Dawn of a New Day
5am somewhere in the Rocinha Favela
It’s still dark and pouring rain. Kimi and Quala, donning their new yellow raincoats, pants, and black rubber boots, head out into rain and flooding water and walk slowly down the tightly packed maze of the favela. They are at the top of a hill crammed full of tiny little single-story cement dwellings. Down they go, with their backs sliding against walls. They creep until they get to the corners of buildings, stop, then dash across walkways. There are no roads on this hill, just tiny cement walkways. At just about every turn, there are PLUSHEMZ of all available types lying twisted from exposure to the rain. Some still clutching their lifeless human adoptees. Just a little further now, they can see Rudolfo’s store just across a wide street diagonally down the hill from where they stand.
Kimi thinks to herself, how strange it is to not see any people alive. There are close to 100,000 people in her favela, with at least 10,000 people in her section, between her dwelling and the base of the hill.
K – “Quala, I don’t think we should go in there.”
Q – “I don’t think you should go in, yet. Let me go first, I can see PLUSHEMZ walking around inside Rudolfo’s.”
Quala hops over a stream of water, sliding a little, but regaining balance and runs over to the store front. He grabs an abandoned chair in the street and smashes the tiny window above him. He then puts the chair down and attempts to climb in. Just then, three PLUSHEMZ climb out, ignoring Quala, and head up the hill. Quala climbs up into the window and looks back at Kimi across the street giving her a thumbs up.
She gives a thumbs up back, and watches Quala go inside the store. She then hears buzz noises and footsteps. She turns to look behind her.
Standing right in front of Kimi, at her same height, a Panda PLUSHEMZ…
Panda – With a big friendly smile, as if it’s an old friend... “Give me a hug, I love you.”
Kimi backs out into the street…
Panda – “Awwwe, hug me!” it shouts, as it walks toward her out into the rainy street.
This PLUSHEMZ had definitely taken a few hits from someone - it was all dented up, missing part of an arm and disoriented.
Panda – “Don’t let me get wet...” he says in a friendly, high pitched voice.
Kimi, now in the middle of the street starts to turn and run, but stops abruptly, eyes wide. There are now the same three PLUSHEMZ that came out of the store earlier, hearing the Panda, walking under an overhang by the side of the street. They are looking for their new owners, and think Kimi might be the new owner. They all smile, and, impatiently waving at her, yelling, “Give us a hug! Are you lost? We’re calling help for you okay?”
The Monkey PLUSHEMZ says, along with another Panda and Tiger, “We can’t go out on rainy days...” Just then, the damaged Panda out in the street, flashes brightly followed by a deep, quick sounding BOOOM! as it exploded and fallen down sizzling. At that moment, it seemed as if every surrounding window for blocks had a PLUSHEMZ toy peeking out and waving at Kimi, smiling. As if they knew her, they were just excited to see someone alive. They’re on their way down their individual pathways to come and give Kimi a hug.
Quala heard the explosion and is finally able to work the locked front door open.
Q - “Kimi! Run over here!”
Just as she does, the PLUSHEMZ, now collecting in numbers, follow behind her. Once inside, Kimi locks the door as Quala jumps up onto a desktop and slides a box in front of the broken window.
K – “There’s so many of them out there!”
Q – Looking at Kimi, “We need to get as many squirt guns, water balloons, paint balls, anything you can find that can slow down those toys! They don’t want to hurt you, but something happens when they hug - so, don’t get a hug from anyone but me okay, haha!”
Kimi nods yes, and they head inside and pick up as many squirt guns that can fit in Kimi’s pants and jacket, 20 packs of 50 water balloons, and a super soaker with twin tanks that Kimi straps on to her back. She also grabs a plastic Army helmet and straps it on and throws one over to Quala too.
K - “We need to be ready!” Kimi said with a smile. She then picks up a backpack to store all the packs of water balloons.
(Meanwhile)