"But your son's out there," drones Mama Murphy, in her strange, dreamy voice. "And even I don't need the Sight to tell you where you should start lookin'. The Great Great Jewel of the Commonwealth. Diamond City. The biggest settlement around."

"What's in Diamond City? Is Shaun there?"

October 23, 2287

It's hard to say if I believe her. Mama Murphy is clearly a junkie, but none of the other people in Preston Garvey's little group tell me her idea that Diamond City is where I should go to start looking for Shaun. I take everything I can find near my old home, food, stimpacks, and ammo.

The dog I ran into at the old Red Rocket station is still following me around, but I don't mind. Someone tells me his name is Dogmeat. Brash, but it's stuck in my mind now. I make my way south on the same highway I used to take into Boston for my law school days. Everything is destroyed, and I can't get over how different the world looks. Nothing is green. The roads are littered with shells of old cars and broken asphalt. I tread cautiously everywhere we go, but we still run into mutated insects, wild dogs, and insane people; all ready to kill Dogmeat and I without a word.

As we make our way to the outskirts of Boston, the sun begins to go down. My Pipboy glows slightly out of the corner of my eye. I glance down at the nuclear green letters across the screen.

IN RANGE: MILITARY FREQUENCY AF95

"What's this?"

I turn the dial until I can view the radio menu. I didn't even notice there were radio stations available in this barren world. Sure enough, the military frequency is available, along with another called "Diamond City Radio."

"Interesting," I speak aloud … again. Dogmeat looks at me as though I'm talking to him.

Flipping on the military frequency, a woman's voice comes out of my little speakers:

"Automated message repeating. This is scribe Haylen with squad Gladius to any unit within range of transmission…"

A snarl sounds nearby and Dogmeat barks. A pair of mongrel canines leap at the dog. MY dog, and start snapping at his neck. Quickly, I pull out the homemade pistol I picked up along the way and start shooting as carefully as I can, aiming for their bodies, hoping they will drop quickly. One turns to me and starts running. I aim straight at its' head, practically shooting down it's throat. The wild animal drops before it can touch me.

Dogmeat yelps as he is bitten again. I fire one last shot at the remaining mongrel and it slumps to the ground.

Pulling him to his feet, I help the pup into a nearby abandoned house. I patch Dogmeat's wounds and feed him a bit of old Dandy Boy Snack Cakes I find in the kitchen. In one of the bedrooms I find an old mattress. The room is half collapsed, but I figure it's the best we can do. I'm exhausted from all the fighting I've done today. My bones ache and it doesn't seem to matter how many stimpacks I jab into my leg, I still hurt.

Dogmeat crawls over next to me on the mattress, clearly aware we're going to get some shuteye. I just hope that nothing will find us while we sleep.