Mall Rats Return

[Salene]

Salene

Eciov held my hand as we entered the city, every now and then she would give me a squeeze of comfort, if she hadn’t have been doing that I think I would have run straight home… Will walks ahead of us and Dawn behind both on high guard… Mouse and I stop as we look around the city… The once beautiful place is now full of derelict and dangerous buildings, nature was fast reclaiming the city…

"There’s no place like home" Eciov mumbles

"Look at this place" I whisper "It’s… Dead"

There’s no other words I can even think of to describe this place…

"Come, we need to keep moving" Will says "Watch where your walking, nobody knows whats under all this"

We walk carefully through the city, every now and again one of us stumbles and looses our footing in a pot hole…

"I don’t like this" I sigh "It’s too quiet, scarily quiet…"

"It will be okay" Dawn smiles touching my shoulder "Your not alone"

We make it to the mall, we look up at the once stunning building… The fires that were some how always burning outside now extinguished, traders stalls broken, smashed up and lying in all sorts of positions outside, we hear voices…

"Quick" Will says "Over here"

He points to where an abandoned car sits, we take cover behind it…

"I think we should survey the comings and goings of people before we make our way inside" Dawn suggests "You have no idea what sort of people have taken over this place"

Will opens the car door, even thought its a rusted heap outside the inside is remarkably clean, we climb inside and sit quietly as we watch to see who goes in and out…
The voices of people drift, they look like they are walking to the mall…

"Do you recognise them?" Dawn asks me

"No" I say with a whisper and shake of my head

The people walk past laughing, walking off in to the distance, I realise I had been holding my breath as I let it out…

@Jack

[Tribelover15]

I cant help but laugh, ”Last time i saw him i have to say that statmeant still held up” I then took a deep breath looking a head. ”yeah… most likley so we’ll have to be careful.” who knows what might wait for us in there but i walk on with gentle and careful steps.

Then i thought a heard a noise which made me slightly careless and accidently trip on tripwire. A loud noise filled my ears. shit, well there went the element of suprise” i say and then look up at zandra. ”im sorry, i really thought i heard something behind us”

@Zandra @Danni @Zwenja @Jack

[Salene]

Dee

I stick to the woods and covered areas on my way back to the city, if there’s danger it’s easier to find shelter than on an open road… I stop to rest by a covered part of the stream, I get my stuff out of my bag and decide to get some fish for dinner… If I cook a few while I’m here, I will have some for the journey and then I’ll only need to source drinking water and sleep… I look out along the river trying to find the best spot when I see a muscled guy with the same idea… fishing for dinner… There are what look like three women with him… They are quite a fair distance away… I can’t make out too many features, I smile to myself knowing they wont see me, I’m secluded by the bushes… Carefully I take position and wait, as the fish passes, I throw my small spear and boom, first try, it’s mine… I retrieve the spear and fish then take my stance again… Boom, that’s two fish, I retrieve my spear and take aim for the third time spearing my third fish…

"That should be enough" I smile to myself…

I go into my pack and pull out the old camping tins Patch and I found… I look around and smile when I see the people down the river are moving on… I gather some rocks and sticks to make a small fire to cook the fish… I find a stick of bamboo, split it at the top and wedge the fish in the middle before positioning it over the small fire… I’m proud of myself for the skills I have learnt during the last 17 or so years, I’d never have been able to do this years ago…

When the fish has finished cooking, I pull out a small plastic tupper wear box that has seen better days, I have had it forever… I put the fish inside for transportation… Patch and I were so lucky that we found a deserted shop that had army surplus supplies, it had been looted but some things were left behind… Patches eyes had lit up… The memory fills my mind as I listen to the river…

(Flash back)

"Oh wow Dee look…"
"What is it?"

I had been looking around unimpressed as Patch started pulling things out…

"Mess tins, Sporks, Straws, Canteens, can openers (military grade)…"
"How do you know all this?" I ask
"From when my brothers and I played army with our granfathers old army gear…"

I lean on the counter and watch him as he pulls some stuff for me and some for him…

"This means we will always have cutlery, dishes, a water bottle, cup and a way to open cans…"

I smile, to me it’s useless crap, to him it’s life saving… He moves a box…

"WOOOOOWWW!!!" Patch exclaims

I look at him as he stares at the box… His eyes make him look like he won the lottery…

"What is it?"
"What is it…" He chuckles

He grins and pulls out some brown pouches…

"FOOD! Is what it is…"
"Huh?" I ask confused
"These are called MRE’s, or Meals Ready To Eat… he grins, "They can last for years"

He moves the box and looks around to see if there’s more…

"DAMN!!, There’s only one box and only 12 meals… But you know what this means…"

I shake my head… Patch comes over, grips my face and kisses me…

"It means we have food for a few days until we find some other ways to source food…"

He grins and pats my cheek, some how he finds a hiking back pack, he loads the meals, cutlery and things inside, he even found a one person camping cooker and gas bottles… He grins takes my hand and we leave the shop…

(Back to now)

I smile thinking about how much I could use that old gas cooker now, it’s in my bag, I brought it with me as a memory or good luck charm although the gas ran out a very long time ago… I hold the now battered tins and bottle in my hand with a small smile and shake off the memory as I start to eat…

[Zwenja]

Tally

"There… They heard us… What do we do?" I whisper, pulling Andy a bit more back in the bushes.

"If they are Mall Rats they maybe… Fuck how can we even proof to each other who we are? I mean… Those can say they are Mall Rats… Anyone can… How should we know who is or was a Mall Rat?!"

I look at my hand, where once was the blue pentagram. It was painted with make up. Had to be re-done every few days… What if those who come here… Are all people we never met? What then? Who knows how many Mall Rats even existed over the years?

@Jack

[Zandra]

Zan

I cover my ears as the noise sound “Don’t worry they know we’re coming anyway. Come on lets keep going” I tell her moving forward trying to ignore the loud and rather irritating noise that wasn’t stopping. I looked at Lottie “I have no plans on resetting if and it this bring more people… Well that wasn’t our problem… Not our mall” I smirked while walking.

I wonder what will annoy them more, the fact we get through to the mall or the fact that they will soon realise that the noise isn’t going to stop any time soon.

As I hurried along, I lose my footing slightly which unfortunately trips another boobytrap and some how water pours over me and Lottie “Of for f*cksake!” I yell out frustrated “Sorry Lottie”
Now I’m wet and pissed off

@Danni @Tribelover15 - And everyone else lol

[Jack]

Andy

Tally was only whispering but I could hear the panic in her voice, her mind spiralling out of control. I bring my hands up laying them flat and wave them up and down in front of her face to indicate to calm the fuck down. “Tally! Cut the crap. Take a chill pill and shallow it, you big drama llama. We’ve got this, we are the all grown up ginger ninja turtles!” As expected, I get a look. I had never called us that before. I continue. “Whoever they are, between us I am sure our cogs will feed them the truth or some bull… Frig knows how we will know if they are a Mall Rat… I guess from stories that will crossover and be things only a Mall Rat would know… Hiding places around the mall… Everyone referring to Lex as things like wazzock, jackass, birdbrain… I could go on. Actually scrap that, everyone knew him as all those things because that guy was just a complete donkey from the moment he woke up until the minute he passed out… And now whose head is coming off?” Baby Leo is staring up at me giggling. Yes your Uncle Andy is stark raving mad.

I stroke Bert and Ernie. If only my babies could talk. I could do with their backup right about now. Everything I had just said hadn’t helped. Tally was already overheating and every word that had come out of my mouth had been utter trash, I was now concerned she might combust after listening to my absurdity. If I had a time machine I would be hopping back in to like a minute ago and answering so differently. My ginger nugget is roasting. I face plant my face into my hands.

@Zwenja

Eciov

The car we had all bundled into was the perfect place to observe The Mall. Will is sat next to me in the drivers seat, I am in the front passenger seat and Dawn and Sal are in the backseats. They were both sat forward though so our 4 heads were pretty much all in a row. Mine, Salene’s, Dawn’s and then Will’s. We must look rather funny.

Then suddenly, "Ewwww, which one of you just burped? I can smell herby fish!"

@Salene

[Salene]

Salene

We sit in the car quietly watching the front of the mall when some one burps

"Ewwww, which one of you just burped? I can smell herby fish!" Eciov whispers

"Sorry" I whisper "I did cover my mouth, I haven’t had herby fish for so long, I’ve only been eating veggies and things"

Will, Eciov and Dawn just look at me with a grin… Something then comes to mind…

"We should be watching the sewers" I say "That may be how people are going in and out, especially if the grilles broken"

I can’t remember how many times that thing broke, how many times did Jack and Dal and later Jack, Ryan, Patch and Pride all put it back on the tracks, after 17 years of no oils or grease I doubt it will budge…

"Where is the sewer entrance" Dawn asks

"Round there" I say and point…

"I’ll check it out" Will smiles "You stay here"

"Wait, I should go with you, there might be some one I know there"

Will looks at Eciov, she nods…

"Okay, leave your bag here and stay quiet"

We leave the car and I lead Will round the back to the sewer entrance, there’s people there… Will pulls me down behind a bush…

"Do you know them?"

"I don’t… Wait…"

I move a little to get a better view… I see two women by the sewer hatch looking down, they turn to each other and exchange words… We watch quietly as the two women go up onto the cement block and lower themselves into the sewer… I manage to get a good look at the women’s faces…

"It can’t be" I whisper almost in shock "She’s dead, she can’t…"

"Salene, whats wrong?"

"Nothing, I thought I knew one of them, but it cant be"

"Let’s not do anything until you can be sure, lets go back to the car"

We quietly go back and get in the car

"Well?" Dawn asks

"There’s two women by the sewer entrance, they were looking at it, before going down" Will says

"Thats the way in they are using then" Dawn says "Anyone you knew Sal?"

"It’s been 17 years, how do I recognise anyone" I shrug

"Salene did you know them?" Will asks

"I don’t know, It looked like someone I knew 20 years ago but she died in am explosion"

My memory flashes back, maybe she was alive, Amber had been alive and injured when Pride found her, she had wondered off and passed out, we all thought she was dead, it’s what Ebony had said, we never saw her body but Lex was adament and insisted HE had buried Zandra himself, so she had to be dead… It’s my imagination… It cant be, I think to myself, her hairs not the same and this woman’s body was more toned and defined than Zandra was originally, she was our Mall Rat princess, no way in hell could you get her near a sewer… This woman went down with ease and not a care in the world…

"Salene"

Dawns touch brings me back to reality…

"Sorry, I’m okay, just a memory of the past"

@Jack @Zandra @Tribelover15 @Zwenja and who ever else

[Zwenja]

Tally

I blink at my brother rambling away. I pull my brows together "How can you sound like a drunken Sailor when you’re dry as two week old toast? Seriously… Look… They went down there… Come…"

"Hey… Wait… What…?" “Come…how do we say in this family? No risk… No bruise?” I flip my hair back, check on Leo in his towel and sneak then to the sewer entrance. A loud sound echoes inside. I lean a bit in. I hear a shriek.

“Of for f*cksake…!" a voice groans. I look down on my son. Those girls don’t seem to belong to whatever tribe lives here. The alarm won’t be going off if they’d be living here.

Andy tries to cover my mouth, but he isn’t fast enough “Hey… Any of you girls ever wished to drown Lex down here?” I say down into the entrance. If they were Mall Rats once, they react to it…

@Jack, @Zandra, @Tribelover15, @Salene

[Salene]

Dee

I’ve eaten, I’ve got fresh water, my equipment is washed and restowed back in my pack, the fire is extinguished and safe…

"Time to go" I say to myself…

I grab my pack and put it on my back, pick up my water bottle and make tracks for the city…

I again stick to the woods and over grown area’s, hiding when I sense movement, so far so good. It doesn’t take long from the river to reach the city, I look around, holding my breath… I have never seen something so awful yet so beautiful… Nature has reclaimed the city, the trees stand tall and proud, the air seems cleaner, the skies bluer, there’s no poison, no pollution, birds fly freely over my head, It’s feels like a nature reserve, like we had in the hills before the virus…

"Wow"

Is all I can manage to say as I look as the crumbling deserted buildings, the shop Patch and I found the army supplies in is now just rubble… So much has changes in 17 years… I stop and try to get my bearings, what way was the mall… As if by some magic the sun’s rays reflect off the broken signs of the mall, showing me the way back… I stop and look at the delapadated building, it looks deserted… It can’t be though, a familiar alarm rings out and I know it’s coming from the sewers… I go round the back and take a look, hiding in the bushes… Two people, redheads stand over the old grate to the sewers, a woman with a baby and man…

"Hey… Any of you girls ever wished to drown Lex down here?" The woman shouts

"Who" I whisper to myself

They are obviously Mall Rats but who, I have no idea, I don’t recognise them… I look around knowing I need to keep survalance on the mall… I see the shape of a car, it’s all over grown, hopefully the inside isn’t wrecked, it would be a perfect look out spot… I look around and make sure no ones looking and open the front passenger door, as it opens a guy falls out, he is laying on his back looking up at me, his feet still in the car…

SILENCE…

Three women stare out at me like animals trapped in headlights…

"Dee" I hear from the back seat "Is it really you?"

The back door opens and there infront of me is Salene…

"Sal?" I whisper "It’s me"

Grinning we both wrap each other up in a hug… I squeal just like Mouse used too…

The guy still lays on the floor…

"Err, A little help please ladies"

"No, go back to sleep" Salene tells him cheekily with a huge grin making the other girls laugh…

"Eciov, it’s Dee" Sal calls back into the car…

A woman climbs out, I stare at her, a name like Eciov I would remember, we stare… The woman seems wary

"It’s Mouse"

"Mouse" I exclaim "Oh my god, look at you, you look amazing."

Still hugging Salene I grab Mouse making her now squeal as I pull her into a group hug…

@Jack

[Tribelover15]

Lottie

I got up as held my ears to cover out some of the loud sounds that were blaring. I grin at what Zandra said and started to walk again. It must be annoying for them as well to hear this sound and that pleased me to some degree. I had to admit it did feel ridiculous to walk through sewers but here we are now.

As water came rushing down over me I let out a loud gasp, I spit some out and shook my head. “It’s okay, it’s more them that I’ll add to my list of people who have pissed me off” I tell her as I shook off some more water. of off me. Then I for sure heard something and it wasn’t me or Zandra, but I caught the name the voice spoke about. “It sounds like we have more Mall rats joining us” I spoke out and glanced back as I could in the distance hear the sound of different voices.

@Zandra @Zwenja @Jack @Salene

[Danni]

CALLAN

The alarm goes off and I just give Luc a look, ’do I say “I told you so” now or when they are actually inside?’ so much for my quiet breakfast.

’What happens if those two were actually scouts and there are more of them? We aren’t exactly equipped for an invasion?’

Giving Luc and Alix another ‘I told you so’ look I turn and head to get some towels. The whole situation was annoying and weird, why now after all this time. We were happy here, the mall worked for what we needed… why did someone want to ruin that. Or maybe we were just wrong place, wrong time and the real targets were the mall rats. I hadn’t been in the city when they were here but I’d heard enough, they wanted to be in charge like every other major tribe…. It’s why I hadn’t wanted to join a tribe, and even now didn’t really view our group as a tribe, more a group of misfits who worked well together.

Heading up to the hideaway I notice Liam and Bekah looking out of their rooms ’blame Luc for the noise and the next bits,’ I comment, ’probably want to get the others and go downstairs before our visitors arrive though, to show some solidarity or something.’

@Zandra @Tribelover15

[Zandra]

Luc

“Ok fine, I didn’t expect them to actually attempt to come in” I said and hold up my hands before smirking “Just think Callan, it was so easy to get them wet” I yell after him though I know he is pissed off so he won’t be as entertained as me by my comment.

I head towards the Sewers “Come on guys, get moving, it started as the two girls but that could have all been a trap to make us think it was just them two” I comment and walk towards the sewer’s entrance giving the others a look to follow on behind me

Zane NCP

I stood silently paying attention to the exchange going on “Really, why is there so much drama going on so early in the morning” I mutter. I wasn’t sure what was actually going on except it involved two girls but might involve more than two girls “Come on Jaz” I tell her and motion for her to follow, though she seemed curious, she was a people person.

Me and Jaz head towards the sewer entrance were Luc was stood, he still looked amused so I had no idea if there was a serious situation or if he was being twat and pulling a prank on someone.

[Zandra]

Zan

I looked at Lottie “Oh if they want to drown Lex then they are definitely Mallrats” I say before calling back “On a few occasions and if it ever becomes a possibility I get first dibs” there wasn’t any lost love when it came to Lex, infect there was a lot of hate, he was the reason I went to Eagle Mountain and I fully blamed him for the events that came afterward.

And the fact I now understood how he actually treated me was awful, I just hoped to god he doesn’t come as well, there would be no mending that bridge.

“We’re gonna keep walking, don’t worry we’ve sent the last two trip wires off so you’s are probably safe” I call again. I didn’t want to stay in this sewer any longer than I had to. I give Lottie a nod and head forward seeing the entrance in sight, at this stage I don’t care what’s behind that door so didn’t think twice as I pushed open the door.

[Zwenja]

Tally

I give Andy a triumphantic grin as one of the girls answers us that she’ll be getting the first dips if it ever gets a possibility to drown Lex. So much love for the self proclaimed Mr Universe. ()

“We’re gonna keep walking, don’t worry we’ve sent the last two trip wires off so you’s are probably safe” she calls out again.

I look at Andy who looks then at Leo. “I don’t want you both go down there… We don’t know what is still waiting there…” I nod. The idea of my baby bathed in decades old sewer slime… No way.

"I am going. There is a knife in the bag!"

He starts to climb down and gives me a look. Hurriedly I take the small knife and hold it. Though I am not feeling well by holding a knife while Leo is pressed to me. Especially as I feel him getting so restless. He needs his next feed.

"Take care!" I shout before his head completely dissappears. His footsteps echo high to me. I sit down, back leant on the small wall of the sewer entrance. Leo mutters in disdain, his fingers crawled in my coat. "I am sorry sweetheart… I fear this wasn’t a good idea. Coming here…"

A sniffle. A cry. Hot tears falling from my son’s blue eyes. I look around. “Shhh… Shh… Leo… Come… Shh…” I sigh as his tears are like knifes hitting my heart with a pain a real knife probably can’t give. “Okay… You win…” I place the knife on my knee and shift my coat aside. I adjust Leo in his towel, and open the first buttons of the pullover I am wearing (once must have been a man’s…) Leo sighs as he finds my breast and sucks greedily. It’s relief to me too. It’s really painful when you can’t feed regularly.

"It’s your fault if we get caught, little tomato…" I whisper. His eyes look innocently at me while he drinks. “Just saying…” I smile, stroking his cheek. "Not so greedy… All yours… No one steals your milk…"

@Jack, @Salene (feel free your characters to find Tally)

(permission to have Andy moving and talking by@Jack)

[Trudy (The Supreme Mother)]

Brady

The past few years had gone by in a blur. Yet the sight of the little girl behind me, was a visual reminder of how much time truly had past since I first found Patsy.

At first I had had no clue who the pregnant lady was, just that she clearly needed help with the violent dumbass she was with.

But as she revealed her name, I instantly knew I had to stay, make sure she was safe… I owed her…

Because putting Patsy in harms way all those years ago, had always been moms biggest regret. It had haunted her dreams for years, leading her to tell me about the young girl who had suffered so much at the hands of the Chosen… at the hands of what my mom had done to protect me.

I hear a twig snap behind me, as Aurora tries her best to stay quiet. Grinning, I turn to my little shadow, who had been following me while I collected the food from our traps.

Suddenly I notice it, another one, on a tree behind her. “Rory? Get behind me… quickly!” I tell her as I grab my bow and arrow, trying to see if there is anyone else out there.

The silence is deafening, the forest uncommonly quiet. After ensuring no one else is near us, I grab the red envelope stuck to the tree and read it’s content.

“Time’s up princess… Come home now, or I will tell everyone what happened to your mother”

Quickly, I grab Aurora’s hand and make my way to Patsy.

“Pats? There’s another one…”

[Patsy]

If there was one thing she was nervous about it was to return back to the city, back to the mall. Patsy found herself packing their clothes into two bags, all of the dresses, and outfits she had made for Aurora and herself out of old robes. She took a deep breath as she folded one more sweater. Maybe they could try to head somewhere else maybe the letters would stop then? She wondered.

Thought there were some thoughts that was circling around in her mind. Would Cloe be there? KC? We’re they all alive? Brady had just told her that her mother was gone, she hadn’t explained anything else.

She took a deep breath and made her way outside, she had to see if they could use a old cart to place the bags and Aurora in if she got tired. That’s when she heard Brady’s voice. There was one more letter. ”asking you to come home?” she asked. Aurora came running over and wrapped her hands around her mothers feet. ”Mummy, isn’t home here?” the four year old asked. Carefully picking her up as she waited for Brady to say something about the content.

[Tribelover15]

Lottie

"At least he’s been consistent" I commented with a grin, when I first got to know Lex I had to admit he used to scare me but I was just a child back then. I was happy to let others in line first deal with him if he were to arrive at the Mall as well. Though a part of me doubted he would show, he didn’t seem like he cared about a whole lot. That’s what the child Lottie thought anyway.

"You’re welcome for that" I called out as well before sighing and walking further with Zandra. “Let’s just get this over with, I’m starting to get soaked all the way through” I say as Zandra then pushed the door open for us to make it in but also sees what those guys might have in store once we are inside.

@Zandra @Danni & who ever else lol

[Tribelover15]

Ryan

For such a long time the Mall had been my home until I was taken away from it, but for many years it hadn’t really crossed my mind that many times. I had been reunited with some friends, and K.C had gone on to do what K.C did best and scam his way through life.

While he missed some of his old friends Ryan has not been alone, he’s had Alice for the last 17 years and that’s been enough for Ryan, then those letters started to come. For Ryan it was a bit easy to ignore it, of course, it was a big question who knew Ryan and Alcie had been Mall rats, and how to find them?

Like many late mornings, I had gone to make some trade with Brad, we had done trading with him for years Oh yeah, this letter is for you and Alice from the city When he said the city my blood actually felt cold. I looked at the envelope and opened it, my eyes scanned it before running back home. “Alice!” I’m sure I had been heard miles away with my shouting causing Alice to open the door in a hurry- " What?" she had asked me before I passed her the letter.

That had been days ago and we decided to make the journey back, we still had some way to go but standing on a big hill made the city easy to see rise up from the distance. “Alice… I’m nervous… what if they are very angry we never made it home?” I admitted my thoughts as I looked at her.

@Trudy

[Jack]

Andy

The former Mall Rats had made my entrance through the sewers a piece of piss by triggering the alarms. I hope they weren’t hurt. My past of being a sneak helped as I took every step still with caution and managed to get through unharmed. But I hadn’t been quick enough to catch up with the two birds as I hid in the shadows as they pushed the door leading from the sewers to the mall. “Bugger.” From what I could make out they looked wet. I assume whoever was residing in the Mall now had set a booby trap down here involving water? If I didn’t have to stay hidden, my coat would be coming off and being placed over them.

Whispering to myself in the shadows I say, “I’ll stay here and proceed forward once they have been inside for a few minutes I will sneak in and spy. I hope Tally and Leo are okay.” I look back down the sewer passage thinking of my beautiful family.

[Danni]

CALLAN

Grabbing some extra towels and blankets from my storage I head back downstairs joining the others; Bekah, Liam, Zane and Jaz had joined Luc and Alix. ’If we have to move again… I am not scouting the sewer again.’ I comment before putting down the fabric. ’Also, before anyone else says it… I told you the red envelopes were going to be an issue!’

Folding my arms I look towards the sewer entrance, why did I have a feeling today was only going to go from bad to worse!