Gillian "Gia" Hudson stopped on her skateboard stepping down hard on the end and grabbing it. She tucked her board under her arm; shielding her eyes from the sun Gia surveyed the surrounding area, "So this is it…no adults for miles around." Gia smirked a little to herself liking this arrangement. Maybe the virus hadn't been so bad. This for Gia meant no more foster homes, no more abuse, no more pain and hurt. She hoped for a new start and maybe even something she had never had before, a real family if she was lucky.
Gia stood there for a few more minutes thinking of where to go. Looking around at the vacant, barren land. Everything had been strip by the locos and other tribes. She was glad that she had all of the things that she needed to survive for the next week. Gia was startled by the sounds of sirens and blue flashing lights. She heard the sound of roller blade wheels against hitting hard against the pavement it was the locos. Gia dropped her board and headed down the hill in front of her. She glanced back only momentarily to make sure that the locos weren't right on her.
She saw an abandoned train yard lying ahead. Skating down to it she hopped into an empty cart picking up her board; she crouched down watching for the locos to go by. She leaned back against the wall thinking of where she was going to go. Gia didn't realize that this was where they hung around. The sirens had finally past. She shook her head, "Stupid Locos." She muttered standing up and jumping. She had to take her chances and get out of there seeing as they had only stopped yards ahead.
After a few minutes Gia stumbled upon a large mall. It looked dead against the gray sky. She skateboarded towards it hoping to seek shelter for the night, maybe even make a permanent residence. Most of the entrances were blocked. Gia was about to give up; there was only one more entrance on the south side she was going to try. Gia pulled as hard as she could on the door. It swung open and she almost fell back to the ground, "Now this is more like it." She said walking in.
She cautiously stepped in and looked around. The place was dimly lit and pretty dirty. Gia looked up at the multiple levels in awe. She figured this would make the best place to stay. Gia heard voices and shrunk back into the shadows.
"Where are you going to get the batteries to run that?" Dal asked Jack as they walked down a strip of the mall.
A squeaky voice answered in return, "I don't know, maybe Lex will spare batteries from his game boy."
Dal laughed, "Good luck with that." The voices became muffled and disappeared. Gia let out the breath she had been holding. Then started down the hall again walking up to the second level. Gia looked for the store with the highest shelves to hide behind. She found a store named 'Blue Moon', where the ends of the shelves had been pushed up against the wall at the ends. She tossed her stuff down on the floor and knelt next to it pulling out the flashlight. Gia did a sweep of the floor with the dimming ray of light. She wasn't going to change the batteries until they were completely dead. Gia made herself comfortable and listened to the sounds of the mall. Gia heard many people walk by all talking about Lex and how they didn't like him. Then they were talking about another guy who they all loved and adored, Bray. Gia absolutely despised Bray, they had known each other before the virus and to her Bray was a traitor.
The hours passed slowly as Gia watched the light outside of the store slowly fade into an orangey glow, then fading out completely. After a few more hours Gia drifted off into an uneasy sleep.
"Gillian!" Her father swaggered into the door of their house, "Gillian get over here! Didn't I tell you to clean this place up?" He held a bottle of scotch in one hand and raised his other to strike her. Gillian's eyes were glued to the bottle in his hand, which was more then ¾ empty.
"Please not again." Gillian cowered in the corner, tears rolling down her cheeks.
Lex walked the mall for one last patrol. He thought he had heard something in one of the stores near by. He took out his flashlight shining it into the store that Gia was in. Gia woke with a start. She saw the flashlight near the end of the row and stayed silent until it despaired.
"You're the best at what you do Lex." He said talking to himself as he walked back towards his room. Gia stood up slowly. All of them were bond to be asleep soon taking her flashlight she walked out of the store and into the mall to look around. Then she headed out of the mall to get more supplies.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I swear I heard something Lex." Patsy said to him at breakfast two mornings later, "Paul heard it too."
"Don't be stupid Paul can't hear." He said pushing her back and sitting down at the table.
"He feels things." Patsy insisted. Lex just shrugged her off.
Amber walked into the room with plates of food, "Don't worry Patsy. I am sure Lex will go check it out again, won't he?" Amber gave Lex a look telling him that he was going to.
"Alright I will go look around again after breakfast." He said leaning back in his seat waiting for his food, "It's probably just Bob any way, mangy mutt." He muttered.
Chloe defensively put an arm around Bob's neck, "He isn't mangy."
"You are right." Lex grinned, "Just needs to fatten him up a bit and then we can eat him." Chloe whimpered and hugged Bob tighter.
"Stop it Lex." Saleen said putting a hand on Chloe's back, "You are horrible." Lex just smiled and ate his breakfast. The dishes were cleared and clean, Lex took Jack and Ryan with him to check the mall again.
"So lets find who or what is in this mall so Patsy will leave me be." Lex said walked up to one of the stores, they all stopped, "Well go on in." He urged Jack and Ryan.
"Us?" Jack asked with a confused look on his face, "Why us, you are the head of security."
"Because I am looking out here incase they are in another store." Lex crossed his arms and nodded for them to go into 'Blue Moon'. Jack swallowed hard and walked into the store followed by Ryan. Lex waited impatiently outside.
Ryan shined the flashlight across the floor, sweeping it back and forth. Gia had been sleep and heard them outside, "This was it they're going to find me and take me to who ever that Lex guy is." Gia pulled her knees up to her chest placing her head down on them.
Ryan walked deeper into the store with Jack the two of them looked down the isles until they ran across Gia, "Hey Le-" Jack began to shout out, but Ryan stopped him. Gia stood up flipping on her dim flashlight on and shining it at them as they shined there at her, "Why did you stop me?"
"Because if she was with another Tribe she would have done something to us by now." Ryan said feeling he could trust the girl who stood in front of him he didn't know why, "Who are you?"
"Gia Hudson." She said confidently, "And I don't have a Tribe…I am just looking for shelter. I don't need any thing…you wont tell Lex I am here will you?" She asked nervously saying his name.
Jack looked at Ryan not sure what to say, "We kind of have to let every one know you are staying here." Ryan said, "You know Lex?"
"No, but I have heard you all talking about him in the halls." Gia said to them quietly so if Lex was listening he couldn't hear her.
Jack spoke up, "How about we don't tell him you are here and you can come out on your own. I mean you aren't harming any one."
"Yeah we won't tell Lex." Ryan repeated.
"We won't tell Lex what?" He asked walking into the store and over to where they were standing. He hadn't looked around the corner of the shelf yet where Gia was standing. Gia held her breath and watched Ryan and Jack waiting to see what they were going to do. She prayed that they didn't give her away, "Did you find the person?"