Autumn was a distant memory. The winter light shone a dull blue for the fleeting hours in which the sun rose above the barren ground and cast shadows from the trees and the shadows never receded but only crept across the crusted snow until the yawning darkness of the sky reembraced the errant shadows once more. The world entire bated its breath for a spring that would never come.

The woman bowed her head against the wind and trudged forward. It was cold. Maddeningly cold. She kept her eyes focused on the rail ties under her feet, stepping on the wood slats to keep from sinking into the snow. Her map promised a village in the next few miles. Shelter from the wind and hopefully a meal was within reach. After spending the night there, they would continue on the train tracks as it carried them closer to the city.

The hunting rifle hit her thigh with every step and the empty cans of food inside her bag thumped against her back. She had finished the last of their supply two days prior. They would need to find more soon.

The dog trotted ahead of her, weaving from side to side with his nose to the ground or bounding off into the snow before returning to the tracks. She watched as his matted fur moved over his ribs and shoulders, the bony triangle of his pelvis angular and prominent. His body was slowly eating itself, scavenging his fat and muscles and bones for the energy required to keep moving, to keep surviving. Her body was doing the same despite her best efforts. She kept walking.

to be continued...