We're the Last

by G Sasaki

  Mike exhaled in exhaustion from Dave’s horrid description. Hailey looked at Grace, whose bloody palms seemed trivial compared to what might await them. Grace and Mike’s eyes reflected with fear. The situation at the hospital was much worse than they ever thought. Hailey wouldn’t allow them to come. This was her fight.

  Hailey turned back to Dave. “We’ll leave tomorrow morning. With your permission, I would like Grace to stay here with Mike.”

  “No,” Grace yelled out. “I told you I’m not leaving you!”

  Hailey faced her friend and smiled. Hailey could thoroughly explain and lay out point-by-point why it would be best for Grace to stay. But there would be no changing her mind. So Hailey didn’t try. “Thank you, Grace.”

  Mike interrupted. “I’m coming too. You’ll need me.” Mike looked at Grace’s withering eyes. Reminded of her injury, Mike asked, “Is there a first aid kit? Grace has her hands cut pretty bad.”

  Dave pointed toward the locker room. “Of course,” Mike said to himself, “I should’ve known.” He’d been in the locker room and seen the first aid kit plenty of times. Mike grabbed a candle from one of the tables and he and Grace turned to walk toward the locker room. Dave’s shrieking voice stopped him. “Hailey is the Chosen One. She will save us.”

  Mike looked at the faces of the bats that surrounded him. They silently looked at him, knowing he would soon be one of them. That fact lingered over Mike every second of the day. There was no escaping that fate. If they wanted to believe Hailey was some kind of ‘chosen one’ that would save them, maybe it was best they continued to believe that.

  “We’ll see,” Mike said. Mike and Grace continued toward the locker room as the bats stepped aside, clearing a path. Hailey stood in front of Dave. “Thank you, Dave.”

  Dave nodded, a distinctly human gesture. Hailey’s face glowed. “I’m going to go help Grace. If you can spare any food for us, we would appreciate it.”

  With that, Hailey ran to catch up with Mike.

  Dave shrieked loudly for everyone to hear, “We must all help her. We must protect her and follow her every wish. There is no doubt: she is the Chosen One. A girl, unchanged, comes to us. And her name matches the one we’ve been waiting for: Hailey Hill.”

  21

  Having plucked all the glass from Grace’s hands, Mike finished wrapping one of her palms with gauze. Grace sat on a trainer’s table in a sub-room of the locker room. The candle sat on a counter in the corner of the room, and Mike squinted his eyes with the dim light of the flame. The room was intimate and it was the first time the three of them had a chance to just relax. He gently wrapped the gauze around, fluffing her hand. “Does it still hurt?”

  Grace shook her head. “No. It feels okay.” Mike’s hands were still smooth, devoid of fur. A bit of sweat condensed his palms, but Grace didn’t mind.

  Hailey stood next to Mike and watched attentively. Grace asked, “Do you think we can trust them?” Hailey deferred the question to Mike, the only one who could even understand what the bat people were saying.

  “I think so,” Mike said. “It’s hard to tell but I have a good feeling about them. Dave seems pretty convinced that Hailey’s the Chosen One.”

  “What does that even mean?” That idea bothered Hailey, even moreso that she didn’t know what they expected from her. And she couldn’t deliver.

  “I don’t know,” Mike responded. He turned his attention from Grace and looked to Hailey’s eyes. “But what if you are?”

  Hailey rolled her eyes. Come on. “You can’t be serious.”

  “I’m turning into a bat. I’m growing wings. There’s not a lot that would surprise me at this point.”

  Yeah, he had a point. But Hailey dismissed it. “Why me?”

  “Why not?” Mike asked. “You’re not turning into a bat.”

  Hailey shot back, “Neither is Grace. Why not her? She’s the same as me.”

  Grace interjected, “Maybe it’s because you killed that bat that was going to hurt me.”

  Hailey’s shoulders fell. Even Grace was willing to entertain this idea? “Maybe. I just… there’s nothing I can do to… save the world. Dave’s going to be disappointed. What if he turns on me and kills me for it?”

  “You’re jumping to a lot of conclusions there,” Mike said. “Dave seems to have himself together. He’s definitely not an ‘Unstable’ as he calls them.”

  As Mike wrapped her other hand, Grace offered, “Since neither of us are infected… maybe we can save the world.”

  Hailey grew irritated. It wasn’t their responsibility to ‘save the world’. “What is ‘saving the world’ anyway?” Hailey said. “There’s nothing wrong with the world. What if the world is better off without people? Look at what happened two weeks ago. Everyone killed each other.”

  Mike’s chest grew in objection. He was one of those people, after all. “What happened two weeks ago was nobody’s fault. People’s brains were affected.” Mike glared at Hailey and strength emerged behind his voice. “I don’t know what happened to the two of you, but no one acted normal. You can’t remember people for what they did that night. I’ve heard some say that maybe it was an advanced form of rabies or something. You know, when people or animals get rabies, they lose their minds; they go crazy. Hallucinations, attacking people for no reason… it all happens with rabies. Also, there’s a virus out there that can control ants. It literally infects the ant’s brain and makes them do what the virus wants it to do. Anyway, it doesn’t matter. The point is that two weeks ago, something happened. I was affected too. I don’t remember what happened to me. Something changed my brain. I mean it couldn’t be just rabies, obviously, because we’re turning into bats. But it’s something. I know that. It’s a super virus that’s totally changing all of us. It’s got to be. And who knows? Maybe there’s a medicine or something that can change us back.”

  Alex’s rant made Hailey think of her dad. She thought of her little brother, Sam, who held Mom’s severed head in his hand. The image she tried to block came back in graphic detail. Hailey clasped her hands over her eyes, desperate to forget it. How could she not blame the zombies for what happened that night? She fell into her mother’s cut open torso for Christ’s sake! “No,” Hailey said, nearly panicked. “You zombies may have lost your mind, but it doesn’t absolve you of what you’ve done. I’ll never forgive my Dad, forgive any of you, for what happened that night.”

  Mike lowered his eyes. He couldn’t personally ask for forgiveness. He didn’t even know what happened to him. But he knew something organic had happened. A virus. It had to be a virus. No matter what he said to Hailey, he supposed, deep down, she would always view him as a monster.

  Hailey continued, a fire growing with every word, “Let’s just say we could ‘save the world’… should we? What if we do turn all the bats back into humans? What would happen with the Unstables? They’d just be crazy people instead of crazy bats. Before, you told me some people think this is the next step. What if that’s true? Maybe we should embrace this instead of fight it.” Hailey took a deep breath. She didn’t know what to think. She wasn’t the Chosen One, but having that label and now being a savior to an entire high school full of bats weighed on her mind. Regardless of any status, she was a leader now and tomorrow everyone would listen to her. It was all too much. “I just need to get some sleep. I’m going to take a walk and… I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

  Without so much as a ‘goodbye’, Hailey walked out of the room and left Grace and Mike behind. They could have stopped her but they both suspected it was best to let her go.

  Grace sat at the edge of the trainer’s table and Mike quietly finished wrapping her second palm. “So how do your hands feel?”

  “Better.” Grace wiggled her fingers and stared in the distance. It tugged at her to see Hailey so upset. Even after Hailey saved her from the police car, Grace didn’t think she would care so much about how she felt.

  Mike asked, “What’s the deal with you two?”
r />   Grace’s eyes snapped to his. She thought about answering but instead lowered her head. She didn’t want to talk about it.

  Mike let out a slight chuckle. “I know you’re cool and part of the Fab Four and all… but it’s okay to have feelings.” Grace slouched even further into the trainer’s table. She just wanted to leave. Mike gently caressed her elbow. “You can talk to me Grace. After all, I’m one of two friends you have.” Mike smirked. He had a certain way of smiling that was both cute and laced with confidence. It served to reassure Grace, who said, “We used to be best friends.”

  “Used to be?”

  Grace pictured Hailey’s face and the look of determination that spread across it every time she protected her. Choked by guilt, she said, “My older brothers. Aaron was smart. A genius really. Steve was athletic. Good at every sport. And I…” Grace swallowed hard. “…I wasn’t anything. My parents weren’t very nice to me. Sometimes I wondered if they even liked me at all. Like I wasn’t good enough to be their daughter. You know, maybe I was just a mistake and they had to deal with me.”

  Alex stared at her through the dim light. Her long eyelashes blinked and her hair pushed behind her ears. Her soft, feminine voice continued, “Hailey saved me, you know. She got me out of the back of a zombie’s police car. She never stopped caring about me. When we were holed up in that school, I tried to figure out why we stopped being friends. Why I was so cold to her. Why I ignored her and made fun of her behind her back. And I guess I just wanted to be liked. By anyone.” Grace’s voice shook. She had thought about these things but saying them was even harder, especially when she was used to keeping her feelings inside. “I just wanted to feel like I was good enough. The worst part is… if none of this ever happened, nothing would have changed. I would still be mean to Hailey. I’m not good enough to help her find Alex. I’m not good enough for anybody.” Her voice trailed off and she hung her head. She sniffled and a tear rolled from her eye and fell to the floor. She was sure Mike looked down on her now. She felt embarrassed. I shouldn’t have said anything, she thought.

  Mike put his hand under her chin and lifted her head. Grace’s eyes struggled to avoid his. “Hey,” he whispered. Her eyes relented and landed on his. “I see the way Hailey is around you. There’s no animosity there. If anything, she would happily lay down her life for yours. What happened before two weeks ago is done. We have a chance to start again.”

  Grace forced a smile. Mike let go of her chin and the two stared at each other. The candle bounced around and offered just glimpses of Mike. Grace chuckled. “You know, it’s funny. My whole life, I’ve been terrified of bats. And here I am, talking to one.”

  Mike held up a finger and corrected, “I’m not a bat yet.” He smirked and again, Grace noticed. His lips were pink, soft. “I… I should thank you. For protecting me.”

  Mike laughed. “It’s become my job, really. But if it wasn’t for you, I’d still be locked up in the freezer at the grocery store. I couldn’t get through that God-forsaken door. So thank you, Grace.”

  Grace scooted forward. She brought her gauzed hand to his face and softly placed it on his cheek. Mike closed his eyes, savoring Grace’s feel, covered by gauze as it was. The free ends of her fingers rubbed him. Grace said, “You’re a nice boy, Mike. Don’t leave… okay?”

  Mike gazed back into her soft blue eyes. “I’m not going anywhere.” He couldn’t bear to lie. But he would transform into something different. And then what? In some ways, he would feel too humiliated to be around her.

  Grace stared longingly. She couldn’t help but notice the room feel warmer. It must have been that candle. Mike said, “You know I’m going to change soon, right?”

  Grace held out the back of her hands and looked at her clear fingernails. “If it’s a virus, like you say, then eventually I’ll catch it. Right?” Grace rested her hand on Mike’s chest. Mike said, “I hope not. You’re too pretty.”

  “Thank you,” Grace mouthed. She stared at Mike’s lips and breathed heavily. She bit her bottom lip. She wanted him to kiss her. She had made it obvious. Truthfully, she wanted that for a while, but now she needed it. She continued to stare and whispered, “Maybe we’ll turn everyone back then. I don’t care.”

  Mike inched in and brought his body close. Grace closed her eyes, fully expecting Mike’s lips to meet hers. His hands gently clamped around her sides and his forehead rested against hers. Mike closed his eyes. “I think you’re great,” he whispered.

  Grace brought her nose close to Mike’s to make his kiss easy to plant. Her heart raced and she couldn’t help but smile. She felt like she was floating on that table. His hands squeezed her sides and abruptly, she was lifted up. Her face parted from his and she landed on her feet.

  Mike declared, “We should go find Hailey.”

  Mike held her gauzed hand and led her out of the locker room. Grace looked at the floor, her heart deflated. She didn’t get the kiss she needed.

  I’m not good enough. I’m not good enough for him, either.

  22

  The lockers dawned over Hailey. She curled up and nestled on the hard tile of the hallway, desperate to find any semblance of comfort. She had grown accustomed to just a few hours of sleep every night. But with the hard floor digging into her side and her racing mind analyzing every detail of what happened today, she doubted she would sleep at all. Without a blanket, air seemed to swirl around at hurricane-like speeds. The slight chill tickled her skin. She shivered and the deafening silence swarmed her. Hailey slammed her eyes shut as her body jerked and twitched.

  Super-Rabies? This was Mike’s quasi-explanation. No, that was Mike’s excuse. He was pleading insanity for everybody. How could she possibly even think about forgiving Dad for what happened to Mom? But the one question that haunted Hailey the most was: why not her? When she ran through the neighborhood that night slaying zombies, everyone seemed to be affected… everyone but her and her sister Grace.

  A smile crept on her face as Hailey remembered the day they became sisters.

  She was five years old, in Kindergarten. Colorful cardboard paper decorations covered the walls of her classroom. Three tables of kids spread across the room and Hailey and Grace both belonged to table number 2, right in the middle of them all. Displays of the alphabet surrounded them and a green chalkboard stood at the front. The excited chatter of small kids danced in the air, and naturally, the space smelled like cookies.

  Hailey, always the smallest of her friends, barely sat above the height of the table. She clapped her bare hands on the surface, drumming to her own imaginary song. Across from her sat Grace, dressed eloquently in a pink dress with finely organized hair; a far cry from Hailey’s haphazard, sloppy look. Grace, annoyed by Hailey’s constant tapping, rolled her eyes. “Can you stop that?” her gentle, girly voice asked.

  Hailey’s big eyes looked at Grace and nodded. “Ok, Grace!”

  Hailey slammed her hands on the table for one final drumbeat and sat silently.

  Grace sighed. She knew her ABC’s, she thought, she was way too smart for this crowd. She could be at home right now dressing her dolls.

  The teacher, Ms. Samsa, placed a box on the middle of each table. The box was decorated to look like an old square Victorian home, with white picket fences even painted on. Hailey’s eyes lit up. “Wow,” she mouthed. A clear wrap covered openings in the box and allowed the kids to see inside. And what they saw were butterflies, flapping their wings and flying around. Magnificent! They bursted with orange splotches and black stripes. Hailey bounced in her chair with excitement and inadvertently drummed on the table again. The sound of slapping wood reached Grace’s ears.

  “Please stop,” Grace insisted.

  Ms. Samsa paced as she announced to the students, “Do you all remember when we put the caterpillars in our boxes a few weeks ago? We observed them every day. They ate leaves and then they became pupae. They hung upside down in their cocoons. Does everyone remember that? Everyone thought they were gross, righ
t?”

  “Oh yes!” Hailey quietly affirmed, “They were gross.”

  “Look at them now!” Ms. Samsa said, “They’re beautiful butterflies! Flying around, totally different from what they were before. Does anyone remember what this process is called?”

  Grace raised her hand. “Metamorphosis.”

  “Yes, that’s right Grace. There are a couple of insects and animals that go through metamorphosis. Can anyone name one of those animals?”

  Grace raised her hand again. “Frogs!”

  “Very good Grace!”

  Hailey leaned forward and loudly whispered to Grace, “You’re so smart!” Grace nodded, acknowledging her statement as fact.

  Ms. Samsa continued, “Now that these caterpillars have turned into butterflies, they need to be able to fly around outside and find other butterfly friends to be with. So what we’re going to do, class, is go outside and let them free!”