I couldn't sleep.

What was that scrunchy noise I heard? I swore I just saw something move up ahead. I could hear wild dogs howling nearby. The drone of the giant bloatflies still buzzed in my ears. I flinched every time I felt something crawl up against my skin; like I could feel the sticky legs of the radroaches creep up my legs and arms. I felt sick to my stomach, and I knew the cram was gonna come up any second.

I clenched my eyes shut. I pulled my knees to my chest as I lay on an old, deflated mattress. The metal springs jabbed at my back every time I shifted my body. I swallowed down the bile coming up my throat, and I took a deep breath.

There was nothing I could do but sleep and wait for the sun to come up. Codsworth was right next to me; I could hear his mechanical wheezing and tinkling of his metal arms. Everything would be okay. I shut my eyes for the second time, waiting for that heavy feeling to wash over me and make all the sounds go away.

Except that didn't work. It only made things worse. I shut my eyes and then suddenly everything was dark and cold. I was in the cryopod. My breathing quickened. I pounded on the door, screaming for help. I saw mom being shot again and again. Shaun's sharp cries were piercing my ears. I kept pounding til my knuckles starting bleeding. Then I saw Dad lying there in front of me, his dead eyes peering into my own. I crouched in a helpless ball like a baby, and then the man who took Shaun away appeared out of thin air. He just stood and stared at me, 'til out of the blue he started cackling like a maniac, kicking Dad's lifeless body like a rag doll. I screamed and screamed and screamed.

I woke up with tears streaming down my face. The rising sun was burning my eyes, and I knew it was time to move.

"Codsworth?"

I looked to my left and right. He was gone. I thought I heard him right beside me last night. I panicked. Where did he go? He would never leave me. I had to look for him. The pit in my stomach came again.

"Miss Joanna!" I heard that robotic voice call my name. I sighed in relief, slouching my shoulders. I guess shouldn't be worrying that much. Codsworth would never leave me.

"You gave me the biggest heart attack Codsworth! I totally thought you left me hanging there for a second."

"I would never! I didn't want to disturb you in your sleep. I know very much that a young girl such as yourself needs plenty of sleep to function properly," he pulled out a worn backpack from his storage compartment, "I found a bag for you to carry things. Such is needed for you to collect knick knacks from all over the Commonwealth."

"I bet I'll find a lot to hoard along the way," I quickly wiped the tears off my dirty face, slipping the backpack on my shoulders. It was made of a sturdy canvas and leather material, and I knew it would hold up on our journey, "Thanks Codsworth."

"Are you alright, Miss Joanna? You do seem a little shaken. Perhaps you had a bad dream?"

I laughed lightly. My head and my body felt groggy, "You guessed it pal. Don't worry, I'll be alright. Throw me a packet of Fancy Lads and let's get goin'."

We set out at around noon. I was surprised that the pip-boy automatically showed the date and time without me having to adjust anything. Still, it might've been the wrong time for all I knew.

I saw the bridge overlooking the lazy river that circled Sanctuary Hills, and my breath hitched.

Was that a human? They were laying on their belly, limbs splayed out and everything. Their blood pooled at their head, and flies were starting to circle the flesh exposed to the air.

"Oh dear! Let's just keep going Joanna. No need to stick around the dead any longer," Codsworth ushered me forward.

"Yeah, I agree. We should get outta here," I quickly walked past the body. That feeling inside my stomach never went away. I've seen dead people in the comics, even in some of the documentaries of the war they used to show us in school. But none of that was anything compared to what lay behind me.

"I wonder who they were. Do you think they might have anything useful on them?"

"My guess is that they're most likely a part of the Raiders, from the way they are dressed. And if we're lucky, we'll find better steals around the wasteland. No need to risk you contracting a disease from that rotting corpse. The Raiders aren't very friendly people, so I would stay clear of them if I were you."

"Well at least I know i'm not the only human around this wasteland," I muttered.

And with that, we moved onwards. We crossed the wooden bridge as carefully as we could. One wrong move and I could tumble into the water below.

"So what else have you been doing besides cleaning all these years? Things must've been really boring with nobody to talk to."

"Oh, things have been so dull without your company, Joanna. There really wasn't much to do besides keeping out the occasional bloatfly nest or colony of radroaches that threatened to make their homes in Sanctuary Hills. I would have never allowed that, of course. Even though a part of me thought that you and your family were gone, I had a feeling that someone would come back eventually. Anyone. And now, here you are!"

I chuckled, "Everything's so different. There's so much more to worry about out here."

"That is very true. Not only are there giant bugs to worry about, the animals have gotten quite bigger also! Not to mention the raiders, ghouls, and super mutants that roam the land."

"Ghouls? As in zombies? And what are super mutants?" I raised a brow.

"Well, feral ghouls are essentially irradiated humans who've been exposed to the radioactive fallout far too long. They lose their ability to think like you do, so they are very dangerous. But we will also encounter regular ghouls on our journey, and those ones are just like normal people. They just look a little different. But that's the beauty of our post-war world, I would say."

"What about super mutants? Why are they called that?"

"I would recommend you to stay as far away as possible from any super mutant you encounter, my dear. You'll be able to tell what they are from a mile away! They're very big and green. It would be best to avoid them as much as possible."

I scratched my head, "Jeez, there must be at least some things that are still normal around here."

As I glanced ahead, Red Rocket gas station was right in front of us. I could smell the gasoline, and it brought me back to the countless times Dad would refuel the car there. Mom would always complain about how expensive gas was getting. Sometimes, if I was having a lucky day, Dad would bring me inside and buy me an ice cold bottle of Nuka-Cola and a pack of bubble gum.

We got closer to the gas station. A loud bark shot through the air, and I shrieked and pulled out my gun with shaking hands. But then I came to my senses, and a dog seemed to appear out of nowhere. It ran right towards me, and I sighed in relief.

"Hey pal! I almost thought you were gonna eat me there for a second," I ruffled a hand through his coarse, thick fur. He barked, and I could see a twinkle in his eyes. Suddenly, he brought his two front paws to my chest and licked my face happily. I burst out in laughter, toppling to the ground as he seemed to embrace me in a giant bear hug. It was as if he hadn't seen another human in a million years. Something we both had in common.

"Looks like you've got no owner," I examined the collar strapped to his neck. The dog tag had been broken off. "I guess it's just gonna be you, me, and Codsworth, eh?"

"What a wonderful dog! He doesn't look too shabby for the canines I've seen around here," Codsworth exclaimed. "He doesn't seem to exhibit any signs of rabies or the like. He'd be good protection."

"And a good companion! I just gotta figure out a name for this new guy." I brought a hand up to my chin in thought, tapping my foot to find some inspiration. This had to be a unique name, anything but the ordinary.

"How about Charlie? Or Ollie? Cute names for an energetic pup such as him."

"Nah. Too generic. Everyone named their labs Charlie or Ollie back when Sanctuary wasn't blown to bits." I tapped my foot some more. The dog gave me a curious tilt of his head. Those big brown eyes of his were waiting for an answer. "How about Dogmeat?"

"Dogmeat? I hope you don't intend to eat the poor thing later tonight, Miss Joana…"

"Of course not! Just seems fitting for this lil' guy. He seems to like it anyway." I smiled, ruffling his fur some more. He probably would've been fine with any name I gave him.

"Joanna, have you been carrying an unloaded gun this entire time? What good would that do you in an emergency?" Codsworth lifted my gun up from the ground with his claw. He was flabbergasted, as Dad would have said.

"I…" I stammered, "I thought that maybe one of these days I would teach myself. Dad never taught me how to use a gun 'cause Mom never let. I've got some bullets right here," I pulled out the box of ammunition from my pocket.

"Oh dear! How can you teach yourself how to shoot when you're not even sure how to hold a gun!"

"Well can you teach me Codsworth? If there's so much to worry about out here, I've gotta learn how to protect myself."

"I'm afraid my databases have no knowledge in handling armed weapons, my lady. But I agree wholeheartedly that you should learn how to protect yourself. God knows what I would do if I lost you out here!"

"Darn," I mumbled to myself, throwing the pack of bullets in my bag. Codsworth handed me the gun, and I holstered it to my belt in defeat, "Maybe we'll meet a friendly guy along the way who'll be willing to help us out. Right Dogmeat?"

Dogmeat gave a resounding bark in agreement, and headed towards the gas station, as if leading me to something.

"Well look what we have here."