The Riot

The sun was already set but you still stood there watching how it sinks toward the horizon. Your mind is a maze thinking about him. What might cause him to leave you? Maybe it is because he felt regret for telling that he actually loved you, you thought. That's why he has gone. He left no trace for you and no reason why he decided to ditch you the night after he confessed his love to you.

A chuckle left from you. How stupid you can be waiting for him at the sunset every single day. It is not like he promised to meet you there but the place held a lot of meaning to both of you. Tallgrass field, the isolated hills and the fogged lake made the scene more romantic whenever you were there with him. To be honest, he was more mesmerizing than the view. He was the scene.

It had been 2 years and you still stupid waiting for him.

"Amy?" A girl woke up from her slumber and rubbed her still sleepy eyes. Natasha, a sweet teenage girl that you made her as your family.

"Yes?" You replied while playing with her hair. She likes it when someone plays with her hair, it calms her. Her eyes stared across the horizon looking at the sun slowly setting. If there was a device that can keep all of your memories, you really want one.

"The sun is like the egg yolk." She said pointing at the sun.

"I know." You smiled sweetly at her.

(Flashback)

"The sun reminds me of egg yolk, Amy."

"You're silly, Nathan."

The dimples of his could lighten up the universe and make everyone falls in love with him. You wished to poke his dimples but every time you did, he will be mad but in a cute way.

(Recent)

"Still thinking about him, Amy?” She smiled at you which somehow reminds you a lot of him. How come she can read from you? She said that your emotion is like an open book but with philosophy words which sometimes makes people hard to understand you.

"How can I stop thinking about him when you remind me of him?"

Natasha just sweetly smiled at you letting you sink into your memory lane with Nathan but she knew you are a strong woman. She was also lost why Nathan would leave her sister when both of you clearly love each other. Is it because your father is very strict with him? No. Mr Joyce loved his brother too much.

"I will never gonna leave you, Amy."

"And I will never leave you too, sweetheart." You bopped her nose once you said it. Natasha giggled at your touched when you poked her dimples. The dimples were at the same place and same depth as him. Right at the corner of her lips and her eyes would turn into a crescent moon whenever she smiles.

The night came once the sun finally immersed in the horizon and the cold breeze started to crawl to your skin leaving shiver to your senses. You scooped Natasha closer to you as you saw she was rubbing her cold palms.

"Mr Jenkins gonna kill me if he knows you are cold in this weather. Let's go home, Natasha."

"Alright."

The cold breeze from the fall could be really cold when it is dark. The dried leaves left a sound as you stepped on it just like the sound of your broken heart every time you took a step further away from the place. Natasha clings harder to your arms because it was already dark and she would stumble randomly with the branches or stones.

"Natasha, what do you think of your brother?" the girl was obviously surprised with your sudden random talk but she used to it. You and your random thought.

"He is stupid but I know he has his reasons."

"But he left us."

"You told me to look at two perspectives every time. Nathan might have his reason too."

You remembered telling her about that. Well, it came from Nathan who taught you that. He said if we look at different perspectives in any situation it probably could make the world in a better place. But the only problem is we would never know which perspective is telling the lie or it is just a misunderstood.

As you were arriving at your house, a sudden grabbed at your wrist startled you. Natasha was smiling at the culprit and ran to hug the person. It was already pitch dark and you couldn't tell who was it.

"It's me, Amy." a familiar voice, you heard. The look of his weary eyes is made you recognized instantly.

"Father!" Natasha jumped into the old man arms.

"What brings you here, Mr. Jenkins?"

"You should run!" Mr. Jenkins said as he rushed both of you away from your house. "What's happening?" Panic started to creep out from you.

"The kingdom. They send their people here to take over the farm. Your father tried to stop them but it didn't end well." You gasped thinking your family safety. They took over the farm which means that your family is homeless. The cruel part is they will take everything from you. Your house, your farm and the worse are they took the daughters with them and made them as the hostesses or slave. Mr. Jenkins here must be sent from your father to take both of you away from the kingdom soldier.

"How is my father?"

"He is fine. You don't have to worry a bit but the soldier took everything with them. Thankfully, you are not there when they are here. Now, I want you to listen carefully to what I say." You gulped. It's a matter of surviving now.

"I want you to run and.." He stopped and took a deep breath before continue.\

"And never look back. From here, go to the south and you will meet a river there. Then, just follow the river until you found a village."

The screaming sounds was startled you both but Mr. Jenkins hold you from making a sound. Natasha seems quite and just stared at her father.

"Is that?"

"Leave now, Amy! I will go to save your family."

"Mr Jenkins... But i.."

"Please take care of Natasha for me." He was staring deep into giving you trust to protect his daughter.

The gunshot was getting louder and you know you should go now. You won't leave until you gave the old man the last hug.

"Please be safe. I love you." He whispered to his daughter but Natasha was clinging to him not letting the man go.

“Father, please don’t leave me.” Mr Jenkins just shrugged his daughter off him and gave her a cold look. Natasha was begging him to come with you but he knew your father needs him right now. The farm, they both build it together and they didn’t want to give their blood, sweat and tears easily taken away.

"I hope you will find Nathan. He will take care both of you." Mr. Jenkins never gave up on finding his son. He believed his sudden disappearance has a solid reason. The reason why he chose to leave his family and home.

With that, you ran as far as you can with Natasha besides you. She was confused and scared but she just kept it to herself for now. Deep down inside you are scared too. The sounds of gunshot were getting faded away but that didn't give the reason for you to stop running because somehow you could feel someone was following you too.

The second footsteps of someone's else running behind you made you believed that you were being followed. It's a good thing that it was dark and you were familiar with the path. So, you took a shortcut to the stream. Nathan once showed you the way but it was already 3 years ago.

Fortunately, you remembered and the following footsteps were gone too. Once you saw the reflection of the moon from the stream, you slowed down your pace and brought down Natasha to you.

"Are you okay, Natasha?" You asked. She didn't reply to you. Probably still shocked and scared.

You sighed. It broke you so much to see her in this state.

"We will rest here for a while, okay?" You brought her to sit under the tree and you took a seat beside her.

"Remember what I told you before? I will protect you. So, what I need you to do is stay close to me and stay quiet." She just nodded her head. However, her eyes started to brim with tears but she tried to hold it.

"It's okay to cry, Natasha."

After that, she buried her face in your shoulder and let out a silent cry.

"We will be safe." You tried to assure her but she knew you are scared too just like her.