers!" the woman who'd struck him yelled to the small crowd. Again Ryan thought back to the diner. He imagined him and Richard in a pool of blood, only a few limbs to be recognized by. Something encouraged Ryan. He darted up and tackled the woman to the ground, tearing the shovel from her hands. He swung into the crowd, hitting an old man wielding a rolling pin. The man fell onto another, the two falling to the broken concrete.

After a few more swings with the shovel, the crowd backed away. A few actually ran away. Ryan, feeling dominant, threw the weapon as hard as he could into the depleting crowd. The remaining citizens ran away, into their broken, destroyed homes.

"I didn't do anything to you," Richard said behind him. "You just realized what was going on."

"No," Ryan refused. "What did you do? You must've done something!" Richard waved his hand.

"Let me ask you something." He said. Ryan nodded. "Do you even want to take Joy anymore?" The question hit Ryan harder than any blow to the head. Ryan wanted to say yes, but he didn't. He didn't want to be oblivious anymore. "See?" Richard spoke up. "I've done nothing to you. You've realized how horrible this place is." Ryan's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of rasping. "RUN!!!" yelled Richard. Ryan looked back at him and saw a very tall man with a strange mask holding Richard up. In one hand he held a syringe. The man stabbed it into Richard's neck. Ryan stood petrified. The man let go of young Richard. Ryan couldn't help but notice something that he'd never seen in Richard's face. It was joy. Pure joy. Ryan didn't even think. He just ran. Although his legs ached, he never looked back. He just ran.

Ryan eventually arrived at a large fountain. The sun had gone down and out of the corner of his eye, he saw the light of a constable's torch. Panicking, he found a maintenance hatch and quickly unscrewed the hatch and climbed into the depths of Wellington Wells.