Chapter 138

Once Shannon was done checking to see everyone's progress, she smiled before starting to prepare dinner. Tonight, the plan was to do something other than red meat for their main course. Most of their meals recently had been beef, and while it was tasty, variety was the spice of life. Thus, she went through and thoroughly prepared a chicken to be roasted in the fire. All it took was getting one cleaned and defeathered before getting it stored once more, before she had two whole lines of birds lined up in the fire, slowly cooking in their aluminum foil shells stuffed with spices and oil. While she was whipping up a very good smelling meal, all of the canines struggled as they went through their evening stretches. So far, most of their muscle fatigue the following day was minor, nothing like the aftermath of Nat's first day. However, doing those small, methodical movements to limber up and loosen their bodies before they rested was difficult when such a pleasant smell wafted through their noses.

Sadly for the group stretching, it took two hours for the birds to fully cook, just as the sun started to kiss the horizon. Shannon had told them to stretch until the birds were done, but never said how long they would be. It was not until they were half-an-hour into their stretches that Sierra finally asked how much longer they had to go for. After all, she had just started up a certain series about a mouse and the abbey he defended, and was quite enjoying it. When Shannon's passive face adopted her now signature sadistic glee, every canine felt cold sweat go down their backs. As she told them that it would take another hour and a half to go through the necessary time to cook the food to perfection, almost every other body in the copse of trees that they set up in groaned audibly. However, none of them stopped their stretching. After all, Nat did not raise a protest for a single minute. After all, she had known how long it would take to cook a chicken with an open fire. She knew how lucky they all were that Shannon picked the faster method.

Once everyone finally got to eat food, most of them fell asleep right then and there. After all, they were all tired, and wanted nothing more than to relax and recuperate. After all, the training would for sure continue on, and every moment of rest was treasured. Only two stayed awake, but one was more of a pure force of will. Sierra had turned full on book nerd, willing to lose a bit of sleep if it meant she could read one more chapter. It was still difficult for her, but every page came easier and easier. It was meant for older children to younger teens after all. Someone just learning to read would struggle a bit. However, it was full of animals fighting for one another, while standing against those opposing them and those cared for them. It allowed her to feel some connection with the characters of the abbey. The other person who stayed awake was Shannon, who was writing in a journal with one hand while lightly running her other over the arm of her sleeping lover beside her. She was working on the plans of how to get everyone to the best condition they could be, trying to plan around this mysterious energy. As for the three who just woke up, they were already working on their night watch as well as their workouts. They were definitely gaining improvements, but not as fast as everyone else. Seeing this, Shannon made a note to herself to try and think of a way to improve their efficiency while still allowing them to do the job that they signed up for.

Meanwhile, inside Nat's head, she was taken once more to the world in her dreams. When she first opened her eyes, it was just pitch dark. She was unable to make anything out as she stared off into the abyss. Squinting to try and make anything out, she almost fell backward when suddenly light erupted out in front of her. It was not a warm and inviting one, but a malevolent and destructive light. The light of fires, dotting buildings and the wrecks of cars down the strip of road she stood in. Looking around to try and get a grasp of where her dream was, she let out a short gasp as a familiar sight filled her vision. Anyone who had been down Gasoline Alley in Red Deer has at least driven by the Donut mill. It was a quaint bakery that was built in the shape of an old windmill, but their pastries were delicious. The sight of it on fire and falling apart was startling to say the least. As she looked around, she recognized more and more of the different spots along, placing her firmly in the city they were heading to.

As she was staring in shock at the destruction and desolation, a tiny blur passed through the edge of her vision. Turning to get a better look, she barely caught it moving along the buildings and vehicles northwards. Something inside her told her to follow the tiny shadow that ran past. After all, this could be another one of those weird prophetic dreams she had before. While she had an issue with the fact that they only cropped up when she neared a city, she was glad to have them at least some of the time. They had been what guided her to save her now lover after all. Going around the corner, she followed the small traces of the small shadow as it continuously disappeared behind corners.

Finally, she tracked it up to the only old-school drive-ins along the strip. They were a burger and fries' kind of place, but was famous for their shakes. Slowly making her way inside, she was surprised by what she came across. A small child, who could not be over the age of six, was crouched there eating a moldy hamburger bun. There was no way to distinguish whether the child was a boy or girl, but what was evident was a hard time. Scrapes, soot and blood covered their form and clothes, with barely any part of them left unscathed. Before she could take another step, Natalie saw the child look up straight into her eyes. The child only asked, "Are you going to help me?" Then, as quickly as the light off the fires came, everything quickly faded back to darkness.

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