Amber awoke the next morning with a light heart and a song
in her soul. She had not woken up in such a wonderful mood in weeks and now she
finally knew why. Her heart had been heavy because it knew she did not belong
with the Gaians. She had been longing to return to her home, her family – the
Mall Rats.
She emerged from her hut several minutes later, a ready
smile on her face as she scanned the common area for Ocelot, Cougar, or Robin.
She and Ocelot had decided the night before that she should meet with Ebony
before returning; give her a fair warning that she was coming back. Amber
thought it best to send Cougar and Robin with the message for Ebony to meet
with her, seeing as how Robin had already been to the mall once and the little
girls probably wouldn’t suspect anything.
“Good morning, Eagle.” Pride approached Amber his eyes
lighting up as he saw her. “You’re looking especially beautiful this morning.”
He quickly kissed her on her temple, causing Amber to blush only slightly.
“Thank you, Pride. I guess I just slept really well last
night. That’s all.” Amber ducked her head so Pride could not look into her
eyes. Somehow Pride could always tell when she was lying just by looking at
her. Amber didn’t want to let him know she was returning to the Mall Rats, not
yet anyway.
“Ocelot was looking for you earlier.” Pride informed her as
he fell into step with her, guiding her in the direction of the breakfast
table. The Gaians had set up a community kitchen and built an extra long table
so all the Gaians could eat all their meals together. It had been getting a bit
cramped, but after the death of Silver Fox and Wolf’s devious ways being found
out, the table now had more than enough room.
“She was?” Amber tried to keep her voice sounding normal.
“Did she say what it was about?”
Pride shook his head, taking a seat next to her at the
table. He was sitting so close to her that it was difficult for Amber to move
her arm, but she didn’t complain. She loved being near him. Inhaling Pride’s scent
always made her heart do flip-flops, even if half the time when they were
together Pride reminded her of Bray.
“Hi Eagle.” Cougar smiled at her new leader, revealing her
perfectly straight teeth. “Minxy and Caribou made breakfast this morning.”
“Oh really? So what are we having?” Amber chuckled at the
younger girl’s eagerness for their breakfast to be served.
“Pancakes and scrambled eggs.” Robin, who was sitting
directly across from Amber and next to Cougar answered for her. Ever since
Cougar had fallen ill with the virus Robin had been slowly emerging from her
shell. Amber couldn’t help but wonder if being forced to make the trek to the
mall had helped in that matter. She hoped so.
“Maple syrup too.” Pride informed her. “Manatee and Jaguar
found an old warehouse on the outskirts of the city yesterday. It had been
mostly picked clean, but up in the loft there were several crates of the
stuff.”
“Oh yummy. I love maple syrup.” Amber gushed, turning her
attention to where Caribou and Minxy were emerging from the kitchen area, both
carrying large platters of steaming food.
“Breakfast is served.” Minxy stated with a coy wink in
Jaguar’s direction. “I hope you all enjoy it. Cari and I have been slaving over
a hot stove for hours just for you.”
“Thanks, Minx.” Manatee replied, his fork perched and ready
to grab a pancake off from the plate.
Amber tuned out the rest of the Gaians’ conversation as she
scanned the table searching for Ocelot’s face. She was not among them, which
worried Amber. Ocelot rarely skipped breakfast.
“Pride,” Amber turned to Pride, whispering to him in a
hushed tone, “Ocelot isn’t here.”
“I know. I noticed that too.” Pride’s brow knitted together
with concern. “You were talking to her last night, did she say anything about
having to do something this morning away from the village?”
Amber shook her head, looking down.
“Sweetness, are you hiding something from me?” Pride asked
suddenly, his tone low.
Amber’s voice died in her throat. She could only shake her head,
trying to keep her mind from telling her that once she left the Gaians she
would miss this amazing young man sitting next to her. “I, uh, I’m going to go
look for Ocelot. I’ll talk to you later.”
Amber gave him a quick peck on the lips then hurried from
her seat at the table and to the opposite end of the village. She wanted to get
as far away from Pride and her feelings for him as possible. “This is so
frustrating!” She wailed, closing her eyes trying to keep the tears that were
pricking the corners of her eyes from falling. “Why can’t anything just be
simple anymore?”
“Eagle, is that you?” Ocelot suddenly emerged from behind
some shrubbery that had been blocking her from Amber’s path of vision.
“Oh, Ocelot! Thank God it’s you!” Amber rushed towards her,
throwing her arms around her dear friend’s neck. “I-I’m so confused!”
“Confused about what?” Ocelot detached herself from Amber’s
embrace, studying the blonde’s face curiously. “Did something happen?”
“No.” Amber shook her head. “It’s just, well, I was talking
to Pride and I was hit with the realization that even if I do go back to the
Mall Rats I won’t really be happy. I’m going to miss everyone so much.”
“I see.” Ocelot murmured, her tone soft and understanding.
“Well, it’s a choice you’re going to have to make, Amber. You can’t live two
lives, you know that, right?”
“I know. It’s just…” Amber trailed off, her mind attempting
to work out a solution. “Maybe I can go back to the mall in disguise or
something. Then maybe I can make a decision from there.”
“That sounds like a good idea to me.” Ocelot agreed,
running her fingers over the top of her head, feeling her short, golden-blonde
stubble. “Would you let Ebony know first?”
“Oh yes, definitely.” Amber replied, her face once again
breaking out with a smile. “How could I not? Ebony has been nothing but
wonderful to me. I owe at least that much to her.”
“Good.” Ocelot nodded with approval, a strange light
shinning in her eyes. “Now, let’s go find Robin and Cougar and asked them to
bring Ebony to you.”
“Thanks, Ocelot. You’re the best.” Amber reached down and
grabbed Ocelot’s hand, squeezing it tightly. “I don’t know how I would have
made it through all of this without you.”
“Ah, think nothing of it, Amber.” Ocelot chuckled.
“Besides, you’ll always have Pride.”
Amber nodded, her mind traveling back to the handsome dread
locked man whom she had become so affectionate towards the past several weeks.
Amber just wished she could either forget about Bray once and for all or go back
to the mall and forget about Pride. Either one sounded horrible, though.
~*~*~
“I haven’t been to the city in forever, Robin.” Cougar
declared, running her long slender fingers through her brilliant blonde curls.
“Do you think it’s changed much?”
“Oh yeah.” Robin chuckled at her naive friend. “Cougar, the
last time you were in the city it was still being run by the Locos, right?”
Robin paused, waiting for her friend to nod her head, “Well, now it’s basically
being run by the Mall Rats. I guess they’ve sort of set up some kind of
government.”
“The Mall Rats? Isn’t that Eagle’s old tribe?”
“Yes.”
“That’s pretty neat.” Cougar commented. “Do you ever think
she wishes she could go back?”
Robin hesitated before responding to Cougar’s question.
Somehow, deep inside her she knew that Eagle would never fully be their leader.
She was Amber first and she would always be Amber. Eagle was just someone she
was temporarily. Robin knew she couldn’t explain her feelings to Cougar,
though. There was no way the blonde would understand.
“I’m sure she misses the Mall Rats a lot.” Robin carefully
worded her reply. “And I know she was in love with some guy named Bray back at
the mall.”
“But now she has Pride.” Cougar pointed out.
“Yeah, I know.” Robin got quiet once again. “Pride.” She
couldn’t help but remember the young Mall Rat’s words, saying that Amber would
always love Bray and he would always love her, that no one could come between
them, not even Pride.
“What’s wrong, Robin? You’ve been acting funny the entire
time.” Cougar scrunched up her face, squinting her eyes to block the brilliant
sunlight.
“I was just thinking. That’s all.” Robin shrugged, brushing
Cougar’s comment off. “Let’s hurry up, though. We’re almost there and my feet
have begun to hurt.”
“Mine too.” Cougar nodded. They had planned to arrive at
the mall shortly after midday, give Ebony the message to meet with Eagle the
next day, and then return with Ebony to the meeting place outside the abandoned
hospital. That way they wouldn’t have to make the long journey there and back
all in one day.
Fifteen minutes later the girls reached the outside of the
mall. Like the last time Robin had been there, there was a long winding line
leading all the way out onto the streets. “That’s the antidote line.” Robin
informed her.
“They’re still getting it?” Cougar’s eyes widened.
“I guess so.” Robin frowned. She scanned the sea of faces,
hoping to see someone familiar, but no one stood out to her. The one thing she did
notice, though, was that none of the kids in the line seemed to be showing any
signs of the virus. Something was off, she just couldn’t place it yet.
“So, where are the Mall Rats?” Cougar demanded, looking
impatient standing out in the hot sun.
“There’s lots of Mall Rats, Cougar. I’m just looking for
someone I know.” Robin explained.
“Like that Tai-San chick or Cloe, right?”
“Or even Ebony herself.” Robin replied, her eyes still
carefully observing the crowd. “Come on, Coug, let’s go inside. We’ll probably
have a better chance of seeing someone we know in there.”
They entered the mall, both a bit hesitant. It seemed like
the mall was filled with hundreds of people, almost like a mall at Christmas
time before the virus. People were bartering and trading their goods. It
reminded Robin of an old fashioned civilization.
“Oh! Let’s ask him!” Cougar suddenly squealed in Robin’s
ear, pointing at a boy who looked to be about their own age. He was wearing a
bright yellow shirt, his aqua green hair spiked up with red tips. “He’s cute.”
“Right. Whatever you say.” Robin rolled her eyes.
Nevertheless, though, she walked up to the boy Cougar and pointed out and
tapped him on the shoulder. “Excuse me? Can you help me and my friend out?”
The boy turned around, an angry expression marring his good
looks. “What do you wan—“ He broke off suddenly when he spotted Cougar standing
behind her, his face breaking out into a charming smile. “Hi, my name’s KC.
What can I help you two lovely ladies with?”
Cougar giggled, causing Robin to roll her eyes again. “My
name is Robin, this is my friend Cougar. We’re with the Gaians.”
“It’s nice to meet you.” KC replied, his gaze resting on
Cougar who was now blushing uncontrollably and giggling like a hyena. Cougar
was starting to make Robin wish she had come by herself.
“Thanks. Anyway, we’re looking for a friend. Maybe you know
her. Ebony?” Robin stated in a business like tone.
KC’s face suddenly went ashen, his eyes widening the moment
Robin said the word ‘Ebony’. “W-What are you looking for her for?”
“We have a message for her.” Cougar replied, having calmed
down just a little. “From our tribe leader, Eagle.”
Robin elbowed Cougar in the ribs, shooting a glare at the blonde.
“You’re volunteering too much information, Cougar. We don’t have any clue who
this guy is.” She hissed in Cougar’s ear so KC wouldn’t be able to hear.
“He’s KC, stupid.” Cougar answered back, a pert smile on
her face. She quickly turned her attention back to the now suspicious
green-spiked boy. “Could you take us to Ebony?”
KC shook his head, his eyes dropping. “I wish I could, but
she’s gone. No one has seen her since yesterday.”
“GONE?!” Robin shrieked. “You mean gone gone? Not just
gone?”
KC nodded. “She disappeared.”
Cougar and Robin exchanged glances. Robin knew Eagle was
close to Ebony and she would be quite upset once she found out Ebony was gone.
“We’ve got to go, Cougar.”
“But we just got here, Robin.” Cougar whined.
“We’ve got to go now!” Robin demanded, latching onto
Cougar’s arm and began dragging her towards the mall exit.
“It was nice meeting you, Cougar!” KC called after her.
“Bye KC!” Cougar called back, blowing him a kiss as she
left. “I’ll hopefully see you around.
“Yeah, hopefully.” KC whispered, watching them go, his
heart pounding loudly in his chest. “Hopefully.”
~*~*~
“Spike! You let me out of here, right now!” Ebony demanded,
glaring at her former ally through the bars she was locked behind.
“Not until you beg.” He retorted snidely.
“I will never beg from you, you dog!” Ebony spat, her eyes
flashing angrily.
“Then you’ll never be let out.” He chuckled, turning his
back on his caged prisoner and walking away, his evil laughter echoing in the abandoned
warehouse all the while.
“Let me out, please.” Ebony whispered softly, tears filling
her eyes as she watched him leave. She would not lower herself to beg from him.
Ebony begged of no one, but she didn’t know how much longer she could stay behind
these cruel bars. “Please, let me out.”
~*~*~
“Where’s Eagle?! I need to talk to her, right away!” Robin
panted as she and Cougar arrived back in the Gaian village. She and Cougar had
made the journey from the mall to the village in record time – even less time
than it had taken her with Tai-San when they had brought the antidote.
“She’s in her room.” Caribou answered, studying the girls
with a puzzled expression. “Is something wrong?”
“Don’t have time. Gotta go.” Cougar called over her
shoulder. Robin had already grabbed onto the blonde’s hand and had been
dragging her in the direction of Eagle’s quarters.
“Right.” Caribou nodded, glancing over at Minxy who
appeared just as clueless as she. “Kids.” She chuckled.
“Yeah, kids.” Minxy laughed.
“Eagle! Eagle!” Robin pounded on the door leading to
Eagle’s quarters. “Open the door quick!”
Eagle appeared at the doorway, her eyes looking slightly
red and swollen. “Robin, Cougar!” She gasped, startled to see them. “You
weren’t supposed to be back until tomorrow.”
“I know.” Cougar nodded, catching her breath. “But we were
at the mall—“
“Hold on, come inside.” Eagle beckoned them inside her
quarters, shutting the door behind them. “Now, start over. You said you had
gone to the mall. Did you see Ebony?”
“No.” Robin shook her head. “Ebony’s gone! We talked to
some guy named KC. He said she had disappeared, gone without at race.”
Eagle’s face blanched as she stared at them. “Gone? Did he
say anything else?”
“No.” Cougar answered, “But he seemed really worried about
her. Almost as if he knew something but couldn’t tell us.”
“Oh my.” Eagle’s hand went to her throat. “Ebony.”