Rust's Story

== Prologue ==
"Help!"
Cries of help ran through the cluster of dogs. The sound of alarms going on and guns being fired had gotten the whole dog hotel barking. There caretaker was out of sight and all that could be seen where dogs in small glass boxes with a couple holes in them to let them breathe.
"Don't worry Blaze, you'll be fine," said a russet Irish Setter.
"But Mum, I'm scared!" wailed her son, a russet Irish Setter just like his mother.
"I smell human blood!" cried the dog next to them, a black poodle.
Blaze looked in fear at his mother, "Will I die?"
"No," she said.
Almost as soon as she said that, something hit the ground near the building which made a noise almost loud enough to challenge a volcano erupting. The earth shook before seeming to explode.
"Mum?" Blaze cried before being drowned out by the noise.
That was the last the small pup saw of the world before the Culling.
Now all he sees is death and destruction, and a seemingly endless nuclear winter...
==Chapter 1==
"Alder! Please! He'll open his eyes when his ready!" cried a female voice.
"But what if he doesn't open them up!" said a stronger, more male voice.
"His eyes are twitching!" cried the female voice.
At once, Rust was greeted a dark russet Irish Setter and a light russet Irish Setter on a grey sky. He shook his light russet fur and gazed at his parents. There scents seemed so familiar to him.
"Hi," he said blankly.
"Hello Rust!" His mother said, wrapping her tail around his.
She was soon joined by his father, who nuzzeled him playfully.
"I thought you'd be blind!" he said.
"Well Alder, he isn't," his mother said affectionately towards her mate.
"Thankfully," Alder said slowly.
They had waited days for Rust to open his eyes for the first time. Now that he had, he could see the world to it's fullist and not have to rely on scent or hearing to get around. Now he would know his way around. He got up and looked to see the remains of a city, more specifically, Moscow.
Immediately the moment was ruined as Rust opened his mouth and said, "Mum, Dad, this looks scary,"
"Well, as much as I hate it, it's our home," Fox (his mother) said, a tint of sorrow could be heard in her voice.
"And we just have to live with it," Alder added in.
Rust could see pieces of sorrow in there eyes and it was unsettling. It was as if he had all of a sudden died in front of them. The silence was eerie and the air seemed darker and heavier then it was already. 
The silence was broken just as Fox said, "I'm sorry you have to see this, back when me and Alder were your age, the world was more beautiful."
Alder nodded in agreement, "We are sorry you were born in that part of the earth's history,"
==Chapter 2==
Rust looked as his mother said, "Come along, you don't need to know anything else,"
"But Mum! I want to learn more!" wailed Rust.
"You're too young to know why the world is the way it is now," Fox said calmly, "I need to show you our home."
Rust sat down stubbornly and released a small growl. He didn't care if he was too young to understand, he wanted to learn it all right now!'
"Rust! Aren't you coming?" Alder barked.
Rust signed, getting up and following his parents reluctantly.
After about a few minutes, they reached a abandoned building which seemed to streatch endlessly into the sky. Rust and his parents shifted through the rubble into they reached a once automatic door now broken and struggling to close. From what Rust could see, the building was completely abandoned. They brushed past the broken door and now were in a building with computers and desks everywhere. They were mostly broken and lying on the floor whilist graffiti could be seen on the elevator doors which were closed shut. Rust didn't dare say a word as he followed his parents towards a cluster of fallen desks which could easily make a den to sleep in. Rust entered the area and scanned the toren up carpet. He felt himself being pushed towards the back of the cluster were there was a collection of desks placed in an order that almost looked like stairs.
"Go up there for a surprise," Alder pointed towards the stairs with his tail.
"I guess," Rust shrugged and walked up the stairs with some difficulty.
He walked up until he reached the top; waiting for him there was a small bone. Making sure no body was watching him, he grabbed the bone and ran down the stairs that he almost fell down the stairs a couple times.
"Good job," Alder said joyfully as he ran to meet his panting and exhausted son.
"Thanks," Rust said, dropping the bone, "Here, you have this."
"Oh, but I put it there for you!" Alder said in disappointment, "I promise you'll like it."
Rust gave a look of unease
"I promise it'll be good!" Alder pleaded his son.
Deciding to take a bite, he managed to chew off a bit and swallowed it. Immediately he felt a irresistible taste run through his throat.
"Do you like it?" Alder asked.
"I don't like it, I love it!" Rust exclaimed.
==Chapter 3==
It had been 2 years since Rust was born. Now he was racing down the emergency fire stairs at full speed, careful to not trip and fall on the ground. His father stayed at the top of the complex, watching him run up them at a fast pace. Eventually he reached the last step and gave a massive leap over the last one, smashing his head into the door.
"Need to practice that last dive, otherwise you're good to go," his father advised.
"Ok, I'll try again!" Rust barked, he wanted to get everything perfect with the way he ran up the stairs.
"No, not now. You need to go hunting now," Alder said stiffly.
"Why can't I keep practicing?" Rust retorted.
Alder gave him a look of warning. Rust signed and raced down the stairs at full speed. He burst through every door until he was outside, tasting the polluted air. He fell into a crouch as he noticed a mouse scanning a dead plant for any seeds. Rust edged forward, switching his camouflage on to blend in with the environment. He was deeply aware his brown eyes were visible, yet he still crept closer. The mouse took no notice before it was too late and Rust had swiftly bit it's neck. He flicked back into his russet pelt and turned towards his father.
"Good job," Alder remarked, "Since The Culling happened, prey has been scarce. Prey started catching radiation sickness and dying."
Rust looked, the thought of seeing prey being wasted as it decayed seem to scare him. 
"Don't worry," Alder said as he realised Rust's fear, "We'll just have to be lucky."
Rust signed, walking through the broken automatic door. He strolled towards the cluster of desks and ducked inside. He proceeded to gulp down the mouse.
==Chapter 4==
The next few days were all quite plain. Not much would happen other than the quick hunt here and practice here. To Rust, it was all the same as the day before, sleep, hunt, practice. It only really became interesting a week after Chapter 3.
Rust was just coming back from an unsuccessful hunt, his stomah growling.
"Nothing today?" Alder said as he entered the building.
"Yeah, nothing." Rust said blankly.
"Don't worry," Alder said as he ambled towards Rust, "I bet the prey will be running tomorrow!"
"Doubt it," Rust said silently.
"You should get a good nights sleep," Alder advised, "You look tired."
Rust signed, guessing he best not say no to his father. He strolled towards the cluster of desks; ducking under one of the desks and curling up to sleep.
★ ★ ★
"Rust, wake up! Wake up!"
Rust got up from his bed to see Fox give a look of terror and Alder run outside. He heard his barks of anger and defense as he growled at the intruder Rust couldn't see.
"What is it?" Rust gave a look of worry and instinctively flicked his Camouflage on.
"A human is here!" Fox cried.
"Human?" Rust had heard of them and from what he could see, they were the terrible creatures who started The Culling.
"Stay back!" Alder barked as Fox charged outside to help him fight the fend.
Rust peered through a hole in the desks to see his parents be stuffed into travel cages and carried away.
"Alder! Fox!" He cried as he ran after them, but it was too late.
The human had already driven away. Rust watched as the white van drove off into the destoryed city. Rust signed as he entered the building, head low and heavy with sorrow.
==Chapter 5==
That night Rust couldn't sleep. He felt like his heart had been ripped out and replaced with a stone. The cave his parents had made now felt as cold as ice. 
"Oh, please tell me this is a dream! Please tell me I'll wake up and my parents will still be safe!" he echoed throughout his mind.
Rust signed, feeling as though his world had crumbled. Suddenly, he heard pawsteps. He sprang to his paws and sniffed the air; an unfamiliar scent washed over him.
"Who's there?" Rust barked.
A soft voice brushed through his ears, "I'm Harley."
Category:Stories