“Callaway! Get over here right now!” I didn’t even care anymore. I just went to my room and locked the door. “Open the door right now!” She was practically shaking the whole house. “No! I don’t care if I wake up and everyone is gone!” This must have hit hard because she didn’t say a word and all that was heard after that was her bedroom door close. If I knew this would have been the last conversation I would have had with my mom, I would take back everything that I said, hug her, and never let go. At the time all that was on my mind was how beautiful the moon looked through my window. I just laid on my twin bed. Gazing at the night sky. I don’t even remember falling asleep. It just, happened.
When I finally awoke. I turned on my T.V to look at some cartoons before I got ready to go to school. There was nothing but static. I flipped through more channels trying to find something, but it was all the same. I decided it was time for me to get breakfast. As I looked around the fridge the first thing that grabbed my attention was my leftover birthday cake from the day before. It still had a number eight candle on top of it. Sitting down to eat my cake it wasn’t long until I heard a loud squeaking bark. I look down from the table to see my eight month old German Shepard Felix. His bowl was in front of him meaning he was hungry. “Quiet down or you’ll wake up mom.” I look at the clock on the wall and it says 8:40. “Mom is going to be late for work!” I ran upstairs to her room. “Mom?” I say as I opened her door. However, she wasn’t there. “Mom?” I started to run around the house yelling for her. I made sure not to forget the garage. Her car was still there. I ran next door to Ms. Pam’s house. No one was there. I knocked on every door that was on my street. No one answered. No one was here. I walked back to my house questioning where everyone was. I finally got home, went to the living room, and sat on the couch. I started crying. I felt something cold touch my hand; it was Felix. He jumped on the couch and laid on my lap. Finally I was forced to do something to I never wanted to do. Call my dad. He left my mom when I was five, saying how he would rather be out drinking than to be with us. He lives in Texas now and calls every other month to see how I’m doing. Talking to him isn’t an enjoyable thing to do and the hate towards him from me is more than he will ever know. However, I just wanted to hear from someone, anyone. I pressed the keys on the home phone, but with every key I pressed the phone grew heavier. The phone rang for what seemed like forever until. “Hey it’s Dan, and Sophie, leave a message at the tone. “Sophie? Who’s Sophie?” I didn’t care anymore. How could I when there was no one to lash out on.
A month passed and there was still no sign of anyone, just Felix and I. At this point I’m starting to eat more canned food than any other type of food. The power has stopped working and on top of that water is a major priority now since the tap can’t be used anymore. My head is starting to get around the idea of surviving, and Felix. Keeping him safe is something I must do. If he dies, I’ll surely lose my mind; along with my will to live. This is the start of my new life. With no one else to be dependent on, but Felix and myself. A life of surviving, seeing how long I would last.
Years passed, 10 if I’m not mistaken. In that time canned food has been my major means of food, along with fruits and vegetables from a garden I made in the backyard. While going through peoples homes for supplies I found several guns and knives, Once supplies could no longer be found near me breaking into stores didn’t seem like a bad idea. Its not illegal if no one catches you. Am I right? Felix is a little above my hip and very well trained since I was the only person around. He helps me catch game from the forest that’s a couple miles away from my house. We go there three to four times a month since it does take some time to get there. Felix listens to a plethora of commands making him extremely useful while hunting. Surviving wasn’t that difficult as I imagined. What made it easier were the survival books from the library down the road from my house. No matter how many books I read though. It still couldn’t take my mind off of everyone that used to be around me. With each passing day I miss them more and more. Some days all I do is lay in bed. Eventually getting up is something I have to do because of Felix. On these days I get some game we have stored and just prepare it a bit and then give it to him, immediately going back into bed. He follows me into my room and just sits there looking at me. Wondering what exactly is going on with me. “This house has a lot of memories don’t it boy?” I wait for a response from him, only to remember that I never will. My mind is starting to fall apart, break. Walking into a room makes me feel as if I’m getting punched in the face by the past, which once was my present. “Ill completely lose my mind here. We need to leave before that happens.” I tell Felix, who’s still just sitting there questioning why it is that I’m so upset. Everywhere around here just reminds me of a bunch of stuff so where should I go? That’s when it hit me. The forest. That’s the only place I feel I’m at one with no distractions of the world I once knew, and so I packed my bags with all that I needed. Leaving everything else behind except my dog.
We walked for 2 days. Breaking into houses and sleeping on the dust filled furniture for those nights. Arriving there was the easy part. Now came the harder stuff. Getting a small fire going before the sun went down and getting kindle for the night. We barely got the fire started before the moon started coming out. I was tired and so was Felix. So I decided to do start the shelter tomorrow and get some rest. Placing my backpack by the fire to keep warm I lay down next to it and used it as a pillow. I woke up later in the night to Felix barking and growling out into the forest. I wake up confused to what it is that he has his attention to. I get my flashlight out and pointed it in the direction he was barking. Before I could just dismiss it as nothing and turn my flashlight off. I hear a bark coming from my side followed by a sharp pain in my left arm. Felix lunges at whatever is on my arm and it lets go. I hear a whimper, not Felix’s though. I hear barks coming from behind me. I turn to see three wolves coming at me. I pull my knife from my pocket in time for me to stab one of them in the chest. Hitting its heart. I wasn’t so lucky with the other two. One was trying to get me to fall by biting and pulling on my leg. The other went for my right arm. Dropping the knife in pain, it was then that they let go and started growling at something. Felix. He was able to take down the first wolf, but could he take two on at a time? Felix started sprinting towards the last two. He was going to save me yet again. “No! Run away!” I yelled at him, but he didn’t listen. Sure enough, they were too much for him. I can’t leave him to die. He can’t die. I pick up the knife with blood going down my arm, it hurts and I’m barely able to pick it up. I stumble to Felix’s aid. I jump on one of the wolves and stab it right in the neck. It is then that the other one knocks me over and bites my neck. My life flashed before my eyes, accepting my fate I almost let go of my life. However something pulled me out, a bark. I hear a sharp pain filled whimper. Felix got its tail. I don’t hesitate to stab this one right up its jaw, seconds later its dead. I’m not going to make it nor Felix is. With my last amount of strength I sit down and hold Felix in my arms. He doesn’t move his eyes are still looking at me, still wondering why it is that I’m upset. Almost as saying why are you sad? You wished for all this to happen. You wanted this, and you got it. He closes his eyes for the last time.
“I’m sorry boy… I’m sorry…” I can’t even let out a tear before it’s my turn for my eyes to close one last time.
“Wake up.” My mother says. Without hesitation, I do