Chapter 1

I sat up from the messy, broken bed, snapping out of the daydream of when this nightmare began. In a daze, I ran my paw through my now-long white hair; a sharp contrast of the buzz cut I had the day of the bombing. A long sigh escapes me as I stand up and stretch, looking around the partially destroyed apartment. The windows are all smashed, a few of the floorboards are missing as well, not to mention the hole in the roof half the size of the apartment. That wasn't saying much though. The apartment was just a small flat, with the kitchen and bathroom visible from the bed. Sunlight beamed through the holes, fallen leaves scattered the room's floor. Mold grew on the wallpaper and the floors, giving the room a musty scent. The floorboards creaked beneath me.

I reached down and grabbed my now well-worn backpack off the floor. The sides of it had many quarter-sized holes through them from age. I took the old colt from its makeshift gun holster fashioned from the water bottle pocket. "That's one way of using the water bottle holder..." I mumbled to myself before hoisting the bag over my shoulder and aiming the gun at the ground slightly in front of me. Each step I took crossing the room to the exit made a crunching noise as dried leaves crushed under my paws. I entered the hallway of the apartment building and made my way down to the front door; the paint on every wall practically peeling off around me. Slowly, I pushed the door open with one hand; the colt readied in case someone waited in ambush for me outside. With no one in sight, I walked out into the alleyway; debris from destroyed cars, bikes, and buildings covered the pavement. The alley smelled of rotting garbage, the pavement so hot you could see the heat emanating from it. I pulled the old bandana that I had since the day of the bombings from around my left bicep, tying it around my face to hopefully make the stench more bearable. The bandana was only slight relief, as my eyes continued to water from the odor.

A warm breeze blew past me; nothing new, though. The weather had been fucked up ever since the bombings. I walked down the alleyway towards the main road as the breeze rustled my fur, my tail swaying gently with my stride. My jeans covered in dirt and dried blood, a soft hum emanated from my throat. Only two more miles to go until I made it to California, which had become my destination ever since I heard a transmission over a two-way radio mentioning a group of survivors. At first I had been skeptical, but after talking with the apparent leader, Caro, for a few days, I decided to start the trek. It was a long way from New York to California, but if it was really as safe there as Caro made it out to be, it would be well worth the time and energy used to get there. I can't believe I'm almost there... Finally... My mind drifted away to the many events from the start of my journey to California. I cringed slightly when I thought of those I had lost.

Walking some distance from the main highway, I used the trees as cover. After a few hours, I saw the sign that showed I had officially entered California. It was rusted to the point that it was almost unreadable. A twig snapped behind me, causing me to whip around and aim the colt in front of me. "I know you're out there. You best come out!" My eyes scanned the tree line, looking for anything that may give a clue as to whom my unwanted visitor was. A bush to my left rustled a bit making me aim my gun at it. "Come out now, I know you're in the bush..." Who the fuck is following me....

"Don't shoot!" A loud, rough voice called out from the bushes as the man entered into the open slowly. Once he was in sight, I could see he was a young-looking dog; a Border collie. He was tall, possibly six foot three, with dark blue fur at his center, like the late-night sky. It contrasted heavily with the black outer fur of his body. "I didn't mean to surprise you, but I wanted to be sure you were a friendly before I came up to you." My eyes searched over his body; I couldn't quite get a read on him. "What's your name?" He asked me, holding his paws up to show that he wasn't a threat.

"Gale Pahvoth, who're you? And why are you alone?" My doubt of his story was evident by the tone of my voice, scanning the surrounding trees for any other people. He sighed and shifted his weight onto the other foot before clearing his throat.

"I'm not alone, I have people watching to be sure I'm safe... And as for my name? My name is Caro, Caro Sizaan."