Chapter One: Happy Birthday Brady
It was night and the city was quiet, or what was considered quiet. The air was hot with the heat from that day seeping up from the concrete streets. In the café of the Phoenix Mall a girl sat deep into her fifth bottle of alcoholic beverage. The room was scattered with small piles of confetti from that afternoon's festivities. She hardly paid attention to the footsteps of a guy coming near her. When she looked up she noticed that he was standing over her. "Oh hello." She whispered sweetly.
"Haven't you had enough?" The guy looked sternly down at her.
She looked down at the empty bottles. "I believe I have, but you don't have to be so mean about it."
"Then I guess I'll walk you back to the Hotel."
She looked at him slyly. "You think I need protection."
"From yourself." The girl nodded in agreement, and with the guy walked out of the mall. Standing in the entrance of her room a small girl with blonde pigtails watched in confusion as the two left...She had seen everything.
There were no street lamps in the city. The girl and boy continued to stumble down the street. "I don't think I can go any further." The girl sighed leaning against the wall of an abandoned warehouse.
"Come on it's not that far away." The girl continued to shake her head no and walked inside the warehouse. The guy tried to pull her back but she stubbornly forced herself into the warehouse.
The place was completely deserted except for piles of pink fluffy insulation. The girl broke out into a fit of giggles. "What luck, a comfy place to sleep."
"You're not sleeping here come on."
The girl turned and looked at him. "Oh don't be such a poo. You can just leave me here, I'll be fine."
"I'm not leaving you. Not in this state." He walked towards her.
"Oh how heroic of you." She began to circle him a sparkle in her eye. When she was behind him she pushed him down into one of the piles. She began to laugh.
The guy looked up at her as she sat down beside him. "I'm sorry, I couldn't resist. Lately I haven't had that much fun. Not like when the Technos first came." He looked at her awkwardly. "Oh no! Not the game or Ram...but you." She gave a weak smile. "Do you ever miss it?" He stared at her. She leaned close till she felt his steady breathing. "I do." She whispered softly. They stared intensely at each other. Then in a sudden impulse they kissed, a light almost unearthly kiss, but as their minds slowly began to float to there first night the kiss became stronger and more intimate. They began to savagely pull at each other's clothes. There was nothing there to stop them,...they couldn't even stop themselves.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It was exactly seventeen years later. The city had become organized. There were no longer tribes, but instead people living with immediate families in houses. The tribe didn't completely disappear though, most people knew if they were a Mallrat, a Gull, or a Demon Dog. The world was normal like before the virus, but in their own images.
That night Jay sat at the side of his bed. He held his wife's hand. Amber's eye's fluttered open as she lay on the bed. She smiled up at Jay. "I missed Brady's birthday."
"Yeah, but I'm pretty sure she won't mind."
Amber nodded. "Jay you'll take care of Bray right?"
"He's almost grown...and you'll be here."
Amber shook her head. "No, Jay."
"Amber."
"No,...Jay please, I don't have that much time."
"I'll watch over Bray."
"Thank You." Amber closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"Amber..." Jay's voice was weak.
"Yes, Jay."
"Amber, I did something...a long time ago." Amber placed her fingers over Jay's lips quieting him. Lifting her hand she began to drag it through his hair.
"Jay...I know. I've known for a long time." She smiled. "I forgive you." Amber closed her eyes giving her last breath. Jay looked at her still body; tears welled up in his eyes.
It was night and the city was quiet, or what was considered quiet. The air was hot with the heat from that day seeping up from the concrete streets. In the café of the Phoenix Mall a girl sat deep into her fifth bottle of alcoholic beverage. The room was scattered with small piles of confetti from that afternoon's festivities. She hardly paid attention to the footsteps of a guy coming near her. When she looked up she noticed that he was standing over her. "Oh hello." She whispered sweetly.
"Haven't you had enough?" The guy looked sternly down at her.
She looked down at the empty bottles. "I believe I have, but you don't have to be so mean about it."
"Then I guess I'll walk you back to the Hotel."
She looked at him slyly. "You think I need protection."
"From yourself." The girl nodded in agreement, and with the guy walked out of the mall. Standing in the entrance of her room a small girl with blonde pigtails watched in confusion as the two left...She had seen everything.
There were no street lamps in the city. The girl and boy continued to stumble down the street. "I don't think I can go any further." The girl sighed leaning against the wall of an abandoned warehouse.
"Come on it's not that far away." The girl continued to shake her head no and walked inside the warehouse. The guy tried to pull her back but she stubbornly forced herself into the warehouse.
The place was completely deserted except for piles of pink fluffy insulation. The girl broke out into a fit of giggles. "What luck, a comfy place to sleep."
"You're not sleeping here come on."
The girl turned and looked at him. "Oh don't be such a poo. You can just leave me here, I'll be fine."
"I'm not leaving you. Not in this state." He walked towards her.
"Oh how heroic of you." She began to circle him a sparkle in her eye. When she was behind him she pushed him down into one of the piles. She began to laugh.
The guy looked up at her as she sat down beside him. "I'm sorry, I couldn't resist. Lately I haven't had that much fun. Not like when the Technos first came." He looked at her awkwardly. "Oh no! Not the game or Ram...but you." She gave a weak smile. "Do you ever miss it?" He stared at her. She leaned close till she felt his steady breathing. "I do." She whispered softly. They stared intensely at each other. Then in a sudden impulse they kissed, a light almost unearthly kiss, but as their minds slowly began to float to there first night the kiss became stronger and more intimate. They began to savagely pull at each other's clothes. There was nothing there to stop them,...they couldn't even stop themselves.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It was exactly seventeen years later. The city had become organized. There were no longer tribes, but instead people living with immediate families in houses. The tribe didn't completely disappear though, most people knew if they were a Mallrat, a Gull, or a Demon Dog. The world was normal like before the virus, but in their own images.
That night Jay sat at the side of his bed. He held his wife's hand. Amber's eye's fluttered open as she lay on the bed. She smiled up at Jay. "I missed Brady's birthday."
"Yeah, but I'm pretty sure she won't mind."
Amber nodded. "Jay you'll take care of Bray right?"
"He's almost grown...and you'll be here."
Amber shook her head. "No, Jay."
"Amber."
"No,...Jay please, I don't have that much time."
"I'll watch over Bray."
"Thank You." Amber closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"Amber..." Jay's voice was weak.
"Yes, Jay."
"Amber, I did something...a long time ago." Amber placed her fingers over Jay's lips quieting him. Lifting her hand she began to drag it through his hair.
"Jay...I know. I've known for a long time." She smiled. "I forgive you." Amber closed her eyes giving her last breath. Jay looked at her still body; tears welled up in his eyes.