𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐡, 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐈𝐗𝐓𝐘 𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄

𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐡, 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒

𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐓𝐎𝐍
JULY 4TH, 1985

Scarlette, Dustin, and Erica sat perched on the hill, the scene below unfolding like a grim spectacle. Starcourt Mall, once a beacon of life and laughter, now lay consumed by flames, its lights flickering in a final, dying dance before plunging into darkness. The crackling of fire and the distant, echoing sounds of helicopters filled the night sky. Scarlette lifted her gaze, squinting against the glow of the flames, where the silhouettes of dozens of helicopters hovered overhead, their rotors cutting through the air with steady precision. A quiet relief settled in her chest, mingling with hope. They're coming, she thought, the military is finally here.

A familiar sound broke the heavy silence—the rumble of an approaching car. Scarlette turned, her heart lifting when she saw Steve's yellow convertible, the same bright vehicle that had carried them through so much chaos. He was here to take them to their friends, to reunite them with those they had lost. As the car pulled to a stop, the trio climbed in without a word, each of them lost in their own thoughts, the gravity of everything that had happened weighing heavily on their shoulders. No one dared to ask what had gone wrong. The silence between them was thick, filled with unspoken words and the lingering fear of what they might find.

The car ride felt endless, the sirens and helicopter blades growing louder as they neared the mall. When they finally arrived, the parking lot was already alive with the movement of military personnel, men and women in uniforms swarming the area like bees to a hive, their faces grim and focused. The heat from the burning mall radiated toward them, an oppressive force that made the air shimmer and ripple.

Without a second thought, Scarlette flung open the car door and leapt out, her legs already carrying her toward the chaos. She could hear the distant shouts of soldiers, the low murmur of radios, but all of that faded into the background as she raced forward. Her heart pounded in her chest, and her breath came in ragged gasps as she searched the sea of faces, her eyes scanning every person, every corner, every shadow. She had to find them. She had to find her friends, the ones she'd fought so hard to save.

The mall was a war zone now, the wreckage of a once-thriving place of community. Debris littered the ground, broken glass and twisted metal from the battle that had unfolded within its walls. Scarlette barely noticed it all as she pushed forward, her sole focus on the people she loved, hoping they were still here, still alive.

"Please, please be okay," she whispered under her breath, as if the words could somehow summon them back.

Scarlette stood frozen in the parking lot, the sounds of chaos swirling around her—helicopters overhead, sirens wailing in the distance, soldiers barking orders. Her heart hammered in her chest, each beat a desperate plea for someone to tell her that everything would be okay. But the weight of the moment pressed down on her like a vice, the uncertainty clawing at her insides.