A clever end of the world/horror story with several plot problems.

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1. Birds do not make noise when they sense danger. They are silent. Canaries in mines were used because they died from noxious gas before the miners were aware of it, they did not get noisier. Also, how did the birds survive in a box for weeks or months? The author merely says it was odd that they did.

2. The premise is that people who see a particular being (almost certainly an alien life form), become insane instantly and kill themselves and maybe someone near them with whatever is at hand. But a key character, Gary, can apparently see them without this effect. Is it because he is crazy already? I don't know, but this is a big plot problem; essentially a trick played on the reader. A second character encountered on the river seems sane, but later seems crazed. What is his story?

3. Dogs are used because it is thought that the aliens might not have an effect on them. And the dogs are used outdoors and nothing happens to them. But Gary says that there are many aliens in the area. Then, at a later time, the dog Victor sees one and goes insane. Also, a flock of birds apparently goes insane and kills itself along the river later. Had they never seen aliens before?

4. There seems to be a menagerie of animal life along the river (the Detroit river? the River Rouge?). This apparently includes wolves. There are no wolves in or near Michigan, except maybe on Isle Royal. [I recently read that there are now hundreds of wolves in the upper peninsula (2021-08-17)] Even months after 95% of all people had died, there would be no wolves in Michigan. Furthermore, wolves will not attack people in a row boat. Do they do this because they are now insane wolves?

5. The final point of refuge is a school for the blind, but some or perhaps many of the inhabitants apparently blinded themselves in some gruesome fashion. Were they short of blindfolds or unable to close their eyes?