James and Elise looked about anxiously. Whatever decision they made they'd have to be sure, there was no going back the way they'd came. If they hid in the cave and the entrance got blocked by an avalanche it would be unlikely that they could shift the debris. If they continued on into the mountain they would be seriously exposed if and when a nuclear blast came. An even louder growl made the ground shudder. They would have to decide quickly.
“You’re sure there’s a refuge?†James asked his co-worker. Though he supposed they weren’t really co-workers anymore as there probably wasn’t a job to go back to.
“Sure? No, I’m not. But I heard a rumour from Old Sara . . .†she trailed off, not wanting to be responsible for their next move. Neither of them did.
Suddenly, James froze. “Did you hear that? It sounded like, an animal of some kind.â€
Elise frowned, “What kind of animal?â€
“Like, like a cat.â€
Out of the corner of her eye Elise spotted a flicker of movement. She turned and saw a shabby looking feline scampering into the mountains. Just as it reached the top of the next hill it stopped and turned to look at them, its yellow eyes glinting. Then it darted away.
Elise looked over at James and saw he had seen the cat too.
“Shall we follow it?†she offered. Cats had good survival instincts, perhaps it would be a good idea to follow it.