Stomp..Stomp..Stomp

Essential tasks like food collecting had become an endurance of hell since the virus took over the lands two years ago. With no hints of sentient life remaining, John believed he was completely alone in the town of Nowhere. A few bodies of forgotten survivors were scattered about the town with their remains ripped apart by the corrupted, but he hadn't seen any survivors after his guide was lost. Only those who were not coordinated, calm, or collected roamed the streets. Those things weren't conscious.

He sprinted through the cactus thrived desert, desperate to get away from those monstrosities. The burning sensation in his lungs was growing with every leg he swung. How much further must he run? He usually found a viable structure before running for such a long distance. He cursed himself for visiting the house that obviously looked sketch to him, and now he was running for his life- again. The thought of panic was hinting its way in his mind. What if he simply couldn't run any more until those things caught hum? but he was reminded that there was always a solution. There had to be. But what solution would arise if he didn't find a structure before he just couldn't run anymore? There were numerous 'things' on his tail, like they were closing in fast.

What's that?

A blip on the horizon. He managed to run even faster to get to it.

It was a farmhouse. Then it was a farmhouse and a turning windmill. He looked behind himself to see the creatures snarling at him as a pack of wild beasts would. The farmhouse appeared to be deserted, he could only hope its interior was savage free. He jumped a dilapidated wooden fence which marked the property line and made a beeline for the front door. Bracing his shoulder, he slammed right through it. The force nearly broke it off the hinges. A heavy piece of furniture caught his eye immediately, and he used all his strength to slide it across the floor. Just seconds after placing it in front of the door, it received quite a beating from the corrupted.

John stepped back as quietly as possible, and swiftly looked for some blankets to shove between the wall and the curtain racks to block the windows. He had done this before, for if they can't see their prey the corrupted venture off in search for a new source of food. After he blocked all the windows, he sat on the floor. The kid lured a good sized group to the farmhouse, he hoped they would not linger about for long. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He tried to slow his breathing, but he was panting so heavily.

'Recycling is key. Hold the fear and embrace the benefits and lessons'

His brain patterns always nestled in gule patterns to this thought. The thought of his guardian, his guide. The one that mattered, the one that showed him the third eye. John learned his life from him, and he love him more than anything.

A sudden noise caused him to open his eyes and turn around. He gasped to himself. A dog was standing there, glaring at him. He stood up and backed away from it. Eyes that weren't red was an unthinkable site for him. The dog walked toward him, John took more steps back.

"Relax," The dog spoke. "I'm not going to cause harm."

He started to walk toward the door that was just blocked. "How many are here?" The dog asked as he turned back around.

"...a.. a few..." John replied. He hasn't spoken to anybody but himself in a long time. He had the idea that he was hallucinating, perhaps he needed to find some water.. The dog walked toward him once more.

"Come. It's more safe upstairs."

John was led to an old, dusty attic. It consisted of a few boxes and a bed put off to the corner. The dog had quite a collection of food and supplies against the wall near the bed. He looked over at a desk that had a computer sitting on it, he was amazed to see the screen on.

"Does that thing work?" He asked as he pointed to it.

"yes, I work." A voice said.

It came directly from computer . John looked at the dog for a few seconds before he looked back at the machine.

"Do you make contact with others?" John asked.

"I've made some spotty connections in the past few months, but nothing close enough." John observed the machine carefully.

"But servers were lost within days after the Outbreak, how-"

"I'm an Artificial intelligence construct, I don't require servers."

John gazed toward the window.

"-I have some food. Take some." The dog interrupted as he gestured toward the supplies. John picked up a can of beans, and held it up for approval. He got an awkward stare for a few seconds before a can opener was tossed to him. As he started to open the can of food, he started to think of questions. The dog beat him to the punch.

"Why did you come here?" He asked the kid.

John continued to pry at the can as he answered with hesitation. "Well..I was just on a supply run. I usually go house to house, scavenging whatever I can find. Then…" He didn't really know how to put together what he wanted to say. "I was ambushed by a wave, too many to count. I was forced to run, and I assumed this house was empty…. All the others were.."

The can opened with a pop. The dog tossed a spoon at him.

He ate the food with appreciation. "H-how did you get this stuff?" John asked as he pondered over the items. "I do the same thing you do." He took a seat on the floor across from him. "Have you…...Have seen any survivors?" The dog asked. John swallowed his food while he looked at him.

"No."

"Oh dear." The computer said.

The dog looked up at it for a few seconds before looking back at John. "I haven't seen a person in…..quite some time. That being said, you are welcome to stay here." He extended a paw out. "My name's Courage." John put the can down and accepted his gesture. "John" He said as he gave a thankful look and took his hand. He found it hard to believe. Over a year he had been alone, forever stuck in the cycle of grieving. But here was another...person.

"Hey, dog. You might want to see this." The computer notified them, causing the two to rise. Courage walked over and looked at the screen. What appeared to be a few of those things were standing a few feet from the door. "What is this?" John asked as he appeared behind the dog. "That's the front door. I have few cameras around."

The creatures just stood still on the blue screen, all staring the door down. They seemed almost conscious of waiting for someone to come out eventually.

"They know that we have to go out there eventually…" Courage started to pace back and forth. "I don't like this. They are just going to wait for us.." He was off railed. "They'll get hungry and leave in search of food.." John said as he watched him pace. He walked over to the bed and sat in it. "You mind if I sleep?" He asked as he already started to lie down. The dog looked at him for a brief moment in fear, but calmed himself.

"No." He replied as he walked over to get another look at the computer screen.

Courage grabbed a pair of headphones and sat at the computer's desk. He plugged them into the machine and began to type.

'I'm worried, they've never done this before.'

"Try to relax, there's no way they could get in."

Courage didn't relax. He wanted them to leave, and he won't be able to relax until they do. He took the headphones off and quietly walked out the attic door. Deciding he wanted to get a closer look at them, he slowly shut the door. As he walked down the hall and down the stairs, he kept his glare trained on the front door. The room's air was sound free. Not even a grunt could be heard from the other side of the door. He looked up at the blanket that covered a window, raising an eyebrow. Pulling at the side to get a peek at the monstrosities, he gasped. There they stood, just staring down the door. Luckily, none of them noticed the movement in the window. He gulped as he retreated from the viewing hole. He already knew they had to be dealt with, as food was running deplenished. He feared to even think about engaging those 'things'. Then he thought of his new friend. The next day, he would convince that kid to help him.