Getting through the darkness was the hardest to overcome. The city in the sun was a beautiful sight to see with the sun glistening off the millions of windows. On a beautiful day it gave Jo hope, but at night the same buildings left horrifying shadows and the worst of society came out to prowl. At sunset she sought out a safe place to lay her head. Tonight it was an abandoned pet store. She crept in through the old wooden back door that the weather had softened. It was so rotted that the pad lock's hasp slipped out of the door with a hard jerk. Once inside, she placed the large metal bar across in the wide hooks on either side to brace it, just as they were designed for when the store was operational.
She should have felt safe, but she couldn't stop thinking about how easy it was for her to get inside and imagined that the door would be just as easy to kick in. she imagined it breaking into pieces and the kicker would simply duck under the bar. She thought herself foolish for thinking that would keep anyone out.
A car went by and its headlights came through the large picture windows and illuminated the entire store. She felt exposed and imagined she was feeling what a small wild animal felt when it tried to hide from a predator.
She made her way up the fragile staircase, deciding she would have a much better chance hiding in the old building's attic. To her surprise, she found the upstairs was more than an attic. It was more than a storage room. It had once been an apartment. A very small and basic apartment of course. She beamed her flashlight around the room. A small sink and two old hotplates sat on the counter beside it. There was an old refrigerator against the wall. It had a curved style and she assumed it was from the fifties. A small round table had once sat two, but one of the chairs laid in pieces.
A sofa and a coffee table that stretched its entire length occupied the rest of the room and a small TV sat on what looked like a nightstand against the wall. The entire place appeared as if it had been left just as its owner had last left it. There was an old jacket laid across the top of the sofa and there was still a glass and a plate with what looked like a fossilized half eaten cookie on it sitting on the coffee table. She would have expected to see a ghost of the old owner appear out of the walls if she believed in such things.
For a moment, Jo forgot about her homeless existence and explored. She always had an interest in old items and had a fantasy about buying an old home that had not been touched since days long before. She imagined how amazing it would be to look through the home and find pieces and hints of the people who had once lived there.
She partially had her fantasy as she wiped layers of dust off the framed on the walls to reveal black and white portraits.
"Oh no." she covered her mouth as a large wedding photo fell from the wall. She picked it up and let out a sigh of relief that their was no glass in the frame, but the elaborately carved frame had broken apart at the corners. She laid it against the wall carefully and then she noticed the breaker box just as her flash light began to dim. She opened it, but doubted it would work. She turned the old round fuses and pushed on the black boxes beneath. The sound of the whining of the fridge made her jump and the crackling from the low hanging light bulb made her want to turn the power back off, but the heat blowing on her from the space heater made her relax a bit. The warmth felt great. She had only been living on the street for a few months, yet she had already forgotten what it felt like to be warm. She went to the sofa and sat down. It squeaked and she pulled up the cushion to find a bed beneath. She pulled it out and found it was completely made with a warm blanket and sheets. There were also pillows folded up with the bed. The bed invited her to lay down, but she still couldn't stop feeling vulnerable. She went to the door, shut it and then locked it. She also engaged the two dead bolts and the chain lock. She felt of the door. It felt like metal beneath the dingy peeling paint and for the first time since her parents died and the bank took her home, she felt safe.
She laid down, closed her eyes and let fatigue take control.
Ryback stepped into the cool night air. He wasn't the favorite in the ring lately, but he knew eventually the tables would turn and he would again be a good guy. He just hoped he could recover from the lengths of cruel and violent behavior his character was involved in. The boos got to him the most especially when he had just grown accustomed to the cheers. It was disgusting how the fans changed their alliance from week to week depending on what ever scenario the writers came up with. But at least he was in his home town and his girl was at his home, hopefully waiting for him with a home cooked meal in his bed. He was going to be married in seven days and she would go on the road with him. He couldn't wait for the next part of his life to begin.
It was late when he pulled into the drive way. Two weeks off would go by so fast, but he was happy for the break. He was in great shape, but constantly picking up three hundred pound bodies took its toll on his shoulders and back.
He owned a modest condo and had to walk up two flights of stairs before he could officially say he was home. He turned the key and opened the door. He called out for Lauren. He dropped his duffel bag and it hit the floor. Odd because there used to be a long table beside the door with a large mirror above it. They were now replaced with the wicker basket they usually threw their shoes in.
"Lauren, I'm home baby." he called out as he opened the fridge and poured himself a glass of tea. He noticed the stack of wedding magazines sitting on the top of the trash along with the large binder Lauren had been writing and pasting her wedding plans in two years. He shrugged. Now that all the plans were in place she probably didn't need them any longer.
"Lauren." he wondered if she was in the shower. Maybe he had arrived sooner than she had expected. She may have been working late at a job she loved but he would be happy she quit. She worked in an assisted living facility and often came home tired and sore. Sometimes she didn't take a break all day and he could tell she was getting worn out. He thought Lauren had a big heart, but her poor little body just couldn't continue to cater to the needs of her demanding patients. Some of whom could do just fine for themselves, but loved to take advantage or so he had heard from some of her co-workers.
He walked into the bedroom and listened for water, but found it silent as well.
"Damn, did she work over?" It hurt his feelings slightly because she knew he was coming home, but he couldn't be angry. Lauren could never say no when she was asked to stay.
He peeled away his clothes and decided to take a shower. She always fixed him a nice meal and went out of her way to give him a warm welcome when he was in town. He thought it would be great if he could do it for her for a change. He thought it all out as he showered. He would order dinner from her favorite sushi restaurant even though he hated it and he would have roses delivered and there was still a bottle of red wine on the rack in the kitchen. He would take all of Lauren's candles from each room in the house and light them in the bedroom and tear off some rose petals and put them on the bed. She would be so surprised.
When he finished showering he wrapped the towel around his waist and sat on the bed. He pulled a phone book out of the nightstand and began flipping through it. His eyes felt so tired as he dialed the number so he laid back on the bed while it rang. He heard a crinkle and found he had laid on a piece of paper.
Ryan,
I'm sorry, but I just can't do this anymore. I'm not ready to get married. Or at least not to you. I know this will hurt, but I have to say that I really didn't know you. You've really never been home and lately I've started to really get to know you and I'm sorry, but I'm not too crazy about the real you. And the man you are on the TV isn't helping and then I have to tell people that the man they watch on Monday and Friday's is the man I'm marrying and it's embarrassing. But most of all, I don't want to give up my entire life. I love my job and my family and friends. I'm sorry I waited so long. I should have said it a long time ago before it got this far. I just didn't want to hurt you that night when you asked me to marry you. I'm only taking the table and mirror that was my grandma's and my personal things. I think it would be best if you didn't call me or try to see me.
Lauren.
Ryback felt as if his heart had been ripped out of his chest. He felt sick to his stomach. Her letter sounded as if she had been feeling this way for quite some time and he couldn't believe he hadn't noticed. It was so cruel of her to leave him nothing but a letter. How could she let him come home and find out that way? A couple of days before their wedding. He took a leave from work. She could have called and he could have busied himself with his job. Now he was alone. Completely alone to look at the empty house and how humiliating would it be when he returned to work and told everyone he didn't get married.
The days went by and he was constantly trying to figure out what was wrong with him. He wondered if he really was the man he portrayed on the show. Lauren was a wonderful woman so he had to be an awful man. He had to be horrible to have chased her off.
He didn't feel like talking to anyone so he never told anyone the wedding was off. When the day arrived he thought he owed it to their guests to show up and tell them. He dreaded it. But when he arrived at the hotel she had wanted he found that no plans had ever been made. No deposits had been paid and they didn't even have her name down for an inquiry or tour. He felt deceived and used. What happened to all the money he had given her? He had paid for everything. The reception, the flowers, the venue. The thirty-four hundred dollar princess gown she had her heart set on. The ice sculptures, catering – where was all that money? He called his family and friends. No one had received an invitation. How hadn't he noticed? That was it. He had to call, but he found her number had been disconnected. He had no idea where her mother lived and she had said her father had died.
Now he was angry on top of being hurt and it was a terrible combination. So much that the stack of bills on his counter made him want to hurl something. He began to open them and found that they were all overdue. He had sent her money for everything. But all he could do was take a deep breath and try to put his life back on track. He called and paid everything he could over the phone and then wrote a check for the rest. Then he opened one that made no sense. A power bill for an old building he had inherited from his father's uncle. He had forgotten about it. He had only been twelve when the man had died and knew it had been empty ever since. He remembered the man vaguely now. But knew he had liked him a lot. He had walked from school to the pet shop every afternoon and stayed until his mom got off of work. It was a terrible day for him when the man passed and he sat solemnly as his father gave away every item and animal in the store. Then they locked the door and never returned.
Now there was a power bill for the place. How was that even possible?