Clifton Becker always enjoyed solitude. Until the apocalypse. An unstoppable disease sweeps across the nation. Rumors spread that the infected become something inhuman. Something dangerous. Something from a terrible nightmare. But Cliff is not afraid. He knows the perfect place to find refuge. A place he often went to escape civilization even before it collapsed. Along with his faithful companion and protector, a German Shepherd named Sage, he establishes a foothold for himself in this new world. But an unexpected intrusion threatens his new way of life. He must make a choice that tests the very rules by which he and Sage have survived all this time. A choice that may cost him far more than he can afford. This is a short story from The Tide universe. It can be read at any point before, after, or during The Tide main story. The Tide main novels include: Book 1: The Tide Book 2: The Tide: Breakwater Book 3: The Tide: Salvage Book 4: The Tide: Deadrise Book 5: The Tide: Iron Wind Book 6: The Tide: Dead Ashore Book 7: The Tide: Ghost Fleet