We can start and finish wars

We're what killed the dinosaurs
We're the asteroid that's overdue
The dinosaurs choked on the dust
They died because God said they must
The new world needed room
For me and you

-Our Love is God; performed by Evan Todd, Barrett Wilbert Weed, and Ryan McCartan in Heathers: The Musical

Scarlett let out a sigh, nibbling on her fingernails as she leaned back on the park bench she occupied. Just a couple feet in front of her, playing happily on the grass, were two German shepherds, siblings Charlie and Bo. Scarlett watched absently as her dogs chased, nipped, and tackled each other; thoroughly enjoying some time away from the young woman's apartment. Considering it was such a nice day, and considerably cooler than usual, it seemed only fair that Charlie and Bo be given the opportunity to stretch their legs. But as the minutes turned into hours, Scarlett found her mind wandering. From time to time, she'd think back to when she first adopted Charlie and Bo, at that animal shelter near the edge of town, just how adorable those two had been when Scarlett first laid eyes on them. They'd barely been a year old when they had been sent to the shelter, victims of neglect from a previous owner. Then Scarlett's mind would wander back to more current events, concerns about family on top of the weight that there was an unknown virus on the rise.

The virus was very recent; not really striking up much concern for anyone. For the most part, anyone who got infected were displaying mild symptoms. An on-again/off-again fever, achy joints, maybe even a cough. That was it. The only thing that seemed weird about the virus as a whole was that no one knew where it came from or what it was. Was it bacterial? Fungal? A weird strain of an already well known sickness? It was hard to say. And to make matters worse, no one was really willing to give out more information on it. For anyone who wasn't a scientist or a doctor, they were left in the dark. But that didn't seem to matter for a lot of people. They believed a vaccination would be made within the next couple months; that the virus would eventually die down and everything would return to normal. There were always those little scares with people getting sick, so it didn't come off as anything big or important. For Scarlett, however, she was worried about it.

Scarlett was a cancer survivor, having undergone surgery to remove a tumor on her spine. Sadly, there were still enough cancer cells left behind to cause problems, and the doctors suggested chemo and radiation to help get rid of it. It had been a couple months since Scarlett finished her treatment, being declared cancer-free, but part of her was still worried about the virus' impact on her body should she contract it. Since the chemo suppressed the young woman's immune system, that meant her body took a couple weeks to recover when she was announced healthy. As for the radiation, it didn't take as long to get out of her system. But even though her immune system should be functioning normally, and her body should be able to fight off infections like it had before, Scarlett was still scared. What if her body didn't fight off infections like it could previously? What if her cancer treatment altered her body in some weird fashion?* Those thoughts would flutter through her mind almost daily, even before news of the virus broke out. Shivering slightly, Scarlett wrapped her arms around herself. Letting out a whistle, she caught Charlie's and Bo's attention, their ears perked and their eyes alert.

"Let's go home," she announced, standing up. It was getting closer to evening, and Scarlett didn't want to stay out any longer than necessary.

. . . .

Scarlett Rosenfield rubbed her dogs' heads as they ate. Charlie and Bo were probably the two most important creatures in the young woman's life. The German shepherds helped Scarlett through her cancer treatment; they helped her feel better after she broke up with a long-term boyfriend. They helped her after her grandmother died and after her brother went off into the military. Charlie and Bo were Scarlett's support system, seemingly always knowing what to do to make her feel better. Maybe it was their way of thanking her for adopting them. Besides, the shelter worker said that the duo had been in a neglectful environment before. Maybe they were looking for a way to repay Scarlett. Either way, the young woman was grateful for them. She adored them, trying to make them feel as loved as possible. When she went to sit down at her kitchen table, she let out a sigh. Scarlett was thankful her landlord allowed pets in the building, she wasn't sure how she'd be able to live without her dogs.

Tapping her fingers on the wooded tabletop, Scarlett looked at her cell phone for a second. She'd brought it with her when she took Charlie and Bo to the park, in case anyone tried getting in touch with her. No texts, no voicemail, nothing. It had been like that for a while, no one getting in touch with Scarlett. Even during her time with cancer, none of her family or friends asked how she was doing. It made her wonder if they even cared about her anymore. When Charlie happily made her way over to Scarlett, the young woman smiled sadly.

"You finished all your food?" Scarlett cooed. "Is that it?" Charlie simply rested her head on Scarlett's lap. The young woman nodded and gently scratched her companion's head. A minute or two later, Bo trotted over and started licking Scarlett's arm. "Thanks, guys," she whispered. "I appreciate it."

(A/N):

A short chapter, maybe even poorly written. I'll leave that up to you guys. If you've got ideas on how to improve this story, don't hesitate to let me know, OK? I'd really like that.

I own nothing in TWD universe. All I own are my OCs and the subplots I put in. If you've got any ideas on OCs or subplots, PM me or leave a review.

Thanks a bunch.

Jasper