I sighed as I held my hunting knife in front of me at I opened the door to the old grocery store. People here couldn't be trusted. My stomach grumbled a little. Shit, I was hungry. I hadn't eaten anything in days and the last thing I ate was a twinkie. Not a hunger satifiying treat. Benny trotted up in front of me. My border collie dog, Benny, had been with me since Red September when I found him hurt in the riots. I had only been a little girl then. People really didn't keep their pets around here. When all their food was gone their pets were the first to be dinner. I gagged at the thought of doing that to Benny. He was the only thing that kept me sane out here.

It was 2050. I was 21, and the world was dead. No one knows why the earth just died but it did and anyone that wanted to live had to do some dramatic changes. Red September was when everyone knew that we were all going to die. The goverments tried to sell us our food, and water supplies and after a year everyone had run out of money to pay them for it. That's when people started dying. All it took was one guy to fire a gun at the presents for the riots to begin. I was only 10 years old. My family and I went into hiding after that. We lived off of food my dad had stolen for us. When I was 14 my older brother died from a stab wound given to him from his own friend. It was over a can of beans.

Hungre really makes people crazy. After that my father and mother were the next to go. They died of starvation. I didn't because Benny would bring me dead animals every night, I would cook them and feed them to Benny and I. Things seemed simpler then, but when the animals started running out Benny and I went on the move. Stealing from empty grocery stores, gas stations, even learning to hunt birds and such.

I called back Benny, he turned and growled "what is it boy?" I asked. Just as the words left my mouth a hand reached mine and twisted it behimd my back painfully. A knife pressed up against my throat. Shit....

"I must move the cart, it's in the way, Yes Mallow?" Sebastian said to the rat on his shoulder, in his higher-pitched voice, with the slight lisp he had always hated. He was walking around the grocery store, and decided he wished to remodel. He needed to move things, as the voice in ear said. Sebastian had always assumed it was the rat talking, but in reality, it was him, talking to himself. "We shall move this," He started, pointing at a shelf in the middle of a floor. "Make a space for your siblings to come and enjoy some family time.." he trailed off, in his mad murmurings.

The grocery store, which he had lived in for the past two years, had traps, tricks, and secret tunnels, all of which Sebastian had made himself. He had moved here after his..accident, and thought he was alone in the area. After a year of living here, he had been attacked, proving his theory of being the only living being in this area wrong. He fought off his assailants, but they left him with a scar on his left arm. After the attack, he started booby trapping his store. No one entered, or exited without his knowledge. It was perfect. He, and his rats of course, lived here in harmony.

Thats when it happened. A bell. One of his tripwires had been, well, tripped. He spun around, looking at the bells above him. "Second one" He muttered. "Front door!" He said a bit louder. He then pulled a shirt off of one of the shelves near him, and wrapped it around his face. "And we're off Mallow" He said to the pure white rat. He raced around an isle, and jumped into a mostly hidden hole. Crawling through the makeshift tunnel, he came up outside the store. Glancing toward the door, he saw a girl stepping through the door, and ran as quickly, and stealthily, as he could up behind the girl. He then grabbed her arm and whipped his pocket knife up to her throat. He muttered to himself before saying "Are you an enemy of the flesh?" He said in an almost delirious tone, but he knew that any of the cannibals of the tribe near him would respond by saying "Only that of the living."

"Are you an enemy of the flesh?" A high pitched voice said against my ear.

I didn't know what this guy was asking, what the hell was 'enemy of the flesh?' Oh shit he was probably talking about the cannibles around this area of the city. I tired to speak but this guy was pushing the knife way to hard against my throat. I heard a small sniffing and squeak near my other ear. What the shit? Was that a rat? Gross. I managed to pull free arm up and grip the wrist with the knife. I pulled it over my shoulder, painfully feeling my prisoned arm pop out of the socket as the guy flipped over my shoulder and on the floor. I heard the wind knock out of his lungs as he landed on the broken tiles of the grocery store floor, that rat sitting perfectly on his chest.

I gripped my knife in my good arm, my other was now burning with a painful fire that ran all the way down my arm and ribs. It took all that I had to not let out a small cry of pain. The guy tried to get up but before he could I whistled for Benny. My faithful dog came and growled at the guy. He took that sign and stayed down. "I am not one of those disgusting people eaters and I hate being touched" I started "I just came here to look for any food that was free."

My stomach grumbled loudly...shit I was hungry. Now with my shoulder out of the socket, I had one more thing to worry about.

Feeling the girl move, he completely lost his grip on her. After a painful, but rather interesting, reversal, he was laying on the floor. Looking up, he smiled. "A fighter? Or perhaps a warrior?" he muttered as he noticed a growling dog at his side. He ignored the creature, and stood up, moving the rat back to his shoulder. Glancing over, he muttered "Bad knife posture, rather sloppy, eh, Mallow?" Bending down, he picked his knife up, the glanced back at the girl. Deciding that she was telling the truth, he flicked the pocketknife shut, and stuck it in his pocket.

"I, er, rather, we," Sebastian started, petting the rat on his shoulder "Would like to apologize for thinking you were one of the evil ones. We never liked the eaters of flesh.." he started murmuring to himself again. Then he glanced back. "Free. Free. Food? You need food? Well, I am rather unprepared..." He looked around the dismal looking grocery store. "Tonight is bean and cereal night. I'm sure Jonathon wouldn't mind company.." He murmured again to himself. Sebastian then almost yelled "Your right Mallow, I must repair the wire.." Looking back at the girl, he curiously cocked his head, finally taking a close look at her. She looked like she hadn't eaten a decent meal in a while, and she looked road traveled, and slight dirty. Her arm hung limply to one side, almost as if it weren't in proper working order. He then ran outside the grocery store, and about seven feet from the entrance, he bent over, and started to fiddle with something on the ground. Yelling behind him, hoping the girl was still there, he said something that sounded like applesauce, isle three. "Oh, and please make sure you make doggy clean his tail. Jonathon doesn't like crusty dirty looking tail. Oh no, he'll have a fit, he will.."

I watched as the guy got up and muttered a few words to himself and the rat now neatly placed on his shoulder. What was wrong with this guy? I pulled my machete from the leather holster on my back, holding it with my good arm. My shoulder burned so badly now that breathing melted my insides. Now what was I supposed to do? The guy ran off outside the store and fiddled with something I couldn't see. Benny nudged my leg, he knew I was in pain. I kneeled down placing my matchete on the ground and patted Benny's head. "Good boy" I whispered.

The guy was finished fiddling with whatever was out there he looked at me from the door. I wondered what had happened to this guy? Why was he so paranoid? Well, it was understandable why he was but it looked like he was okay with a knife. He held a blade prefectly in his strong hands. From what I could tell the guy had pretty good upper body strength by how hard he twisted my arm, and the grip he had on my wrist. What the hell was that rat? I mean, I had Benny, but Benny could protect me, he could scout areas silently, and alert me wouldn't making a sound. Benny was my protector. But a rat? What could a rat do?

Oh God my arm! It hurt so badly.

Finishing what he was doing, Sebastian came back inside, fidgeting a little. He stopped in front of and looked at the girl. He noticed her arm was limply hanging to her side, and he noticed how the dog with her seemed to protect her. He looked from the furry animal, to the girl, and back again. He wondered and murmured under his breathe. Then he spoke aloud, in a louder then normal voice. "Would you like me to.. help fix it?" He pointed to her arm. "And, if the grumble I hear is your stomach claiming it's hungry, It's Bean and Cereal night for me and my company. I'll make Jonathan make extra, if you wish to consume it for yourself?" He said, his eye twitching a little.

The guy came back to me and pointed at my arm "Would you like me to...help fix it?" before I could answer he spoke again "And, if the grumble I hear is your stomach claiming it's hungry, it's bean and cereal night for me and my company. I'll make Johnathan make extra, if you wish to consume it for yourself?"

The guys eye twitched a little as he stood in front of me. I stood up straight and slid my machete back into the light brown leather holster on my back. This guy was no danger to me. "Please" I pointed to my arm "I would like that if you could fix it" I paused again "And food for me and my dog would be great."

A wave of relief washed over me as the thought of food in my stomach calmed me. "Thank you" I smiled to him "I'm Anna, Anna Dunn."

Not used to being around others, Sebastian walked slowly towards the girl, and gingerly grabbed her arm. "This may hurt a bit.." he looked in deep concentration, then skillfully popped her arm back in place, with an odd wet popping sound. The rat on his shoulder squeaked when the arm popped in, and scurried off into the grocery store somewhere. Sebastian looked at it, and was satisfied with his own work. He then responded, sounding slightly confused. "You are.. Anna? I am..I am..Who am I?" His face contorted into thought. "I am Sebastian!" He stated with a sense of self-pride. "But most called me.. What did they call me?" He walked off into the grocery store, slightly murmuring to himself. He spun around, halfway down an isle, and motioned for Anna to to follow. Then he turned around again, walking towards one of the hidden holes in the wall.

"This may hurt a bit..." and with that he pulled my shoulder back into it's rightful place.

I tried my hardest not to let out any noise for fear I would look weak but a small grunt escaped my mouth. Benny nudged my side. "It's okay Ben" I forced a small smile and patted his head. "You are...Anna? I am...I am...Who am I?" man this guy was wacked "I'm Sebastian!" he spoke some more "But most call me...what do they call me?"

Sebastian trailed off and I watch him walk deeper into the store. I wondered what they did call him. Crazy? Lunatic? He stopped and motioned for me to follow him. I did seeing him walk into a giant hole in the wall. Benny hopped in before me showing me it was safe. I gripped my sore arm and walking into the whole. What the hell was I getting myself into? But then again who cared when food was involved.

Reaching the hole, he looked around inside the makeshift room. Everything was where it should be. There was a table dead center of the room, with three chairs around it. His rat was sitting on one of the chairs, squeaking loudly. "I know, I'm late" he said aloud to the rat. He looked over at the fire pit, which had a heavy cast iron pot hanging above it. In front of the pit was a manikin, like one you'd see in a clothing store. A piece of paper taped to its back read "Jonathon". He walked over to a shelve, grabbing three cans of beans, and two boxes of "Cheerios". "Getting low" he mumbled, opening the boxes and cans of goods. He then tossed his ingredients into a smaller pot that was hidden inside the larger pot. He found some spoons that were a little rusty, and cleaned them off as best he could. He then mixed everything together, and dumped the contents into four different bowls, setting two on the table, one on the chair with the rat, and one on the floor. Sebastian then sat, yelling "Your afternoon meal is ready to be consumed." And waited for his company to sit as well.



(We need more roleplayers =P xD)

I looked down at the warm mixture of ingredience. Cheerios and beans. I guess it was better than nothing. I looked down to see Benny already half way through his bowl. Guess he was really hungry. I felt back for Benny, I was hardly able to feed him over the last few months. Usually Benny just fended for himself and now that the small animals were starting to migrate elsewhere it was harder for him to find anything.

I was starting to get creeped out by maniquin that had a 'Johnathon' sign taped to it. I think it was a woman one too. "So why do you live down here?" I wanted to know this guy for some reason. Why was this guy so crazy?

Sebastian, looking straight into his bowl, was trying to get as many beans on his spoon as possible. "I live in here.." He started, his personality almost seeming to change. "..My father.. He.. wanted to come here." Sebastian almost seemed to have trouble putting sentences together. "He told me, when I was small and oblivious.." His hand absently went to the scar on his left arm. "We were kind to.. to the new man. Not a good idea. He was a bad man." Sebastian's spoon fell from his grasp, making a loud bang noise. "He ate my family.. and I killed him.." Sebastian's face contorted into a mix of anger, and of remorse. "I continued my fathers journey, to find a safe place..a new home.." A single tear ran down his face. Then, out of nowhere, he grabbed his spoon and stated "Well, we're wasting good munchies. Eat! Do you like?" The eager look on his face seemed completely out of place, considering how upset he had been moments before.

What had happened to this guy? He was really messed up. But from what I could tell his family had become food and he had been like this for a while. the food in front of me looked awful but I shoved it into my mouth. My shoulder still hurt but it wasn't as bad now. I ate the beans and Cheerios....wow this wasn't half bad. The best meal I had in weeks. I missed the days when my mother would cook me harty meals and my dad would play with me and my brother out in the back yard. I missed them.

Before long I had eaten my bowl and was watching Benny lick the residue from his off his own face and paws. I patted his head. His soft sand coloured hair was getting long, maybe it was time for a hair cut. I stood feeling my spine pop and crack as I stretched "Thank you for the food, and for fixing my shoulder...but I have to go."

It wasn't that I had to go, it was that I couldn't trust this guy...he was crazy and I didn't want a knife in my heart in the middle of the night.

"That's good" Sebastian looked around the dirty hole he called home. "I don't like strangers staying for sleepovers.." He stood up and stretched as well, the same popping noises emitting from his legs and arms. He then quickly moved his head to the side, a similar, quieter noise coming from his neck. He then walked over to a couple boards piled at the side of the pot, his left hand twitching the entire time. He picked a few of the boards up, moving them to the side. It almost looked like he was looking for something.. He then shot a question back over his shoulder. "What settlement are you going to be vacationing at?"

Which settlement...I didn't know. I hadn't been in the city for a few months now. Which settlements were still alive? "I don't know," I spoke looking down at Benny.

I never felt alone because I had Benny, but after hearing another sane...ish person I didn't really want to leave. I picked up my bag and headed out the tunnel we came through. Benny hurried in front of me as I trudged behind him. The city was really bright and I slipped on my dark sunglasses. My next task was to find somewhere safe to sleep.

Grabbing a long metal object from the pile of lumber, Sebastian spun around quickly "Wait!" He shouted, aiming a long barreled hunting rifle at the Anna. "I need to ask you something.." He muttered the last part, making it almost unhearable. "First, I think you should come back inside.." Pointing at a chair, he hoped she would back come inside, and sit. "And, I have gifts for you!" He almost seemed to switch personalities again, dropping the barrel slightly, with a strange smile crossing his face.

I looked back at Sebastian as he yelled at me "And I have gifts for you."

It had been a long time since anyone had something for me, or had asked me to come back in. I still didn't trust this guy or his little rat...what was it? Mallow? I think that was it. Benny barked for me to follow him but something told me to go back with Sebastian. One: maybe it was that I knew he had food. Two: it was a safe place to go, the sun was setting and I didn't usually travel at night since my last run it with some idiots on the highway.

Boy that was a story. I had run out of my last bit of water and I knew the next town over had a water suppy, so what do I do? Travel down the highway till I ran into some biker gang who were thinking with their dicks. Needless to say that being a girl at that time was something bad. Luckily I taught them a lesson and Benny got a good chunk out of one of them. I had a few scars from that run in though.

I hushed Benny and walked back into the broken down store. Sebastian hurried be down back through a cave and under the store...hopefully he would have a bed.

Not have thinking this far ahead, Sebastian stumbled over his words. "You..seem nice" What a stupid starting. "And, well. I don't know.." he lowered the gun. "If you have to leave..." Ahh. His weak point. Girls. Considering he had only been a child when he was put on his own, he never really had time to perfect his girl skills. Or people skills, for that matter. "Take this..." He thrust the gun towards her. "It'll help you more then me.." Then pointing at his dwindling food stock, he added. "And, if you need food.." He looked at 'Jonathon' "Jonathon's a bit anorexic, so I can share.." His hand started to fumble with a strap on his waist, a makeshift belt. "And, uhm..." he glanced around, not sure how to word his next question. "I mean.. if you don't want to, because you don't know, or trust me.. that okay" He started to stammer. "I mean, in all the world, out...out of every....one you 'c-c-can' trust, the wisest...person to trust is...you. I would...would..not trust me if..if I were you." He looked down. "But, I like your company..." he almost whispered. He tried to raise his voice, but all he manged to do was make an odd hoarse squeaking noise. "You..You, can stay...at least for a while.." His face got stern when he said the last part. "And no midnight snacking, right Mallow?" He patted the rat, who must of crawled up to his shoulder when no one was looking. She seemed to squeak in protest to his staement.

As Sebastian spoke I realized the overwhelming fact that he to felt the same about being around another human. Yes, he had his rat and I had Benny. Jonathon didn't really count to me because as much as Sebastian talked to it, I think deep down he knew it would never talk back. Having a person around, someone who had feelings and could say words was in itself comforting. "I'll stay" I smiled and placed his rife back into his hands "I appreciate the guesture but I have my own. You could use all the fire power that you need around here."

I walked past him and sat down on the chair beside 'Jonathon.' It must have been lonely for him. To live here underground with just a manniquin and a rat. I had Benny but I lived on the road. Going from town to town just trying to live off what I could. "And thank you for the food again, keep yours" I sighed, I didn't want to take his food for it was his, not mine. "I don't need it."

Emotion running through him, Sebastian set the gun down. "I still.. Should I trust you?" Sebastian ask Anna, in a quiet tone. "You aren't trying to trick me, and do what the stranger did, are you?" He seemed to get fidgety when he said stranger. His one almost seemed child-like, and pained, as if remembering a horrible incident. His hand instinctively went to his scar, running up and down the two and a half inches of discolored flesh. "I can lock you up you know.." He said, his voice distant. "That way, we're all safe..." his voice trailed off, slightly monotone sounding. He then jerked his head up, and said, in a matter-of-fact sounding tone. "Also, we must journey tomorrow, for the lost food of the ruined city!" He picked up an empty, clean looking frying pain from the floor, dusting it off a bit. "Oh, I remembered what they call me now! The other children" He stated excitedly. "Sebby the Wetard!" He giggled, then walked off, into the depths of the store, clutching the frying pan in his hand. A small grey rat poked it's head out from a wall, and followed 'Sebby'.

"Sebby the Wetard" Sebastian giggled at the name.

I don't think he fully comprehended what he was really saying. I followed behind him as he walked into the store. "Sebastian" I called out, "Listen if it would make you feel better you can lock me up. But I can promise you that I won't hurt you" that was if he didn't turn on me.

Sebastian nodded at me with the frying pan in his hands then turned around "...and I will never call you what those other kids do. You aren't a...wetard" it was hard to even form a word close to the other one.

Sebastian, nodding, continued to walk. He said, quieter, not knowing if Anna could hear him or not. "I know.." He almost seemed sad. "I don't want to lock you up.." He gestured towards an isle. "I have blankets down there.." Then, as if remembering something, Sebastian looked up to the ceiling, to several glinting silver bells. "I liked the name.." He said, more to himself. "They thought I was dumb.. I proved them wrong.." He giggled again, remembering a funny memory. Then he called out to Anna again. "Does poochy bark at the unknown shadows?" Sebastian was thinking of a way to thwart the invaders. He knew they attacked once every week. He didn't know why it was only once a week, but he started to think of it as a game. A game to see if he could outsmart the lot of them. He always won of course, but if he could get the poochy to help him tonight..

I looked at the blankets on the floor, was this his bed. "Does poochy bark at the unknown shadows?"

I looked back at Benny who was trailing behind me. He was pouting because I didn't follow him. It was the first time I had choose to follow someone other than him in a long time. I crouched down and hugged him around his neck "I'm sorry boy, It's just that I haven't been able to be around safe people in a long time" he licked my face accepting my apology.

i stood up still scratching Benny behind his collar, he liked that "Yeah" I said to Sebastian, "He's a really good guard dog, he's helped me out of a lot over the years."

I almost laughed thinking about Sebastian and his rat. Could his rat fend off an attacker? Could it wake him up when an unknown person was coming his way. Maybe but highly unlikely.

"Good, good.." He muttered. "So, I need poochy to bark at invaders, okay? Mallow squeaks in my ear-hole, because she knows I wake up when she's a-scared.." He paced down an isle, muttering to himself, seeming almost..crazy. He spun on the spot, picking up boards, and some string. He then walked down another isle, rummaging through piles of random trash. Picking up some nails, a hammer, and other tools and supplies, Sebastian walked towards the door. He piled things, here, and there, and hammered some other things to each other, and the walls. He giggled insanely to himself, knowing he could make a great trap. He ran some string along the bottom length of the door frame, tying it to a board. He then walked over to a smashed window, and set a large metal object underneath it. Setting a box labelled 'Firecrackers, Worlds Best Mini Explosions!' down, he pulled a knife out. Cutting it open, he started to spread the fireworks out, looking for a certain one. Finding it, it snatched it up, and walked over to another window, this one closed. He fiddled with some matches, and the left over string. Standing up, he looked over the three traps he had devised, he looked smug. He picked up the rest of the 2 inch nails, and walked over to a piece of carpet. Flipping it over, he started to stick them in the carpet, one by one.

I watched as Sebastian when about his work. It was like I wasn't even there. Benny whimpered up at me. All he had to do was bark, just like he normally would when people were coming our way. I patted Benny. He already knew what to do. I watched this man for a few minutes just tie string and nail a carpet to the floor. Maybe I had made the wrong decision staying here. I hicked my pack up my back for and readied my machete for anything. My cross bow was already sticking out of my bag with a bolt in it just in case. I had, had run in's with some crazy guys before. Some tried to kill me, other tried to...well you get the point.

"Sebastian" he looked up at me "What the hell are you doing?"