Dog. After the Apocalypse from the POV of a surviving dog. (standard:adventure, 11333 words)
Author: Oscar A Rat	Added: Jul 21 2020	Views/Reads: 1446/948	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
Dog is an intelligent mutant, born after mankind is virtually wiped out. This is his story.

The kill is anticlimactic.  After long minutes stalking the victim,
concentrating my entire being into each tiny advance, it's still 
unaware of its inevitable demise. 

The rabbit munches on a sparse overgrown plot of grass, satisfied in
finding any sustenance within the barren landscape of an abandoned 
stone quarry.  The creature is constantly rotating its large ears in a 
vain effort to search out danger, nose twitching to scent adversaries.  
To no avail.  I am hunter and rabbit is prey.  With a final lunge, I'm 
on the leporid like, well, a dog on a rabbit. 

I am "Dog," with a capital "D."  With the demise of most humans, I own
this land.  At least this valley. 

I was born far away, near the ocean.  When and where I was a pup we --
my mother, brother and I -- lived a hectic life.  There were many 
enemies and we were required to be alert and keep moving to survive. 

Of course, there weren't many humans left alive.  I was born with an
instinctive distrust of humans.  Besides, they don't taste very good.  
During my first winter, my mother found a dead one.  We were very 
hungry and had to eat from it.  Although it tasted bad and the very act 
seemed inherently somehow wrong, it did fill our stomachs. 

The time came for me to leave Mother and go out on my own.  For several
years, I wandered the land.  When full grown, I found this valley.  
Here, I have plenty to eat in good weather and, since making peace with 
the few humans here, also find it easy to survive in winter.  Tired and 
older, I think I'll stay. 

My first contact with humans was finding one with a fresh kill, a
possum. Not having had any occasion to fear them, I stood back and 
growled.  I suppose I thought I could maybe scare it away. 

I was surprised when the human did leave, giving me the entire kill. 
Since then, I've done the same -- numerous times.  Not that I overly 
threaten them, simply being seen and a little growling seems to do it.  
I stand five-feet tall and weigh more than many of them, which no doubt 
helps. 

Apparently the sight of me frightened them.  I was the intelligent one
in my litter and it sometimes astounds me how stupid most animals, 
including humans, are.  But then, although tall, they have only tiny 
fangs and claws. 

At first, we simply avoided each other, but I became curious and visited
their camps at night.  I found humans also live with dogs.  Most are 
tiny little things that are so frightened of me that they turn tail and 
run when I come close.  Now used to seeing me, and that I don't 
threaten them, they're mostly silent, but I can feel them following me 
with frightened eyes.  And I can smell the fear. 

The valley has many deer and long-legged goats. I've never been able to
sneak up on or catch either, since they can easily outdistance me. 

The first winter in this place was harsh and I was weak with hunger. 
While I chased a deer, it ran toward a group of humans that were also 
hunting food. 

One of them pointed a stick at the deer.  I heard a fearsome “Crack” and
the deer fell. 

Hanging back, I growled to make them leave their kill for me.  They must
have been hungry too, because they didn't leave that time.  I didn't 
fear them, not knowing the danger the stick represented, but stayed 
clear since there were a lot of them.  They stayed, while one of them 
cut up the animal.  Then they left, leaving me plenty of entrails and 
the head to eat.  Even a good-sized amount of meat. 

*** 

“Well, it looks like we crapped out, Julie.”  Larry Campbell groaned
through his red beard. “We'll hunt for another hour or so and then head 
home. We should have found something by now,” he continued as he 
scanned the immediate area.  “My guess is the game is sheltering from 


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