This story is inspired in the following excellent drawing, found on DeviantArt:

Source

One day a day

— by @CryptoSharon

Dios te salve, María,
llena eres de gracia;
el Señor es contigo

In a warm improvised church in the old remnants of what was once Ciudad de México, seven men and women and three children knelt down on the hard rock floor, holding each other's hands in a circle, praying over and over in a low voice. There was a clear worry in the faces of some. Everything around that broken down building was so silent that their voices whispered through the windows and into the ears of the cause of their worries.

Lisa was a thin young woman, twenty-something years old. She had escaped the ruins of Los Angeles at eighteen and had roamed southward ever since with Rumble, her faithful companion: a strong white pitbull who had saved her more than once.

"I know you're hungry, but there's some kind people who will help us," she whispered at the softly whimpering dog who calmed down and lied down next to where her butt sat on a gray wall left by a fallen building. "Just wait and you'll see"

Inside, Juancho was struggling with his young son while praying. His son was young and needed to strengthen his faith. It was not going well. Finally, in the middle of a prayer, when they were saying "ruega por nosotros, pecadores," little Gabriel managed to struggle free from his father's hand and ran to the door. Everyone was horrified and his father and uncle ran after him as soon as they noticed the situation, but as they reached the door, they heard quick feet running quickly towards the boy. As they ran, they started to scream.

"¡Gabo, vuelve rápido!" Juancho urged in despair.

"¡Qué haces, Gabriel, para!" his uncle followed.

In the end, they were too slow. A white ghost jumped to the boy's neck and they were only ten meters away from him. So close, yet they could not save him. They ran to the dog, trying to break the boy free, prepared to kick the dog as it walked away. When they almost reached him, they noticed a young woman standing under the shade of a nearby wall that still stood, looking at them half amused while carrying a long knife.

"Thanks for the snack!" She lively said, strapping a chain to the dog's collar and walking away. All the church members were standing outside the door of the house and the two men were merely five meters away from her, but they knew they could not take her. She was by far the swiftest killer they had ever seen. Juancho's father, who had seen her further to the north a week before, had described her as a ninja from an action movie. Juancho had never seen any, but from what his father said, everyone knew not to mess with her.

As the dog approached her carrying his now-dead son, Juancho was filled with anguish, sorrow and fear. He wanted to jump at her and make her pay, but fear was so much stronger. His stomach burned with rage as he watched the trail of blood get farther away with the dog and the girl. When they were distant enough, men and women alike had gone back inside the building. Some were crying, others were consoling them, but Juancho was still outside in shock, mouth agape and eyes filled with tears, wanting to scream into the void but the knot in his throat did not allow him.

Back in the dark ruins of a sturdy school, Lisa threw an arm at the opposite wall. "Catch!" she called, and Rumble ran as quickly as he could and brought it back to her. She excitedly smiled and grabbed his ears and hugged his head. "Who's a gooboy? who's a gooboy? You're such a good boy!" she tenderly rocked him.

She cooked her portion and then allowed him to eat. This was tastier than the meal a fisherman had once given her back in America. She still remembered it fondly, but this filled her with the joy of an excellent self-provided meal. What remained, she separated from the bones, salted it and kept it all in a sack she carried on her shoulder. It was a long way to the equator, where the hot river streams were foggy and living was harder. She sure loved a challenge.