CHAPTER ONE
We've been running our whole life. Our small little group thats seems to be getting a lot smaller as the days progress. Most of us don't get attached to people too quick these days. There's six of us now we were a lot larger about thirteen but slowly ever so slowly we're dropping off one one by one. We lost most of the littlies maybe because they didn't have that much sense to the anger that was surrounding them. But they're probably better off were they are now anyway you know safer. But I still miss their cute and innocent laughter.
Well better not dwell on the past and look towards the ever so devastating present. Well the six of us have been pretty up tight as of late. I think its Mei that really got something shoved up her rather tiny backside. She seems to think that we should stay in hiding a lot longer but our food supplies are verging on empty and this town is pretty much rubble anyway. We've been here about three and a half weeks and I've seen about two building still standing in that space of time. We've got a big slog ahead of us and its through thick forest and mountains. The next populated town is miles away and when I say miles I mean M I L E S away. West city. Home of the old Capsual Corp building.
But we finally agreed to leave. It was around 9:30 pm before we were well away from what had been our home for a while so far that we could no longer see the dark shadow looming over the horizon. We traveled fast and light. With Shinn setting a record pace Damon next then myself and then Mei and Nikko bringing up the rear. He was well and truly the leader Shinn was. He was quick with plans and picked up flaws just as fast. He's probably saved my life sixteen times. And I've never thanked him for it but we grew up like this and he seemed to have adapted to the life of quick thinking so much faster then us.
Damon was sorta the same they were great mates him and Shinn. He was a big built guy with muscle he was the biggest guy out the three of them and he was very prideful. He was also the prankster. The one who jokes a lot but I always noticed that he treated Mei differently you know held more respect for her. She was elegant and graceful even in the most dangerous of situations. And even when she's exhausted. I think we all held more respect for her. And she was very beautiful. Nikko was the silent one. He kept to himself and followed orders like a loyal dog. He rarely spoke he would put in a few suggestions here and there but never really had conversations with us.
Its a good thing we're all fit or I'm pretty sure it would have taken us weeks to get half way to west city. We've stopped at a small village less then half way to West cityt to grab some rest and supplies. There is also a lake here its a nice place that hasn't been destroyed yet. I spoke to soon when I said that because there was blood curdling scream to my left. A villager. And then a man started screaming 'Androids androi...' and was cut mid sentence. It scared us to death. I watched my friends race to the thickets of the bush as the villagers scattered to hiding spots. I didn't think it would do much they'll just blow it up anyway. I turned and headed in the direction that I thought was safe. Nope. Another one of my bad moves.
There he was. Holding a child's mutilated and bloodied body. He looked up and threw the child away. I was frozen I couldn't move. He walked up to me saying something about how children cry to much.
"I think you should be running for your life girl." he spoke so maliciously. He was about an arms length away from me because he grabbed my throat. I felt all air restricted from my lungs. Then he kicked me and I went flying into a pile of rubble. I groaned it hurt so much. Dear Kami the place spun as I sat up. The pain in my right arm seared it felt like it had been shattered in to a million fragments and they were piercing my flesh. I looked at it realised it was only dislocated but it hurt like a mother. Not to mention my head. He had split it open and I could feel the blood trickling, no more like gushing down my face as though it was an over flooded creek. I was hunched from the pain. And my vision was blurring. I saw him, he was meters away and then I blinked when my eyes opened again he had a hold of my throat again and lifted me off the ground. My vision blurred more and I frantically clawed at his arm with my good one. He started to laugh then. So I had to make another mistake. I spat in his face. He was so disgusted and furious I thought he would blow a gasket or something. He held up his other hand to my face and it begun to glow yellow. Well at least I thought it did my vision was terribly blurred.
I felt his hand being ripped away from my throat and my feet hit the ground. There was an explosion were he landed and dust flew everywhere. I was struggling to stand upright. I seen part of a body walk in to my view and an arm reached out for me he was saying something I couldn't hear my ears were ringing it was terrible I looked up at the man who was speaking and my hearing returned but so did the dizziness. I Heard him ask me. If I was ok. And felt like saying 'Does it look like I'm ok you idiot'. But I guess my pride got in the way and I nodded. I could see him look at me like I was crazy. I took a step to my right and scanned the area as best i could for any site of my friends.
"We've gotta go." He said. He grabbed me. Surprisingly gentle, he made sure not to hurt me anymore than I was. I heard another explosion from were the android had landed before and before I could blink we had disappeared from that area and were hiding behind a few buildings. He was crouched low and sat me against the wall. I could hear the distant cursing of the android. Then explosion after explosion as he tore the village apart. I felt my forehead with my hand and wiped away at the blood that had run in to my eye. Kami it sure was alotta blood, I must have fainted after that because that was the last thing I remember.
I awoke to the delicious smell of cooked chicken and rice. I had the worst headache I had ever had. My arm felt stiff and bruised. In fact my whole body felt stiff and bruised. I opened my eyes and had a small look around. It was very bright there must have been electricity here. I licked my very sore and dry lips trying to return what moisture I could to them. I looked at the table beside the bed it had a lamp, a plant and a glass of water on it. Though the plant didn't look like it was going to survive the next week it did have a few wilted flowers on it. I was relieved when I drank the water. It didn't quench my thirst but it did feel good and refreshing.
I laid there for what felt like hours though I could still smell the food. I am probably over exaggerating when I said it felt like hours. I saw a woman with blue hair walk past the door a few times. One time though she was wearing glasses. I think I went to sleep for a while because I didn't notice when the lady walked in to give me a fresh glass of water. I woke when I heard it being set down on the little cupboard. I turned to face her. She smiled so sweetly at me.
"How are you feeling, dear."She said politely. I groaned loudly in response. And she laughed. "I thought you would say that. Would you like a shower and something to eat, dinners almost ready so theres enough time to shower and I'll get a towel and change of clothes."
"Thanks." I said and I sat up and she led me too the bathroom. She said she'll be back with my towel and clothes. It was a nice bathroom. With white tiles in fact everything was white the only colour was the row of green and blue tiles half way up the wall and all the way across them. Like a border.
I undressed from my dirty clothes and turned the hot water on. Kami it felt good to have a shower. I felt guilt wash over me as I realised I hadn't thought about my friends yet. Whether they had survived and were still on their way too West City or if they had all died. I stopped myself at that thought. I wasn't going to get depressed about something that might not be true. I heard the women enter and she called out that she put the clothes on the vanity and the towel on the hook. I said thanks as I washed my sore body. I was very dirty I hadn't had a proper shower in a long time. I shampooed and conditioned my hair it smelt just as good as the soap kinda like flowers. The lady had also given me a razor. And I reminded myself to give her a hug the next I saw her because I really needed one of those.
I got out to my great disappointment and dried myself with the large blue towel. And put on the clothes she had lent me. It was a tight pair of blue hipster jeans and a black singlet that had silver writing all over it. I dried my hair with my towel I didn't bother to brush it because with its length it would just get knotted again. So I braided it loosely.
I wandered around the halls for a bit before I came to the kitchen where I saw the lady bending in to the oven. I looked out the window above that and seen the stars twinkling away over a partly destroyed city. And I wondered then where the hell I was. The blue haired lady turned around and sat the food an the bench, she was slightly surprised to see me there.
"Hello, did you enjoy the shower?" I nodded. " Thats good. I'm Bulma, my son is in the shower so you'll meet him properly when dinner is served ."
"It's nice to meet you and thank you for the shower I needed it. I'm Allyssa. Um can you tell my where I am. And anything about my friends." I asked my voice was very dry sounding and I coughed a little from the scratching in my throat.
"I'm sorry sweet I don't know anything about your friends. And you at Capsual Corp in West City." Her face looked sad at the mention of my friends so I think she may have known something. After a little while she told me to take a seat at the table while she served dinner. At the moment she brought the food out the guy who rescued me appeared from the stair case entrance.
" Hey I see you up. You were out for a while. Are you feeling better?" He asked and sat at the table.
"This is my son, Trunks."
"I'm Allyssa, yes a lot better thank you. How long was I out for?"
"About three or four days I think?" I chocked on some of my rice then and he looked at me with a raised eyebrow.
"Did you see anyone else back at that village. I mean people around my age?" He cast his eyes away from mine and said that.
"When I went back to the village after bringing you here there wasn't much left and I didn't find any survivors. I'm sorry." He was disappointed in himself I think. I could feel the tears burn my eyes but I didn't let them fall.
"It's all right." I ate my dinner in silence then, as Bulma and Trunks had some small conversations about a trip back to somewhere. I wasn't really listening and they were talking in kinda hushed voices so I thought it would be rude if I listened.
After dinner I was led to a spare bedroom down the hall to Trunks. It was a nice room medium sized. The bed was large and had a nice blue blanket and a dozen pillows. The bed sat in the center of the bedroom. There was a large wardrobe a duchess and a bedside table. To the left of the bed was a set of glass doors that led to a balcony that covered one side of the building. There was also an adjacent wooden door that led to a small ensuite.
Sleep didn't come easy that night. The thought of my friends haunted me. Memories swam through my head like the time I met James. We were both young around eight. He was quite a trouble maker and he even got me in lots of it. When we stole the old lady's walking stick. She was my neighbor Mrs Jacobs I think. And she fell down the front porch and broke her leg and he made me admit that I took her stick so that I got all the blame. That was just months before the Androids made it to Australia. Yes I'm Australian so is James well sorta one of his parents was Greek. Yes, well I was nine when the androids showed. My parents died that day and Homers parents managed to get us safely to here. But those machines seem to like it here more then anywhere else.
We met up with Shinn a year after we got here. He was a strong character. He made all the plans well most anyway he and Homer got on great. Shinn lead a small group of kids he looked after them even taught them to read. I've been with those two the longest. Then came Mei she became my best friend and she told me how she watched those Androids rip her parents apart in front of her when she was six . She said it didn't really effect her because she didn't really know them, the were wealthy and were never home. She was elegant like she had lived all her life being taught how to be that way she spoke the same and never ever swore. But she worried for us a lot more than she should like the way a mum does.
After we lost quite a few of the kids Nikko joined us. He had survived on his own before he met up with us. I was amazed he is the oldest of us by two years and was very protective like a father. Like when one of the little girls brought a strange man in to our small hide out he had caught him trying to rape her. He killed him with his bare hands. The little girl never spoke again though and that was sad. We lost all the kids mostly to illness and fatigue but a few would play in buildings and not come back. I remember finding a little girl about seven who had slit her wrists and how she died in my arms, in a pool of her own blood.
I cried myself to sleep. I was in pain and already my heart ached to see them again.
