(Chapter 17) Day 201 - Human children in the wild

As it turns out, my close encounter with the terrifying descendant of the wolf was highly fortunate for me, as it led to the discovery that would change my entire purpose of being, or at least fulfil it. I found surviving humans, though not in the form I had originally imagined.

Children. That's what they were, just young children.

I was wandering through a large city, skyscrapers looming overhead, but a bright and pleasant day overall. Mother nature was beginning her work here, with trees and grasses growing up from the ground, cracking concrete and tipping lamp posts, great vines starting their climb up the sides of every standing structure, from small stores to cars to skyscrapers and everything in between. A faint sound of birds chirping in their new-found free haven, several groups of deer scouring the outskirts of the town for food and drinkable water.

I turned a corner and...well there they were, as simple as that. Perhaps half a dozen of them, small, ordinary-looking human children. If a bit dirty and clad in simple rags, they were still just children, standing dazedly, some sniffling and holding each other while their compatriots looked around slowly and formed plans in the ways that only children can. I ducked back around the corner before any of them saw me, and took the opportunity to further a hypothesis I had. As I was scribbling, I heard a soft, human female voice call out.

I froze, thinking at first they had noticed me, but looking around quickly I realised someone must be talking to the children up the road. I risked a glance around the corner and was thoroughly relieved at what I saw. A group of human survivors. They looked like they were doing rather well for themselves, in clean clothing and well-supplied for scavenging trips, there were a dozen of them that I could see. From the way some were gesturing around corners and into buildings, I gathered there must be more with them.

The children shied away at first, unsure of their new situation. The oldest of the boys and girls had come forward, keeping their (family?) behind them in a protective gesture. A puppy snarling at wolves perhaps, but in this time that was the most reassuring thing I could have seen. The woman who had called out just smiled, speaking in low, soft tones with words I couldn't quite make out over the distance. She walked toward the group, slowly and alone as the other adults went about their tasks, with a couple keeping general watch, though their mood was fairly jovial.

The woman seemed to have some food in her hand, though, again, I couldn't discern what it was due to the distance. She went down on one knee perhaps ten feet away from the small group, taking a bite from her snack then offering it to the closest of the children, who walked forward slowly and accepted it. Soon several more adults came forward with food and I got the distinct impression that this was not the first time something like this had happened.

The children didn't seem to be able to speak or understand what the adults were saying, but their soft tones and infectious laughter soon had the groups blending together easily, some of the adults carrying the smallest children on their necks and arms. Spare clothing was brought out and the children were given a quick clean, what I presume to be a quick medical check by another of the adults, then were clothed and carried away with what salvage the teams had managed to recover in the time.

I noticed, too, that some of the adults had hunting equipment with them, several rifles and a good handful of hunting bows, but they seemed to give most priority to the bags and carts they were carrying and pulling.

I hadn't the slightest idea what the situation was with the children at the time, though I have now made extensive notes on the matter which you can find later. Needless to say, it lifted my spirits in so many ways to see a glimmer of humanity shine through, even in the darkest of times.