A few minutes later they emerged from the trees, and saw the others awake and making breakfast.
"We wondered where you'd gone." Trudy smiled.
"Could have guessed really…" Lex raised his eyebrows. Amber grinned as she made something to eat, and then took it over to Bray.
"Stop it!" Amber laughed through a mouthful of food.
"What have I done now?" Bray asked, rolling his eyes.
"The way you're looking at me!"
"Well, I hate to tell you this, but you're doing exactly the same!" He tapped her on the end of her nose, and they both started giggling.
Amber and Bray were lying in the sun, talking, and waiting for the others to finish eating.
"Oh, I really can't be bothered walking today." Amber sighed.
"You couldn't stop yesterday!" He reminded her.
"I was trying to keep my mind off things." She said.
"Things?" He looked at her imploringly.
"You." She admitted, laying her head on his shoulder.
"Are we gonna get going again sometime soon?" Tai-San stood up ready to go. The others groaned, and soon they were all walking steadily on again, happily thinking or talking among themselves. "I think we only have a little way to go now." Tai-San was at the front, leading the group.
"What happens if there's nothing there?" Amber said quietly to Bray.
"Who knows? But there probably will be something, however small it is." He squeezed her hand tighter.
"I hope we can do something, before the virus kills all the children too." Amber said sadly.
"Guys! Guys!" Tai-San was waving her hands frantically from some distance up the slope. The others picked up their speed, and saw a huge, dome-shaped building in front of them.
"What is it?" Salene asked.
"I think it's an observatory." Jack said, looking for a way in. The doors all seemed to be locked. "Damn!" He kicked the last one after it wouldn't open.
"You haven't checked all the doors yet." Amber was laughing at his efforts.
"Wha…?" Jack started, but saw Amber pointing down some steps. With a bit of pushing, the door opened.
"There's nothing here." Ebony said snidely. "It's empty. Well done guys." She said leaning against the wall. Suddenly the lights turned on.
"Thanks Ebony!" Dal smiled.
"What did I do?" She asked confused.
"Turned the lights on!" Patsy said. They were right; Ebony had leant against the switches and turned on the lights.
No one knew what was going to happen next. No one could have expected it. Everything had been normal. Jack had the satellite searching the skies, they had found food, and were eating happily. Lex and Zandra announced they were going to have a baby. Amber and Bray were talking in a corner on their own. Patsy and Chloe were playing games under the watchful eyes of Salene and Ryan. Tai-San was meditating. The others were gathered round the computers, watching Jack and Dal.
Then everything had changed.
Tai-San looked round the group of Mall-Rats. A few had been knocked out by the explosion. A few were just in shock. Her eyes moved across to the two makeshift graves that had been made. The graves of two of their friends.
"We wondered where you'd gone." Trudy smiled.
"Could have guessed really…" Lex raised his eyebrows. Amber grinned as she made something to eat, and then took it over to Bray.
"Stop it!" Amber laughed through a mouthful of food.
"What have I done now?" Bray asked, rolling his eyes.
"The way you're looking at me!"
"Well, I hate to tell you this, but you're doing exactly the same!" He tapped her on the end of her nose, and they both started giggling.
Amber and Bray were lying in the sun, talking, and waiting for the others to finish eating.
"Oh, I really can't be bothered walking today." Amber sighed.
"You couldn't stop yesterday!" He reminded her.
"I was trying to keep my mind off things." She said.
"Things?" He looked at her imploringly.
"You." She admitted, laying her head on his shoulder.
"Are we gonna get going again sometime soon?" Tai-San stood up ready to go. The others groaned, and soon they were all walking steadily on again, happily thinking or talking among themselves. "I think we only have a little way to go now." Tai-San was at the front, leading the group.
"What happens if there's nothing there?" Amber said quietly to Bray.
"Who knows? But there probably will be something, however small it is." He squeezed her hand tighter.
"I hope we can do something, before the virus kills all the children too." Amber said sadly.
"Guys! Guys!" Tai-San was waving her hands frantically from some distance up the slope. The others picked up their speed, and saw a huge, dome-shaped building in front of them.
"What is it?" Salene asked.
"I think it's an observatory." Jack said, looking for a way in. The doors all seemed to be locked. "Damn!" He kicked the last one after it wouldn't open.
"You haven't checked all the doors yet." Amber was laughing at his efforts.
"Wha…?" Jack started, but saw Amber pointing down some steps. With a bit of pushing, the door opened.
"There's nothing here." Ebony said snidely. "It's empty. Well done guys." She said leaning against the wall. Suddenly the lights turned on.
"Thanks Ebony!" Dal smiled.
"What did I do?" She asked confused.
"Turned the lights on!" Patsy said. They were right; Ebony had leant against the switches and turned on the lights.
No one knew what was going to happen next. No one could have expected it. Everything had been normal. Jack had the satellite searching the skies, they had found food, and were eating happily. Lex and Zandra announced they were going to have a baby. Amber and Bray were talking in a corner on their own. Patsy and Chloe were playing games under the watchful eyes of Salene and Ryan. Tai-San was meditating. The others were gathered round the computers, watching Jack and Dal.
Then everything had changed.
Tai-San looked round the group of Mall-Rats. A few had been knocked out by the explosion. A few were just in shock. Her eyes moved across to the two makeshift graves that had been made. The graves of two of their friends.
