After about two months I got bored. I performed all necessary maintenance and multiple upgrades to the R/V. I decided to drive down the east coast and through Florida for the winter months. Along the way I saw an adult video store and laughed out loud. This was the 1st time I had laughed in months, so I decided to stop for unknown reasons.

  The store was vacant of corpses, and it was not even looted. The sign said ‘Closed’ on the door. It was as though no one even bothered with it, which is understandable. I shot out the front door and walked in. It was nice to walk into a store without the smell of rotting death. Looking at all the novelties and the range of erotic fetishes, I became aware I have not even thought about sex. Which was odd for me; maybe for most men.

  I selected a few DVD’s that were particularly appealing to my liking and exited the store. I got in the R/V and out of the corner of my eye, next to a dumpster I saw movement. I turned to watch, thinking it was a mouse and then looking in my side view mirrors, nothing. Then I saw it again, I grabbed my shotgun and approached.

  I heard a tiny bark, thinking I was hearing things and I heard it again, I moved in. I rounded the dumpster and saw a female dog lying on her side and two small puppies trying to nurse. I placed my hand near the female’s mouth and her eye opened slowly and she licked my hand with a dry tongue, then she expired. The two puppies were jumping around me playing and fighting for my attention, which I gave them through tearful eyes.

  I dug a sufficient grave and wrapped mom in a blanket and placed her in it. I made a crude headstone. ‘Mom, I’ll do my best’. I received a gift I never knew I needed. Based on mom’s markings; clearly a Chocolate Lab, Dad must have been a Rottweiler judging by the markings on the pups. I picked them up and they could have not been more than a couple of months old as I was showered by kissing and playful nipping. I poured some fresh water in a bowl and they drank it all. I also gave them some small bits of beef jerky. I knew this was not an appropriate diet for puppies, so after some much needed attention and crying I put them in the R/V and set off to find a veterinary clinic.

  I drove through the small town and located one quicker than I expected. I breached the door with my AA-12 (which is always satisfying) and I was immediately consumed by the overwhelming stench of rotting death. After vomiting my lunch, I put on my respirator, and entered the building. The puppies continued to bark inside the air-conditioned R/V as I collected puppy food, snacks and a couple of chew toys. This was a small clinic and I found the computer server, complete with usernames and passwords on the back of the keyboard and placed it along with the other items in the R/V.

  Both puppies ate and barfed everywhere. I needed to find a campground to purge my tank and give the puppies some room to play and relieve themselves somewhere besides inside the R/V. Both puppies insisted on sitting in my lap as we drove down the highway, navigating through the random vehicles that littered the road.

  I selected a camping spot that had a fire pit, picnic table, some shade and a nice view of a lake, and built a fire. Full bellies, plenty of fresh water, a clear silent night sky, camping with dogs and a fire crackling made me feel for the first time, in a long while, relaxed enough to have a drink and smoke a cigar.

  Watching the puppies wrestle and play with their chew toys by the delicate light of the fire, it was time to give them names. The female was curious, but hesitant and cautious. The male was 90% Chocolate Lab and his head was huge, it was a though he was wearing an oversized Rottweiler helmet. Everything needed to be smelled and urinated on.

  “What shall I call you?” I said to the pair. “I found you near a dumpster by an adult video store, hmmm”. I picked up the female and looked into her eyes. “Ginger, is your name.” I picked up the male and looked into his eyes. “Peter, no Pete, Pete will be your name.”

  I tossed a ball for them just outside the light of the fire and tried to guess who will bring it back to me. After about thirty minutes it was all tied up and I tossed the ball farther than before and Ginger stopped short, Pete continued the search. Ginger barked two times. I got up and switched on my head light, Ginger right beside me as we heard Pete rustling in the bushes. All three of us searched for the ball and gave up after about ten minutes. “We’ll find it in the morning, come.” I said out loud and they followed me back to the R/V.

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  Ginger and Pete took up their favorite sleeping spots, never more than a couple of inches from each other as I locked the door and fell asleep with a nice cool breeze coming in through the open window.

  I woke up the next day to whimpering puppies. As I let them out, I stepped in warm pee near the door. “Almost made it.” I said to myself. Even though I got mad every time I had to clean up pee and poop in the R/V it still felt good to take care of them.

  I watched them from inside the R/V as they ran around, sniffing everything, peeing, pooping and some more playing. I glanced over at the picnic table and saw the ball we lost last night, on ‘top’ of the picnic table.

  “Ginger! Pete! Come!” I said loudly going into instant defense mode. I grabbed my gun by the door and said it loudly again. So loud it echoed across the valley. “GINGER! PETE! COME!” Both of them were busy playing and having fun ignoring me. I scanned the area and carefully went out and picked both of them up and brought them into the R/V. We all had breakfast as I watched the edge of the woods for any movement.

  “Thermal Scanner.” I thought out loud. I went outside to inspect the ball on the picnic table. I held it with only two fingers as to not contaminate it with my scent and held it out for Ginger and Pete. They both smelled it and waited for me to throw it. For some reason I smelled it, I don’t know why and looked around.

  With my paranoia subsiding, it was time for some swimming lessons. I packed up some snacks, fresh water and the AA-12. I locked the R/V and left one dog treat, a jar of my wife’s grape jelly and the ball on top of an open half bottle of water on the picnic table.

  We walked down to the lake and I started to smell rotting fish, it was bad. Ginger and Pete noticed it way before me but it did not seem to bother them. They looked at the water and got really excited and curious. There was a small area that was void of any fish carcass’s and they approached the water with noses against the ground. They backed away as they approached the water and looked toward me for information. With my shirt covering my nose and mouth we left the silent lake of death.

  Maybe a tributary that feeds the lake would be a better option. I opened the park map and located one about a quarter mile away. Ginger and Pete could not navigate through the tall brush so we took a foot path with crushed lime stone. Only my foot steps and the puppies panting could be heard in the ever-present silence.

  We located the small stream and it was about fifteen feet across and maybe a foot deep and it did not smell at all. Ginger and Pete slowly approached the water and sniffed it and began drinking from it, tails wagging in perfect synchronization. I cupped my hands and smelled the water, again I don’t know why, but it smelled like any other stream. Both of them entered the water together and in true Lab fashion, started swimming like they had been doing it all their lives. I rewarded them with some puppy treats and checked the map.

  We walked up-stream to another path that intersects with the road to our campsite and it was time for dinner. “What surprise awaits us at the picnic table.” I said to Ginger and Pete as soon as the R/V was in sight. Ginger and Pete smelled something as we approached the R/V. Noses sweeping the air and tails motionless. I snapped off the safety on the AA-12 as the puppies followed closely behind me. I rounded the back of the R/V and the picnic table was in sight. Water bottle, jelly jar still there. Ball on the ground and the dog treat gone.

  “Son of a bitch!” I said out loud. Ginger and Pete sniffed the ground around the picnic table, tails wagging and eventually playing with the ball. The sky was clouding up and it looked like a storm might be brewing. I felt the pressure change as the wind picked up a little. Ginger and Pete wanted to go in the R/V as I secured it for foul weather, it started to rain a little as I closed the door.

  I cooked up some food and the puppies woke from a short nap long enough to eat and went back to sleep. I shut down all the power except for a battery powered reading lamp. Off in the distance I heard thunder and Pete woke up, ears twitching and alert. A small flash of lightening and ten seconds later, a low rumble that could be felt. This woke Ginger, ears twitching and eyes darting. I watched them as they looked to me for information.

  Another flash of lightening and six seconds later, thunder thumped the R/V. The rain increased along with the wind and hail pelted the roof. Now I was getting concerned as the R/V rocked a little and looking out the window as the tree tops swayed against the gray sky and my anxiety mounting. Both puppies sensed my concern. Ginger squatted and peed on the floor and Pete went over, smelled it and sat like a statue in front of the door. A loud explosive lightning bolt momentarily illuminated everything very close outside and both Ginger and Pete jumped in my lap. I held on to them and tried to remain calm as the storm passed through.

  “Everything is okay, I think I peed a little too.” I said to them.

  Both puppies slept with me through the night and in the morning, we saw the tree the lightening split into two. The air smelled beautifully fragrant and the puppies did their business outside and they were ready to eat and play some more.