Survivor

Steve sat on the hood of his car, looking down an empty street in the country. He thought he would take some time to enjoy the sunrise as it rose that day. He was starting to realize that every day was going to be a gift from here on. The night had brought up a lot of questions that he just did not have the answers to. All he knew for sure was he is still alive today. What he was not sure of was if he would be celebrating another day tomorrow, or if he would end up with the same fate as almost everyone else in his small town. It seemed everywhere he looked he would find another body. He did not know if he would find the same thing in the next town over. He hoped not. He did not understand why he has been lucky

and not fallen into the same mad disease that everyone has. But he did believe that if he was okay, then there must be others out there that are okay, too.

Steve took a drift of his last cigarette and moved into the driver's seat of his '89 Dodge. A classic that just seemed to continue to run no matter what he did to it. He started the car and decided to take one slower ride around town looking for survivors. As he drove around the few blocks that made up the small town, he noticed that there was a commonality amongst the dead. All of them laid face up. Not even one was face down. Why did that matter? What was the significance of that small detail? Steve would have to continue to find out. The answer was out there, but it would only be found in the next town over.

Steve saw some movement in the bushes at one house. He stopped the car and got out to see if it was another survivor. The closer he got to the bushes, the more nervous he became. Then he saw what was there. A young German Shepard. Scared and shaking. Steve called him over. "Here boy. Come on." The young pup could not have been more than a year old. He seemed nervous and reluctant to approach Steve. But he slowly moved closer. Steve, holding his right hand out, continued to gently call the dog over. When the dog finally made it to Steve, he sniffed his hand. "A friend," he thought. His tail wagged and the dog was happy to find someone.

Steve and his new best friend walked to the car and got in. And with a new friendship in the making, they continued to the next town.

(Your turn... Finish the story.)