We're the Last

by G Sasaki

  Hailey stared at him. She knew people at school made fun of him for going out with her. She’d heard whispers of some of the things people had said. Where would I be without him? “Then I’ll be sick with you.”

  He grinned as he uttered, “Just be careful about my finger.” Alex shifted over to make room in his clunky hospital bed.

  Hailey gingerly squeezed next to him. The bed squeaked and dipped as it adjusted to the extra weight. Surprisingly, the bed was puffier and more comfortable than she imagined. She draped herself along his body and wrapped her arm around his midsection. With his healthy hand, he caressed her scalp. Their soft breathing was the only sound they could hear. As time mercilessly passed by, they held on.

  Alex said, “It was nice of your Mom to come. They’re a pain sometimes but… you’re lucky to have them.”

  “I know.” Hailey took several deep, guilty breaths before she confessed what she dreaded to tell him. “It’s my fault.”

  Alex put his chin to his chest and looked at her. Her eyes shot upward as she gazed back like a sad puppy. He asked, “What do you mean?”

  “When Trevor had your hand. I could’ve helped. I wanted to help. But I stood there and did nothing.” She squeezed his shirt and buried her face into his chest. “Like an idiot. I was just so scared. I couldn’t move. And now you’re here. It’s all my fault.” She paused. Alex didn’t know how to respond. Instead, Hailey added, “I’m sorry.”

  “Hailey.” His eyes scanned the air for the right words. “It’s not your fault. I shouldn’t have gotten close to him. You tried to stop me. I should have listened to you. If you tried to help me, Trevor might’ve hurt you instead.” Hailey’s eyes locked with his, wondering if he spoke the truth or just wanted to make her feel better. He continued, “Besides, I’ll have the surgery in the morning and I’ll be out of here. It’ll be okay.”

  As Hailey peered into his eyes, she analyzed the fine texture of his brown irises. Fine green lines ran from his pupil to the outside of his iris. Up close, it looked so detailed. So… deep. Hailey laughed.

  Alex asked, “What’s so funny?”

  “Can you see me?”

  He shook his head in confusion. “You’re really weird sometimes.”

  “You have pretty eyes.”

  “Thanks, Green.”

  “You’re welcome… Brown.”

  Hailey held the palm of her hand in front of his face. It floated in the air, all five fingers fully extended. Alex looked at it and gently fit his fingers into the spaces between them. Their hands clamped and locked together. Hailey stared at the blackness of his nails resting on the back of her hand. She closed her eyes and embraced his feel.

  She whispered, “I wish I could be sick with you.”

  But Alex would never want something like that. He unclamped their hands and pulled her face closer to his. He wouldn’t tell her because she wouldn’t accept it, especially now… but she was stronger than she gave herself credit for. She just needed to believe in herself. He wrapped his arm around her and squeezed.

  Hailey closed her eyes and reveled in the feeling of their bodies rested against one another. As she took a deep breath, she could feel his heartbeat restfully beating with hers.

  Alex whispered, “I love you, Hailey.”

  Hailey pulled her head back and gave Alex a soft kiss on his lips. She rested her head on his chest. “I love you, Alex.”

  Knowing goodbye was coming to torment them yet again, they held on for as long as they could, savoring every second they had together. Hailey scanned the details of his face, admiring him. She had no way to know this would be the last time she would see it.

  6

  POOM. THUMP. Hailey’s eyes slammed open. Other than a faint light that brightened and dimmed from her charging cell phone, pitch black surrounded her. She struggled against her sheets and sat up with the fog of sleep clouding her. “Hello?” She waited. No response. The sound she heard… or thought she heard… was deep and low. She could have sworn it came from within her room. Even the bed shook a little when she heard it.

  It could have just been something from a dream that bled over to her consciousness. Weird things happened in the deepest levels of sleep. It wouldn’t be the first time she woke in a tizzy in the middle of the night. She coughed and noticed her mouth felt dry and her tongue seemed like it was covered in sand. “Ugggghhhh,” she mumbled. Now she’d have to get something to drink. And going back to sleep was not going to be easy.

  She threw the sheets off her body with a hint of disgust and, nimbly, without making a sound, left the confines of her bed. With the soft carpet grazing her feet, she took steps toward the door. She couldn’t see much, but she didn’t need to. She’d lived in this house long enough to navigate it blind. Her hand gripped the door handle and she softly opened the door. Wouldn’t want to wake anyone else.

  She tiptoed down the hallway, past her brother’s room and the bathroom. At the midpoint of the hallway, she deviated and stepped into the kitchen. Her feet touched the cool tile that felt much cooler than the cozy carpet. The refrigerator offered an inviting hum. She opened it and the light from inside erupted, trying to blind her. Instinctually, she lifted her hands to her eyes to try and shield them. She glanced at the shelves of the refrigerator and found what she was looking for. “Orange juice,” she proudly announced to herself. Hailey loved orange juice. Dad could never keep the refrigerator stocked with enough of it. On the carton, the top of the label read ‘Extra Pulp’. Thank God, she thought. There’s never enough pulp. Orange juice without pulp felt like drinking battery acid. She plucked the carton out of the refrigerator and gave it a little shake. Plenty left. When she closed the refrigerator door, a dark figure intruded her peripheral vision.

  Hailey yelped in surprise and nearly lost her grip on the orange juice. Her eyes settled on the figure and the features of her younger brother, Sam, came into focus. “Oh God Sammy! You scared the heck out of me!”

  Sam was 9 years old but pretty short for his age. Most people mistook him for much younger. Sam stood in front of her, wearing loose-fitting pajamas with slippers on his feet.

  Hailey calmed her racing heart and asked, “What are you doing awake?”

  Sam silently stared. He didn’t smile. He didn’t frown. In fact, he didn’t look like he was fully woken up. He just stood there. Staring with glazed eyes.

  Hailey giggled as she took a glass from the drawer and slammed it on the counter. “Stop being a goof. You want some orange juice? Extra Pulp.”

  Sam asked with his high-pitched voice, “Are you going to help me and Dad?”

  “Sure Sammy.” The juice poured out of the carton and swirled around the glass. “What do you need help with?”

  “Getting the monster out of Mommy.”

  “Really? Having some nightmares, Sammy?” The pulpy orange juice tickled her tongue and massaged her throat. Sam’s eyebrows drooped and his lips crunched together. He didn’t seem happy about Hailey’s response. Sam’s robotic voice asked, “Do you have monsters in your belly too?”

  Hailey knelt down to get to eye-level with him. She figured she’d indulge him. “Oh yeah. A couple monsters in my belly. Come on, let’s get you back to bed.” Hailey stood up and held out her hand for Sam to hold. Instead, Sam slapped it away. That wasn’t like him. He must really be out of it. “What are you doing, Sam?”

  “Stay away from me.” Sam folded his arms in a pouty, 9 year-old kind of way. When Hailey looked closer at him, she noticed something shocking: his fingernails were all black. Just like Alex’s. Hailey glanced at her own nails just to make sure: clear pink, perfectly normal. She looked back at his nails once more. Black as night.

  Hailey’s breathing grew heavy as fear came knocking. “Hey Sam,” she said, “Can I see your hand?” Hailey extended her hand, hoping Sam would oblige. It floated, waiting for Sam to take hold. He glared at it with a scowl. Unexpectedly, he snatched her hand out of the air, thrust it in his mouth, and bit down as hard as he
could.

  Hailey screamed and kicked Sam away. Her extended foot sent him soaring across the tile on his back. Sam hopped to his feet and pointed at Hailey. “You have monsters inside you!” The tone in his voice didn’t seem so cute anymore.

  Without waiting for a response, Sam bolted into the hallway, straight for Mom and Dad’s room. Sam yelled, “Dad! Hailey has monsters inside her too!”

  Even though confusion swirled and tried to drown her, Hailey chased after him. He scuttled away, just feet in front of her. She noticed a dim light coming from under the closed door of Mom and Dad’s room. Sam hobbled his way to the door and let himself in. As Hailey approached that door, it slammed shut with such force, her hair blew back from the gust.

  Hailey approached the door and tried to turn the handle. Locked. She knocked on the wood. “Mom? Dad? I think something might be wrong with Sam.” Hailey waited. Silence. From under the door, she could see moving shadows blocking the light seeping into the hallway.

  Hailey slid to her knees and peered through the crack under the door. She saw Sam’s slippers darting back and forth through the room. Another pair of feet moved too. From the hairiness of them, they had to be Dad’s. What the heck is going on in there?

  Their feet stopped moving and faced each other. Through the crack, their voices crawled out.

  Dad asked, “Your sister has monsters too?”

  “Yes,” Sam replied. “She tried to attack me.”

  “Let’s go get her.”

  Let’s go get her? Something about that smacked Hailey right in the gut. Now she knew something bad was happening. Almost instinctively, she leapt to her feet, hid in the closet across from the room, and closed the folding door in front of her. Her heart beat so loud and so fast, she worried Dad and Sam might hear it.

  She peered through a tiny crack in the closet door. The light in Mom and Dad’s room turned off and she saw the bedroom door whip open. A lone drop of sweat crawled down her forehead. She had to focus to not wipe it away even though it tickled against her. Dad’s large silhouette stepped out followed by Sam’s tiny outline. Dad’s voice rumbled, “Hailey! Where are you?” Hailey stayed motionless and held her breath as Dad and Sam stepped down the hallway. When they disappeared from view, she heard the distinct floor creaks underneath their feet. I have to move. When they seemed far enough away, Hailey crept open the closet door and slid out. She peered down the direction she heard the footsteps travel and couldn’t see anything but darkness.

  She moved into Mom and Dad’s room and slid on a dim light. When she looked at the bed, a scream nearly escaped from her mouth. Luckily, her hands jumped up and blocked any noise from sneaking out. Her eyes absorbed the sight of bloody chunks of red streaked across the white bed sheets. Her heart dropped and bright white spots danced around in front of her.

  “The light’s on!” she heard from down the hallway.

  She’d been found! She shook her head and pushed the spots away. Without much thought, her body darted to the closet deep in the room, where she knew Dad kept his gun. When she whipped open the folding doors, a bloody naked female body fell out at Hailey’s feet. She jumped back and the corpse collapsed with a thump to its back. Carved up from the center, its entrails hung out and a smattering of red and dark orange organs that looked familiar only from textbooks spilled. Worst of all, the head was missing. There was no helping it this time: Hailey screamed. Still feeling the urgency kicking at her head, Hailey bolted into the closet entrance and climbed some drawers until her fingers grazed against the cool metal of the gun at the tiptop of the closet.

  Dad’s voice rang out from inside the room, “What are you doing, Hailey?”

  A startled chill spread across her skin and knocked her down onto the torn-apart corpse. Her elbow pressed inside the warm body and splashed blood. She looked at her hand, unsure if she had retrieved the gun or not. Miraculously, there it was, resting in her palm. Covered in bloody chunks, Hailey thrust to her feet and stared at Dad and Sam, who stood at the doorway. Now with the benefit of light, Hailey could see large bags lingering under their swollen eyes. They looked… off. Worst of all, a long knife hung from Dad’s hand.

  Out of breath and shaking with fear, Hailey panted, “Please tell me what’s going on.”

  Dad ignored her and held out his hand in some twisted attempt to calm her. “Put the gun down, Hailey.”

  Hailey noticed Dad’s fingernails. Black. Not him too. Hailey swallowed hard. I have no choice. With two hands, she gripped the gun and pointed it at her father.

  Dad smirked. “Hailey... What are you doing? You don’t know how to use that thing.” He took a step toward her.

  Hailey cocked the gun and the sound practically exploded in the room. “That’s not true. I’m sorry, Dad, but I do know how to use it. I should have told you but Alex’s grandpa… he took us out a few times and…” Remembering the situation at hand, Hailey changed the subject. “Please tell me what’s happening.” The gun shook in her hands like a fish desperate to jump to freedom.

  Dad sighed. “Your mother…” he pointed at the corpse, “…had monsters in her.”

  Hailey looked wide-eyed at the torn apart body. “That’s Mom?!?” She screamed, nearly losing her voice. “What the fuck!?”

  “You watch your language, Hailey,” Dad snapped. “Your brother’s standing right here.” Sam folded his arms and shook his head, silently scolding her.

  Hailey looked in disbelief at her father and brother. This can’t be real. Their faces appeared relaxed, like nothing was happening at all. This was a bad dream. It had to be. The weight of confusion and fear crushed her and squeezed tears from her eyes. “Why is this happening?”

  “It’s going to be alright. Just let me and Sam help you.” Dad flashed the knife gently, like it was a first-aid kit. “We’ll get the monsters out of you. Just like your mother.”

  What’s the date today? Is it that day everyone plays practical jokes on each other? Hailey forced a chuckle. “Okay,” she said, “The joke is over. You got me. Good job.” She was desperate to believe it. “Where’s Mom? I have school tomorrow. A big test. Can I please just go to bed?”

  Dad and Sam looked at each other and nodded, like they just silently told each other a secret. Sam took the knife from Dad’s hand. Slowly and innocently, he stepped to Hailey and an unnatural smile spread across his face. Hailey bent down to eye-level with him. “Hey Sam, this is really funny. Where’s Mom?”

  Sam squinted his eyes at Hailey in a dazed look. After a few eternal seconds, he turned to the bed and crawled to his knees. He reached underneath and dragged something out. He stood to his feet and lifted the object.

  When the image settled in her eyes, hysteria swallowed her. She no longer had control of herself. She screamed with all her soul and leapt onto the blood-soaked bed. She pointed the gun at Sam. Pointed it at Dad. And pointed it back at Sam. She panicked, “That’s really lifelike. Please stop! No more! Where’s Mom!?” Hailey shouted, “Mom! Mom! MOM!!”

  Sam looked at Dad, perplexed. He looked back at Hailey and pointed to the object in his hand, a severed human head that looked just like Mom’s. Her eye sockets spread wide and her eyes rolled back. Sam held it by the hair, causing the skin on the face to stretch upwards. With pulled skin, the nostrils opened larger than usual and her jaw dropped open. At the base of the neck, red stringy pasta-like lines dangled down. Its realistic appearance tugged at Hailey’s stomach and she thought she might vomit. Sam dropped the head to the floor and it hit the carpet with a thud. Tired of waiting, Sam chucked the knife at Hailey.

  In milliseconds, the knife soared through the air straight toward Hailey’s face. By pure lucky reaction, she twitched her neck to the side and managed to barely dodge the blade that whizzed by. She felt a rush of air as the knife fanned. The blade plowed into the wall and lodged behind her.

  Without a semblance of thought, Hailey gripped the handle of the knife and, with the force of frustration, whipped it back at Sam. As soon as the
blade left her hand, the world froze. What did I do? But it was too late.

  The knife flew back at Sam and found a home deep in his stomach. “Oh my God, Sammy!” Hailey yelled.

  Dad stared at the image of his son standing with the blade of a knife stuck deep inside him. “What did you do?” he snarled. Hailey could only stare at Sam, who crunched forward, let out a small chuckle, and fell limp to the ground. Dad ran to his aid and cradled his dying body. “You killed him!”

  The spots Hailey pushed away before came dancing back. How did this happen? She was peacefully asleep just ten minutes ago. Now her younger brother, her Mom, what was happening? “I’m sorry. I didn’t… I didn’t mean it.”

  “Give me the gun,” Dad demanded.

  Hailey took a deep breath. Her head pounded and her hands trembled. But for the first time in this encounter, she faked confidence. “No.” Instead, she pointed the gun at him. “I’m sorry. I have to leave.” Hailey circumvented her father and approached the door. As she stood in the doorway, Dad said, “You disappoint me, Hailey.”

  “I’m sorry.” Hailey ran down the hallway to grab her cell phone and leave the house.

  7

  Hailey dashed through her bedroom like a tornado. She whipped on a tight-fitting black shirt and jeans and thrust her cell phone into her pocket. She dumped most of the books out of her backpack and let them fall to the floor. Some of them got stuck inside and she didn’t bother clearing them out. Instead, she stuffed in a few clothes and threw some money in. With her hands nervously shaking, she wiped the blood off her arms and noticed the gun resting on her pink bedspread. She stared at the killing machine. Sleek and silver, it begged to be invited.

  “I might need it,” she confessed to herself.

  She gripped the handle and lifted the deceptively heavy tool. Without any more delay, she strapped on the backpack, ran down the hall, and stood at the front door of her house. Hailey dropped her arms and looked back at the dark hallway. Her head ached as grief overwhelmed her. In a matter of minutes, her life wasn’t just turned upside down, it was beat up, thrown down the stairs, and tossed into a dumpster. She spent her entire life in this house. And in just a matter of minutes, it was lost forever. What would she do? The police would come for her. She just killed her brother.