What If…?
Starring
Amber
Dal
Cloe
Lex
Zandra
Glen
Ryan
Zoot
Drazic
Salene
Patsy
Paul
Ebony
Java
Jack
Siva
Vanilla
Luke
Bray
Trudy
Spike
Jaffa
KC
May
Alice
Ellie
Slade
Pride
Mouse
Jay
Ram
Jason
Mega
Ved
Giga
The streets were eerily silent, giving the impression they were somewhat deserted. Dust blowing up from the dirty roads, rubbish bins lying opened and their contents scattered across the ground. The buildings were covered in artwork- graffiti spelling out names of different tribes and people. It wasn't a safe place to venture in to, yet it was still rich with food and other supplies so it was a place people had no choice but to go.
The virus had only struck 9 months ago, with the last reports of any adults still being alive, broadcast some 3 months ago. There was no television, no radio, no way of communicating with the outside world. Nobody knew what was out there. All they knew was that they were on their own. There were no rules, no law enforcement, and no adults to keep them right. It wasn't long before chaos broke out across the city with no one in authority to stop all the bad things happening. Children who had hid in their family homes in the city and the suburbs had been chased out after being attacked by thuggish tribes. It was every man for themselves now, well, every child for themselves. No one cared who got hurt, they didn't care what upset was being caused, or how terrifying they came across. And these people, these children, they were the scariest kids in the city. Kids that every other kid was afraid of and hid from. All they wanted was power; all they wanted was chaos…
A loud wail broke the silence through the city that day, an all too familiar wail. A police car roared through the streets, screeching round every corner as it chased another helpless kid running on their own. "Power and Chaos" the passengers would wail as they slammed on the brakes and grabbed the child. Who couldn't have been any older than 10 years old? They were just another prisoner to add to their collection. Someone they could use as a slave, or train to be one of their warriors. As the car sped of, its siren still wailing, the chants of 'power and chaos' could be heard echoing through every street, down every alley. This was the norm in the city. A sound recognised by everyone, a sound that signalled you had to hide.
Amber and Dal had lived in the city all their lives, next door to one another in an apartment block. The pair had never been big on living in the city, and always dreamt of a life in the country. Dal loved his animals and always wanted to be a vet, following in his father's footsteps of medical care, as he was a doctor. Amber was very much a free spirit and loved the wilderness. She wouldn't care if she ended up alone on a desert island so long as she had nature and animals surrounding her too.
Since the end of the virus, the pair had been living in squalor on the rooftop of a tall building right in the heart of the city. They had tried 3 times to escape, but always got pushed back in to hiding by Tribes out scouting the streets. But the last 2 days had seemed quieter than usual, Amber decided that some of the tribes must have moved on to another patch. So they had agreed that today was the day. They were leaving the city one way or another and heading for the country.
As they crept around the ground floor of the apartment block they peered out the dusty windows. It looked deserted, but they had to be careful, anything or anyone could be waiting outside. Leaving through the fire escape at the back of the building, they ran across to the other side of the road where they his behind piles of rubbish, but someone was coming. And there appeared a little girl on her own chasing a cat along the street.
"Come on" Dal tugged on Amber's arm, who watched the girl delicately run down the road trying to catch the starving cat.
"Where do you think she's come from? She can't have survived out here on her own all this time." Amber whispered back curiously.
"I dunno, she's made it some how. Come on, we need to go" Dal urged but Amber couldn't leave her.
"Listen!" She gasped as the sirens approached them from afar. "She needs our help!" Amber than ran from hiding and in to the street where she grabbed the little girl.
"Let me go! Let me go!" She started screaming as Amber hid them back behind the rubbish, Dal rolling his eyes in disappointment that they hadn't ran when they got the chance.
Amber gently held her hand over the girls mouth until the police car had passed, the girl then realising that Amber had just saved her. She smiled as Amber removed her hand from her face.
"My name's Amber and this is Dal." She introduced to the little girl.
"I'm Cloe." She whispered shyly before wrapping her arms tightly around Amber. "Can you help me find the others?" She asked sweetly, Amber smiling.
"Off course we will." She replied, Dal looking less than impressed as they began discussing where Cloe had came from and what she was doing out alone.
"I'm starving Lex." Zandra moaned from the old train carriage she and her friends had been hiding in. "You haven't been to get me any more food for days. And I'm almost out of mascara!"
"Shut it Zandra, I'm waiting!" Lex snapped back as he stood with two others at the edge of the carriage looking out on the deserted train station.
"I still think this is a bad idea. Why would they want us when they have an army of their own?" Zandra continued to moan as she filed her nails.
"Just stop whining for two minutes! Jeez you're giving me a headache!" Lex replied with his hands rubbing his face.
Lex had asked for a meeting with the infamous Loco Tribe. It was they who tormented the city with the police car. But Lex wasn't scared of them; he had met their leader, Zoot, shortly after the virus first broke out. Granted, they never got on and Zoot believed Lex to be a wannabe thug. But Lex was determined to make peace with the Loco's. He didn't want to be one of them, just wanted a mutual understanding. Like he and his friends could keep watch over a certain part of the city in exchange for weapons and food. And reassurance that the Loco's would not attack them.
"Lex! They're here." His friend, Ryan pointed at the approaching police car, but no sirens this time.
"I don't like this Lex." The other boy, Glen hesitated.
"Shut up you pussy. Wait here with Zandra. Ryan, come down with me." Lex ordered as they jumped from the carriage, Ryan following.
"So, Lexy boy, what can I do you for?" Zoot asked as he leapt from the police car, his arms folded.
"A trade.'" Lex replied as he threw a bag down at Zoot's feet.
"What's that? Cause we got everything we need. The Loco's don't trade." Snarled one of the Loco's who stood firm beside his leader.
"Batteries, medicine supplies, food, bottled water." Lex replied, ignoring the Loco's remark as Zoot signalled one of his men to take a look.
"Take the bag away Drazic." Zoot ordered his man, who reluctantly lifted the bag and threw it in to the back of the car. "So, what you after?" He went on to ask Lex, an anxious Zandra and Glen watching from the carriage.
"A patch. We're sick of living in these carriages. Somewhere in the city we can stay and have control. Keeping others out of your way in return." Lex explained as Ryan watched the other Loco's slowly inch closer and closer to them.
"You really believed we would agree to this? You can't be trusted. And we need no one!" Zoot burst out in hysterics. "Get them!" He then pounced at Lex, knocking him over.
"Run!" Ryan warned Zandra and Glen as he pushed Zoot away from Lex, the two fleeing in pursuit of their friends with the Loco's not far behind.
"Stop!" Cried Drazic to the other Loco's. "Get in the car!" He ordered as he and Zoot climbed in to the front of the car, the siren sounding loud.
Cloe had led Amber and Dal to an abandoned playground which had been blocked off by large fence panels and rubbish. They had to squeeze through a tiny whole to gain entry.
"Cloe! Where have you been?!" An older girl ran up and hugged Cloe tight as she watched her appear from the hole.
"Salene, these are my friends." Cloe pointed as Amber and Dal squeezed through the hole, Salene pushing Cloe behind her back.
"Who are you!" She asked nervously. Salene hadn't been in contact with any of the older children since the adults died out. She had spent the last 3 months hiding in the playground with Cloe and another two young children, Patsy and Paul.
"It's okay, we're friends." Amber put her hands forward, to show Salene they meant no harm.
Salene reluctantly welcomed them in to the park, as they sat beneath the climbing frame, taking shelter from the rain storm that had started. Salene went on to explained how Patsy and Paul had lived next door to her before the virus. When it hit, their parents begged Salene to look after them, knowing she was young enough to survive. Salene became trapped in the city after taking the pair to look for food one day, and deemed it too dangerous to try and escape. They found Cloe playing alone in the park when they arrived, with her dog, Bob. Since then, the four of them and Bob have stayed there, with their only shelter beneath the small climbing frame that Salene had also padded with old blankets. Every few days Salene would venture out for more food. There was an old grocery store nearby which luckily still had cans of food and bottles of water left in it. Salene had been out earlier that day looking for supplies, and took longer than usual to return. Cloe got scared and ran away to look for Salene, which is when Amber and Dal found her.
"Anyway, we can't stay. We're leaving the city today." Dal interrupted, anxious to get away before nightfall.
"Why don't you come with us? We can help you get out? More eyes to look out for any danger." Amber suggested, Dal looking more than a little annoyed.
"They'll slow us down Amber!" He pointed out, as Salene smiled.
"He's right, we'd only be a hindrance to you." Salene agreed.
"Nonsense, the kids would love it in the country. All that freedom, not having to hide. We could build proper shelters and get some farm animals." Amber continued as the children's eyes lit up.
"Please can we go!?" Patsy tugged on to Salene's arm.
"We need to go Amber, it's getting late." Dal sighed impatiently, standing up with his bag on his shoulder.
Suddenly a huge bang sounded as Glen and Lex burst through the fencing. "Locos!" Cried Zandra as she ran with Ryan behind them.
"Come on!" Amber pulled Salene to her feet, lifting Paul in to her arms, as Salene and Dal grabbed each of the girls hand and ran.
"And where have you been?" Ebony demanded from her older sister who had snuck her way back in to the Loco base.
"Are you spying on me now?" Java rolled her eyes and ignored Ebony's question.
"Well? You've been acting strange for the last week. Drazic's been asking questions." She explained as Java jogged by the poolside in to the main building for some shelter.
"Mind your own business Ebony, I'm not a prisoner." Java replied as she took of her wet coat and squeezed the cold rain water from her hair.
"I'll find out you know. He'll find out too." Ebony teased as she watched her sister's actions, trying to figure out what she was hiding.
"Find out what exactly? There's nothing to know. I just like my own space sometimes." Java replied hurriedly as she tried to make way to her room.
"Who he is? I wouldn't like to be in your shoes when Drazic figures it out." Ebony advised as Java stooped in her tracks and spun to face her sister.
"There is no he Ebony! And you better not utter a single word to Draz about this. We all know what happens to story tellers don't we." Java threatened, Ebony smirking away to herself.
"Well, something's up, and I'm your sister, I'll find out." Ebony shrugged as she walked back out to the poolside, Java reaching in to her trouser pocket. She looked teary as she gazed down at the photo in her hand. It was a little boy, a baby; she held it close to her chest before entering her room sobbing.
Amber and the others had made their way into an abandoned multi storey car park, with Lex and his friends close behind. They came across an unlocked fire door which they forced open and made their way into a shopping mall. Dal blocked off the fire escape so no one else could enter behind them.
"Where are we?" Cloe gazed up at the huge fountain standing before them. A huge phoenix rising from the flames. No water coming from it off course.
"The Mall." Salene smiled as she reminisced about the old days when she and her mother would go for days out there.
"Everyone be quiet, and stay close. We might not be alone." Amber whispered after spotting a half empty water bottle sitting at the edge of the fountain.
"Stop right there!" A young boy cried down from the top of the stairs.
"We're not going to harm you; we're just looking for somewhere to hide." Amber explained.
"Hide from what?" The young boy enquired, emerging from the shadows, his face hidden by a huge pair of goggles he was wearing.
"Locos!" Patsy cried as Lex and his friends appeared from around the corner, Jack quickly pulling a lever to bring down the grills trapping the four between them.
"Hey! Let us outta here!" Lex grabbed on to the grills, shaking them ferociously.
"They're not Loco's, they were running, same as us." Amber corrected Patsy.
"Yeah, and they're the reason we had to run." Dal added, approaching Lex and his friends for a closer look, as Glen let out a loud lion-like roar, causing Dal to jump back.
"Got ya" Glen laughed smugly.
"You need to go." Jack told them, "all of you." He added, looking at the younger ones.
"We can't go back out there. They'll be looking for us." Zandra pleaded, looking terrified.
"Come on! You can't leave us here like a bunch of zoo animals!" Amber tried reasoning with Jack, as he reached for the lever to lift the exit grill.
"No!" Salene cried. "Please, just one night, until it's safe to leave. Look at the children, they're terrified. Please." She pleaded, as Jack looked again at the group, letting go of the lever. The grills slammed back down against the floor.
"One night. That's all." Jack sighed as he granted the strangers access to his home.
The younger children jumped around in excitement as they raced each other up the stairs, whilst Zandra, Ryan and Salene took a seat by the disused fountain. Jack shook his head and pulled on his hair as he proceeded to introduce himself to the others.