The Last Legacy (Season 1): Episodes 1-10

by Lavati, Taylor

  Jim was strangely quiet, and I knew he was upset with me for taking her in. He hadn’t said a word since we left the gas station. But he also never let go of my hand. Until right now at the back wall of the library.

  “Eaters are crowding the entire front of the library.” Jim stopped at the edge.

  I peeked over his shoulder and saw what looked like fifty eaters, all pounding on the front glass in one big horde. They acted more violent than when we had left, and my heart lodged in my throat. We couldn’t fight through that many. We’d have nowhere to go, and it was dark now.

  “You said this place was safe,” Scarlet whispered behind me in a clipped tone. I glanced around us, looking up at the speckling white stars in the navy blue sky. We didn’t stand a chance walking foreign territory in utter darkness.

  “There’s a back door,” I told her, nodding in that direction.

  “We can’t stay here longer than tonight.” Jim pulled me backwards and past Scarlet. I grabbed her hand and dragged her along as we raced to the back door.

  Jim opened the door, barely making a peep, and shoved us in before him. I couldn’t see a thing, but soon Jim grabbed my shoulders. I followed behind him until my ankles hit the bottom stair. I followed the walls to the second floor, navigating up the winding stairway.

  We tiptoed up the stairwell, nobody so much as breathing aloud. In the blackened room, I found the tables in the center, two beside each other. I dropped my bag on top of one and felt my way around the room until I found the flashlight. I flicked it on, making sure that it was pointed to the ground. I didn’t want to attract more eaters.

  Our lunch still sat beside where I put my bag of food. Scarlet and Jim placed their bags in the middle of the wood table, both standing in front, not moving. But Jim didn’t stay long. He left the upstairs area minutes after we got there and ran down the stairs. I figured he was checking to make sure no eaters got inside.

  “Is he your husband?” Scarlet asked as I fiddled with the flashlight, trying to get it to project more light.

  “Who?”

  “Who else?”

  I flipped my light towards Scarlet, and she pointed down towards the stairs.

  “No. I just met him.” I shook my head with a frown. Husband? Why would she think that? Nothing we did screamed intimacy. Nothing I felt did, either.

  “Could’ve fooled me,” she muttered under her breath.

  The most affection Jim showed me was hand-holding. I hardly thought that would make her think we were in love. I didn’t even believe in marriage—it was too vulnerable and disturbing and possessive. I didn’t even have friends; how could I hold a man for more than one night? I shook my head again for emphasis.

  “I should go find him. Why don’t you take a nap while we keep watch?”

  Scarlet nodded as I grabbed a protein bar from my bag. I had taken two whole boxes of them since the package promised to fill your stomach with one bar. I grabbed another one for Jim and toed my way down the stairs.

  I didn’t want to draw attention to myself. I didn’t know if eaters had gotten in. Plus if I was loud, they might start banging against the windows harder and crack them wide open. But I had to see where Jim had gone. I hugged the walls as I stumbled through the empty building, only using the flashlight when it was absolutely necessary.

  Even knowing Jim was downstairs didn’t quell my fears. Every step I took I paused after, waiting to hear if a monster came out. My fingers trembled, the beam from the light vibrating on the floor. I sucked in a breath and held it, trying to slow my rapid pulse.

  I heard the growl before I felt it grab me. Something clawed me from behind, and I fell face forward onto the musty smelling carpet. A scream got caught in my throat as I kicked at the eater that reached towards my face. The electric red eyes glowed brighter than normal from my flashlight hitting them. I reached into my back pocket, but my knife was missing. Shit. I had lost it at the gas station

  Panic set in. Without my weapon, I felt vulnerable. Defeated. I had nothing to kill with, and I was going to die. As a last ditch effort, I swung the flashlight at the eater’s head and connected with his forehead. He didn’t even budge from the blow.

  I whacked him again. But all he did was snarl at my face, like I was upsetting him. I shut my mouth as saliva dripped down onto the front of my shirt. The thick, gooey white mess almost made me puke.

  All of a sudden, the eater vanished. The weight of the eater lifted off my body, and I opened my mouth, pulling in a ragged breath. I heard a loud bang behind me and a body fell to the ground. I rolled onto my side and swung my light around, trying to figure out what had happened. But all I saw was the deep cobalt eyes of my savior.

  “What the fuck is wrong with you?” He reached down and pulled me up to my feet in one movement. He grabbed me hard, his fingers vibrating with fury as they dug into my arm.

  “I just…I was looking…you left.” I couldn’t formulate a sentence. My heart raced in my chest; pounding blood pumped so hard in my ears that it blocked out anything else. A breath got caught in my throat, and I struggled to get air. I gasped.

  “Shit.” Jim rubbed my back and twisted his hand in my hair as he held me against his warm chest. He shushed me as my body convulsed. I tried to calm myself down. I told myself that nothing happened, Jim saved me again, everything would be okay. All I needed was a nice paper bag to breathe into, but even that was a luxury I wasn’t afforded anymore.

  “Feel my chest rise and fall. Match my breaths, Lana.” He pulled a long breath in, his chest rising high. My chest wasn’t smooth like his; instead it pulsed as I tried to breathe a reply. But it worked.

  Slowly, I regained control of my shuddering body. I felt stupid for having a panic attack at a time like this. I knew Jim would see me differently now. Like I was weaker or less mentally strong. But I couldn’t help it.

  “I was so worried about you,” I told him while hiding my face in his chest.

  “Well, stop it. I’m fine.”

  “I’m sorry about bringing Scarlet in,” I said fast.

  “Don’t be. You made the right call. She can only help us.” His finger lifted under my chin, and before I saw it coming, he pressed his lips against mine. After the initial shock, I met his kiss and gave him more. I wrapped my arms around his waist, hugging him against me.

  I didn’t realize how much I wanted him. Suddenly, my breath was back and I panted. My insides twisted, in a good way, my fingers trembling, but for the first time in days, not out of fear. His kisses were wet perfection, his tongue swirling with mine and electrifying me.

  Our kiss was broken by a strange popping sound. He didn’t let go of me, but he turned his head to the noise that severed our connection. I held up the flashlight towards the front of the library and saw the window on the door. Eaters stood behind it, growling, their red eyes popping out in the otherwise dark night.

  A spider-like crack swam from the bottom of the window to the top, completely cutting it down the middle and branching out in streams. My eyes widened as the eaters continued to walk into the door and pound their bodies against the vulnerable parts.

  “We have to go.”

  At his words, the entire window shattered, the glass falling in. An eater’s body bent over the hole, falling into the sharp edges. It didn’t even slow her down. Her dress caught in the door frame, but she pulled through, losing it along the way. She didn’t even pause.

  “Hurry!” Jim shouted. Jim and I ran up the stairs, taking two at a time. I found Scarlet between two book cases, her eyes shut and breath slow as she slept. I shook her shoulders, and she darted awake, her eyes sporadically roaming the room.

  “We have to get out of here.” My explanation was enough to make her jump into action. She shoved her shoes onto her feet and ran to the table, grabbing her bag of food and coat.

  Jim stood at the top of the stairs and watched down the stairwell. I grabbed whatever I could and shoved my gun in my front pocket. I glanced at Scarlet, and she nodd
ed at me when she was ready. We ran to Jim, but he stopped us at the top of the stairs.

  I glanced down and saw the stairwell slowly start to fill with eaters all climbing over each other. It was completely blocked by infected bodies in a pile, moving like inchworms. We had no way to escape. Jim frowned at me, his lips in a grim line, his eyebrows knit together. We were stuck with no exit.

  “What the fuck are we going to do?” Scarlet’s voice screeched through the building, and I reached back to shut her up. I covered her mouth with my hand and glared at her, flashing the light in her greenish-brown eyes.

  “Grab the desk with me.” Jim’s voice rang with direction.

  Both Scarlet and I rushed back to the wooden tables. Jim flipped it on its side and shoved it forward. It only budged an inch. Scarlet and I grabbed the two corners and helped him push it against the stairwell, creating a barrier between us and the eaters. We all ran back to get the next table, lifting it and putting it on top.

  We ran around the room, grabbing whatever furniture we could find and piling it against the tables. It would only buy us a little extra time, but it’d be worth it.

  I threw a wooden chair on top of the heap and paused. I couldn’t see Jim anymore. I flicked on the flashlight and spun around in a circle, waving the beam. I ran to the end of the room and flashed the light down a row of bookcases. Empty. I ran down each row, flashing, each step my heart racing faster and faster. Where had he gone?

  At the end of the row, I paused and twirled with the light, shining it down the middle, and Jim appeared in my beam. He waved me towards the windows.

  “Scarlet!” I yelled, shaking my light so she’d know where I was. I dragged her with me to Jim. Her body shook, and I paused to look up at her. Tears cascaded down her face. I ignored them and stopped in front of Jim.

  I looked to where Jim pointed at a meager branch just outside the window. “There’s a tree branch that might be low enough to drop from. Do you think you can reach it?” I cupped my hands around my eyes and looked through the glass. The branch looked close enough to grab, but I wasn’t convinced that it’d hold my weight. However, it was only a one story drop, so I didn’t think it would be too bad if I were to fall. Plus, the ground was eater-free.

  I nodded. “I can do it.” I convinced myself, tightening the bag of food over my back. Jim kicked the window, but it refused to break. I looked behind me and spotted a computer. If I could throw it, maybe it would crack the window. I lifted up the monitor, tugging the cords along with it, and threw it as hard as I could at the window.

  It smashed loud, vibrating against the thick glass. It dropped to the floor, the entire front screen shattering. But the main back was intact. I went to lift it again, but Jim put his hand on my forearm to stop me.

  “Good idea.” Jim smiled at me and picked up the now smashed monitor. He threw it at the window this time, using much more strength than when I had hurled it. When it collided with the window, it cracked the far edge. He threw it again and again, and finally, the computer made it through, falling out the small hole and out onto the grass. There was just a large enough hole for us to crawl out.

  “I need you to go first,” Jim whispered as he stuck his head out of the window. He pulled out and nodded at me. “Run to the gas station and don’t stop. Wait for me there.” Jim didn’t wait for a response.

  He kissed me hard, grabbing the sides of my head and holding me against him. Any doubts that I had about our situation faded. But then he released me and pushed me through the glass hole. My fears flooded back after the momentary reprieve.

  I stood on the small two inch ledge outside the window and shined my flashlight against the oak tree. A ferocious wind whipped against my face, and I almost lost my balance. I grabbed onto the window, my fingers pricking against the jagged glass.

  Fighting the wind, I reached forward towards the tree, still hanging onto the window. I just barely caught the branch with my fingertips. I pulled it down towards me and fixed my hold so it was in my entire palm.

  I didn’t think I could do it. My hands were now sweating, my stomach churning. I felt like I might puke as I began to release the window, putting more of my weight onto the skinny branch.

  It swayed and dipped down low to the ground. I gasped, holding in a scream as every sound in the night hit me at once. Owls and birds hooting and cawing, grasshoppers chirping. The wind made a howling noise that chilled my insides.

  I didn’t want to flip on the flashlight. Not only would it attract eaters, but it would mean having to remove one of my hands from the branch. I didn’t trust myself to hang on. I squeezed my eyes shut and moved completely onto the branch. It dipped lower, my stomach caught in my throat, and I fell into what seemed like a black hole.

  I knew I was going to die. The short second it took to fall felt like hours as everything about my life raced through my mind. I held my breath, not seeing anything, and then my legs gave from underneath me and I was on the ground.

  The branch snapped back, whacking me in the face. I cradled my head as my knees shook. I wanted to cry. My entire body ricocheted with the adrenaline rushing through my veins. I felt like I had drank three dozen cups of coffee. I didn’t know what to do, but Jim’s words echoed in my head. I had to hurry.

  I paused to listen. Scarlet should have been jumping down soon. I didn’t know if eaters were nearby, but I didn’t want to find out. I flipped on my light and held my gun in my other hand. I followed the yellow beam until I found the trunk of a tree. I hugged it and tried to catch my breath.

  My back was open for attacks. Someone could easily come and murder me. They had darkness on their side. I had to get out of there. My spine tingled. I counted to one hundred, and neither Jim nor Scarlet came out of the window.

  There wasn’t even noise coming from the library. Just silence. I had to make a decision. I wouldn’t last out in the open alone, so I broke into a jog towards the gas station. I had to help myself first.

  I could’ve passed eaters along the way, but I had one destination in mind and wasn’t stopping. I jogged down the center lane of the main street, straddling the yellow line, letting the light from the moon guide me. My footsteps were quiet, but quick. Within five minutes, I was tiptoeing around to the back of the gas station, the Hess sign dangling off the roof.

  I put my hand on the silver knob and twisted it, turning like the second hand on a clock. It creaked as I pushed it open. I paused in the entry way, listening for any noise. The silent room didn’t speak back. I jumped into the gas station and shut the door behind me.

  I pressed my back to the door and leaned against it, sinking down to my butt. With my back covered, I stared out the broken front window, my eyes straining as I searched for danger. Every few seconds, a drip dropped, or a bag of chips crinkled. Every time my heart lurched.

  My breaths slowed down, and the paranoia dissipated. I crawled to the refrigerator which was cast in a dim glow from outside. I went from section to section searching for plain water but didn’t find any.

  I plugged my nose and downed the orange-flavored sparkling water. It would have to work. The room-temperature refrigerator door pressed against my back and I shut my eyes. Please let Jim and Scarlet be okay. I didn’t know if any god was listening, but I tried. I needed them to come back and find me. I needed them to live.

  If I was alone, then I was as good as dead. I’d be the last survivor. The weight of the thought sat on my shoulders, pressing me down to the floor. I always prided myself on being independent. I emancipated myself at sixteen. But this was different, more serious and severe. I had nothing to fall back on. Money didn’t matter, morals were gone. I had never been truly alone. Until now.

  The back door sprang open, banging against the side of the wall, and a figure stopped in the entrance way. I didn’t recognize the shape at first—slender and dark, hidden by the door. My body tensed as I put my hand on my gun. The ticking near the front of the store distracted me.

  “Lana.”


  I let out an anxiety-filled breath and stood to greet Scarlet. I grabbed her, pulling her into the station. I peeked my head out the door. I paused, hoping to see Jim appear, but he didn’t. The back area remained empty. The door slammed behind me as I pushed Scarlet to the floor so we were sitting. Her shoulders rose and fell fast as she panted.

  “Are you all right?” I asked her.

  “Jim…he stay…I couldn’t.” She pressed her palm against her stomach, the other clutching the shirt over her chest. She shook her head as she spoke, her eyes full of tears.

  “What about Jim?” My words came out harsher than I meant. I leaned towards her, shaking her shoulders. I had to know that he was okay. My shrill voice vibrated as hard as my heart. Her eyes did nothing to fix my spinning stomach.

  Scarlet didn’t cure my loneliness, no matter how much I tried to convince myself that we’d be okay if Jim didn’t return. I liked her—trusted her. But she wasn’t Jim. She didn’t protect me or save me. Jim did. And he wasn’t fucking here. She pulled in a ragged breath. I sighed, relaxing my shoulders, but it didn’t stick.

  “The eaters broke through, and I had to jump without him.” She paused to catch her breath, and I wanted to punch her in the face. She wasn’t telling me what I needed to know. If Jim was stuck in the library, I would go back and find him. If Jim got stuck somewhere, I had to go save him. It was what was right. He had saved me more times than I deserved. I shouldn’t have jumped first.

  “I tried to wait for him, but he was stuck outside the window. I don’t know if he jumped, but the eaters came around the side of the library. I had to run down the main street. I didn’t see where he went.” She shook her head as tears rolled down her rosy cheeks.

  “Did you see him? Was he hurt?” I didn’t care if she was sad anymore. The act got old. Hundreds of questions forced their way into my brain, most of them negative. He couldn’t take on more than a few eaters at once. I kept seeing scenarios play out—Jim getting cornered, Jim getting eaten, Jim hissing my name as his final word. My entire body shuddered.