Chapter 1
She was asleep. The small body in her arms withered, which caused her to stir. Amber opened her eyes and laid them on her son, his small blue eyes looked up at her and a cheeky grin spread across his tiny lips at the sight of the most important person in his world. She couldn't help but smile back at him, sadly.
He was so small, and innocent, and had no idea what was going on around him, but he would still smile. Amber moved her aching body, and itched her wrist from under the metal shackle. It seemed to be getting worse everyday. She sighed and looked around the familiar surroundings. She hadn't been outside in a matter of days and again wondered how high up from the ground she was. She twisted her body round to face the back of the pole she was chained too and prodded the body that sat hunched over opposite her, most likely still asleep.
"Ebony..."
Amber prodded her again "Ebony"
The other woman open her eyes, familiarizing herself before turning around. "Yes Amber?" She said, still feeling groggy from the night before.
"Just checking your alright...after yesterday and what happened" replied Amber
"I'm fine, just a few bruises, nothing I cant handle"
Ebony winced in pain as she placed her hand over the large purple and yellow bruise on her thigh, and then quickly she turned away.
"What the hell happened?" Asked Amber, trying to juggle her wriggling son to her other arm. "You was gone all day, and when you came back you was out cold, they carried you in"
"I tried to make a run for it...me and Gel, they had us collecting fire wood. They had there backs to us"
"What happened?"
"I grabbed a nearby stick and jabbed it in the little bitch's face! That's what!"
"Oh Ebony, your be in big trouble for that!"
Ebony sniggered "Yeah she wasn't too happy...then I got jumped from behind, and obviously ended up back here"
Amber looked shocked "What happened to Gel?"
"No idea, I didn't see her after we ran off"
"God...i hope shes alright"
"She might have got away" Replied Ebony, trying to lift up Amber's hope.
Amber shuck her head, "You shouldn't have done it, you know its no good, there's not enough of us here. They've got us locked up like animals and treat us like slaves!" . She looked disappointed.
"Amber! I cant just sit here and do nothing and let them get away with this!"
The blonde woman looked down at her son, who had started to get grisly "Hush...hush" she whispered, bouncing Bray gently before turning back to Ebony, "They others will save us! They wont just leave us here. Jay will rescue us...I'm sure"
Lex added the finishing rock to the pile and brushed down his clothes. Shuddering as he walked away.
Other Mallrats stood behind him, eyes on the two mounds of rocks in front of them which were obviously graves. Trudy wiped a stray tear off her cheek, and turned round. Nobody could speak. Every one of them had seen how they died.
Trudy pushed her way through the others and collapsed onto the sand. She started to cry, releasing her tears into her hands.
May followed her, and knelt down beside her "I'm sure shes safe with Amber, Trudy"
The crying woman looked up through the mess of make-up, "Brady! I want Brady back!"
She stood up and started running along the beach barefooted in the direction to the forest, her knees almost crumbling beneath her, "I have to find her! I have to get her back!" She cried hysterically.
May chased her, and Slade watching the scene also started to follow. "Trudy! Don't be so stupid!" he called.
They caught up with her just before the forest, and he pulled down on the woman's clothes, pulling her to the ground. May grabbed Trudy's hands and lowered them. "You're not doing Brady or yourself a favor by taking off on your own in there!" Yelled May
Slade put his arms round her, trying to comfort her."We'll find her Trudy, I promise!"
Trudy looked up and sobbed into his elbow, she was talking but neither Slade or May could make out what she was saying.
At this point everyone had been watching, Lex walked up behind them "We need to get are strength back and work out who the hell these freaky bastards are!" he cried, clenching his fists.
"Then we can rescue Brady?" Trudy looked up at him hopeful.
A blonde girl stepped forward "We can rescue all of them" she said resting her hand on Trudy's shoulder.
Slade turned round to face everyone. "I think we need to eat then we can discuss strategies".
Everyone nodded in unison, agreeing. "None of us are in the right frame of mind, because we haven't eaten properly since we got washed up. Now those scraps are useless from Trudy's bag, and we still haven't found that tin-opener..."
"So the tins are useless" interrupted May
Heads turned to stare at Jack, who then dug his feet into the sand beneath him "I swear I packed one!"
The blonde girl punched him in the arm, "Your meant to be the one with the brains Jack!"
"It must have fell out! We did nearly all drown you know!"
"Take the body to the pit!" a voice called
A young man is then seen, carrying a lifeless body over his shoulder. He has feathers in his long hair and not much on as clothes. He walked along the forest floor towards the voice, and looked down into the large dark hole in the ground. He recoiled backwards at the stench, pinching his noise with his finger. He still couldn't get used it, the smell of rotting flesh. The man in front of him gestured him to dump the body into the pit, so quickly he removed it from his shoulder, and he threw the body into the darkness, the dead eyes of a young girl flashed in front of him. She was the prettiest yet.
"Mummy! Mummy!" a young girl cried. She looked around, raising her arms.
A brown haired girl ran in through the vines. She had long hair, messy, and riddled with tiny plaits and feathers. She ran towards the small child, "Its me, I'm here now" wrapping her arms round her.
Brady squealed and stepped back "Nope! Your not my mummy! My mummy Trudy!"
The girl stepped forward closer to Brady, taking her in her arms and squeezing her tight.
"No I'm your mummy Summer! Your my baby girl!"
"But...but I'm Brady" she said almost in tears
"No Summer, your my baby girl and I'm never letting you out of my sight again!"
Jack wadded through sea, with a bend in his knees and a pointed stick in his hands. He heard splashing as Ellie walked off the beach and into the water.
"Stay back! Your scare the fish!" he yelled, waving his free arm.
Ellie rolled her eyes "Its no use Jack, plus I think Lex found some berries!"
The orange haired boy slumped his shoulders and curled his bottom lip. He then sighed and threw the stick, it landing not very fair away. "Useless idea anyways" he muttered, and started to follow Ellie back to shore.
The young couple found the others huddled together in a patch in the forest, Lex had something in his hand.
"I don't care! I'm gonna try it!"
Trudy then takes a swipe at his hands, letting the red berries fall to the ground. Lex looked startled, and May stomped on them, causing the purple juice to flow between her toes.
"What the hell did you do that for!" he cried
"They could be poisonous Lex!"
He rolled his eyes "Didn't know you cared"
"We cant rescue Brady if we're all dead! Can we?"
"Something round here must be edible?" he asked in return, as his eyes scanned around the trees.
May looked sad, "Pride would know"
"Well, hes not here! Thanks to you!" Shouted Ellie pushing her way past Trudy
May stepped forward, and gave the blonde a little shove "Don't make me feel any worse than I already do! We all make mistakes! Even you cheating on Jack with Luke!"
Ellie recoiled backwards, without an answer, while Jack looked on, with a sad face on.
There was silence for a few moments, until the breaking of branches and footsteps were heard. Everyone froze, afraid it was the people who attacked them when they arrived. But there hearts were lifted when a smiling Slade jumped out from a tree, he was holding something very familiar in his hands, but something they hadn't seen since before the virus.
"Guess what I found!" he cried, grinning
Jack's eyes lit up "A banana! You found a banana!""
"Yeah, and there's plenty more when this came from!"
****End Of Chapter 1****
Thank you for reading