The wind whistled threw the car clogged streets of Alton Indiana. It twisted and weaved through and around the quaint little buildings bringing a little chill with it as it passed. As the wind continued its path it soon noticed another sound mixing with its own moans and whispers: crying. The wind whipped around a crying earth pony foal, he had been alone for two days already and was desperately hungry. His light blue coat was scuffed up and marred with dirt and swirling dust and his red mane was wind-swept and unkempt. Two days ago he had been a little five year old boy, traveling to the store with his mom. But on the way there she suddenly vanished leaving leaving him alone there in the car. Only a few seconds later nearly all the cars that had been occupied shortly before were now driving empty and they started to smash into each other. Fortunately, the little colt was not too injured, just a little jarred when his car crashed and was able to get out of the car in only a few minutes. How fortunate that his mother had been unable to find his car seat other-wise he might have been trapped forever in that burning wreck.

The colt's name is Sunny, though his mood is anything but. "M-mom? Mom where are you?" He whimpered quietly, he had been searching for two days, his hooves ached, his voice hurt, he was thirsty, where could she be? He came across the store they had been heading to, its doors had stayed open before the power went out and so he walked in, unsure of what to do. As he wondered through the aisles he couldn't help but take some of the food, he was so hungry and no one was around to notice him take something. His mommy had always told him stealing was bad but he would just say he was sorry when she came back.

Sunny's POV-----------------

I knocked a cereal box off of the shelf and tried to open it the way I always did, but I couldn't grab it with my hooves. I got sad after that and cried. I tried biting it and I finally tore the box open to see the clearish bag on the inside. I don't like the taste of cereal box or plastic bag. It's yucky. I was finally able to eat the cereal but it wasn't the same without cow milk on it. Why is the power out still too? It's never out this long as far as I can remember. I started walking around in the store until I got to the candy section. There was so much stuff, I was always smaller then mommy and daddy so I couldn't eat as much sweets as them, but now that I'm even smaller, there'll be so much I can eat candy forever!

"I don't feel so well now..." I groaned quietly, my tummy really hurts and I threw up some in the bath-room. I'm never eating candy again. I sniffled and wiped my eyes trying to find somewhere to sleep. I found a doggy bed and pulled it off the shelf into the aisle before going to sleep in it. Mommy always tucked me into bed at night before this happened, where did she go to? I was asleep after that and started to have dreams about mommy.

When I woke up, I opened a water bottle and ate more cereal and walked outside. There where buildings on fire from the cars that crashed before and so I tried to find a phone to call (911) but I remembered the power was still out. Anyway I just started walking around the town trying to find mommy again when I heard barking, I'm walking over to go find out what kind of little doggy is making the noise. I peek around the corner and I see that it was a big doggy, a lot of big doggies. They turn to me and start to growl at me, I shrink back and whimper "G-go away. I don't want to get hurt." Then they start chasing me. I'm running pretty fast but they're starting to catch up. Wait! There's a car that's on fire so if I get close to it the dogs will leave me alone, so I run close to the fire and turned to face them because I was now trapped. The dogs are circling me some trying to get close by crawling towards me on there bellys to avoid the heat, but I just hit them on the nose and they back up. This has been going on for a little while and my back is starting to get burned so I'll just move a little further from the flames so it's not so hot.

"AHHH!!" I forgot about the dogs trying to get closer to me for just a second and one just bit me, he's pulling me closer and starting to bite me again and again but I'm screaming and kicking him and hitting him so he starting to back away now. My back left leg is bleeding pretty badly now..I wish mommy was here.

It's been a long time since the dogs left but I'm too scared to go out there. My leg hurts really bad and my back is hurting too. I just don't know what to do now. I start sobbing softly, hoping someone will come save me. But they don't.

Sunny stayed near that car for several more hours before limping back to the store slowly. His leg was still bleeding a little it wasn't broken bat was badly lacerated. And the fur on his back, it was nearly completely burned away and the skin underneath was burned to the 1st degree at best. He managed to get to the employee's restroom that had a shower in it and turned the water on. It was painful at first but the cool water soon lulled him to sleep and he stayed the rest of the night in the bathroom. When he woke the next morning his leg was in burning agony, the places around the bites was swollen and painful and his back was little better. His burn covered most of his back and had started to painfully scab over. Poor Sunny could barely move from his little dog bed to eat or drink. He was still exhausted from the previous day and he was scared that the dogs might find their way into the building and then eat him. He spent his day like this the only noise besides his breathing was his quiet crying.

Outside, in the quiet town, once more was the silence broken by the sounds of hoof steps clopping down the street. A gray earth pony mare trotted cautiously around the corner of the store, her short blueberry colored mane bouncing with each step. Her bright teal eyes scanned for danger constantly.
Anna's POV-----------------------------

I walked through the empty town quickly to get to the store. I live at the edge of town on a corn farm about 60 miles away. I had to get walking as soon as I could to get to the store after the power went out, figured it was too dangerous to drive the car here. I would have had to walk through most of the town anyway what with all the cars left everywhere. I neared the open doors of the store and noticed a few drops of blood on the ground. I cautiously entered the building glancing right then left for any signs of an attacker or someone that might be injured, once I was satisfied there was no danger I started to gather what I came here for Letus, tomatoes, carrots, onions, potatoes and maybe some sweets if there's room left in my bags.

I found most of the fresh produce rotted or rotting but I did get my other items so I'm about to leave except I want to look around for anything else I may need. I walk through the aisles until I spot one of those little dog beds that they always have in stores but never seem to sell. It was sitting in the middle of the aisle with something in it so I go investigate and there's this poor burned little foal in there. I of coarse couldn't leave him there but when I went to see if he was awake I saw him shaking like he was scared. I came around to his front and saw the poor dear crying, I did my best to calm him down, he's been all alone ever since this started he's really brave about the whole thing. I'd better get a look at his leg though, it may be getting infected so I'll have to get 'im all cleaned up, then I'll take him back to the farm with me.

Anna took Sunny to the pharmacy and took care of his wounds. It wasn't a pleasant experience for Sunny but when Anna was done fixing him up he felt much better over all. She packed more burn medication and other antibiotics into her bags for the trip home and decided to spend the night here and return to the farm the next day. She lay out a couple other beds and slept next to him in case he needed something in the night. Anna awoke to a touching scene the next morning, Sunny and snuggled up close to her in the night and was still fast asleep, pressed softly against her barrel. She was young almost 26 and had never had children of her own yet but she decided to take care of him until this whole mess got taken care of or he came of age and wanted to move on in life. She very carefully lifted him to her back and started the walk back to her farm.
Sunny's POV-----------------------

I woke up on Anna's back today, she told me we're going to her farm and I'll be staying with her for now. I don't mind, miss Anna is really nice and I feel safe with her. I just want things to be normal again, like they used to be but she says that the world has changed and a lot of people are missing. I miss my mommy Anna said that she would help me find her, that this was like a big game of hind n seek, but I don't know where to start looking, there's a lot of space out here and I wish she would just come out already. But why would everyone want to play hide n seek at the same time? It doesn't make since to me. But I'm going to take a nap now and I hope we get to the farm soon.

We got to the farm about two days later (walking with all this stuff is slow) and I got to watch Anna take care of all the animals there and make sure they were all happy. The animals seemed like they knew more then they used to. They always did exactly what Anna told them to and it was funny to see the chickens walk around. We went inside next and she made dinner for us, there was no meat like I like to eat, but she said that she would give me a treat if I ate everything on my plate even if it wasn't meat. So I did and I got half a snickers bar after dinner. That night I got a bad dream about the dogs from before and Anna came in and snuggled with me. That made me feel happy.

The next day I got to help Anna take care of the animals, she showed me all sorts of things around the farm. She even showed me this thing on the back of her tractor called a gasifier. It uses dead leaves and wood and stuff then puts it under pressure and heat making gas come out that makes the tractor go. She says this way we don't need other gas and we can take care of all the crops like always. That way if people come back we'll have enough food for them. I'm glad I met Anna, even though she's not my real mom it still feels like she is and I love her and I think we'll get through this Ok.

Author's Note

So I thought that this chapter was cute, this is the first time I've tried switching back and forth between POVs like this. Hope it turned out alright. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this and I'd love to hear what you guys think, so I look forward to your comments.

By the way, the Gasifier is a real piece of equipment and is a real source of alternative and free fuel you can check out how to make one yourself here: [youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=67&v=X3KipK49v7g]
I'm honestly going to buy a professional model for my own use at some point but the idea that this thing can provide fuel for generators and most vehicles from wood is damn cool.