Chapter 1: Back in Town

            The sun rose to another day, giving light to the dark and terrifying world. Under it shone a city where little was left, save for the buildings and skyscrapers that were slowly degrading. Further towards the outskirts of the city there was a sign reading, “Welcome to Colorado Springs”. “Welcome” wasn’t exactly what people felt when they entered the weathered, torn city now. Instead they felt a feeling of dread, knowing it was more dangerous to go into this city than it was to stay in a small town or one building. But the risk was worth it to some. If one could get in and out they would have many resources that would aid them in several ways. Even more dangerous, if one could get into the Air Force base they could find more supplies than many would ever see, including rations, guns, and gas. However, almost no one made it out alive, adding to the already high death rate of the city, or they became the creature that hunted them to the brink of insanity. Such were the ways of the ruins of Colorado Springs.

            That was Dallas’ purpose for being on the outskirts of the city right now: to search for those supplies. Over the past year, Dallas and his friend Grant created a small society of survivors centered around Grant’s fortress of a mansion. They had been living off the small remains of towns and houses on the outskirts of the city for the past year; Grant had wanted to wait at least that long before attempting to scout the decrepit place. Now that that year had passed, Grant figured it would be safe enough to scout out the city at least. So he sent his best, Dallas, to find out what the area was like after everything changed. Along with his dog, Dodge, who he found in the forests around the mansion, Dallas prepared to enter the city, making sure they had everything they would need to survive at least a week. With the pack he had filled with food and water, he also carried a bowie knife, bow, several arrows of different use, and a hand gun for sticky situations. Having all he needed, he set out on the one day trip to get to Colorado Springs, telling Grant he would be back within a week.

            “What if you’re not back in a week?” Grant questioned.

            Dallas chuckled, “Then you know the city isn’t safe.”

            When he said this, the friends laughed, knowing that if anyone could make it in and out of Colorado Springs it was Dallas.

            Dallas smiled at the small memory, and with the wind blowing on his rugged face and through his ruffled brown hair he set his blue eyes on the city, ready to take on this challenge. Though he was younger than most of the men back at the Fortress (that’s what the survivor site was called), being only 21, Dallas was one of the more skilled survivors of the group. He knew what to look for, what to take risks on and what not to, and never failed to come back to the Fortress. Dallas was stealthy and fast, making him good at getting in and out of tough situations, which is why Grant used him as much as he did. His skill with the bow and knife made him all the more useful, and deadlier. Looking over at Dodge, Dallas signaled him. With a small click of his tongue and a “Let’s go”, Dodge followed the young, yet experienced, scout.

Dodge was a full grown dog, but still young, no more than five. He was found while Dallas was on a scouting trip in the forests and saw that three men were trying to attack Dodge, while one was on the forest floor, bleeding out. After the attackers were defeated, Dallas decided to take the border collie with him, naming him Dodge after he “dodged a bullet” with the attackers. It was not long before Dodge showed how useful he could be in scouting situations. Being trained by Dallas the grown pup knew what to look for and when to be quiet. He also knew to be careful, learning that he could be infected as easily as any human. Dallas took pride in this proud beast, constantly cleaning his black and white coat, and making sure he wasn’t carrying too much in the small pack Dallas put on him. After about 8 months together they became inseparable, almost always by each other’s side. Master and companion, it was a bond that was formed on trust and one that would never wan. With the command given to him by Dallas, Dodge let out a small bark to know he understood and followed his master down the road towards Colorado Springs.

As the pair approached the outskirts of the city, Dallas found out that it was right of Grant to wait a year for things to settle down in the once sprawling metropolitan area. The first sight he witnessed was the hanging body of a headless man attached to a hook, holding a sign saying “Warning: All who enter will die, he’s an example”. Dallas assumed the sign meant the corpse holding it, but it could have been any number of bloodied corpses that were next to him on the highway sign. It was a gruesome sight, nothing for the faint of heart to see. It was only the beginning.

The further the pair traveled in the city, the more gruesome and mangled the warnings and corpses became. They even scouted out a small building that looked like a store, but in actuality, a graveyard would be a more appropriate term. He saw remains upon remains of humans, some cuddled together showing they wished their last moments to be with their loved ones, others holding guns or knives, showing they committed suicide or died fighting. However, the most gruesome sight was the one at the back of the store.

It was a man wearing the badge “Manager” on his shirt. His eyes had been gouged out leaving empty sockets staring at you, along with an unhinged jaw with skin still on it, hanging by a few intact sinews and muscles. And that was just the head, which was hanging from the ceiling above the actual corpse. The weight of the man’s body caused it to dislocate itself from the head and it wasn’t any prettier. Mangled arms and legs, broken bones coming out of the skin and worst of all, the chest and stomach carved open to show the man’s insides. The pieces of him that belonged inside were gone or spilt on the floor under the head. Accompanying the scene was a smell, it smelt not only of a dying and decomposing man, but of a dying soul. Once he found out the smell, it was a gruesome sight Dallas couldn’t look at any longer. He and Dodge made a quick survey of the store, finding only five rounds of rifle ammo and a couple packs of ramen, no water and nothing worthy of mention to the scavengers back at the Fortress.

“Better than nothing”, mumbled Dallas “we need to get out of here. I can’t take this anymore. Let’s go, Dodge.”

They quickly left the graveyard-store, Dallas knowing enough that they would not be returning.

The city itself was in as much disarray as the bodies the pair found. Skyscrapers, testaments to mankind’s advancement in architecture, were toppled over and broken in two. Many were still standing but some were completely gone, fallen to the earth and turned into rubble by time. Buildings were covered with vines, showing the passage of time and the care that they did not receive. Areas were ransacked and dismantled, signs that many scavengers had passed through the city. Whether they made it out or not was impossible to determine, but Dallas believed many didn’t make it out at all, possibly no one. More than likely, most of them adorned the city’s buildings and the highway signs leading towards the destroyed area.

After examining the city and going through a few more graveyard-like buildings, Dallas decided it was time to find somewhere to set up camp and explore more the next day. While going through the city for the first time he remembered seeing an abandoned store with a cellar.

‘It could be populated with something else’, Dallas’ thoughts were bouncing in his mind. ‘But I really have no choice, and it’s not like I haven’t handled a basement sweep before.’

So the cellar would work, for now. Dallas and Dodge retraced their steps through the ruins of the skyscrapers and dismantled buildings. They did so at a much quicker pace than they did making their first round through the city. The sun was beginning to set, and Dallas knew what comes out at the beginning of twilight. He could already begin to hear the snarls and the shrieks coming from the abandoned buildings. As they reached the run down store, Dallas and Dodge quickly entered the basement concealed in the back.

The duo did a quick sweep of the place, Dallas always at the ready with his knife. They quickly found no one to be there, not even a corpse, which was slightly eerie. Looking around the area, Dodge found a relatively dry spot where they could sleep for the night. After digging around the small basement Dallas was able to come up with enough wood and kindling for a small fire. He began cooking a meal. With the safe environment around them it almost felt like a real home, but he knew that that could change at any minute. Once Dallas and Dodge finished their quick meal of ramen, dried fruit and jerky, Dallas took count of the small amounts of supplies and notable scavenging spots they found today. 

“Well, let’s see what we reeled in today, Dodge!” His canine companion replied with a happy, but quiet, bark. “Okay, we have the rifle bullets from the first store, some food, a couple of dog biscuits…”

He looked at Dodge, who was already begging for one of the treats.

“Hey, we have to save these. Who knows when we might need them.” Dallas replied jokingly.

And with that, Dodge gave him the puppy dog face he could not resist.

“Fine here you go, you mangy mongrel.”

Dodge barked with glee, devouring the small treat in seconds.

At this, Dallas gave a laugh, “I’m gonna spoil ya someday. Don’t ever say I treat you badly.”

The tired scout chuckled a little more at his own joke, glad to see his companion enjoying a little treat. He continued looking through the catch of the day.

“A pocket watch. Grant will like that. A book… Huh… Not just any book, it’s one of Hemingway’s works!”

Dallas jumped with glee, happy to receive a small treat himself. Hemingway was his favorite author and to have another one of his books was a great surprise. The book was titled A Farewell to Arms, one of Dallas’ favorites.

“I’ll make sure to read you!” he exclaimed with happiness in his groggy voice.

He finished combing through the items he found in the city. There was nothing else that was of much note. Some water, a couple of knives, and some coloring books for the few children around the Fortress. Dallas was about to call it quits, when he noticed he missed something in his pack. It was shining, and looked gold. He recognized the little trinket quickly, forgetting he packed it with him. It was one of Dallas’ most prized possessions. A golden locket with a picture of a girl with equally golden hair in it. The locket wasn’t worn by Dallas himself since he was afraid he would damage it somehow, and in no way could this item be damaged, slightly or otherwise.

Slowly he opened the locket, looking at the picture enclosed in it with longing. The locket was given to him as a gift for his birthday when he visited her, something that let him know they would be together someday and that they would never forget each other. He wanted nothing else but to be with this girl, yet he didn’t even know if she was alive. She lived in Chicago when the apocalypse began. The first thing Dallas wanted to do was go and find her, but Grant needed him to start up the small survivor’s settlement now known as the Fortress. Ever since then, he has been asking for any news from any survivors or people he came across about Chicago. Dallas hadn’t received an answer about it yet. And if it was anything like Colorado Springs… He stopped the thought before it could go any further.

‘Someday… Someday I’ll find you. I know you’re alive… You were always strong and stubborn like that’

Dallas began to reminisce about the better times they had, missing them terribly. The heart break of not being near her when this happened followed instantly. He quickly shoved those memories aside, not wanting to feel any pain or dream about his blonde beauty.

To get his mind off of her, Dallas pulled out a pen and map and marked and labeled places of note that he scouted out today. Eventually, his mind began to ebb away from the girl of his dreams. A little while after he felt Dodge put his head on his lap, a sign that the canine was tired and needed to rest.

“I guess we both need a little snooze, huh?” he questioned Dodge, not expecting a response.

Dallas put out the small fire he started and packed up any excess food left by the pair. He then took off his sleeveless hoodie and used it as a pillow, laying back on it and closing his eyes, quickly falling asleep. The muffled sounds of those outside could be heard, but by then the two had learned to tune it out. They knew they wouldn’t be able to sleep if such noises still bothered them. A few small terrifying screams accompanied the sounds, startling the pair slightly. This proved the danger of the city of ruins, but more importantly, it proved the danger of this world of ruins.