Land of the Dogs (Book 1)

by S. L. Rowland

  Boom! The roar of the shotgun blast was deafening inside the van. A dull ringing filled the air. Simon had managed to free his gun from his bag. The monster that attacked him rested quietly on side of the van, arms hanging limp through the window. His bottom jaw was the only part left of its head.

  “Claire, lay down.” She went as low as she could go, face planted against the floor. Both men were almost halfway over the seat. One had managed to grab Claire’s shirt and pulled it tight. Simon rattled off another deafening boom. And then another. Both bodies fell to the ground and a rotten stench filled the air.

  “Simon—” Claire began.

  “Not now. Grab your things and start moving. Before anymore show up.”

  Claire grabbed her bag and spear. Simon repacked his shotgun and picked up his bag and bat. The inside of the van was too small for either weapon to be of much use. He threw the bag of food over his shoulder and started down the highway.

  “Hold on a second.” Claire stopped and looked through her bag. The gun was at the very bottom. She pulled it out and tucked in under her waistband. “Never again.”

  They were a quarter-mile from the van before either spoke. “That’s the second time we’ve had a close call like that. We let our guard down and almost paid for it. I don’t know if we get a third strike,” said Simon.

  “You’re right. You’re right about it all. I guess I got caught up in the community of it all back at the Farm. Everything seemed so perfect. Even the way they wouldn’t kill them. But the truth is, we aren’t saviors. We are survivors. And to survive in this world, we have to eliminate the threats. So from now on, we shoot first and ask questions later.”

  Simon looked over to Claire and smiled. “That sounds like a great plan.”

  Everything looked drearier than usual due to the new fallen rain. A light mist hung in the air and fog was on the horizon. It was hard to see anything in the distance.

  “I’ve never seen fog so late in the day before,” said Simon. It hung in the air like clouds too heavy to float off the ground.

  Claire laughed. “Of all the things in this world, this is what surprises you.”

  “I’m just saying it’s weird is all.”

  “Yeah. There is a lot of weird stuff going on,” she said.

  They walked along in silence for a while. The only sound was the crunch of their boots on the pavement and the soft howl of the wind.

  “Claire?” Simon called.

  “Yes?”

  “What are we going to trade Justice for information?”

  “I have no idea. We don’t have much other than our guns. But after today, I’m afraid to part with them,” she said.

  “Yeah, I know what you mean. I was thinking if we come across any houses, then maybe we should go look inside,” said Simon.

  “That sounds like a pretty good plan. We should do it when we get closer though, so we don’t have to carry it all the way, whatever it is.”

  “That’s a good point, but the closer we get, there is a higher chance it has already been looted by them.”

  “Fair point,” said Claire. “How about we look first thing in the morning, after we are on the road again?”

  “Sounds good to me. What kind of things do you think they need?” he asked.

  “Weapons for sure. Maybe clothing. I guess they are good on food because of David, but you never know. Hopefully, we’ll know when we see it,” she said.

  The day seemed to grind to a halt as they made their way down the highway. The dull scenery repeated itself over and over. An abandoned car sat empty every few hundred feet. Empty houses stood sentry in the distance.

  Claire broke the silence. “You think there are still people out there? Living in their houses and trying to survive on their own?”

  Simon looked out at the houses in the distance, imagining families living inside them. “If there are, I’m sure they are having a hell of a time. It seems like it takes a small army to keep people fed and protected. I can’t imagine doing that with just a few people.” Something circled over the trees far away. “Do you see that over there? Are those birds?”

  Off in the distance, there were black birds making long passing circles overhead.

  “Yeah, that’s the first we have seen that weren’t at the Farm. Do you think there is something dead?” she asked.

  “Maybe. We should check it out. I don’t know what it might be, but we’re heading that way anyways.”

  Further down the road, they had pinpointed the area the birds were hovering over. A gravel driveway led back to a small house secluded in the woods. If not for the driveway, it might have gone unnoticed. Once they made their way down the driveway, they saw the house was actually more of a small cottage. It had stone walls and a stone tiled roof. Dying ivy clung to the side of the chimney. When the trees were lush and green, the house would have been completely hidden from view of the road.

  A slight yodel came from behind the house. “That sounded like a wolf howling,” said Simon. He pulled his shotgun from the bag, prepared for anything. Claire had her spear pointed forward; her gun nestled in the waistband of her pants.

  They slowly walked around the house, wary of what could be waiting on the other side. When they turned the corner, there was a man hanging from a tree with a noose around his neck. His arms waved back and forth when he spotted them. He hung limp but for his thrashing limbs. Beneath him stood a small dog, standing on all fours, the hair on its spine pointed in fear. It howled again as Simon and Claire continued to approach.

  “He’s already dead. He’s been here for a while,” said Claire. The man’s eyes were yellow, his arms gray and gaunt. His eyes and nose leaked pus and it ran down his face, dripping to a muddy brownish-yellow puddle on the ground. He moaned and gurgled at them as they approached. The dog was apprehensive of their arrival, but stood its ground.

  “Is that a fox?” asked Simon, looking at the dog. The dog was a reddish-orange with a black muzzle and slender like a fox. Its bushy tail hung low to the ground in fear.

  “No way. It’s a Shiba. They’re Japanese dogs. They were pretty popular on the internet a few years back. I bet this guy has been out here for a while now. They’re famous for being stubborn, but extremely loyal to their owners. There was a story about a Shiba that came back to the same bus stop every day for years after his owner died at work and never came home.”

  “It looks pretty hungry,” said Simon. The dog’s ribs were showing and his eyes were sunken in. It didn’t move, but kept howling. It was a sad howl. Like it had lost its best friend and didn’t know what else to do other than stay at the tree and guard him. It was a sound filled with a sad hope that one day the man might turn back into the friend it once knew and climb down from the tree.

  The man in the tree was in a frenzy now. Kicking and reaching for Simon and Claire but getting nowhere. “Can I see your spear?” asked Simon.

  “It’s okay. I’ll take care of it.” Claire walked over to the man hanging and slowly lifted her spear and pushed it through his eye. They heard a small pop and then the man hung motionless. The dog stopped howling. It somehow sensed that it was over. It laid on the ground and put its head to the earth, a long sigh blowing dirt away from its nose. Claire reached to pet the dog and it bared its teeth. “It’s okay, boy. I’m not gonna hurt you. Simon, hand me some beef jerky. Why do you think he tried to kill himself?” she asked.

  Simon rifled through the bag of food, pulled out a few small strips of jerky, and handed them to Claire. “I don’t know. Maybe he just couldn’t handle it.”

  Claire slowly moved the jerky towards the small dog, careful not to startle it. “It’s okay. I bet you’re hungry.” It sniffed at the food and then took it from her. The dog stood and ran behind the tree, devouring the jerky, then returned for more. It took the food, ran off again, then returned. The cycle repeated until it had eaten nearly all of the jerky.

  “I don’t even mind. He’s such a cute little guy. It is a boy, right?” S
imon dropped to his knees and put his hand out. The dog came over and gave his fingers a lick. “That’s a good boy. We’re not gonna hurt you.” Simon petted him on the head, then he looked at Claire.

  Claire got low to the ground and gave him a good look. “Yeah, he’s a boy.”

  “Do you want to take him with us?” Simon asked.

  “Well, we obviously can’t leave him here,” she smiled. The dog began to run around, his tail curled up around his back. “I think he wants to come.” The dog had been loyal to the end and beyond. But somehow he knew it was time to move on.

  “What should we call him?” asked Simon.

  “How about Hope?” asked Claire in return.

  “It sounds like a girl’s name, but I think it fits. We could both use a little hope every now and then,” he said.

  They turned back towards the road to leave and Hope started to follow. “Since we’re already here, we might as well take a look inside,” said Simon.

  They walked around to the front door of the cottage. It was an arched door with a single circular window and a doorknob in the shape of an ivy leaf. Claire twisted the knob. It creaked a little, but it was unlocked. Inside, the smell of decomposing flesh filled the air. It rushed out the door to greet Simon and Claire, inviting them inside. Hope gave a small whimper, as if telling them to turn back. Inside, there was very little natural light, but they could clearly make out the three bodies lying on the floor. The first was what appeared to be a woman in her thirties. She was wearing a faded blue dress. Her bloodstained brown hair fell across her face, almost covering the bullet hole in her forehead. Beside her lay two children, no older than ten. The boy was wearing a blue and white striped shirt with khakis, and the girl a yellow dress with red flowers. They both had bullet holes between their eyes. Hope came in and started licking the young girl on the cheek, all the while whimpering.

  “It’s okay, boy. They aren’t hurting,” said Simon. “Not anymore.”

  “He must have killed them. It couldn’t have been too long ago; they aren’t that badly decomposed. And either he couldn’t live with himself or ran out of bullets,” said Claire. There was a rifle laying on the small wooden table in the kitchen. “Or he couldn’t reach the trigger to shoot himself with the rifle, more likely. Such a shame. How could they live here for so long and not know about the Farm? The poor kids.”

  “I can’t imagine feeling so trapped that you would kill your own children. It must have been terrible. And then having to hang yourself.” Simon pulled a blanket off of the sofa that was against the back wall and draped it over the bodies. “Let’s take a quick look around and get the hell out of here.”

  “Check the kitchen first,” said Claire.

  The kitchen was small, but tidy. They had made the most use out of the small space available. Pots hung from overhead and shelves lined the entire room. All of the food had rotted long ago. Mounds of what appeared to be tomatoes sat in the windowsill, flies buzzing around them.

  “I think this might be useful,” said Claire. She pointed at a shelf filled with various teas and coffee. “I bet coffee is a rare commodity. There was very little at Town Hall, and I don’t think I saw any at the Farm. It’s worth a shot at least. And it’s easy to carry.”

  “I bet you’re right,” he said. “They have quite the collection too. Green tea, black tea, chai, look at all this herbal tea, must be twenty varieties. And the coffee, dark, medium, light, flavored; there must be something for everyone in here.” Simon grabbed the almost empty bag that had been used for their food from Town Hall and filled it with all the coffee and tea. “I definitely think this should get us some information. Let’s get out of here. The smell is starting to make me sick.”

  “Come on, Hope,” said Claire. “Let’s go, buddy.” He was still in the living room, curled up in a ball next to the little girl. When Simon and Claire started out the door, he got up and followed.

  They made decent progress during the remaining hours of the day. As the sun was starting to set, they found a wooded spot to hang their hammocks and camp for the night. They fed Hope some of their hard-boiled eggs.

  “He is such a cute dog,” said Simon. “Hopefully this will put a little weight on him.”

  “Yeah. He’s been through a lot,” said Claire. They climbed into their hammocks. “Have a good night, buddy.” Hope curled up at the foot of the tree.

  Hope was no longer sleeping beneath the tree when Simon woke the next morning.

  “Where do you think he went?” he asked Claire. Simon whistled as he looked out into the woods.

  “Probably out exploring or looking for food, though I doubt there is much to find.”

  They packed their bags and had a breakfast of apples, strawberries and a hardboiled egg.

  “Do you think we will make it to the High School by nightfall?” asked Claire.

  Simon pulled out the map to see where they were. “It seems we made pretty good progress yesterday, even with all the stops. So that puts us about fourteen miles out. I was thinking that if we made ten to twelve miles today, we could camp for the night and arrive around noon tomorrow.”

  “That works for me. Do you still want to stop by a few houses? Just to see?” asked Claire.

  “I guess it wouldn’t hurt. We probably shouldn’t put all of our eggs in one basket anyways. They might not even like tea.” It had been a great find, but Simon wasn’t completely confident that several boxes of coffee and tea would get them the answers they needed.

  Something moved in the bushes behind them. Claire pulled her gun out, aiming it at whatever hid behind the bush. The sound continued for a few seconds, sending leaves falling to the ground until two small paws poked out and Hope came running towards them. His mouth was a pinkish red, small drops of blood lingering on his muzzle.

  “Looks like he found something to eat,” said Simon. He didn’t want to think about what it could have been.

  Claire petted him on the head and back. “Yes, it does. What a good boy.” Hope ran towards the road, looking back at them, ready to begin the adventure. “Alright. It looks like he’s ready.”

  “Let’s get moving then,” Simon said.

  The walk was not as bad as the day before, though Simon’s feet continued to ache. It didn’t rain, even though the clouds were still hanging overhead, and the wind, although still blowing, wasn’t a concern. As they traveled down the road, Hope would lead the way. Occasionally, he would disappear into the woods for fifteen to twenty minutes at a time, but always returned.

  Around noon, they stopped for lunch. It was a humid day and their clothes stuck to their bodies like an extra layer of skin. Hope lay down in the road, absorbing the heat into his body. They ate roasted corn and the remainder of the jerky, sharing a strip with Hope. They finished the meal with another apple.

  “Can you imagine eating like this back in the day?” asked Simon. “So much healthy food.”

  “Not really,” said Claire. “It’s funny to think about it. So much fast food and sugar. When it first happened, it was hard. I can still remember the sugar and caffeine withdrawals. But after all that, I don’t know if my body has ever felt so clean. It’s too bad it took this for the world to get back to natural eating.”

  “If things ever get back to normal, I might shoot the first person that tries to open a fast food restaurant,” he laughed.

  “If things ever get back to normal. Yeah, right. Even if we somehow manage to rebuild civilization, things will never be normal again,” she said.

  “You think? There have been bad things to happen in the past. Don’t you remember reading about the Dark Ages in school?” asked Simon.

  “Do you?” She gave Simon an incredulous look. “Think about how much knowledge was lost in that time. They didn’t just pick up where they left off. Countless inventions and medical discoveries were just lost. Some of them took hundreds of years to be rediscovered. Some of them still haven’t been, I would guess. I think that if we somehow come out of this, th
en things will be fundamentally different on a lot of levels. And it all depends on who ends up in charge.” She waited for Simon to interject and when he didn’t, she continued. “Just think about it. So far we have been to two different settlements, each ran in a different way, and we know of a third. Let’s say the Mayor somehow rises to power over all of the United States. He would be like a president of sorts. Essentially making all the calls, but leaving things to be handled by individual people with their own responsibilities. It would be a little different than our previous government, because there is no congress or supreme court, but you get the point.

  “Now let’s say that David is in charge. He also gives different people responsibilities and they all report to him, but they do it because he is their spiritual leader. If he rises to power and this becomes a religious state, like many Middle Eastern countries, everything will revolve around religion. All the rules and laws have to be based upon the rules of the Bible. Now even though we don’t know a lot about him, let’s say Justice is in charge. And everything we surmise is based on the rumors we have heard. If he is in charge, then this becomes a military state. Not unlike the assholes in North Korea who started all this. Everything would be based around our ability to dominate our enemies and everyone’s job would be for the benefit of the military and its leaders. The common people cease to exist for any purpose other than to provide for the military. Those are just three options, based on the three settlements we have heard of. And I can guarantee you that across the country, there are countless others that could lead the country in a completely different way.”

  “Damn, Claire. I always knew you were smart, but wow. It really sounds like you know your stuff.” Claire had always been the smart one in the family. Their Dad had always pushed her to follow in his footsteps and become a lawyer.

  “I do. I’m more than just a pretty face. These are things you need to be thinking about, too. Because once we find Mom and Dan, we are going to have to make a decision about where to live and who to support. Things aren’t going to stay like this forever. We need to ensure that when things start to get rebuilt, we are on the right side. A side that takes care of its people. All people,” she said.