"I just…they needed help!" Hannah protests,"Look at them! They're real! It isn't a myth!" She turns back to the group. "You really came from the outside! Have you found books?" She asks.
"Hannah! How many times do we need to tell you not to meddle with outside affairs! Your fifteen, act like it!" The guard snaps.
"Sorry," Hannah mumbles and hangs her head.
"Ohh my god! A dog!" Hannah whisper-yells, quickly cheering up and throwing her arms around the furry creature.
"Hey, I'm not infected. Just mildly insane." Melody joked.
Eyeing the guards carefully, Barrow adjusts his stance to better shield Jordan. With another glance he sees all the weapons they carry. His only thought is whether the guards carry weapons to keep outsiders out, or their own people in.
.jpg)
Livia was one of the last Roamers to stumble in. She was panting, tired, and ready to collapse.
Doll snarls at the human holding her, mouth full of sharp teeth. Wiggling away, she goes to stand by Barrow.
"Oh, come on guys!" Hannah protests, standing up,"They're people! We sorely need some fresh meat around here." She adds turning to the group. "Hey, is he okay?" She asks, stepping towards Jordan,"He looks like my brother, Danial did…..before…….ummm." Clearing her throat, she takes a small step back.
Livia’s gaze fell upon Jordan. She didn’t want to say anything in front of the guard, so she just looked at Barrow for answers. What happened?
"Hey, my name's Melody Flint. I'm the oldest in the group, and I want to know why the hell you guys are threatening us."
"We're not threatening you!" Hanah protests,"Well, they might be." She jerks her head towards the guards,"Come on, I know a place where he can….ummmm…..rest."
Barrow says gruffly, "Jordan's fine, just collapsed from exhaustion on the way here." With a step back he holds Jordan tighter, as if daring the guards to take him away.
"Listen, we need a place to stay. Dying out in the wilderness isn't really fun sounding at the moment."
She turns around to lead them to the rest wing before a guard steps right in front of her. "Hannah, you know before we even consider letting them stay we need to thoroughly check them out. And that boy looks sick."
"Barron, get out of my way." Hannah orders. He looks down at her then steps aside in one quick movement.
Smiling, she turns to the Romers and beckons. "Come on." She tells them and starts to take them to the rest wing.
“We’re not going to argue with you. We’re staying here, like it or not.” Livia snapped at the guard. She was tempted to pull her gun, just to threaten, but she resisted the urge. It wouldn’t serve anyone well to start out in the wrong foot.
The other guards step aside and let them all pass, Hannah taking the lead. "The rest wing is this way." She tells them going up the broken escalator and to the left, past the food court and into the old movie theater.
Jordan was breathing heavily. He was confused, disoriented and scared. he didnt know what was going on. All he could feel now was the cold of the cement and asphalt.
Olivia had her bow in hand just in case they were attached. “So what is this place?” She asked
Livia looked at Hannah. “Thanks for vouching for us.”
"The old mall." Hannah tells them before gesturing to a seat,"He can rest there, the seats are reclinable, and no one ever comes in here."
"Used to be a mall." Melody said.
"It was no problem." Hannah replied,"They always listen to me, even if they think I'm crazy to wonder about the outside world. What is it like now?"
"Outside world? It's a toxic wasteland, full of nothing but death and dust." Melody said.
"But there are books, right?" Hannah asks, "We only have so many in here."
Barrow's simple, "Dusty," in reply to Hannah's comment about the outside. Doll stays near his side, fur brushing against Barrow's thighs.