Where am I?

I stirred a bit, trying to feel my legs and my fingers as my eyes slowly opened and adjusted to the bright light which blinded me as I steadily sat up and looked around. I must've collapsed in a field and fallen asleep; the long overgrown grass and the gentle sound of a small stream came to me and I attempted to get a look at where I actually was…then my eyes fell upon a wire fence surrounding a group of broken down and abandoned buildings.

I know where I am. This is the old little town that they closed down years ago to rebuild. I thought in my mind as I struggled to stand up and got my legs working as I stretched out, wincing as my back pained suddenly. I lifted up my t-shirt to reveal a nasty deep cut that ran across the side of my left hip to the spine, Damn it! I cursed myself as I poked it, resulting in a surging pain that shot up my side and I doubled over, restraining my breathing. I slowly straightened up and began to stumble towards the fence, pausing every now and then to sooth the pain that I felt. Finally, I managed to get to the fence, only to be greeted with a dirt-covered sign, I wiped it with my sleeve and read the words before me.

''DANGER: Demolition In Progress." I raised my eyebrows as I scanned the astray site of abandoned and broken buildings. Well, that sign has been there since I was 10. I used to come down here and play hide and seek with my old friend, I stated in my head as I hulled myself up and over the fence and jumped down on the dusty ground, picked myself up and scanned the area, looking for any signs of life, even movement. After a few seconds, I sighed and pushed a stray hair out of my eyes as I picked up my backpack and started to walk into the ghost town.

Not a single soul here, I mused over as I peered down the tiny alleyways which were full of broken down bricks and old furniture, left here by the locals who once filled this tiny place with life.

Nothing is here.

After walking through the empty streets and climbing over fallen clumps of cement, an idea struck me. I stumbled around until I got to a tiny house-like den at the end of the main street. I dropped my bag and climbed over the discarded pile of gravel and rubble to the broken down door of the den. I held my breath, hesitating at the stupid thought that someone might be living there but of course, the whole town had been empty for years so nothing would've changed. I shook the distant thought of home out of my head and opened up, entering the dark and musky room with only a little bit of sunshine coming in from the broken window. A rusty metal bed frame was pushed into one corner of the room, and a cracked large circular mirror hung from the dirt-coated fireplace which caught my attention as I walked over and came face to a dirty-faced fair skinned girl with extreme blue eyes and vanilla blond hair messily tied up in the broken reflection. I felt tears come to my eyes; I looked lost..hopeless. But I mustn't give up now. I did this for the sake of my family, to keep them safe from..myself.

I turned my back to the girl in the reflection and got down to work.

After an hour or so looking in deserted and run-down apartments and old closed stores, I managed to discover a decent mattress, a couple of thick blankets and some candles up in the flat above an old clothing store. ''Finally, I can actually start to get this place looking stable to sleep in," I smirked to myself as I tucked in the last corner of the blanket on the mattress and placed a candle on the fireplace. I reached out for my lighter in my bag and lit it, absently starting to hum to myself as I moved away and sat myself on the bed, watching the gentle flame flickering in the darkness.

I felt suddenly all alone, alone in an empty, isolated town where no one knew where I was. A grip of desperation hit me, and I rustled inside my bag, praying that my mobile was in there so I could just call home and get home, or at least to tell my parents that I was alright. My hopes slowly crashed down around me as I found no phone in the bag. It must've fallen out when I fell in the field and fallen asleep…My mind told me as I felt a sudden cold around me. I shivered and looked up.

The candle had blown out and was smoking, and the atmosphere in the air didn't feel…right. I carefully stood up and began to climb a ladder that lead to the roof which was connected with a series of tiny apartments. I crouched and carefully stumbled onto the higher roof above the flats which gave me a clear view of the main street in the ghost town. I laid down and observed the streets for a few minutes but nothing was different from what I saw. I was about to pull myself up from when I saw a red light from the corner of my eye coming in from the next street, so I laid flat on my stomach and got out my binoculars so I could see it more clearly.

A red flashing light..what could that be? I asked myself as I got a bit closer and took another look though the binoculars. Just as I put them to my eyes, and nearly dropped them at what I saw.

"A police car? What is one doing here?" I muttered under my breath as I saw the slick black and white mustang with its flashing red lights drove slowly around the corner and into the street where I was just a couple blocks away. I suddenly held my breath and froze as the engine to the vehicle cut off, and a suited officer stepped out with a pistol in one hand and a torch in the other. I continued to hold my breath as I watched him scan the area, obviously looking for something, or someone..I silently cursed as the man started to walk down close to where I was.

After a few moments of watching him observe the street, he started to turn away as soon as a large piece of rubble fell from which I was supporting myself on, and ended up gripping onto the edge of the roof, as I hopelessly watched the rubble fell and land on the sidewalk below, creating a large thud and a cloud of dust to form. The officer suddenly turned, and looked straight at where I was hiding. I closed my eyes tightly and pressed myself into the gravel, praying that I was not spotted. After a few minutes of bursting to let out my breath, I heard the slam of the mustang's door shut and the engine start as I cautiously got up from my hiding place just in time to see the police car drive off into the distance.

I rubbed my ribcage from where the sharp gravel stones had digged into me, and with a stumble, I started to head back to my make-shift den, not knowing of what had truly just happened.

The mustang's engine revved as he drove out of the desert town and onto the highway as his comm. link blinked on and off, indicating an incoming call from most likely his master. Barricade shut off the distasteful holoform and answered the call.

The sound of his master voice was dripping with evil and cunning as he spoke clearly with a tone which was not to be disappointed. .::Any news on the femme, Barricade?::. Megatron inquired, his hope of a good answer in waiting.

Barricade answered swiftly, .::Yes, Lord Megatron. You were correct, the human girl of the boy Witwicky does contain Allspark energy and that she is hiding within the streets of the abandoned town.::.

.::So, she is not protected?::.

.::Not protected, Master. I suspect that she escaped from her parental units and hid among there.::. Barriade replied shortly with a state of fact in his tone, even though it did question him why she was alone and not guarded by an Autobot or those weak soldiers the Autobots work with. Nevermind, his master will be pleased and their home Cybetron will hopefully soon be restored and the Decepitcons will regain the true right of power which belongs to them as he pushed the question of out his mind and continued down the highway towards the base where they were waiting.

Skylar huddled up into the thick blanket and she lay alone in the dark, her thoughts swarming with all the questions to the series of events that had just happened. Then she thought of her real home, and her parents, and how terrified they must be, tears starting to fall off her face and soak into the blanket and Skylar sobbed alone in the darkness, in a place where no one will hear her cries.

Optimus suddenly woke from his deep recharge, shivering as the sudden wave of emotion and confusion crowded his mind and caused him to put his hands to his head and groan, as if he had a wound there. Then it came to him.

Skylar.

Sorry for the long wait, this chapter was actually quite a stubborn one to figure out and to make sense and write, and also I had quite a bit of stuff which was going on (including my birthday, yay for being 15!) so I put on my thinking cap and hopefully you guys enjoy this chapter as much as I have!

As usual, I don't own Transformers, just Skylar.

R&R would really mean a lot to me, as I do need encouragement to help me continue this Fanfiction so please do! Many thanks.