When they reached the truck, Hope rummaged through her supplies for some jerky. She tore a piece in two, shoving one piece in her own mouth and offering the other to the starving dog. The dog moved to within a foot of Hope�s hand, but no closer. Hope placed the jerky on the ground. The little female grabbed it and rushed a short way off, before settling down to swallow the meat. Hope picked up a small pan and poured some water into it. She set it down a couple of yards away from herself, then waited. The dog came over to the pan and sniffed its contents. She lapped her fill. Hope fed her several more pieces of jerky. The dog moved over beside the pile of rubble closest to the truck and lay down. She drifted off into a fitful doze, often starting awake. Once she satisfied herself that Hope was still there, she would sink back into sleep. Hope fixed a small supper before dark, which she shared with the dog. This time, the terrier consumed her food much closer than she had earlier. Hope spread out her sleeping bag beneath the truck, her sawed off shotgun beside her. The dog disappeared into the darkness. �Good night, Puppy!� she called out just before falling asleep. Hope tended to be a light sleeper, so she was surprised when she half awoke just before dawn to find the dog snuggled up against her back �Well, hello, little girl,� she murmured. �How long have you been there?� The dog scrambled to its feet and began licking her cheek. �Okay! Okay!� Hope said, laughing. She opened up the side of her sleeping bag. �Come on around here.� The dog hopped over her and curled up against her stomach. Hope gently scratched the dog�s head and neck. The little female licked her arm, then shifted to a more comfortable position, letting out a small groan of pleasure and grew still. Hope woke up a couple of more times before daylight, when she heard a low growl coming from the dog. Both times, she reached for the shotgun and waited. Until the terrier stopped growling. Probably some animal, Hope thought as she drifted back to sleep. In the morning, the dog helped Hope eat her breakfast. �You�re an eager girl," Hope teased. Girl? Hope grinned. �Say, I think a have a name for you,� she told the dog. �You�re not a girl; you�re a Grrrl!� Hope laughed as she stroked the back of the terrier�s head. �Grrrl!� The dog cocked its head, staring up at her. Grrrl grinned. �Grrrl, come!� Hope commanded, holding out her arms. Without hesitation, Grrrl rushed over and sprang into Hope�s waiting arms. CREDITS: Bryce 6, Poser 6, PSP 5. Character: DAZ V4 figure with "Victorius Face Pack for V4" by Syyd (RNDA); "Mask's V4 pureSkins" by MaskEdit (Renderosity); "Dixie Hair" by Lady Littlefox (Renderosity). Clothing: "Real Jeans Set for V4" by Billy-t (Renderosity). Vehicle: "Roaring Out of the Wasteland! - Trader Vehicle" by kalebdaark (Renderosity). Weapon: from the wonderful "BVH SWAT" freebie set for V3 by Baron_Vlad_Harkonnen. Dog: DAZ Millinium Dog; "Parson Terrier" mat; pose by me. Buildings and ash: "City Ruins" by rj001 (Renderosity). Rubble piles: Ed Baumgarten.