Wasteland.(Aarmau AU)

Chapter 27:Impact's Birthday

"Hey, I never did ask, where did you get Impact?" Garroth asked. Sipping a cup of tea and leaning back into his armchair. His long hair going down to past his ears.

Aaron looked down at Impact, whom in turn looked back at him, wagging his tail. He chuckled and patted Impacts head.

"Well...

It was two years after the incident with Jennifer, I had gone on a run for food, as I was running low...

I hadn't found much, the place was picked clean, so I had to go out farther than normal. And near a crumbling building I found a merchant who was looking for the same thing I was.

Except he had a German shepherd packing some of his things.

We talked and then I left, no use looking around there.

So I went even further, up to I found a stream and a patch of forest. There was a fridge out in the middle of nowhere. So I thought, why not.

I opened it and I almost threw up at the smell.

There were many dead dogs cut up and bleeding in it. I shut in immediately, it was repulsive and sad.

It wasn't until then I heard the barking from down the hill.

Scared to what would happen to the dogs. I ran down there, to see a man with an axe swinging at a chained pit bull.

He was laughing. And crazed. He cackled as he hit the dog with the butt of the axe.

Now I was mad, so I took aim with my two pistols and fired. One hit the axe out of his hand, and the other, missed.

He turned to me, smiling creepily. And waving. He kicked the dog into a pile of trash. And it whimpered.

He started running at me, he had to be out of his mind. Because I took aim again. And with a bang he hit the ground.

I felt a little bad, the man was crazy, but didn't deserve to die.

That was what I thought when I walked past his body.

Then I realized he had raided an animal shelter. One of those old rescue ones.

Yeah, I smashed his head in with my boot. After he was dead, mind you.

I heard the pit bull still whining so I went to go see if it was okay.

It wasn't.

I had arrived to late to save it, it had landed on a spike and it had gone right through its lungs.

I took my dagger and killed it, just as a mercy killing honestly. It was suffering.

Then I heard the very small and weak whine coming from inside the shack.

Inside it smelled awful. But after clearing my eyes. There were two puppy's. One male, one female.

The male was whining, but the female looked like it was on its last stretch.

I took them both and ran. As fast as I could home. The female looked weaker by the second.

When I arrived I pulled out the milk I had stored for later.

First I tried to feed the female as she looked worse for wear. I had to use a syringe.

She took it, she was brown and white. And started to sleep on my lap. I moved to the male that was black who had stopped whining after his sister got food.

I still had to use a syringe, but he was much stronger. Afterwards he cuddled up next to sister(on my lap) and he fell asleep as well.

I put a blanket over them. And fell asleep with them.

The next morning the male was gone. But the girl was looking at me for food. Still didn't wine.

I took the syringe and filled it with milk again. And she lapped it up. The male came back a moment later. For food I assumed.

At first he growled at me, but then drank it up.

I decided I should name them. The girl was still in my lap. And she looked really peaceful.

She became Rose.

The male wouldn't stop running into things. So I named him Impact.

And for a month I watched them grow up. But one day. Rose wouldn't get up...

And if you couldn't tell, Rose really liked me. And she was my favorite.

I had realized she had a breathing issue to late. And before I could get to her she died.

Impact started howling mournfully.

I buried her next to the station. But you know it was a little hard to do. She had come so far from that shy little puppy that I rescued. Really came into her own.

"At least I made her last month a good one."

"Aaron..." Garroth felt a little guilty

"Hold on, I ain't done yet."

Impact and I then were alone. And he just was depressed. So was I, but I was always depressed.

Then on a particularly gloomy day. We went outside. And I looked at her grave.

It was covered in roses. Live roses, all of them different colors. And me and Impact finally looked at each other.

From that point on, we became best friends.

"And the rest is history." He finished, Impact jumping onto his lap.

"Speaking of." He started.

"It's your birthday today buddy, three years old today!"

Impact barked and nibbled on Aaron's ear. And he laughed.

"Yeah, Yeah, Come here you little rascal." Aaron tackled him and they wrestled the rest of the day.

But it did get Aphmau thinking. She finally figured out what to get Aaron for his birthday.