The ominous voice echoed throughout the city, "TOTAL DESTRUCTION IN...30 minutes."
Amber and Jay met eyes, "Mega" they both said.
Amber nodded, taking control, "we need to get out of the city, and soon." Gathering the Tribe she turned to them, "grab whatever things you absolutely need, leave anything unnecessary behind," she looked pointedly at Gel, "Trudy, Salene, grab the children and the babies things. Jack anything that might help us reach new people grab it. The rest of you get food and lots of it...What are you all staring at me for? GO!" Amber finished, grabbing a backpack and filling it with things for baby Bray, bottles and clothing went into the bag until it was stuffed full, then attached the sling across her chest and secured baby Bray into it.
The Mallrats got one last look at their mall before the voice echoed again, "TOTAL DESTRUCTION IN...20 minutes."
"We're never going to make it to the outskirts in that time, not with all the little ones," Trudy said.
"So leave em." Ebony spat.
"Have a heart Ebony, they're a part of this tribe same as you." Jay turned to the woman he had once loved.
"Whatever." Ebony spat back.
"I know of a guy who has a boat...if it's still standing." May commented quietly.
"You don't think you could have brought this up before May?" Salene shouted.
"Well I..." May stuttered.
"That doesn't matter now, May we need to get to the docks now."
They tore down the streets, dodging kids driving the huge Techno trucks, and then Ruby went down in front of one. Slade grabbed her up from under and carried her the rest of the way. The tribe reached the docks and May yelled out "Trader!"
A scruffy looking man emerged from one of the side docks, "Who's askin? May, may, back again are we?"
"We need your boat," May told him.
"Don't think so."
"The city is going to be demolished, and you with it, unless you give us the boat and leave NOW!" Jay yelled at the man.
"TOTAL DESTRUCTION IN...10 minutes."
Trader stood down, and the Mallrats climbed onto the boat. Amber began to take a head count, "Lottie's missing." she whispered to Jay, "Trudy take Bray."
"Amber?" Trudy questioned her worry clearly visible on her face.
"Take care of him for me,"
"Where are you going?"
But Amber didn't respond she and Jay jumped off the boat and went running back towards the mall, ignoring the calls of "AMBER" from the mallrats in the boat. Reaching the mall, they yelled out, "Lottie!" and split up to check the different rooms. Until Amber went checking through Gel's room and heard a whimpering coming from the closet, she unlocked the door and scooped Lottie into her arms. "JAY, I've found her!" she hollered through the mall, running down the stairs to the door. Jay caught up with them as they crossed through the doors, another bag of supplies on his back.
"NO we're not leaving without them!" Trudy screamed at Ebony and Lex
"TOTAL DESTRUCTION IN...5 minutes."
"We don't have much choice now do we." Lex spat back at her.
"Yeah Trudy, don't you want to save your baby?" Ebony wheedled.
"Look!" Salene shouted, pointing back towards the docks.
"Push off!" Amber yelled.
"Start the boat." Jay echoed.
"TOTAL DESTRUCTION IN...3 minutes."
Amber passed Lottie over to Salene and then she and Jay leaped aboard.
"TOTAL DESTRUCTION IN...2 minutes."
The Mallrats watched the city dwindle away into nothing as they floated out into open waters, an explosion propelling them further into the waters.
"A new beginning," Amber murmured clutching baby Bray to her chest.
"A new world, time to start over." Trudy answered her, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder.
Sentinels stood on the shores of the island, they had heard the great explosion from the city and the leader had sent them out to watch the shores and warn of any incoming refugees. The guest wings were being prepared and the cells were prepared to accommodate any who gave them trouble. The great smog that rose from the city didn't give the sentinels much hope of survivors, but the leader had requested they keep a good watch.
The mall rats had been on the boat for 2 days now, trying to conserve what gasoline they had and floating a large amount of the time. The majority of their supplies had been used up and they were growing restless when Lottie shouted that she saw land up ahead. They had run out to the front of the boat, eyes scanning the horizon for some kind of scrap of land.
"I don't see anything, the kids lying again." Ebony said turning back towards the living quarters.
"Am not!" Lottie protested.
But again they turned back, returning to the positions they had held for the past two days. Only Sammy would stay at the front of the boat with Lottie his eyes searching for even a scrap of land in the distance.
The sentinels had remained in their position all night, and early the next morning they noticed a small boat coming towards the island, seemingly floating in their general direction. One of the sentinels nodded to the other and ran back to notify the leader. The other continued watching, to ensure that the boat was coming their way.
"Wake up there's an island up ahead." Sammy shouted, shaking awake Salene.
"An island?"
The mallrats once again rushed to the front of the ship, this time seeing for themselves that there was a large island emerging from the waters only a little ways away from them.
"Do we have enough gasoline to reach there?" Amber asked.
"We should." Trader responded, the only time he'd spoken to anyone but May.
"Do it, it will be good for us all to get off this boat and stretch our legs." Trudy responded.
"Hold on, how do we know this island is safe?" Ebony asked, her arms crossed over her chest.
"We don't but we also don't really have much of a choice." Jay responded.
"Just stay together, if we are peaceable there's no reason for any of us to be attacked." Amber reasoned.
The sentinels stood guard of the beach; the tribe had been notified of the ships eminent arrival on their shores, the leader had sent the sentinels to bring the new comers to the camp so they would be able to decide what would happen with them. The leader was smart, she was prepared for all options, the cells ready as were the guest quarters.
The boat brushed up on the shore in the early afternoon, Jay, Slade, Lex, and Jack had jumped out to help pull it to the shore and secure it in the sands. The rest of the mallrats carefully climbed from the boat their eyes searching over the islands trees trying to see if there were any other people around. Amber had strapped baby Bray to her chest again, and Trudy stood holding Brady. Lottie clung to Ruby who had made a quick recovery on the boat and was able to stand and walk in short amounts of time.
They surged forwards, Jay and Lex leading the way towards the trees. They hadn't made it halfway up the beach when the two sentinels emerged from the trees.
"Who are you? What are you doing here?" the tallest of the two asked.
"We are the mallrats." Jay responded.
"We've escaped the city," Lex finished, looking at the two men warily.
Amber watched them carefully, they were large men and armed with staffs and short daggers, but she did not think they meant them any harm. She approached them, "We do not mean you any harm. If you could tell us where we are?"
"You are on Isle Triomphe" The shorter of the two answered.
"We need to take you to the leader." The taller continued.
Amber nodded and began to walk forward with the two men, the rest of the tribe followed her lead and as they entered the trees they noticed that another two men joined up at the rear of their grouping, they were now surrounded and nothing made them more nervous.
"I'm told that a group called the mallrats have landed on our shores." the woman said to the man seated across from her in her lush rooms.
"I heard..." he answered.
"What does this mean for you?" she asked concern evident in her brilliant blue eyes.
"I'm not sure...it may not even be them, and even if it is, it is most likely not her..." he murmured.
"I worry about you brother...you let your demons control you. It is past time you faced them." she comforted him, squeezing his shoulder as she went to meet the newcomers.