The introduction

Where am l? So my comrades threw me out from the submarine.

It's been 3 years since I had seen the land and the light of day.

Three years ago, a war broke out between the nations of this world: the first nuclear war. Now, not much of the earth we knew is left. Getting food is difficult while half of the fishes we catch are mutated, and at the surface, it's even worse. Most of the human population is dead. There might be some survivors who survived the initial explosion, but some of them probably died due to nuclear radiation while the rest must be barely alive.

I don't think I'll survive even if I get to the land. The nature should be too polluted, and even the acid rain might be enough to kill me.

I'm on land now, which looks like it was once a beach, but now there's nobody here. Well, at least I can move more easily.

The nuclear war started a apocalypse, which hasn't stopped, yet the world is changing every second.

The buildings here are all ruined, and the moss and the trees have mutated so much that it's like an alien world.

As I was walking through the city while viewing the devastation, I noticed something– a sign? It's destroyed but recognisable. It's a place my parents used to take me very often, a hotel. It was a long time ago but that means I'm at my home town where I was born to lose everything that I had.

This city was not ruined by the nuclear explosion. The earthquake that shook the entire globe, which happened a year after the initial war, did. However, this is one of the less radiated areas; guess it's my lucky day... Though the radiation somehow mutated the insects here, they are enormous and can easily kill me.

As I was wandering about the city to find something useful or food, I heard something: crying? Here? With curiosity and concern, I followed the voice. Is there a survivor in a situation like this? Even though the possibility is low, why does this voice feels so familiar?

As I followed the voice, I stood in front of a basement door, which I opened to see a weeping girl in the extremely dark basement.

When she looked at me, the girl looked so familiar that I was lost in my thoughts for a moment. When I was able to snap out of it, I asked, "Why are you crying?" At this point, she has stopped crying, and pointed at something covered with blankets in the dark room. When my eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, the large, empty room was littered with some empty containers. On closer inspection I discovered a pale old man lying under a heap of blankets.

"What happened to you?" I asked while shaking him gently to wake him up.

He awoke and looked at me, ''I ate this fish I *cough*, I caught from the ocean, and afterwards *cough*, I felt sick, I don't *cough*, think I can keep living. She was with me; I gave her *cough*, the food that I stored for hard times like these. *cough*, It was enough to go for *cough*, three years, but now there is nothing left of it. I *cough*, am too ill now, I don't know if *cough*, she can survive without care." He began to cough intensely.

When he was able to suppress his coughs he pleaded, ''Please save her.'' Without even a single cough he begged continuously with his hoarse voice.

As I was thinking about that man's request he said one more time, ''Please save her, then I can go in peace.''

I couldn't say no to that request. After speaking, he could no longer suppress the cough, and the series of coughs that came after were more violent than before.

At this point, the girl came near the bed and started crying again.

I can't leave this little girl behind. Not when she reminds me of her...

I put my hand on the girl's shoulder and asked, ''Will you come with me?''

She nodded without hesitation, trusting me even though I was a complete stranger.

I held her hand bringing, her out of the room. She looked back and stopped for a moment; the man is still coughing, but I could hear a whisper like voice saying, ''Go don't look back.''

So where should I go then? doesn't look like I'm gonna get anything that I need here. If I remember correctly there should be a farm in a nearby, let's see if it could work out, I think if we could save it from acid rain, it should be cultivating, and there might be some animal that aren't effected by this radiation, now I have another mouth to feed, I need to be extra careful from now on.

I have something that my comrades might think of as burden, but for me, it's my duty.

As I examined her, she appeared well fed. She should be able to walk for at least an hour.

We will survive at least one more day.