prologue

A faint cry filled the cool air. It was somewhat distant, maybe a hundred yards or so. Manon crouched low and crept against the brick wall to her left, her eyes adjusting to the darkness. She had been sleeping when she had heard it first. She crawled from beneath the desk where she had laid her bedroll, and cautiously stood to look around.

For two weeks she had been staying in a small abandoned store, its contents picked nearly clean with only expired cans of food left to collect dust on the shelves. Outside was dangerous, both night and day were a risky venture outside into the barren land she called home. Skeletons of what had once been homes and businesses that had been looted and left to rot. Manon hadn't seen another person since she had come into this place. Now she heard this strange sound, and curiosity got the best of her.

The store was across the street from a large playground. There was a concrete dome that had indents to climb on and small, rounded entrances along the bottom, a swing and a slide.As she neared the park, crying became louder and clearer. Manon wondered if the noise would attract anything to the area. After seeing no signs of life, Manon dashed across, keeping low and quiet like her father had urged her to constantly do. He had taught her to survive after the war.

The cry was coming from a concrete play structure, and as Manon approached whatever was inside ceased its crying entirely. She clicked on the flashlight attached to her shoulder and peered inside. A pair of big blue eyes stared back, cheeks red and tear-stained cheeks. It was a child, maybe no more than five year old wearing dirty clothes.