Chapter 20

"Beth, it's okay," Cat edged towards where the young girl sat huddled in a corner looking absolutely terrified; her name had been one of the last things Kyle shouted after them as they had raced up the stairs. "We're friends of Dee's."

"Come on, Beth," Zane said, gently. "Dee needs your help, so do some of the others."

Beth huddled closer into the corner, trying to curl herself into an eve tighter ball, still keeping one eye on the advancing pair.

"It's okay, honey, we won't hurt you, we just need your help," Cat crouched down as if she were talking to a young animal or child. "There are a whole bunch of people downstairs who are badly hurt. We're doing all we can, but we need someone who knows what they're doing and Dee said you were a healer."

Zane flashed a glance over at the older girl, then looked back to Beth. The younger girl uncurled a little.

"What happened?" Beth whispered, timidly.

Cat adged a little closer.

"We were attacked. One of the people who attacked us had a gun and some people have been shot."

Beth flinched at the mention of a gun and Cat edged forward a bit further, holding out a hand.

"It's okay, honey, we got it off her and she's gone now. There were no more bullets left anyway."

"You hit?" Beth nodded at the blood on Cat's pyjamas.

Cat swallowed and decided it was time for the blow.

"Not me - Dee. She pushed me out of the way and got hit instead."

The colour drained from Beth's already pale face and her arms and legs went limp.

"Come on, honey, she needs your help."

With some effort, Beth reached forward and took Cat's hand. The older girl rose, pulling Beth to her feet and forward into her and Zane's arms. Supporting the shaking young girl, they made their way towards the stairs. As they reached the door of the store, Cat and Zane felt Beth inadvertently pull back.

"S-so big!" Beth whispered, a note of panic creeping into her voice. "S-sky!"

Cat and Zane glanced at each other, realising that they young girls fear was not simply of strangers, but of the outside in general. In one swift movement, Zane swept Beth up into his arms and cradled her head against his shoulder.

"It's okay, we're still in the mall," he said, hurrying towards the stairs as Cat made her way to the herbal store round the corner of the terrace for supplies. "It's just a glass ceiling, it's okay."

Cat worked quickly with the skeleton keys, opening the locked door of the herbal store in record time: they had already lost enough time getting Beth out of her corner. In the dim light afforded by the dawn, she could barely read the names on the shelves. One area stood out in a corner of the shop with a display set up on a bright, white stand. On the top of the stand she could just make out the words "Herbal First Aid" and she began gathering a variety of tubs, tubes and bottles into the gathered hem of her pyjama top before racing back out of the store and down the stairs.

When she reached the first floor, she could hear the sounds of Beth panicking with Anni, Zane and Will trying to calm her. As she turned the corner of the final static escalator, she saw why and nearly dropped her precious cargo. Beth was in tears, hiding her head in Zane's chest. Dee was lying on the floor, as she had been when Cat left, but with Will's pyjama shirt covering her. Christy and Britt were crying. Say was still working on Gary, with Steve beside her. Bobbi, looking saner than she had since she arrived, was peeling Marc's shirt off his wounded shoulder and Amy was cradling Kyle's head on her knees. Alice and Marie were nowhere to be seen. Regaining her senses, Cat hurried into the midst of the group and deposited the herbal concoctions on the floor, then went to Dee's side and knelt facing Christy across the blonde girl's body.

"I couldn't stop the bleeding," Christy sobbed, "I couldn't stop it."

Spend all your time waiting

For that second chance
For the break that will make it OK
There's always some reason

To feel not good enough
And it's hard at the end of the day

"It should have been me," Cat's voice caught in her throat.

I need some distraction

Oh beautiful release
Memories seep from my veins
Let me be empty

Oh and weightless and maybe
I'll find some peace tonight

"It shouldn't have been any of us," Christy replied, ruefully.

In the arms of the Angel

Fly away from here
From this dark, cold hotel room

And the endlessness that you fear


You are pulled from the wreckage

Of your silent reverie
You're in the arms of the Angel

May you find some comfort here

"I didn't see the gun."

So tired of the straight line

And everywhere you turn
There's vultures and thieves at your back
The storm keeps on twisting

You keep on building the lies
That you make up for all that you lack

"You couldn't have, you were fighting at least two guys at once."

It don't make no difference

Escaping one last time
It's easier to believe
In this sweet madness

Oh this glorious sadness
That brings me to my knees

"She saw it. That's why she's lying here. She saved my life. And now she's dead."

In the arms of the Angel

Fly away from here
From this dark, cold hotel room

And the endlessness that you fear


You are pulled from the wreckage

Of your silent reverie
In the arms of the Angel

May you find some comfort here

You're in the arms of the Angel

May you find some comfort here