AlphaWolves: A “Tribe” Fanfiction

by Alyse Witch

After the Virus spread, a group of friends from the pre-virus world join together and return to the ruins of the city to create a new life for themselves.

Alpha-Wolves: A "Tribe" Fan-fiction

By Alyse Witch

Disclaimuh: I don't own "The Tribe", or Cloud Nine Productions, or Channel 5 for that matter...I also don't own my friends...but if I did...boy, would that kick ass. proceeds to play with little puppet versions of all her friends Pull the string! Pull the string!! .

Chapter One: In the Barracks—Escape—Finding Each Other—Alyse, Natalia, Dakotah, Bryan, and LJ

"Come on, get up. It's time to work."
The light scrambled through the cracks on the boarded windows, dying as it managed to get through to Alyse's eyes; it barely stung as she pulled herself from the cold bed into life. A Chosen guard stood at her door, blue-clad and ominous in his existence.

"Well, let's go." He spat in her direction. "Your shift today is Meal Preparation."
"Mmm..." was all she knew to respond. After four months—has it been four months, or does time have no definition now?—of being prisoner in the skeleton of the Army barracks, she knew well not to smart off to her captors; you could be sent to the mines or worse should you so much as sigh improperly. She made her bed like she was supposed to, and stood upright as the guard inspected her quarters. She wondered as he scanned the entire room whether or not any of her friends were here, as she did every day, and if they had survived this far. She only knew of the whereabouts of three so far. Most of all, she wondered about LJ, her solitary love interest before the Virus broke out. She had lost him in Evacuation, and had almost given up hope for his survival. And then, during her Latrine shift one day she swore that she saw him passing with a small group of other prisoners. Since there was no sign of him since, she dismissed this as a hallucination, and wished she wasn't right.

"Your quarters are satisfactory." The guard said. "You may assume your duties for today."
"Yessir..." She muttered as she walked off towards the kitchen. The hallways were as dingy and dark as they were yesterday. She had given up the hope of waking up someplace lovely and halcyon within days of being sentenced here. The only light, given electricity was but a memory in this world, emitted from candles on wall sconces; that detail alone made this place feel more like a prison citadel. All was brown and the sackcloth clothing that the prisoners wore made the blue robes of the Chosen so much more vibrant and inviting. But Alyse would rather drink an arsenic milkshake before she let herself believe that absurd dogma of theirs. She knew of Zoot, or Martin has he was known before, she went to school with him; there was no way that psycho kid could be a god like the Guardian made him out to be.

There were five other prisoners in the kitchen where Alyse was to assume her shift. Two of them were her cousins, Natalia and Dakotah. Natalia's long blonde hair looked as if it hadn't been brushed in many months, which made Alyse wonder how terrible she must look. Only the Chosen had mirrors in their quarters, so no one really knew how bad they looked. One other was a stout blond boy with soft almond-shaped eyes, Bryan. The other two wore pale yellow vests over their gray rags, a symbol that they were apprentices to the Chosen. She looked around at the scantily-stocked kitchen, and with a sigh asked, "So, what's on the menu for today?"
"The hunters should be back with the meat any time now." Bryan said. "Depending on what they've killed, that's what we work with."
Natalia picked up an herb lying on the counter, which promptly crumbled into green dust on the floor. Frustrated, she ground the dried herb into the dirty floor with her bare foot. "I don't know how long they expect us to live like this."
"I miss the city..." Dakotah cried. "I want to get out of here so badly."
"I know...Me too." Alyse coddled her young cousin.
"Hey! Get back to work." The guard at the door snapped, and kept walking.
Alyse took a slightly fresher herb, smelled it, then began chopping it up into small pieces. "I say if we're gonna escape, we do it." She said as quietly as she could without being totally incoherent.
"But how, since the whole place is under lock-and-key?" Bryan muttered back.
"Meat for today: Rabbit!" A hunter came in with a stock of maybe two dozen rabbits, dead and skinned. Dakotah looked at the pile of bloody carcasses on the counter and dry-heaved a little.
"The poor things...Where did you find all of them?"
"Ever hear of multiply like rabbits, kid? They tend to without so many people killing them off." And with that the hunter left.
The other two prisoners looked at the bounty. "Oh, Zoot be praised!" exclaimed one.
"Please..." Natalia muttered, then still keeping her voice low, "But Bryan is right, how would we manage?"
"There's got to be a way. There just has to be..." She looked down at the one ring she wore. When the Chosen took them as their prisoners, they confiscated anything of value; this one ring was the only thing she managed to keep from them. It was only a promise ring, with flaking gold-plating and a cracked Austrian Crystal setting, but to Alyse there was nothing of more weight in her heart. LJ had given it to her just weeks before the Evacuation, and she'd sooner die than part with it.
Suddenly there was a riot of screams, and the guards were in a panic.
"What's going on?" Said one.

"Seems the prisoners are rebelling!" Another cried. A guard came into the kitchen with his hood up, and took Alyse, Bryan, Natalia, and Dakotah away. He kept them in control with his scythe and led them into a bare corridor.

"What's the meaning of this, you pig!? We had nothing to do with the revolt!!" Alyse screamed.
"I know that." The guard said, pulling down his hood to reveal an oafish face that Alyse instantly recognized. "Because I was the one who started it."

"Ford?" Alyse's eyes widened. "You're one of the Chosen?"
"Yeah, but only for now. You need to get out of here now, if you want to live."
"For now? What do you mean?"
"Down this hallway is an emergency stairwell that leads out to the woods. I'll do my best to keep your escape unnoticed."
"Wait! Did you happen to find LJ in these barracks?"
"He wasn't in my sector, so if he's here I wouldn't know. I'm sorry. Now go."
"Thank you, Ford." Alyse hugged him quickly and dashed down the corridor.

They ran down the stairs and burst through the doors into the light.
"It's warm..." Dakotah sighed.
"No time to bask in our freedom. We need to run." Bryan said.
"Wait! Look." Natalia pointed out into the woods, where the hunters were still scrounging for food under the watchful eye of three Chosen guards.
Alyse muttered a curse beneath her breath. "How are we going to get past them?"
Before they even pondered it, Ford came from the main entrance and ran towards the guards.
"We have a code 9 riot on the fourth floor! We need backup, stat!" The three guards ran into the barracks, foolishly leaving the four hunters alone. Alyse and the rest ran towards the hunters.
"Come on, we gotta get out of here now!"
"But, what about--" one hunter began to contest.

"What about nothing! That's all that is worth staying here for. Let's book!" She snapped.
"I'm staying." He said. "At least I know I have shelter when it counts."
"Me too." A yellow-vested female said.
"So will I." A third said.
"Fine, stay and be brainwashed!" Alyse exclaimed and ran into the forest.

They didn't stop running until the sunlight eluded them for the day. In a clearing they made a fire and camped for the night.
"So," Natalia shivered even through the warmth of Bryan's arms, "do you think they will catch us?"
"Not likely...We'll not be even accounted for until morning, and by then we'll be miles away." Bryan whispered back and kissed Natalia on the temple.
"Let's hope you're right, Bry." Alyse sighed, staring blankly into the blazing fire.
"Hey, I got more wood for the night." An unfamiliar male voice said, dropping an armful of sticks and branches to the ground.

"Jesus!" Alyse jumped up in hostile fear. "Who are you?"
"The only hunter who decided to escape with you." He said from the shadows.
"You've been following us this whole time? Why didn't you even say anything?" Dakotah asked.
"I didn't want to slow the group down."

"And does this only hunter with a brain have a name?" Alyse growled.
"Yeah, it used to be John...But in this era..." He stepped forward, letting the fire's glow flood his face into visibility. "Call me LJ."
Alyse froze, her breath torn from her in instant shock. "LJ?" She had barely recognized him. His hair was grown out past his chin, and he had a fair amount of facial hair.
LJ looked at her face, finally realizing who she was. "Alyse...My God..." He took her into his arms, and it sounded to Alyse like he was close to sobbing. "I never thought I'd see you again!"
"LJ...I thought you were dead..."
"Okay, can we ditch the Ricki Lake moment?" Natalia said.
"There is no more Ricki Lake...There's no TV, remember?" Dakotah responded.

"You know what I mean..."
"Shut up. I remember pretty clearly that you had your own Ricki Lake moment when you found Bryan was in your sector."
"Oh for the love of--"

"Guys," Bryan said. "Let's not make ourselves conspicuous and get some sleep instead. We have to start out early tomorrow."
"Right, sleep it is."

"Wait, we should sleep in shifts." Alyse suggested.
"Right. You take the first shift. Wake me up in two hours." Natalia curled into Bryan's embrace and the two of them fell asleep.
"I'll take third shift." Dakotah said before rolling up in the fetal position and falling asleep.
"And I'll stay awake to keep you company." LJ smiled.

Alyse and LJ spent their two-hour shift talking about everything they could possibly think about. They talked about where they got to after Evacuation, how the Chosen scooped them up, and what they were going to do once they got to the City.

"We should get married." LJ stated after a moment of sweet silence.
"What? But there's no priests or anything. How could we?" Alyse smiled.

"I dunno. I guess...we could make wedding rings out of wood or string, or bone even, and just say that we are married."
"But it wouldn't be for real. To be married, you have to make vows before God, remember?"
LJ's eyes returned to the stars. "Aly...I'm starting to think, that after all that's happened with the Virus and all...I'm thinking that there is no God. Why would a God ever let this happen?"
"I don't know, LJ. But if we're still alive, if we found each other again...well, that's proof enough for me."
"Not for me, it isn't. How long do you think we're going to survive out here, Alyse? I mean, I can hunt, but just barely. And even so, I can't really hunt more than pigeons and squirrels when we get back to the City."
"Maybe, in the City, they may have some food there. Like, canned and stuff. Maybe we can barter."
"Barter what, these rags? That's all we have, remember."
"I don't know. I guess we'll figure it out."
"Want to know what I can't figure out?"
"What's that?"
"How are we supposed to know when two hours is up?"
Alyse sat straight up. "You're right. There's no definition of time anymore. There might as well be no time."
"Nah, it just means that we have all the time in the world." He grabbed her arm and pulled her into his embrace.
"You have a knack for those one-liners..." She managed to whisper before his lips closed over hers.

Chapter 2: To the city—Stocking Up—Weasel, Sano, and Anzu
Morning broke, and the fire was reduced to glowing cinders. The five of them prepared to set off again.
"What about the fire? Shouldn't we snuff it?" Dakotah inquired.

"Just throw some dirt on it." Bryan said. "Let's get out of here before the Chosen realize we're gone."
"We should do more than just snuff it." Natalia said. "If there's remnants of a camp here, they'll realize we've crossed through here. We need to make it look as un-camped as possible."
"Good call." LJ noted. They dismantled the campfire and buried the ashes in as much dirt as they could.

"Grab a branch too." Alyse ordered.
"Why?"
"We should erase our tracks, like they did in 101 Dalmatians. The last one in line holds the branch behind them to brush away our footprints."
"That's actually a good idea." Bryan said, grabbing a large evergreen branch. "I'll take that responsibility."
They walked for what felt like hours through the woods before coming to a parking lot and a large building. Old newspapers were makeshift tumbleweeds gliding across the blacktop. They were worn voices of a world long dead, with headlines reading "Virus Death Count Reaches Millions" and "Evacuation Process Begins in North Bergen".

"What is this place?" LJ asked.
"It's the Base Exchange." Alyse said. "It's like a mega-supermarket for the military. It looks untouched...I don't understand."
"Maybe the Chosen haven't found it yet." Bryan stated. "I mean, it's in the middle of nowhere, practically."

"And you saw what they were using in the kitchen; herbs and game meat. You could find those in the woods here." Natalia pointed out.

"I say we raid it for ourselves. Get what we need." Alyse said.
"Well, to get what we need, we first need to get inside." LJ said.
"Easy." Alyse picked up a slab of asphalt and hurled it at the glass door, which shattered and left a gaping doorway. "Shall we?"
The five clamored through the new door, grabbed shopping carts, and scattered through the store. Natalia and Bryan took the food aisle.
"Let's see...corn, peas, Spaghetti-O's..." She listed as she threw armfuls of cans into the cart.
"Candy doesn't necessarily go bad...ever..." Bryan smirked as he threw candy into the cart.
"Do you think flour spoils?"
Bryan shrugged. "Ramen doesn't, I don't think."
"If we get pasta, we need tomato sauce."
"We're gonna eat like kings tonight!" Bryan whooped.

Dakotah took a cart and went through the toiletries.
"Lavender, cucumber melon, amber romance, shaving razors, definitely...toilet paper...yes, lots of that...Make-up would be nice to have again...Shampoos...we want Pantene...wait a minute...we have no running water, do we?"

Alyse and LJ took on medicines, after clearing out house wares for pots and pans.
"Well, aspirin has no near expiration date...neither does this stuff...Pepto might be a good bet." Alyse muttered as she filled the cart.
"What about a few of these?" LJ held up a box of condoms.
"Please. They're probably all deteriorated and junk by now. And besides, who needs them?" She smirked.
"Uh oh..." LJ smirked right back with an air of intrigue in his voice.

After they were finished, they all met back in the clothing section.
"It's all free, let's play fashion show!" Natalia cheered.
The jewelry section, meanwhile, captivated Alyse. She climbed over the glass case, fumbled around for keys in the back, and opened the case.
"Why bother? Why not just bust the glass?" LJ asked.

"Don't want to damage the merch, donchano? We could definitely use this stuff should there be a trade system established in the city." She took the display boards out and stacked them on the counter. "And besides, we could choose a few things we want to keep."
"Now we're talking!" Dakotah grinned.

"One more thing. We should look for those Brita things. There's no more water on tap, so we'll need something to purify any water supply we may encounter."
"How about these?" Bryan held up a bottle of water purifying tablets.
"Perfect. And some coolers, too."

"And candles would be a good bet, too! I'll go get as many as I can carry." Natalia grabbed her cart and dashed off.
"One question, how are we going to carry all this stuff to the city?"
"Easy, we tie all the carts together and caravan them." LJ said.

"Okay, let's get into some more comfortable attire and haul out." Alyse said.

After they managed to get the carts out of the store, they began their journey again. "We could just stay here, can't we?" Dakotah suggested.
"No. It's too close to the Chosen's base. If they are looking for us, they're bound to find us here." Natalia said.

They followed the main road, leading the six carts tied together with jump rope.
"Hey, look!" Alyse exclaimed. "Trucks! I can drive! We don't need to haul these friggin' carts everywhere now!"
"Yea, but one problem. How do we start them?" LJ asked.

"Oh, you're right. Damnit!"
"Who's out there?!" A raspy voice cried from the back.
"Oh crap. We're busted..." Dakotah whispered. From behind a truck came a wild-looking boy in his late teens. His red hair was matted to his head and dirty, and the war paint that streaked his face made him look even more feral.
"What the hell you doin' here? Come to steal our trucks?"
"'Our'? What, you have someone else in your head that you talk to?" Alyse snapped.

As if this were some kind of cue, a tall olive-skinned boy with thick-rimmed broken glasses and a young muscular girl with a deep tan came out and supported the redhead.
"Our trucks." The boy snarled.
"Wait, don't I know you?" LJ asked him.
"Why would you? Everyone I knew from the Old World is dead!"
"Weasel! Goddamn, what did you do to yourself, man?"
"LJ? How the hell'd you stay alive?"
"Making those cultists back there believe I was worth keeping." LJ smiled and hugged his friend.
"Then this must be Alyse. God, even through the apocalypse you manage to stay joined at the hip."
"Weasel." Alyse said coldly.
"Listen, man. We're headed to the city. Do you want to come with?" LJ asked.
"Hell, yea! At least now I got myself a real tribe!"
"Hey, what about us, douchebag?" The tan girl spat.
"You and Sano are my partners, but we're not a tribe yet, Anzu. Until now."
"Oh, no." Alyse shook her head. "Who said anything about starting a tribe? Especially with you, Weasel."
"You still hold hard feelings against me?"
"Well, gee. You kind of dissed me for a little whore, if you recall! I was your friend, Weasel!"
"Hey, guys! Calm down!" LJ broke the fight up. "I don't care what scrapes you two got into before. We need to stick together if we're going to survive."
Alyse relaxed. "Fine. But if we're a tribe, we need a name and a chief."
"How about the Otakus?" Anzu suggested.
"We're more of a wolf pack." Bryan noted.
"Then that's what we'll be, The Alpha Wolves." Natalia declared.
"Now to choose a leader." Alyse said. Immediately everyone looked to her. "Oh, no. I am not leader material. No way!"
"But, you got us this far. You planned the escape from the prison camp--"

"No, Ford did. It was merely a coincidence!"
"You don't have to be leader if you don't want to be." LJ said, "But Natalia has a point. You did come up with all the ideas so far. You got a way of guidance. You like to give orders."
"No, I'll screw it all up. I'm not a good leader, guys."
"But who else can?" Bryan asked.
Alyse sighed. "Fine, for now. But as soon as we find a stable place to live, we're taking a vote. It should be democratic!"
"See what I mean?" LJ said.
"Shut up! I'm not a good leader! You all are making a mistake choosing me!"
"Anyhow, Weasel. Can't you hotwire one of these babies?"
"I tried, not a one of them has fuel in it." Weasel said solemnly.

"I read somewhere that you could use alcohol to run a vehicle...At least for a few miles." Dakotah suggested.
"So we should get a truck drunk and rely on it to get us to the city?" Sano asked.
"Worth a try. Baby, give up the vodka." Alyse said.
"But, Aly...Where am I gonna find more Absolut?" LJ complained.
"Do you want The Chosen to find us?? Besides, you have like twenty bottles. You cleaned out the exchange, for chrissakes! The least we'll need to use is five."
"But baby...The vodka..."
"Cough it up, bitch!"

Defeated, LJ reached into one cart and took out about three bottles of vodka. He opened the gas cap and emptied all three. He then went through half of a fourth before it flooded over.
"All right, Weasel. Start her up!" LJ called to Weasel, who was sitting in the front seat, with all the wiring beneath the steering wheel exposed.
"Let's see, red to yellow, blue to green..." Weasel muttered. The minute he touched the wires together, the engine turned and began to purr.
"Now that's a sound I missed!" LJ laughed over the cheers of the rest of them. Without further hesitation they packed all supplies into the back and piled in, city-bound.

Chapter 3 – On the Road—Fears—Till and Abby

"Are we there yet? I got to pee, man!" LJ said from the back of the truck.
"Oh, thanks for sharing. I'm sure everyone needed to know the status of your bladder." Anzu rolled her eyes.
"Well, it's kinda true, isn't it? Besides, I'm sure everyone else needs to, too."
"I don't." Alyse raised her hand halfway.
"That's because you don't do nothin' unless I tell you to, bitch!" LJ snarled in a fake-angry boyfriend voice.
"I piss when I please, jerkoff!" Alyse laughed. They tussled for a minute before LJ pulled her into a kiss.
"Oh my God, someone get the hose on these two." Anzu groaned.
"What hose? There's no more running water!" Sano noted.
"It's a figure of speech."
"Well it isn't a good one in this day and age!"
"I hope they have taps in the city...You think there will be, hon?" Natalia asked.
"Let's hope so. We all smell, to be blunt." Bryan sighed.
"At the very least, we'll find a stream somewhere. Maybe even the bottled water back here could work." Alyse said.

"How? One of us gets naked and the other pours water on them? I'm only thirteen, I'm not into that kind of exposure!!" Sano said through fake sobs.
"No. I mean, we'll find a tub, fill it with so much water, and bathe in it. I hate to say it, but we may have to reuse water, too."

"God, are we there yet??"
"Wait, there's someone on the road." Weasel pulled the truck over and leaned out the window. "'Scuse me, how far are we from the city?"
"We're headed back there ourselves." A low, male voice responded.

"Keith?" Alyse dove into the front seat. "Keith!"

"Till." The man corrected.
"Isn't that the guy from Rammstien?"

"Yup. I figure, I'm my own person now, I give myself my own name." Till said proudly.
"So that's Abby?" Alyse motioned to the woman in a cloak beside him.
"Yea...we're headed back into the city with some fish."
"Want a ride, guys? Better yet, want a tribe?" Weasel asked.
"Sure!" The two of them piled into the back of the truck.

"Oh, I do hope we have enough supplies for ten people here..." Alyse worried.
"We'll be fine, hon. We'll distribute small for now, and eventually we'll get more." LJ comforted her.

"Since when did you get so optimistic? Last night you went on about there not being a god, and now you're all like, 'everything will be fine, baby.'"

"No God? Of course there is a God!" Abby sounded a bit hurt. "If not, why would we be here, how would we have found each other?"
"See, isn't that what I said?"
"I believe that this Virus was God's work in itself." Till added. "He took all the adults away because they were destroying the planet that He gave them. With children, like us, we have the option of making this Earth better."
"That's somewhat valid."

"Hey, you guys! There's a sign to the city ahead! We're here!" Weasel called to the back.

Alyse peered out the windows at the city where she grew up. It was completely different, now in the world where power and chaos became the credo of the common folk. Graffiti tags overlaid the buildings, litter cluttered the streets, and kids ran amok in the alleyways. The Horton Bailey Hotel was tapered with streamers of toilet paper, with a huge sign reading "Ebony's Palace" above it. "Guys," She breathed, "I'm starting to think, from the looks of this place, that maybe coming here wasn't such a hot idea..."
"Well, we're here. We can't go back to where we came from." Natalia said.
"Now the trick is to find a place to call home base. Someplace with lots of rooms, and a kitchen."
"There's a place right there. An orphanage." Dakotah pointed. Weasel slowed to a stop in front of the boarded up building.
"But what if it's occupied?" Anzu worried.

"It doesn't look it. Let's check it out." Alyse climbed out of the back.

With effort, they managed to pry the wood off the front entrance and forced the door open. A thick wall of dust and dead air awaited them, and Alyse wasn't the first to choke on it.
"Well," she coughed, "we lucked out. Nothing can live in this."
"We'll open the windows and let it air out, then we'll see what can be done about it." Bryan said.
"I have a good feeling about this place." Natalia smiled. "That is, after it's made livable."

Chapter 4—Making a Home—Plans—The Antidote

LJ, Bryan, Till, and Weasel took the boards off the windows within an hour and did their best to fix up the inside. Natalia, Alyse, Anzu, Abby, and Dakotah cleaned up the floors and dusted. They managed to get the place clean by sundown, load their stock into the building, and put fresh blankets and pillows on the beds. There were six bedrooms, and including the kitchen and dens, it totaled to ten rooms. Each room was stocked with twenty candles to keep them illuminated after the sun set. Since there were six rooms and ten people, the task at hand now was to assign rooms. LJ and Alyse shared one room, Natalia and Bryan agreed to share another, and Abby and Till took a third.
"Well, that settles the couples. From there, Anzu and Dakotah will share a room for the time being, and Sano and Weasel will share another." Alyse decreed.
"And we still have a room to spare." LJ pointed out.
"Guest room?" Natalia pondered.

"Guess so...Now that that's settled...Abby, do the stoves work?" Alyse inquired.
Abby smiled a bit. "We got lucky. Although the stoves are electric, there is an old pot-belly stove we can use, with caution."
"Means we'll need firewood." LJ thought. "In the morning, two of us should go around and see if there's any shops anywhere. We'll bring the jewelry."
"Speaking of which, can we do our first dibs?" Dakotah beamed.
"Sure, but after dinner. I haven't eaten for two days now!" Alyse groaned.

After dinner and sorting out the jewelry, the tribe rationed water and cleaned themselves off. Alyse finally saw her reflection. Her dark auburn hair was knotty and a mess, and with a good amount of conditioner, she managed to get it back to normal. Natalia was mortified by the condition of her hair, and held back tears as Alyse cut out the knots. They made it a priority to bolt the front door before bed. Alyse lay in bed facing LJ, entirely satisfied by the way the candles' light vacillated across his face, his beard now shaven down into a clean goatee.

"I'm so glad you got rid of that awful beard...I'm not into the Bob Vila look. The hair can stay, though."
"Aly..." He brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear with a single finger. "Have I told you how glad I am that I found you?"
Alyse didn't even try to hold back a soft smile. "You just did." After a moment of silence, she asked, "Baby, do you believe in fate?"
"A bit."
"Like, it was fate that made me fall in love with you, fate that brought us back together, fate that helped us to find each other, all of us. What are the odds that we, as friends in the Old World, would have gotten ourselves back together again in this chaos we now call home?"
"I believe it was fate that I followed you when the others wouldn't. I didn't even know it was you until the campfire."
"You have no idea how many cartwheels my stomach did when I saw your face." She felt a tear roll down her cheek.

"Aly, do you still have that promise ring I gave you?"
"I never took it off." She showed him the back of her left hand.

"Would you, for a minute?"

She shot him a perplexed look, but didn't contest it. She took off her ring, handed it to him, and watched as he examined it.

"The crystal's broken...and how long has this tape held on it?"
"Since Evacuation. It's the only way the ring itself stayed on my finger."
LJ examined the worn out ring, and placed it down on the bed between them. "It's too big."
"Yea, we established that."
"Maybe, this one is a better fit." He slid a silver ring with a large diamond set in it onto her finger. It fit perfectly. Alyse was breathless; she couldn't bring any words to her lips.
"Let's make it official. I snagged this, and two wedding bands, from our stock earlier. We get you a dress, me a tux, and make a ceremony out of it."
"Are you...are you saying..."
"Will you marry me, Alyse?"
"Do you even need to ask? I love you, LJ."
"I love you, Aly." He leaned into her, their lips uniting in a sweet kiss.

In the morning, it was decided that Alyse, LJ, Weasel, and Natalia would go search the city for any established trading system. The truck hadn't run since they arrived; the tank was empty, and LJ refused to surrender any more of his vodka.

"This may be," he protested, "the very last bit of booze I will see in a long time. You wouldn't want to deprive me of it, would you, baby?"
Alyse rolled her eyes. "I'm starting to think you're an alcoholic...But maybe with luck we'll find someone with a gasoline supply they're willing to trade off..."

The four walked for hours with no sign of traders.
"My feet hurt! We've been walking forever, can't we just go home for now?" Natalia whined.
"I think that would be a good idea...we're coming up shorthanded." Weasel said.
"No! There is no way I'm going back yet." Alyse said coldly.

"Aly, listen. We're not finding anything, we should go back and take a break for now." LJ said.
"Wait a minute. What's this?" Alyse bent over and picked up a blue pamphlet.

"'The Amulet'...It's a newspaper. Says here that this tribe called the Mall Rats are distributing the antidote for the virus."
"There's still a virus?" Natalia shivered.
"Maybe in small incidents, not widespread." Weasel said, hoping that he was right.

"Maybe we should see these Mall Rats, get dosed. Just to be safe." Alyse suggested.

"Not right now, who knows how far away their home is." Weasel said, "For now, let's just go home."
"Did you find anything, guys?" Dakotah droned as she put on makeup in the dingy mirror.
"Jack-shit, that's all we found." Weasel kicked the wall.
"No, we found something, all right." LJ held up The Amulet. "If we can find where these Mall Rats are stationed, they might be able to help us. They have an antidote for the Freya Virus."
"You mean the Virus is still intact?" Abby came from the kitchen, a sauce-coated wooden spoon in hand.
"I don't know how old this newspaper is." Alyse sighed. "For all we know, it could have been printed yesterday, or six months ago. Whatever the case, we ought to find them."
"Where would they be?" Bryan thought.
"I don't know, the mall maybe??" Dakotah rolled her kohl-rimmed eyes.
"Well, where's the mall from here?" Till asked.
"Center City Mall?"
Natalia took out a map of the city she grabbed from the Exchange. "Well, they call it Center City Mall for a reason. It's about dead center. And we're on 16th street...so I say about five miles from here."
"Smart girl." Alyse patted her cousin on the head." Alright, so who's on the roster to go to the mall tomorrow?"
"Me!" Dakotah chirped.
"No, I think you should stay here, you and Sano are too young to be wandering the streets. Besides, this isn't going to be a shopping spree."

Dakotah slumped into her seat with an over-dramatized groan.
"Abby and I will stay with the kids." Natalia volunteered.
"I'll stay too." Weasel stood. "In case someone tries to break in."
"In that case, I'm not leaving you, Nat." Bryan said sternly.
"So that's LJ, Till, Anzu, and me. Ok, then; we'll set out at dawn."

Chapter 5 – The Mall Rats – Barter System – Sami and Maven

"What else should we bring?" Alyse wondered. She, Till, Anzu and LJ rose at first light to prepare for their meeting with the Mall Rats. They decided it was necessary to bring some provisions, given it was a long journey on foot.
"Other than what we have, I don't know if we really need much more." LJ said.
"We should bring some of the jewelry, and the extra clothes too." Anzu suggested. "You never know if they require a fee."
"That'd be pretty depraved of them, if it's the case..." Alyse said. "Okay, grab about four of each jewelry, and three outfits."

"I could sell my bow and arrows..." LJ said.
"What if we need them, love?"
"We won't, trust me."
"Fine. Are we all packed? Ready to go?"
"All set, oh Fearless Leader." Till smirked.
"Don't ever call me that again." She sneered.

They set out into the eerily quiet city in the early hours of morning. Alyse, though she thought it odd, found herself missing the sounds of the morning rush traffic. She was in a new world that she wasn't so keen on adapting into. All her memories were just that, memories of a city that was now just a skeleton, home to a barbaric populace. She knew she wasn't the only one who constantly regretted all those times she wished her parents were dead back in the Old World. But this was real now; this is what she and her friends, now her tribe, had to accept as life.

"Baby, you okay?" A kind nudge from LJ broke her train of thought.
"Fine." She nodded. "How far are we?"
"We just crossed 26th street now," Till said from behind the map. "The mall's on Viceroy Avenue, about twenty blocks from here."

"God, why do we have to walk?" Anzu sighed.
"'Cause Public Transportation is permanently dismantled. Quit complaining, Zu...It'll be over in no time." Said LJ. He then cast his arm around Alyse's shoulders. "Seriously though, baby. You sure you're okay?"
"I'm just...a little lost in thought, is all." Alyse sighed. "It's finally all hitting me, what's going on."
"I know, it's scary. We'll make it, I promise."

About an hour of walking later, they reached the front of the mall. People from other tribes were in a crowd outside. It appeared to the four that there would be difficulty getting in.

"So, now what do we do?" Alyse asked herself.
"I'll go." Anzu offered, marching fearlessly toward the mob. She tried filing her way through to the doors, but was stopped by a very scruffy kid in his early teens, and a short girl with black hair.
"Hey, where the hell you think you're going?!" He spat.

"What, you think you're better or something?" The girl shoved Anzu backward.
"I just want to see what's going on! Is all this for the antidote?" Anzu tried to be polite.
"Antidote? Where have you been? The Virus is dead, kid!"
"Then what's going on?"
"Those Mall Rats think they can give us little chips instead of the things we need..." The boy rolled his eyes.
"Chips?"
"Yea, it's their new money..."

"Well, where can I get some chips?"
"That depends...what do you have to offer, kid?"

"...They promised us 6000 chips for the market if we agree to trade with him." Anzu explained to Alyse, LJ and Till.
"So these chips...we can buy whatever we want with them?" Alyse pondered.
"As long as it's in the price range."

"What's your name, kid?"
"I'm Maven. My sister Sami and I have been here all night. So what have you got?"
"Some jewelry, clothes, a bit of food and water..."

"Hey, you guys have a place to stay?" Sami inquired.
"Yea, what of it?"
"How's about this: Maven and I have 25,000 chips and a stand in the market. We'll offer them to you, if you let us stay with you."
"What?! That's absurd! We barely have enough for the tribe as it is, let alone provide for two more."
"Aly, wait." LJ took Alyse's arm and held her back, turning his eyes to Maven and Sami. "We accept."
"What the hell!?! I thought I was the leader here, why are you making my decisions for me??"
LJ turned to face only Alyse. "Think about it Aly. 25,000 chips are a lot, first. Second, they have a trading stand in there. We could sell whatever we want for more. We will be able to buy whatever we could ever need."
"I guess that's valid..." She bit her lip.
"Trust me, we don't need to worry about providing for twelve people." He turned to Sami and Maven. "Alright, show us in."

Chapter 6—Time goes by—The Chosen in the city—Alyse's secret

There came a time, some months later, when the tribe was practically living in the lap of luxury. Despite the fallout of the Mall Rats' barter system, the Alpha Wolves had all that they needed for the time being. Till had even asked Abby to marry him, and she had asked Alyse to oversee the ceremony.
"Oh, my god." Alyse shook her head. "I'm not sure that I can—"
"Please, Aly." Abby begged. "It would mean so much to me and Till if you did."
"I suppose so...I'd love to."
"Thanks so much!" Abby hugged her. "Well, I'd better start on dinner. Want to help?
"Sure." She started for the pantry to get the food, but turned around. "Abby?"
"Alyse, what's up?" She turned around to face Alyse, who was a bit sullen, afraid even.

"I haven't been feeling good lately. Where have you been keeping the medicines?"
"Oh, they're in my room. Why, what's the matter?"
"Oh, just a stomach virus, probably..."
"You've been throwing up?" Abby sat back down.
"Only when I wake up. I guess it sits in me too long during the night."
"How long have you been like this?"
"Like, a week?"
"Aly, do you think you might be pregnant?"
The expression on Alyse's face proved that the thought never crossed her mind. "Pregnant? It's possible...But, this isn't exactly wonderful news."
Abby's eyes practically came out of her head. "Are you out of your mind? If you are pregnant...well, you're going to be a mom!"
"I know, but that's not the problem. If I am, that's another mouth to feed, and while we may have enough supplies now, who's to say we'll still be so lucky nine months from now?"
"Ladies?" LJ stepped into the kitchen, only having heard half of the conversation. "Oh, hey sweetie." Alyse smiled nervously.
"Is there something wrong, babe?"
"Oh, no. Not at all."
"Then why were you talking about supplies?"
"Oh, I was just...worried. Yeah, that's all...I want to establish a firm ration system now that we have a good stock."
"Ah hah."
"Yeah."
"Do you need help with dinner tonight?"
"No, that's okay, LJ. Abby and I have it all covered."
"Okay, then. I'll go see what Weasel's up to."
"By the by, where's he been lately?"

"He and Sano started a patrol around the skirts of the city, if you know what I mean." He chuckled.
"Ah, boys...Well, tell him I got some cancer sticks for him on the market, when you find him."
"Sure. See you later." He kissed her on the forehead and headed for the door. The minute he was out of earshot, Abby smacked Alyse upside the head.
"Are you crazy?" Alyse snapped.
"No, but you are. Why didn't you tell him?"
"'Cause, I don't know yet if I really am!"
"Well, even so. You should have said something about it."
"What, and get his hopes up for what may be nothing? I'll tell him when I'm sure."
"Fine. Just be sure to tell him."

Over the next few days, it became apparent that Abby's prediction was true. Alyse was pregnant, and she was ready to tell LJ that he was going to be a father. She sat in the room they shared all day, trying to figure out how she was going to tell him when he came back from a serious patrol with Weasel and Till. At dusk they finally came home and called a meeting. Alyse took LJ by the arm as he passed by the bedroom. "LJ, we need to talk."
"After the meeting," He said with very little emotion in his voice. "We found something important."
"Oh." So did I, she thought. Feeling almost defeated, she sat down in the dining room and waited for the rest of the tribe.

"So what's the deal?" Maven inquired. "Why are we all here?"
"We found out something really big today." Weasel said, in a solemn tone that Alyse barely recognized. "Something bad."
"Remember we told you about the Chosen?" LJ took over. "The cultists out in the woods? We knew at some time they were going to invade the city, and it seems like they are making their move as we speak."
"What?!" Natalia shrieked.
"We came across Ford on the edge of the city. He came to warn us that the Chosen are invading the city."

"Oh my god, what if they find us?" Dakota cried.
"Our safety isn't all that important anymore. The Chosen have their sights on the whole city, and they're not gonna quit until they brainwash each and every one of us."
"There is no way that ideology is going to fly!" Alyse protested. "I mean, who would believe it?"
"They'll make us believe it." Weasel said. "I get the feeling that they are gonna be taking some desperate measures with the kids here."
"I somehow don't believe this is their first time in the city. I think they have their people here, breaking the barriers down from the inside." LJ said.
"So what's to be done?" Alyse exhaled.

"Well, Ford said that they took camp right outside the city, only a few dozen or so. Till has his weapons, and we could take the guards out, send a message to the Guardian that he's not wanted."
"We?"
"What?"
"You said 'we'. Do you mean, all of us?"
"Whoever wants to volunteer."
"And...who will be leading this handful of volunteers?"
"I will, I thought of this."
Alyse heaved a heavy sigh and stood from the table. "No. You won't be going anywhere."

Now LJ's patience was being taxed. He rose to eye level with Alyse. "Why not?"
"Because, I am the leader of this tribe and for reasons that cannot be discussed here, you cannot go."
"Aly, listen to reason here!" LJ shouted. "You know what those lunatics can do, and will do!"
"Exactly why I don't want you to go!"

"This sounds to me like a personal matter." Natalia whispered to Abby.
"It is," she whispered back. "I'll explain later."

"Fine!" Alyse finally broke. "If you go, don't expect to be wanted back!" And having said that, she hastened to her room.

The tribe remained silent for a few minutes, trying to figure out exactly what just happened.

"I can sympathize with her," Abby said finally, breaking the miserable silence that overwhelmed the room. "I mean, given her situation."
"What situation?" LJ said apprehensively.
"Oh, no. You won't hear it from me. This is something she will have to tell you herself."
"Fine, then." He made a beeline for the door to his and Alyse's room. He took a deep breath, calming himself, and knocked on the door. There was no reply, he knocked again, still nothing. Finally, he checked the knob; the door was unlocked. He slipped through a crack in the door big enough for only himself and clicked the door gently behind him.

"So, does this mean we're adjourned?" Dakota moaned.

LJ stood with his back against the door, staring at Alyse, who was perched on the edge of the bed. She sat rigid, yet hunched over. He imagined the expression on her face was devoid of anything she felt inside, but evident that lament was being restrained. She, meanwhile, knew he was there, but didn't dare say a word. She knew that if one word were to escape her lips, then consequently so would the tears from her eyes.
Fed up with the wait, LJ stepped forward calmly and cautiously. "Aly..." She didn't respond. "Baby, listen." He kneeled down in front of her, taking her hands from her lap into his. Her face was just as he predicted, biting her lip to hold back everything.

"I don't want to listen." She said, blandly. "You don't know how badly I need you here."
"I know, baby. I know."
"No, you don't."
"I do. You're scared that I won't come back, is that it?"
"Part of it, yes."
"Don't worry. I'll always come back for you."
"Hon, I wish you would just stay. Do you really need to go?"
"Those kids need someone to lead them. I've got a foolproof plan, baby."
"...Fine, I understand."
"Good." He raised himself only high enough to kiss her lips. He let himself fall into her embrace.
"Wait," She breathed. "I have to tell you something."
"So, who will take part in this ambush, if it happens at all?" Weasel asked the tribe.

"I'll go." Bryan stood.
"Wait, Bryan..." Natalia began.
"No. I never want to see those blue freaks again, and this could be our chance to scare them off. I'm doing this for you, Tali."
"Alright. Just be careful."
"Me too." Anzu volunteered.
"This is pretty dangerous business, Anzu." Till stated. "Are you sure you're up for it?"
"I'm no wuss, I can handle it!"
"I'll go too." Sami offered.

"That should be enough, the six of us with weapons...That is, if LJ finally convinced Alyse that it's worth it."

"I'll go see, then." Till suggested.
"What is it, baby?" LJ sighed into the nape of Alyse's neck.
"God, this is so scary...Sit up." She gently pushed him off of her.

"What's the matter?"
"Nothing's the matter, it's just—"
A sharp rapping on the door interrupted the announcement. "LJ, is the plan go?" Till's voice came muffled through the rotting door. LJ gave Alyse a sympathetic look and went to the door.
"Yes," He said as he opened the door.
"Well, we should go tonight while we still know they are there."
"Good call. Get your guns, we'll go now."
Alyse had gotten up from the bed and wrapped her arms around LJ's waist. "You promise me you won't die out there tonight."
"Promise. Now, what were you saying?"
She let out a soft laugh. "Forget it. I'll tell you when you get back."
"Aly...I love you."
"I love you too, sweetie. Now get out of here before I change my mind about all this."

Chapter 7—The Ambush—In Waiting—Loss

"Alright, how many do we see?" Weasel whispered hoarsely.

"I got, maybe twenty." LJ muttered back.
"Six of us, twenty out there...like four per. Are you sure we can handle this?"
"We got guns," Till reminded Weasel. "Of course we can."
"So what's the plan?" Anzu shivered.
"We take positions." LJ commanded. "Weasel, you take that side of the camp. Anzu, you come in from the rear. Bryan, take the side opposite Weasel. Till and Sami, stay with me. Keep your eyes on me. When I give the signal, we go in."
"Got it."
"Alright, take your positions."

It had been hours since the ambush squad left the orphanage. All who were left behind wandered around the creaky halls; there wasn't much to be done at such a late hour, nothing to do but wait from here. Alyse lay on her bed, hands on her stomach. She imagined the sound of ticking clocks, watching the flames of the candles make dancing shadows on the ceiling. Forget it, she had said, I'll tell you when you get back. How long did she have to wait? Where were they?

"Hey, Alyse." Natalia knocked softly on the frame of her door. "Need company?"
"Sure," Alyse sighed. Natalia sat on the edge of the bed, kicked her feet up and laid next to Alyse.
"Abby told me, about your little expectation." She cooed.

"Yeah, sorry I didn't tell you first..."
"It's okay. You weren't sure."
"Yeah...I'm not sure of a lot of things right now."
"You thinking that you won't be a good mom?"
"The one reason I never wanted to have kids." She laughed, "I know I'm gonna screw it up, one way or another."
"Don't get worked up about it. Isn't that what parents are for?"
"True."
"Don't you worry. You are going to be the best mom ever, I can promise you that."

"Yeah, let's hope so...God, I'm so worried. About LJ and the rest, I mean."
"Want to know a secret? I never liked this plan at all. It doesn't seem logical to pit five or six kids with boom sticks against some two dozen maniacs, who will probably have no qualms in dying."
"So I'm not the only one."
"I don't want to scare you, Aly...But I got a bad, bad feeling about things."
"Me too. Want a hug?"
"Sure." They wrapped their arms around each other's shoulders.

LJ opened his eyes, which were almost glued shut with dirt and dried blood. His head throbbed in pain as he came into consciousness. He tried to scream, but no sounds passed through the cloth stuck in his mouth. All he could see was the light coming through the cracks between trucks, the light from the Chosen's campfire. He could hear them talking of their fate.
"What is to be done, sir?"
"They will be taken to the mines outside the city, put the dissenters to work." LJ immediately recognized the voice as that of the Guardian's. He would observe the slaves in the barracks, make sure there was no threat. "There is nothing that will stand in our way of spreading Zoot's message of power and chaos!"

"Power and Chaos! Power and Chaos!" The others chanted.
"How many are there?" The Guardian's voice prickled with curiosity.

"Five. Four males, one female."
"Maybe the girl can make herself useful as a maid for the Supreme Mother."
"Yes, sir."
"Put them in a truck, Ford. I will put you in charge of them."
"Sir."

It was just before noon when came a violent pounding over the orphanage. The tribe woke from their late sleep with a fierce start, and scrambled to find the source.
"What is that?" Dakotah cried.
"It's the door..." Alyse breathed. "Someone's here."

"Is it the Chosen?" Natalia quivered.
"I don't know. Only one way to find out..." Cautiously she stepped to the door and slid the bolt out of the lock. She opened the door only a crack to see outside. Her tension released with a deep breath. "Oh, Anzu!" She opened the door wide to reveal a dirty and bruised Anzu.
"It was a horrible failure." Anzu cried. "They're all gone!"
"Gone." Alyse fell into the wall. "They're, they're all gone?"
"I'm sorry, Aly. Everyone's been captured!"
"How did you escape?" Abby asked.
Anzu made her way into the den, and sat in the dirty sofa. "To tell the truth, I don't know. Everyone just dove, I heard gunshots, screaming...Some guard grabbed me from behind and knocked me out. When I came to, I was alone with him. He was untying me, letting me go. He asked me if I was with you, Alyse."
"Ford." Alyse concluded. "He helped you escape?"
"Yeah. He told me that he was in charge of all the hostages. Everyone, I mean."
"Is he going to let them go?"
"He couldn't...He's got a system he's working...But he told me that he'd let us say goodbye."

Alyse stared blankly at the floor for a few minutes.
"Aly? Are you...?"
"Let's get you cleaned up, Zu. We're going tonight." She said without looking up.

"Hey, are you sure?" Natalia reached to comfort her cousin.
"Yea, I'm sure for chrissakes! Someone has to stay with the younger ones, though."
"I'll stay here," Maven offered. "Just tell Sami to take care of herself for me."
"You know, I'll stay behind too. Give Bryan my love." Natalia said.

Alyse and Abby followed Anzu through the city. The invasion of the Chosen had already begun, and the voices of the guards bellowed through the streets. "Surrender yourselves to the will of Zoot!" they said. "Zoot is merciful!" It almost sounded contradictory, but Alyse wasn't in the mood to analyze any new problems. All she wanted was for everything, all that was at present, to just dissolve away. She wished that it was all a dream, and she would wake up in LJ's arms and all would be right with the world. She looked over to Abby, who was watching the ground as she walked with her arms folded across her chest.
"Hey," She said. Her voice felt like she hadn't used it in months. "You okay?"
"I suppose, considering." Even in harsher times, Abby managed to sound at least breezy, like a flute playing a mournful song. "I guess, despite it all, I'm assured that it will work itself out, and Till will be home in no time."
"That's how I feel too. It'll be fine."
"Yeah." She didn't sound so convinced.

"Hey, Anzu. How much farther?"
"Just a bit more," Anzu said over her shoulder. "That Ford guy said he'd be holding them in a building near the alley tagged by the Demon Dogs."

"How can we be so sure to trust him? What if he's duping us so he can take more prisoners?" Abby inquired.
"I know Ford," Alyse defended, "He's helped us before. I trust him."
"Look, there's the tagging."
"Now where's Ford?"
"There he is." Anzu pointed. A blue-clad Ford stepped down the emergency staircase that lined the outside of a building. He caught sight of the three of them and beckoned them closer.
"Alright." He said when they were within inches of his hood. "I had to separate them so that they wouldn't plan an escape."
"Why not let them?" Alyse raised her eyebrows.
"You have to understand, Alyse. If they were to escape under my watch, the Guardian would have them hunted like animals. Not to mention he'd have my head lopped off without a second thought. I can arrange for all of them to be well taken care of, but that's all I can offer."
Alyse nodded. "So where do we go?"
"You have to put these on." He handed them the blue robes that bedecked the Chosen. "There are guards positioned in front of the doors. Give them the password and they'll let you through."
"So what's the password?" Alyse said as she pulled herself into the robe.
"Corned beef."
"Huh?" Abby stared dumbfounded as Ford gave her a crooked grin.
"Would you have guessed that?"
"Ford," Alyse said. "I don't think I could thank you enough for all you do for me."
"Save it, Alyse. One day you'll have something to be thankful for, so you should save your thanks. Now go."

Alyse, Anzu and Abby all took separate hallways. Alyse hated being alone in this place. She felt the eyes of the Chosen, propped against the walls like fine pieces of art, all over her as she walked alone. She stared straight ahead, she didn't dare make herself conspicuous.
"Hey, you." It had apparently not worked.
"Yessir?" Alyse used that same blank voice that she had used in the barracks. Her heart raced like wild.
"Where are you going?"
"Room 206, for undisclosed reasons."
"Good. You can bring the prisoner his food." The guard handed her a tray.
"Right, I'll do that." She let out a sigh. More trouble than it is worth, she thought. She reached the door, room 206. A female guard stood at the door, staring into infinity. Alyse straightened herself out and went to the guard.
"I have food for the prisoner." She said to the floor.
"Password?" The guard said, monotone and devoid of any life.
She hesitated, feeling a bit stupid. "C-corned beef."
"Right, you may enter." She opened the door and allowed Alyse through. "Good luck feeding him. He hasn't eaten what has been given to him."

LJ sat curled up in the corner, on a worn and dirty mattress. His hands were tied behind his back, and he was blindfolded. There was little light coming through the windows; apparently the Chosen preferred darkness for their captives, as it was strikingly familiar. She took a step forward, terrified by what she saw.
"Dinner." She said.

"I don't want your food." He said coldly.
"You must eat." She placed the tray down in front of her, in between the two of them. "Maybe, if I took away this blind..." She removed his blindfold. He looked at her with cold eyes that burned with a fury that Alyse had scarcely seen in LJ.
"I told you, I refuse to eat that crap. Take it away."
"LJ..." She drew back her hood and let the sparse streaks of light on her face. "Please eat."
"Aly...How did you get here?" LJ's eyes softened.
"Sneaky, sneaky." She smiled slyly. "I needed to see you, say goodbye."
"They can't keep me." He rested his head in the crevice of the wall.
"They're taking you away, soon. Ford told me."
"Aly, I promise that I'll get away. I promise that I'll come back for you. Somehow, I will."
"I know, baby. I know." She crawled up into his lap and touched his lips to hers. The tears began falling down her cheeks and onto LJ's shoulder. "I don't know how I'm going to manage without you."
"We'll get by, it's gonna be alright."
"LJ, listen. I have to tell you something."

"Yeah, I remember. What is it?"

"Well, I'm...well, we are...I'm going to have our baby, LJ."

LJ blinked a few times, sighed and leaned into the corner again. "Damn...I'm gonna be a dad?"
"Yup. So now you have to come back." She laughed.
"I'll be there the day it's born, I promise."
"I know you will, but I have to get out of here before I'm found out."
"Take care of yourselves, Aly. I love you."
"I love you, too. Just, do what they tell you and don't get killed."
"I won't." He kissed her on the forehead as she pulled away, drawing her hood back up over her face and hesitantly leaving the room. She flew down the hallway and to the outside, crumbled against the wall, buried her face in her hands and cried harder than she had ever in her life.

Chapter 8--In Hiding--Changing--The Grand Escape Act

Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months. Winter's icy hand dominated the city for the second time since the Alpha Wolves had arrived. Alyse was forced to remain indoors when her belly began growing; the Chosen had begun rounding up all pregnant women for whatever reason, and her place was with her tribe. She peered out the window almost every day, expecting LJ to be walking up to the door.

"You should really get yourself a hobby, Aly..." Natalia said one day. "I mean, you do a lot for us every day, but all your free moments are wasted at that window."
"I really have nothing better to do." Alyse responded. "I wish I could go outside sometimes, but those freaks...if they see me, I'll be off to the mall before I know what hit me."
"This isn't healthy, though. If you want, I can see what books I can find on the markets. Some fair literature from the Old World would stimulate your mind a lot better than waiting at the window like you do."
Alyse pulled her eyes from the window. "That would be lovely, Nat. Thank you."
"Hey, it's not a problem! It'll give me something to keep my mind busy too. In the meantime, want to help me with dinner?"
"Actually, I'd rather just pass out, if it's not a problem."
"Sure. I'll just get my sister to help." And with that she headed to Dakotah's room. Alyse took one final look out the window. Maybe one day, she thought, it won't be my imagination. She rested her hands on her belly. It was about five months now, just a little bit of a growth. She could easily get away with walking the city streets, wearing a loose-fitting shirt. But, no; too much of a risk, it wasn't worth it.

"Hey, Dakotah?" Natalia stuck her head into her sister's room to find her sitting on her bed, writing aimlessly into a tattered notebook.
"Hmm...?" She didn't look up.
"I was wondering, if you aren't busy, if you would help me make dinner tonight."
"Do I have to?" She rolled her eyes.
"I think it would be wise, considering you barely do anything around here."
"Oh, you say that like it's my choice." Dakota stood up. "No one ever lets me do anything around here anyway! I'm always too little! Well, I'm only two years younger than you, Nat!"
"Good. If you think you're just as capable, then help me with dinner!"
"I don't want to!"
"God, you are such a child!" Natalia stormed off toward the kitchen, running straight into Maven.
"Hey, what's up?" He asked.
"I can't talk, I have to start dinner." She walked past him.
"Well, would you like some help?" He called after her, stopping her in her path.
"Um, well...sure. That would be teriffic."

Abby kneeled before her makeshift altar, the way she had done every night before dinner. The face of Christ looked down on her from His golden frame, alight with the tiny flames surrounding Him. Though she felt that it wasn't even worth it, she still mumbled the same prayers to His face.
"Please, Lord. I can't even be sure if you are still there...Please bring Till home to me, Lord. I'm so afraid, I feel like everything I've believed all of my life has been nothing but a lie. I want to believe that you exist, but how can that be? All that I've loved was taken right from me, little by little. I'm left with almost nothing, save for the solace of my tribe. But even that is jeopardized now, with the Chosen. Oh, God...I feel so forsaken. Give me a sign!"
The only thing that came to her was a horrible vision from before, from the Old World. She had just come home from school; her parents' cars were still parked in the driveway. Strange, she thought, they weren't even up this morning for breakfast. Maybe they are just taking sick days...Maybe they are just a little sick, that's all. I'd better go check on them, they may want me. She carefully ran up the stairs and to her parents' room, the door was shut. There was an eerie feeling emanating from the cracks in the door, but it was probably just Abby's imagination...It's nothing, she thought, just open the door. They're asleep, just sleeping. She reached for the doorknob and slowly opened the door. Her parents were in bed, but they weren't asleep. Their faces were wrinkled and gray, like rifts of dust on their skeletons. Their eyes had sunk into purple holes in their faces, and they held each other in a death embrace, as if to save themselves from the plague that consumed them. Abby could never erase that image from her mind; it haunted her every chance it could.

"Start on the potatoes." Natalia instructed Maven. "Cut them in halves, then in quarters. Then go into the pantry and get that cooking spray, some salt and pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and the poultry seasoning."
"What are you making?"
"New potatoes, it's Alyse's recipe. But that's all. God, I wish we had real meat."
"Well, there are farms outside the city. My sister and I used to live on one, before we came to the city."
"Oh," She gave him a quick glance over her shoulder. "Do you miss Sami a lot?"
"This is the first time since the virus that we've been separated. I miss her lots."
"That makes me feel really bad now."
"Why? Don't you miss Bryan?"
"I don't know. I mean, I care about him so much, but I'm getting along alright without him. I don't think I got close enough to him to truly miss him."

"That's not wrong, that's honest."
"I guess so...But I still feel bad."
"You have a right to feel however you want to. If you want my personal opinion, I think you don't miss him because you feel in a way he wasn't right for you."

"Hmm...I don't know anymore. I guess that's something I really have to meditate over."
"If you ever want to talk," Maven took the bowl of seasoned potatoes and poured them into a pan on the counter, next to Natalia. He ran a single finger down the side of her face. "you know I'm around."

"Right..."

Alyse lay in her bed, staring up at the ceiling. She was finally fed up with being trapped inside, almost like a prisoner to her own people. The home was quieter without the boisterous shouts of Weasel, Till and LJ as they caroused over a bottle of vodka. She actually missed that riot. Everybody seemed to isolate themselves now that they had lost so many. She worried about Abby, bent over crying at the feet of a poster. And Natalia, so full of optimism, but what went through her head when the doors were closed? Anzu kept to herself, mostly; Alyse believed she still felt guilty for letting down the tribe in one way or another. There was so much negativity brewing inside these walls.

Most of all, the echoes of LJ's voice were rotting in their room, becoming dead air that choked upon inhalation. His sweet words to her rang in her head, unable to be drowned out. "Baby, do you believe in fate?" she whispered to his stagnant presence.

"A bit." His voice whispered back, in her mind. "Will you marry me?"

Her heart was heavy with all that he had promised her. He seemed to like making promises. "We'll make it, I promise." More prominent was the last vow that he had made to her. "Aly, I promise that I'll get away. I promise that I'll come back for you. Somehow, I will."

"Why don't I believe you anymore?" She whispered, holding back tears. That settled it; she had to get out.

There came at this point a knock at the door. "Alyse? You awake?" Natalia called through the cracks.
"Nah, I'm asleep..." Alyse responded.
"Oh, well...when you wake up, I'll leave a plate of potatoes for you, kay?"
"Sure." The window was open, allowing the wind to blow through the moth-eaten curtains. She leaned a little out over the sill; it wasn't too high off the ground, just enough to sting the soles of her feet on impact. She stepped away from the window to turn the key in her doorknob, just in case someone decided to check on her, and pulled a sweater twice her size over her head. She then returned to the open window, making sure again that it really wasn't that high up. Her pregnant stomach made it difficult just to get her one leg up on the ledge, and she felt a little like Santa Claus practicing for the ballet as she attempted it. Realizing a little late that her first idea wouldn't work, she then decided to sit on the ledge and kick her feet over the other side. The bottom of the windowpane digged into the grooves of her spine as she slid out the narrow opening and fell to the ground below, landing semi-gracefully on the balls of her feet.

Freedom, and nobody was any the wiser of it. Alyse absorbed the cool night air for the first time in a long time. She leaned forward and peered down the alleyway; the streets were completely dead, and ominously quiet. Perfect for a midnight stroll, she thought. She strode out of the alley and onto the macadam roads, badly in need of maintenance that wasn't to be provided. The streetlamps emanated no light, but scattered fires in trash cans provided just enough to see the hand in front of you. Alyse then took notice of the lack of a certain hum that came from electrical currents. It was a sound she overlooked every day, almost to say she took it for granted. In this silence, she could hear somebody coming for her, on foot or in a truck. She was alone, in the dark, and yet found security.

She walked for hours, not exactly aware of where she was going, or how she was going to get back to the home. Only when her feet began hurting terribly, as well as her stomach, did she stop and look around. She had walked herself right to her old house, Green Moon Apartment Complex-B. From where she stood on the littered sidewalk she could pinpoint her house on the third floor; her mother's tacky patio furniture still adorned the diminutive balcony. She remembered summer evenings sitting on that balcony, with LJ or even before then with Weasel, watching the sun set and contemplating the mysteries of life, or more frequently the mystery of the not-yet-discovered Green Moon Apartment Complex-A. She missed those days, where the only thoughts that plagued her mind were the location of some sister apartment complex or the tackiness of patio furniture.

The dogma of Zootism played itself like a broken record in her head. There was talk amongst the city kids, how Zoot promises that to believe in him is to never live for tomorrow. That was what Alyse wanted, to live for the moment for once instead of plotting out the next month. She wondered for a second if the tribe had accounted her disappearance. Oh well, no sense in turning back now, she thought. There was no way she would find the home before dawn broke, and that was when the Chosen set their dogs out on the city. A candle burned in the window of an apartment on the first floor; it beckoned to her.