Apocalyptic Princess

Chapter 12

     Both of them shared silence while waiting for Amanda to decide what she wanted. She sat down on the concrete, dangling her legs over the ledge. Rick sat with his back against the door, across the hall, next to his gear. As she contemplated life, Rick fell asleep from fatigue. She couldn't keep from caring for him, even though she was still mad. He had protected her for a long time. If it wasn't for Rick, she would be broken. Her heart was his, and even though he made mistakes from time to time, she knew that he genuinely cared for her. Getting to her feet, she woke him up, and led him inside to the couch.

      Rick tripped over Amanda's bags that were sitting just inside the door. Tired, he was unable to pay the new addition any attention. He plopped down on the couch and quickly went back to sleep. Amanda locked the door, and took a minute to watch him snore. Rick was her everything. He was her strength. Walking over and sitting next to him, on the floor, she ran her fingers in his hair. She couldn't help but to laugh at the missing hair on his face. The way he made her feel was something she sometimes hated. Her mind said run, but her heart made her stay.

      Leaving the apartment was something that she wanted to do, but she didn't want to do it alone. Until recently, she never thought about a life without Rick. She knew he was stubborn, and there have been a lot of times, in the past, that it worked in her favor. For years, she devoted her life, to loving Rick, and it tore her heart, thinking that it was time to change. Rick was a good man, and she knew it. He would never physically hurt her, and he would lay down his life for her. Possessing that kind of dedication was a treasure in the world.

      Picking herself up off the floor, she walked over to the balcony window, and looked outside. She was regretting the decision to bring attention to herself. Amanda wished that she could have controlled her anger, and remain patient for the night. Rick pushed her buttons, and feeling like he abandoned her pushed her over the edge. Making herself known wasn't something that she could take back, but she felt that she had a choice to make it right. Looking around the room, she worried about losing the life that she was accustomed to. Thinking about Rick's words, she wondered what waited for them, out there, when it came time to leave. The blood stains on his pants made her wonder what all he had to go through just to make it back home.

      For hours she stood watch. Keeping her eyes fixated outside the window, she waited for her rescuers to return. The sun returned, and made the landscape easier see. Watching the tree line, her hands started to tremble. In the distance, jumping over the fence, was a group of seven men. Taking her eyes off of the group, she paced back and forth next to Rick. She bit hard at her nails as the thoughts of what was approaching raced through her head. When she made a decision, she turned to Rick, and shook him awake.

      "They're coming," she told him.

      "How many are there?"

      "Seven."

      "That's manageable. Which way are they coming from?"

      "Straight ahead. From the houses."

      "That could be bad...Amanda, please don't go." Rick sat up rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "I need you. I'm sorry for what I've done, and I promise that I'll never do it again. You are my world. I can't lose you. I love you. I love you with..."

      "Shut up. I'm not going anywhere. What are we going to do?"

      "Um...Try telling them that you're fine, and you no longer need their help. Let them reveal their true intentions. I'm pretty sure they aren't going to go away quietly, but at least we'll give them a shot. We have the advantage. I can hold them off. I've prepared for this."