Chapter 3

The Search for Food:

She and Todd hadn't known what was going on that day almost a year ago. Her dad had been at work and her mom had driven into town for a doctor's appointment. She had been watching Todd when the weather alert went off. At first, she thought it was a mistake because the skies had been a crystal clear blue, but the alert said that it wasn't and that emergency precautions needed to be made. She had dragged Todd down into the storm cellar buried out behind the house.

They were almost there when they saw the huge, dark cloud rolling toward them. Sammy had never seen anything like it. Frightened, she had ordered Todd to get down behind the boxes in the back as she slammed the door shut and locked it. Seconds later, the light on the inside had gone out and the entire shelter had shaken so hard that Sammy had been thrown to the floor.

The aftershocks continued for days and the sound of dirt and rocks hitting the door had lasted even longer. For a while, Sammy had actually feared that they might get buried under the onslaught. When it finally stopped, they had waited... and waited... and waited for either their mom or dad to come tell them that it was safe to come out. Sammy had used the flashlights stored in the shelter sparingly. Fortunately, the growing season had just ended and the huge collection of canned goods she and her mom had processed and stored for selling remained protected from the fallout.

A week had gone by before Sammy finally worked at forcing the door to the shelter opened. The land around the house was barren, stripped clear by the blast. Only the shell of their house and the barn remained. She and Todd had searched the area, but they seemed to be the only ones left alive. Remembering her father's warning that if there was ever an emergency to stay put until someone came for them, Sammy salvaged what she could from the ruins of the house and returned to the storm shelter.

They had waited for someone to come, but no one ever did. When the food started to get low, she and Todd began venturing to neighboring farms in the hope they would find someone. They discovered the odd bits of cans here or there, but never another living human soul.

The first strange creature they discovered had been small. She and Todd were on their way back to the shelter from a neighboring farm. They had stopped at a narrow bridge over a dried creek to rest. The thing had come up from under the bridge and grabbed Todd's pant leg. She used the long walking stick that she had found and beat the thing to death. They had run back to the shelter and hidden for two days.

It had taken her a while to finally understand that the thing had been some type of mutated animal. That was when she searched the barn for her dad's old bow and arrows that he used to use when he went hunting. She spent hour after hour each day practicing until she was confident she could protect herself and Todd if need be. Two months later, their food was dangerously low and she knew they had no choice but to leave the shelter and search for food - and more survivors.

"I see food," she said as she stepped through the doorway. "It looks like the creatures didn't get all of it, only the stuff they could reach and get open."

"I... I just need something... anything... for now," Dust muttered in a voice filled with pain.

Sammy glanced at the bent shelf that was closest to her. There were cans of green beans on it. It would have to do. Gripping the bow in her right hand, she walked over to the shelf and grabbed a can off it. She turned and wove her way along the row of cash registers, searching for something to open the can with, when she saw a can opener hanging from the tab along with other items. Grabbing it, she quickly removed the top of the can before turning to walk over to where Dust was sinking down next to a pile of shredded candy wrappers. She held the can of green beans out to him.

"Be careful, the edge is sharp," she said. "I'll go look for some medical supplies. Todd, you start picking up as many cans of food as you can and stack them near Dust. We'll figure out what to do with it once we have an idea of how much there is."

"Okay," Todd said, sliding the backpack off his thin shoulders.

Sammy glanced one last time at where Dust sat frantically eating the green beans, liquid and all. Her gaze flashed over his chest. She'd have to see if there were any clothes along with medical supplies. She reached down next to him and picked up one of the handheld shopping baskets before turning to walk away.

She glanced up at the signs above each aisle. Number ten held cosmetics and bandages. She carefully walked down the center aisle, pausing to glance down each row as she went. It looked like most of the items had been either knocked off the shelves or crushed.

Turning down aisle number ten, she quickly grabbed everything she could off the shelves. Once the basket was filled, she released a frustrated groan. She would need to get more baskets. Food and medical supplies were essential. How they would carry everything, she didn't know, but for now, she wasn't going to worry about it. Remembering the blood covering Dust, she turned and hurried back down the aisle and back to where she had left him.

"I found some...," Sammy's voice died when she saw the four empty cans of green beans next to Dust. That wasn't what froze the words in her throat. "What happened...? How did...? What are you?" She asked in a trembling voice, staring at his chest.

Sammy's fingers instinctively searched for the bow she always carried. A silent curse swept through her mind when she remembered she had set it down to gather the medical supplies. Swallowing, she dropped the basket in her hand and took a step back as Dust rose to his feet. Her eyes remained glued to his chest. There was dried blood on his skin where the devil dog had clawed him. The front of his shredded T-shirt was proof that she hadn't hallucinated the attack a short while ago. Only now, instead of ripped flesh there was smooth, unmarred skin.

"I don't know," Dust replied, staring back at her with an intense expression on his face. "But, I know that I won't hurt you or Todd."

Sammy shook her head, her eyes flashing from his face to his chest. She bit her lip, trying to decide if she should scream for Todd to run or stand her ground. Her gaze flickered to the front door. If they ran, how far could they get? That thing was still out there and they needed food. She was also out of arrows. In here... There was food, medicine, and... Dust. Swallowing, she locked gazes with Dust again. Could she trust him? That was the real question.