Loving and Leaving Him

Chapter 5

I pulled up to the city gates. There was a fat ugly guard sitting in a small booth beside the gate. 

"Name and passport please." He didn't look up at me just held out a dirty hand. I quickly checked the name if the passport. 

"Lori Swayer here's my passport." I handed over my passport. The guard took it looked at it briefly and handed it back to me. 

"Go." He said and after that he placed a magazine in front of his face. 

The city looked so strange and alien. The streets were covered with trash and the homes were dirty as well. There were homeless and dead people on the streets. 

"Money for the poor please Miss spare me any of your spare change." A homeless woman begged me. She was wearing tatters and had two small children with her.

"What about the shelters?" When father was in power the city had various homeless shelters I remembered making surprise vists to the less fortunate. 

"All gone Miss." I handed the woman some spare change I had and was on my way. Tex had taken a beautiful country and turned it into a wasteland. 

"All rise for the entrance of our great and mighty leader Tex Forlorn." A old crackly loud speaker spat out.  I looked around families came out of their homes to watch the arrival of Tex. Out he came on a black horse lead by Butch his only son. The horse looked friendly until you came close to him then you saw his dark red beady eyes I shivered. Random people bowed for Tex but only when he stared them down. No one clapped for him at their own free will I was just glad for when it was over. 

Father had given me a address to go to I followed it to a small house in the middle of two big houses. I knocked on the door and it flung open.

"Mrs. Van Hall is that you?" I almost fainted right there I felt like a million dollars the person who answered the door was Ryan. I didn't wait a minute I flung myself into Ryan he was taken aback. 

"Um it's nice to see you again Mrs. Van Hall." Ryan ran his fingers threw his dusty blonde hair and gave me a awkward smile. I had lost my voice I was so happy to see Ryan again. I just slid my disguise off so Ryan could see the real me. 

"Um Mrs. Van Hall what are you-" I finished by taking my coat off I let my curls fall down my back. I turned to face Ryan my one and only love. 

"Lacey?" Ryan stared dumbfounded at me with his mouth hanging on the floor. He ran up to me and picked me up spun me around. 

"How?" 

"I'm eighteen now I can go do the shopping." I found my voice again and got a good look at Ryan. He had stated a faint beard which made him look older and more mature. He had also gotten bigger mussels and I don't think anyone was complaining. 

"Working out more?"

"Why do you ask?"

"You can lift me higher and well you're bigger!" I laughed as Ryan put me down to flex his mussels. 

"Not much after you left I got depressed and the gym was a good outlet for my anger." Ryan stopped flexing so he could kiss me.

"I just went depressed and didn't eat so I guess I lost weight." I smoothed my hands over my hips Ryan's eyes followed their path. 

"You are perfect." Ryan cupped my head in his hands and embraced me. For that short time it was just us Ryan and me. 

"Melissa?" I looked up at Ryan he gave me a blank face. 

"Gone."

"What do you mean gone where did she go?" I asked Melissa was Ryan's baby sister who was a friend of Amelia's. 

"After Tex came into power he made some rules. Rules that benefited no one. My family didn't agree no one did a rebellion was started my Father lead it. In the middle of the rebellion Tex ordered for my house to be burnt to the ground. It killed everyone except me and I hate myself everyday for it." Ryan handed me a drawing and a picture. A small girl with royal blue eyes and brown hair stared at me her smile radiating my heart. The drawing was two stick people two girls with flowers and puppies the whole thing in pink crayon. 

"She never lost hope." Ryan wrapped his arm around me and lead me to the couch. 

"Was this for Amelia?"

"Yeah she wanted to be there when you guys came back. She said next time they come make sure Amelia gets this. I couldn't bring myself to taking it out giving it away. That was her school photo she died the following month." 

"Ryan I'm so sorry." 

"You couldn't have prevented it i rather she live up there then here anyways but I do miss her terribly." Ryan kissed my head I rested my head on his shoulder he kept his arm around me. I slowly fell asleep.