New Threats 3

As the sun rose over the horizon, the survivors in the Safe Haven started their day. The morning routine was strict: everyone had to wake up at 6 am, have breakfast by 7 am, and start working by 8 am.

Leah was in charge of the garden, which was located at the back of the Safe Haven. She grabbed her gardening tools and made her way to the garden. She loved the peace and quiet of the early mornings before the hustle and bustle of the day began.

As she walked, she noticed that some of the plants were starting to wither. She bent down to examine them and realized that they were infested with pests. Leah had to act quickly, or the entire garden could be compromised.

She made her way to the toolshed and grabbed some insecticide. She started spraying the affected plants, careful not to get any on herself. As she worked, she heard footsteps behind her. She turned around to see Ethan, the leader of the Safe Haven.

"Good morning, Leah," Ethan said with a smile.

"Good morning, Ethan," Leah replied, trying to hide her surprise. Ethan rarely came to the garden, and she wondered why he was there.

"I see you're taking good care of the garden," Ethan said, looking around.

"Yes, I am," Leah replied, trying to sound confident.

"I'm glad to hear that," Ethan said. "Listen, I need to talk to you about something important. Can you meet me in my office after breakfast?"

Leah nodded, wondering what Ethan wanted to talk about. She finished spraying the plants and went back to her room to clean up before breakfast. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

As they walked through the abandoned streets, Jack felt like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. He had never expected to see so much destruction and devastation in his lifetime. The buildings were in shambles, the roads were littered with debris, and there was a thick layer of dust covering everything.

He couldn't believe how much the world had changed since the outbreak. They had been lucky to find a small community that had managed to survive, but they had heard rumors of other groups that had been less fortunate. The thought of all the innocent people who had lost their lives to the virus was almost too much for Jack to bear.

As they turned a corner, Jack saw movement out of the corner of his eye. He quickly raised his rifle, ready to defend himself. But as he looked closer, he saw that it was just a stray dog. The animal looked thin and malnourished, but it seemed to be friendly enough.

"Hey, buddy," Jack said, lowering his gun. "You lost too?"

The dog wagged its tail as if it understood him. Jack crouched down and scratched its ears, feeling a small sense of comfort in the midst of all the chaos.

"We should bring it with us," Sarah said, joining him. "It might come in handy."

Jack nodded in agreement. "Let's see if it will follow us."

They started to walk away, and the dog followed obediently at their heels. Jack couldn't help but feel a little bit better with the dog by their side. It was a small reminder that even in the darkest of times, there was still hope.