Two months had passed. I had grown, gotten quiet a bit taller, a little sleeker, like Mom, but I sure she would compare me to my Father in every way. I did look like a full blood shephered, and that sometimes could be used in my favor. The only thing that showed my mix bred background were my eyes. They were a mixture of hazel green, and bright at that. It gave me away, but not every dog on these unwelcoming streets knew that much.

  Either way it did not matter, I was reveared. Those who knew me, kept away for they knew there was not a line I was afraid to cross. I welcomed a fight and dared a challenger, who of which were many, for street dogs were a common sight.

  I learned to steal for food, kill what ever wild game there was, for this land was a desert, and aparntly a war zone. Gun fire became a current thing, but I stayed my distance, for I wouldn't attack a human unless I was approached, and a child I left totally alone, but luckily I was popular among the humans too for they knew the kind of dog I was, the bitting kind.

"I got it" I said setting the chicken down in front of Issac.

"Stealing agian?" He asked

"Issac don't go there, I don't need another morality speech" I said laying down tiredly with a sigh.

   Issac was old, his brown fur showed spots of gray and one of his eyes had a silver glaze, though he wouldn't admit to it. If you asked him he could see just fine, and for sure the wall he ran into wasn't there the day before. But he was my friend, and I was still a puppy and needed the friendship I wouldn't allow myslef.

"I'm just saying, there are other ways of eating, when I was a young pup, I use to go out and track down game, sometimes it took days"

 I rolled my eyes but he didn't seem to notice. I had heard the story before, if only he knew that the current sand storms had all the game pushed to the south which was too many miles to travel on paws.

 "Come on can we eat already" I said as my stomach growled, "What do you want wing or breast?" 

  Issac sighed "I think I'll have" He hesitated, "The whole chicken" He said suddenly running off with the Chiken tightly between his jaws.

   I ran after him quickly and growled (a little playfully.) I let that dog get away with too much. I had met Issac awhile back when I had been on the streets for awhile. It just happened that at the time I had needed a pal and he had needed someone who wouldn't bark his head off for telling old stories, though now the same stories were getting old to me, but I listened intently each time, allowing Issac's fading mind to rest in the joy that someone was listening.

  Soon we both settled down, and by the time we were finished it was night fall. Most of the strays went to bed, but still, night was one of the most dangerous times of day. Night was when prowlers came out, more bombs exploded, ambushes were played out, night was when war began, and when my nightmares haunted me.

        *************************

 I awoke quietly from a cold sweat. Issac was still sleaping in the corner, peaceful as a pup in his Mother's paws, but not me. I never slept good, not since two months ago today.

   I got up, it was still night. I sniffed the air and had the sense that day break wouldn't be too far away, but I did have a quiet a few hours to kill on my paws. I knew I couldn't stay there. If I sat in the quiet too long, it would give me time to think, and the last thing I needed was for my mind to crowd back up all over agian.

    The streets were clear, at least of any civillian population. Kids were tucked in doors were locked and lights off. A few gurads watched the small gate to some sort of house. They looked like they weren't more than fourteen of fifteen. They always confused me, for they seemed very different from the men across the sand that they engaged in battle. There seemed to not be a line they would not cross, though they did entertain my curiosity, Issac told me to stay away. His exact words were "Though you believe you are indestructible and that you may go wherever you please, I don't think you could survive an MK 47 in the chest." They may have had guns, but I was not afraid of them. I only wanted to lunge at one of thier throats, they reminded me too much of the men who had thrown me out into the darkness and left my Father lying in a doorway, but I obeyed Issac's words for they were more said in care than order.

  I walked past them briskly, but they seemed to ignore me quiet enough. Flashes of light fired up the sky in the distance, they were fighting agian. It seemed humans were harsh to everything, even eachother. The on going war only proved my point, There was no love left, no sense of happiness, it was fight for yourself or die with everyone else, what a world to live in.

   I watched for a moment as the fire in the distance continued. Then I walked on, past the boundaries. I had never quiet observed these outsiders across that border. I stayed low, another one of Issac's pleas, he knew I was hungry to kill whatever crossed my ways, and he begged me not to intentionally make a human use force on me. If it were not for Issac keeping me out of trouble, the war might have been much worse with a mad dog on the loose, maybe it would have even been over, for there would be no human's left to fight. I listended though, which was the best thing.

  The outsders camp was less built. There were tents set up everwhere, a few guards here and there, and they all wore the same uniform. Another thing I found though, is none of them were kids. They were all men, some younger than others but none under nineteen from what I saw. I snuck around carefully, the uniforms had writting on them, but I couldn't get close enough. The more I eased closer the clearer it became, but suddenly I hit something. The whole tent shook. I had ran into one of the bars holding it up.

  "It just the wind" One man said. I ducked quickly. "Yes sir, its a cold night"  "How are your guys doing?"  The man sitting at a small set up table asked. I looked carefully at the man standing, he couldnt have been more than twenty. His unifiform said U.S Major, I had to duck agian, for another man had enterd the room. "They are doing better sir, we all are"  "Thats good to hear Major, any word on Lutinent Valez?"  "Yes sir, his wife wrote me last week sir, said hes going to be fine, a little physical therapy and the dotors expect to have him up and running"   "Great news" The man said, he seemed to be realived the something good was going on. Both men seemed tired, and upset somehow.

  "Sir, I have a some bad news sir"  "What is it seargenat?" The man sitting said standing to his feet. "General, we lost contact with Cornel Brack sir"   "What happened?" The General asked quickly. "I don't know sir"  "Alright, lets see if we can get that radio back on line" The man picked up his hat and they began walking. "Your dissmissed Major"  the men saluted and then parted ways.

 The small tent was now empty. I came from my hiding place and decided to sniff around a bit. They weren't like the others I could tell, but that didn't change me in the least. They were still men, men with guns, that was all I needed to know. I had always had a curios side though, Dad said is ran on Mom's side of the family thats why Mom had a long nose. I never understood that, he had a long nose too so I never paid that much attention.

  I smelled the old smell of gun powder, I figured it had just come from the men's boots, being around gun fire all day like they were, who knows where it really came from. I smelled nothing new, nothing I had never smelled before. Dogs, people, sand, sweat, gun powder, debri. I walked a bit farther, and saw the rows and rows of injured men. What some humans did to others disgusted me, why the other men across the sand would want too hurt these people I saw before me now astounded me.

  The breeze came across the sandy desert gently and then I smelled something unfamiliar to me. It was the most beautiful scent that had ever crossed my path, sweet and tender, like standing in the middle of a freshly bloomed rose garden. I ducked quickly for the smell was getting stronger. I kept a watchful eye out, I wanted to know what it was, and as I did, thats when I saw her. A beauty in the wind, her fur waved gently, she moved without any effort it seemed, her eyes sparkled in the dim of the coming morning, she was unlike anything I had ever seen. She turned my way quickly, I ducked down allowing my sandy fur too keep me hidden. She sniffed the ground and began coming my way, I pushed my body harder agianst the sand. "Sam, come here girl"  I voice called, She looked up, another whislte sounded, and she ran excitedly to the voice.

   I turned over on my back and took a deep breath. That had been close, too close. I don't know what I would have done if she had caught me, I couldn't attack, she was too beautiful, I mean what could I say to a dog like that, "Hi mine names sage, I live in a shack that dosent even have a roof and steel chickens for a living, what about you?"  Yea that would have made me look like a dork.

     The sun was coming over the horizon and so I snuck back the way I had come and went back to the soon awaking town, if thats what you would call it. Issac was still sleeping, so I laid back down awaiting the dawn of another day, my thoughts for once racing not on my past, but on my future, for she was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. Who knew the dog next door held a key to my broken