A couple who had recently come into the welcoming arms of Max’s little safe haven had offered to share all the canned food they’d found in a recent store raid, but they wouldn’t go back to get it because the woman’s mother had been killed violently by a zombie, and the trip would bring back too many bad memories. As I drove, Kate looked at me. “We shoulda brought Sparkles. Poor thing’s always cooped up in that apartment.” “Claire walks her all the time,” I argued, “and she’d just be bite-sized zombie bait.” “You’re right. She’s better off back at the apartment, nice and safe. It’s just...well, I used to take my dog everywhere with me, and I kind of miss it.” “You had a dog?” “Yup, a yellow lab named Anna. She was ten years old. She was killed when zombies broke into our house. My mom was killed that fateful day too. It actually happened right after I saw you in Kingsville. After I passed out those flyers, I went home, and Mom and Anna were both gone.
