I look out into the distance trying to figure out which way to go. From my vantage point on the beach all I can see is trees. Logically I should go to the abandoned building but the rest of them are going there. And I really don’t like walking in the jungle alone.
I leave my rucksack on the beach and climb up onto where Amber is on the boat. “Listen it would be pretty stupid to go off in my own.” I brush a strand of hair out of my face. “What I did was wrong.” I stop myself from saying how at the time it was justified, it’s not the best apology but the best she’s going to get. “Mind if I go back to that building with everyone?”
Enjoying the cool water and the open space as I swim around, I love the water thats why I had got myself a boat, taught myself to fish but now I needed some space to be free and enjoy the silence of the waves… I hear someone call my name and look towards the shore, I could see amber standing by the boat, I swim back to shore and hear Amber’s offer to join the mall rats at the abandoned building, climbing from the water onto the docks I climb on to the boat and grab a towel…
“Thank you” I say to her “I will dry off, get dressed and make sure the boat is locked and secure and follow you up if that is ok”
I know I could stay on the boat but knot knowing who or what is on the island I figured its safer in a building thats not going to sink…
“Maybe some of the others and I could go out fishing from the boat at some point and stock up on fish” I offer Amber wanting to make myself a useful member of the team…
Watching @Zandra and @Danni talking and listening to @Katsy talking, I get the feeling Zandra is planning something, patsy moves a little and whispers that she wants to say sorry to Danni
“Sorry for what??” I whisper back to @Patsy confused…
Not taking my eyes of the women talking…
“I get the feeling they are going to move people” I whisper
Looking at The Guardian, hes still mumbling about the all mighty Zoot…
“I hope they don’t put me near him” I whisper “I will kill him, he started all this” feeling anger building again “He took away Salene and my baby, he destroyed my family” I growl in a low voice with my fist clenched…
I look back at Danni and Zandra trying to hear what they are saying…
I sigh and looked at Danni “Yes Danni, I want to save all the Mallrats, they are like my family… And I’ve said I’ll handle the consequences, I’d prefer that then living with the guilt that people who are like family are left rotting in cages because I am too scared or selfish to do anything about it” I said looking at her. We knew each other enough to be able to speak honestly with each other.
I shrugged “I totally get it if you dont want to help, but I am going to do this with or without your help, step one get them in one place, I’ll work out what to do from then later”
Looking at Zandra for a moment it only takes a second to gauge her loyalty. “Your family?” I question, “well then, I guess we need to let them out.” Glancing towards the cages I move closer to the one housing the person I think could be KC. Gesturing Zandra closer I unlock the cage, “quickly.” I could tell they weren’t capable of moving and it was obvious Zandra could tell the same, “you’ll have to go in and help them.” As she steps inside I glance around before slamming the cage door shut behind her. “You think your precious Mall Rats would have done the same for you?” I ask making sure the door is secured and can’t be unlocked from inside, “no, all they care about is their own skin. They betray, they abandon and they forget… the Technos took you in when you asked, they gave you a choice… and this is how you repay it.”
I look at Ryan and i take a deep breath. “Its my fault, maybe she’s mad with me. I lost Brady, I helped Trudy, its the same as saying that it is my fault that she was taken away from us” I say looking at Ryan before I push myself up. “i need to say im sorry”
I turn and look at Danni crossing my arms “I never asked to join, I was given an option and this was the one I went for, that in no way means that I turn into soul-less follower!” I said starring at her “And what about you? Taking about them just saving their own skin… What is it that you do? Huh? Clearly you know them just as I do and yet you’d be willingly to leave them? What does that say about you?!”
“But it was the option you took.” I point out. Shaking my head at her next words I watch her for a moment, “I’m not mindless Zandra, but what I do is for the many, not the few.” I knew that to achieve the world the Technos wanted there had to be sacrifices, we needed fuel to power the generators, which meant we needed people to work in the mines and I doubted many would volunteer for that task. “There’s a reason I don’t talk about before Zandra, a reason that relates to your Mall Rats. I was safe, I had a home until they showed up… I was betrayed, I was abandoned and I spent years locked away. It wasn’t until the Technos came that I saw sunlight, at least here you get to enjoy the elements. You made your choice, you’re loyal to the Mall Rats, but it’s thanks to them I’m living this life. So I have no loyalty to them at all.”
Shaking my head I turn away, “enjoy your reunion. It’s what you wanted after all.”
“You really don’t want to trade stories Danni” I said and looked at her back “Who was it… Who did you fall for? Because you sound more like a woman scorned… Which guy did you fall for that didn’t come and rescue you because you wouldn’t of been with the Mallrats long enough to build a big connection to them all” I continued talking ignoring the other prisoners.
“It wont of been Lex because you wouldn’t expect him to come save you… Definitely not Ryan because he is the trust worthy one who would do anything for anyone. Dal… Jack both too young” I carried on “Bray… It was Bray wasn’t it” I shook my head “He did like to play hero so it probably hurt more he didn’t save you” I moved closer to the fence
“Have you every asked one of them why they didn’t save you? Rather then being bitter… Because lets face it, these guys dont seem to be living it up in the Mall do they?!”
Listening as Zandra lists off members of the Tribe I some how stop myself before I hit the bars, “Lex? No I watched him get married…” I tell her, “same with Ryan. The Supreme Mother herself performed the ceremony.” Yes her words hurt but the anger I felt wasn’t because Bray hadn’t saved me, “maybe for a minute I thought Bray would turn out to be a hero, but it was just an act. Everything he did was for himself, like everyone in that Tribe. No Zandra, I’m not doing this because I’m a woman scorned. I’m doing this because it’s what I believe in. Order over chaos. I want rules, laws, the things we had before… and if this is how we get it, then so be it.”
Hearing her next words I scoff quietly, “oh because they wouldn’t say anything to save their own skin? No, they’d say exactly what they thought I wanted to hear… and I’m not interested. Now, unlike you I have work to do. Enjoy the water, I have a feeling there won’t be any more for a while.”
Within a blink of an eye the cage is opened and I think this is my chance to get out but before I can even take a step forward Zandra is now in the cage and Dani has shut the cage again.
“So…umm…right…” I stutter other my words as Dani and Zandra cross words through the metal bars.
I want to reach out and touch Zandra just make sure she is real but I’m still not sure this is real or just a dream and if it was a dream I wasn’t ready to wake up .
“Rules and laws? Is that what you call this? Pretty much looks like slavery to me which if I remember correctly was abolished… Oh wait, its a pick and choose which laws you want that suit you guys” I said and shook my head, I couldn’t believe this was Danni “I hope your precious rules live up to your expectations and when your stood at the top… You remember who your stood on” I said and turned away walking towards KC.
I had flinched slightly when she said she saw Lex get married… It didn’t take him long to move on then, I try not to dwell on it as I smile at KC “Well that definitely wasn’t part of the plan… But its nice to see you KC”
“Yes, I am really here” I smile at him putting my hand over his “And yeah being a Techno wasn’t quite what I thought it was. When they came to our village it was either join or be taken, at that point I had no idea what they had been doing and up until recently I’d never seen… This side of things… Which I dont agree with” I sigh softly and look towards Patsy and Ryan then back to Kc “I hope Danni comes to her senses… But shes really pissed at your guys”
I listen to Zandra’s story and I get it, I mean it wasn’t like all the Mallrats were innocent we all did things we weren’t proud of while the Chosen ruled the city…I sure as hell made some questionable choices as the all seeing Oricle.
I can’t work out why Dani was so angry, the last time we saw her was on the beach during the Chosen take over and the Guardian took all the tribe leaders away…she then made the choice to join the Techno’s.
“She can’t blame us for happened, it’s not like we lived the life of luxury under the rule of the Chosen…but to be fair she never was my biggest fan…or to think of it Lex’s either” I add with a grin.
Allowing my eyes to scan the water close by, I try to keep my thoughts focused; I would be happy when this day was over, hopefully just getting off the boat and settling into the building would help us all feel better about leaving the city, even after two weeks it wasn’t something that seemed real in my mind - the idea of never going back was something I really didn’t know how to feel about, sure I’d left before, but never this distance and now with the new information from Lex, it was even more confusing.
Listening to Zak I nod, although I am slightly surprised that he’s accepting my invitation to join us. “That’s fine, I think we’ll be sticking around for a little while longer, it seems a few people have already wandered away from the group, but join us whenever you want.” I say with a small smile. Hearing his next comment I look towards him “Sounds like a great idea, I hope you’re patient though. I’m not entirely sure anyone knows how to fish.” I tell him honesty, “We’re going to need all the food we can get though.”
I turn my head when I hear movement on the boat behind me, noticing Lex approaching I sigh quietly, if this was round two I wasn’t sure I was ready for it; I was too tired for arguing. Listening to him when he reaches me I stare at him for a moment, slightly stunned by his words, was that an apology from Lex? Looking at him I shake my head “Honestly Lex, we need to stick together right now, you know that as much as I do.” I say and motion my head towards Zak, “I was just informing Zak of our plans to head towards the abandoned building, he’s going to join us in a little while.” I explain. “We need to figure out what happens next, but first we need everyone back here so we can get off the beach and somewhere safer. I really don’t like being out in the open like this.” I admit.
Amber stresses that we need to stick together. So either she doesn’t hate me for keeping the information or knows that survival is more important than grudges and tossing people out of the tribe.
Either way it keeps me out of the jungle alone. “I’ll help round everyone up.” I suggest to Amber seeing a group sitting on the beach. Should be easy. But a quick head count proves not everyone is there. “You get that lot, I’ll go find Ram and Trudy.” I suggest to Amber before crawling out of the boat.
It doesn’t take long for me to find and follow their tracks. Cozy little stroll for two I wonder? My suspicion is proved when I see a mark on his neck. I clear my throat, not wanting to sneak up on them, but also to signal I already have. “We are making camp in the building we found. Amber’s orders. Gotta stick together.” I look back and forth between Trudy and Ram.
“So evil fruit cakes is your type glad we brought one along for you.” I say at Trudy with a smile, before turning around and heading back to the others not giving them much of a choice other than follow.
I laugh at Ellie’s rose comment “beautiful flowers for a beautiful girl” I quip "I that a door? I ask pointing through the trees at what looks like a small shed type building
