We're the Last

by G Sasaki

  Dad closed his eyes.

  33

  Waffle Cookies. A fresh box sat in Grace’s bandaged hand. She couldn’t help but smile. From behind she heard Mike’s voice. “Really? You’ve eaten barely anything and the first thing you go for are Waffle Cookies?”

  Before embarking on the journey to Pirate’s Cove, Hailey brought everyone to a nearby grocery store. On the way over, the bats held Hailey, Grace, Mike, and even Jeremy as they flew in a pack. Hailey was beyond anxious to find Alex, but they all needed to eat. After forcing everyone through the ordeal at the hospital and panicking her friends, a quick stop to recharge was the least she could offer. While grocery stores harbored recent bad memories, having an entire clan of bats to back them up provided some comfort. Luckily, this particular store didn’t house any hell-bent redheads.

  Grace meticulously tore apart the flaps of the box and yanked on the plastic wrap. The cookies lay just inside. She glanced at Mike and responded to his teasing with some jabs of her own. “What are you going to eat, batboy? There’s probably some rotted dead fish toward poultry.”

  Mike laughed and squeezed her shoulders. “You’re such a comedian, Grace!”

  Hailey approached Grace and Mike amid their touchy-feely laughing. Hailey smirked and said, “Let me guess…”

  Grace flashed the box in her hand. “Waffle Cookies!”

  Hailey chuckled. “I’m heading over to grab some canned pasta. You want me to get you some?”

  Grace responded, “That’s okay.” Then she mumbled, “Not as good Waffle Cookies.” The three of them laughed and Hailey couldn’t help but feel relieved that they could still laugh at all.

  Mike spoke up. “Pasta’s a good idea. I think I’ll indulge.” As he stepped away, he side-eyed Grace. “Then I’m going to get some delicious rotting fish.” Hailey noticed Mike and Grace maintain a gaze into each other’s eyes. It lasted just a second as Mike turned to head down the aisle to find the pasta. Grace’s eyes kept on him and when he was out of sight, her eyes were surprised to find Hailey’s. As Grace held out her hand and offered Hailey a waffle-shaped cookie, Hailey said, “You like him.”

  Grace stepped back, caught off-guard by this accusation. “What makes you say that? Did he say something?”

  Hailey responded with the obvious. “Just seems like you two get along.”

  Grace blushed. Three bats walked toward them and stopped to analyze the variety of cookies. Hailey and Grace waited for them to leave, painfully aware of the awkward silent encounter of grocery shopping with bat-people. They all grabbed a box of Waffle Cookies. Grace lamented, “Okay, there’s other cookies here ya know…” After depleting the supply, the bats continued walking down the aisle away from the girls.

  Hailey stared at Grace and said, “So?”

  Grace took a deep breath. “I think Mike is great. He’s handsome, he’s nice, he protects me… I feel good when I’m around him.” Grace’s eyes wandered. “But I just don’t know how it can work. He’s changing… and obviously I’m not. In a few days I won’t even be able to talk to him.”

  Hailey didn’t know what to say. It was a dilemma to be sure. Alex had most likely changed too. What would she do if she found him and he didn’t recognize her? What if he was an Unstable? There were so many questions she tried to block from her mind. Now that Grace faced the same problem, she was unsure of what to tell her. “Just don’t think about it,” Hailey settled on. “We’ll figure something out.”

  Grace forced a smile and once again offered Hailey a cookie. “Do you think he likes me?”

  A few aisles over, Mike strutted with two cans of pasta in hand. Now all he needed was a can opener. Despite his strength, he imagined it would be quite difficult to open a can without squeezing it and making a mess. The delicate touch of a can opener was, therefore, critical. As he crossed through the aisle, he saw Jeremy’s furless body examining the shelves. Jeremy wasn’t fully wearing the hospital gown anymore but instead had it tied around his waist. Almost like a towel. Mike called out, “How’s it going buddy?”

  Jeremy jumped at Mike’s question. Jeremy fidgeted his head and nervously stepped back. His stressed demeanor always had him on edge. Without fur, he looked like an odd creature, like Gollum. Mike slyly grinned at the comparison. Through his bat language, Jeremy said, “Hi Mike. What did you find?”

  “Some good old-fashioned noodles.” Mike scooted close to Jeremy and wrapped an arm around his bare shoulder. Jeremy tensed in response, like a nervous cat that didn’t want to be pet. Mike said, “Listen. You don’t need to worry. We’re all here. Everyone’s looking out for each other. The Unstables are at the hospital, there’s nothing for you to worry about. So you can take it easy, alright?”

  Jeremy nodded. But it wouldn’t be that simple for him. So Jeremy changed the subject. “Grace likes you, you know.”

  Mike’s face lit up and the cans leapt out of his hands and fell to the floor. He quickly picked them up and put a hand on his hip in an attempt to play cool. “What did she say? Did she say something?”

  “I can just tell.”

  Mike sighed. “What does it matter? Soon I’ll be like everyone else.”

  Jeremy shifted aside and stared ahead, avoiding eye contact. Something on his mind weighed him down and he hesitated to bring up. He uttered, “I need to fly.”

  Mike looked into his wandering eyes and gave him the simplest advice. “Then fly.” Jeremy’s eyes connected with Mike’s and implored him to continue. Mike said, “No one’s going to teach you how. You just have to spread your wings and do it. You can’t be afraid. You can do it, Jeremy.”

  For the first time since he’d seen him, Jeremy smiled. It was odd. His lipless mouth crept along his face but moved unsurely. Jeremy looked at Mike with a strange radiance and stared. The two looked at each other and slowly, the awkward feeling grew.

  Mike broke the silence and said, “Well good luck then.” Mike patted him on the shoulder and continued his search for a can opener.

  Grace stood alone in the cookie aisle, munching on her Waffle Cookies. Each delicious, syrupy bite made her taste buds float. Mike walked toward her with an extended hand. As he came closer, she saw what he offered: a can of pasta. “I got this for you. Figured you could use more than cookies.” He stood beside her and pulled the can opener to his face, flashing the shiny metal in the light like he’d just pulled a card out of his sleeve. Beaming with pride, he added, “And this was not easy to find.” The way he said it, with his goofy, confident inflection, made Grace giggle.

  Grace stared at the can. A colorful, delicious looking illustration of spaghetti wrapped around a fork looked back at her. Mike’s eyes glowed as he nodded, eager for her to accept his gift. An involuntary smile grew on her face. She lunged forward and wrapped her arms around him. And leaned her cheek against his.

  Mike’s eyes popped with surprise. He could barely breathe with Grace squeezing him so tight. But it felt nice. She was soft… and warm. With cans in hand, he hugged her back. Her breathing slowed with her heartbeat pattered against him. “Thank you,” Grace whispered into his ear. The surrounding aisles disappeared. Grace’s muscles melted into his. Mike’s shoulders relaxed and without knowing it, they smiled together.

  Mike removed his head from the comfort of her shoulder. She leaned back and gazed softly into his eyes. Their foreheads inched closer and rested against each other. Grace could see the fine lines stemming from his blue irises as he stared at her. Their soft breath breezed against their faces. Mike’s hands caressed her sides, tingling a soothing touch. They closed their eyes and their lips drew close.

  Until Hailey’s shouting voice filled the aisles. “Everyone! Meet up here!”

  A startle shocked through Mike and the cans of pasta fell from his hands to the ground. Again. Grace stepped back and giggled.

  “Sorry,” Mike said.

  “It’s okay.”

  Mike picked up the cans, still intact albeit with a few dents. “They’re good. Don’t w
orry.” With their chance gone, Grace yanked on his hand, pulled him closer, and kissed him on the cheek.

  Hailey stood at the front of the grocery store on top of a clutter of connected shopping carts. The Washington High bats stood shoulder-to-shoulder and spilled into the aisles. Mike and Grace appeared in her view behind a slew of them. Hailey’s eyes darted and landed on each face, seeing if any were missing.

  “Dave!” she yelled. Through the heap, he stepped forward. Hailey asked, “Is everyone accounted for?” Rather than responding with his voice, he nodded.

  “Ok.” But as Hailey scanned each face, she noticed a glaring omission. “Where’s Jeremy?” She desperately searched, but couldn’t locate him. Hailey saw him inside the store earlier. He should be easy to spot. He was the only bat without fur, after all. Hailey looked at Mike and Grace and asked, “Do you guys know where he went?”

  Grace’s eyes widened with worry as she shook her head. “I have no idea.”

  “I don’t know either,” Mike said. But deep down, he wasn’t sure about that. Only minutes earlier, he encouraged Jeremy to try flying for himself. What if he ran off and did just that? Uh-oh. Mike looked around nervously. It would be better to not say anything. Mike didn’t want to take the blame for a disappearing Jeremy.

  They would have no choice: they’d have to leave without him.

  Hailey relented. “Everyone finish up. We leave in fifteen minutes. Dave and I will lead the way. Our next stop is Pirate’s Cove.”

  34

  The thick wind filled her lungs with every breath and spread a cool breeze to her toes. Hailey’s arms spread wide and her fingers danced in the sky. She couldn’t fly by herself but it was fun to pretend. She glided through the sky in Dave’s arms. He gripped her around her midsection and she laid face down. Dave flapped his wings and behind him the giant flock of Washington High bats followed. Hailey looked down at the world below. They flew several hundred feet in the air, making the city seem miniature.

  No signs of life lingered below, only the remnants of destruction. The apocalyptic scene Hailey anticipated when she left the grade school finally materialized. This was downtown, after all, so more people condensed in a smaller area naturally meant more damage. The carnage that erupted on that night and the following day must have been madness. The skyscrapers looked like open buildings. Glass scattered on all sides, leaving windows nonexistent. In the streets, cars stacked on top of one another and scarred with burns. Contorted bodies laid around, practically becoming a part of the landscape. Countless pieces of paper provided the only source of movement as they wandered along with the howling wind and hopped up and down the streets. Chunks of cement made the streets and sidewalks impossible to walk on. The once-glorious city looked like ancient ruins that had long been abandoned. It would only be a matter of time before it crumbled away and eager weeds swallowed it all.

  Hailey closed her eyes. Feeling weightless pumped adrenaline through her veins. Despite the world below, she smiled and absorbed the feeling of flying right over. Her soul sang with joy and for the first time since that night, she couldn’t help but feel a profound sense of hope.

  Hope should have been massacred with the city. But it wasn’t. Hope still existed. For her, there was the hope of finding Alex. For the bats that surrounded her and flew in unison, there was the hope of the Chosen One saving them. Who knows, Hailey thought. Maybe there is a way to save them. And turn them back.

  35

  One Month Earlier…

  Nicole Rogers sat Indian-style on the grass. Next to her sat her friend and business partner, Courtney. Having just arrived on Umboi Island in their search for Opai Village, they took a few minutes to soak it in. But it wasn’t the lush forests or extended plains of the island they stared at. Rather, Nicole sat and faced the ocean they had just come from. The waves rippled up and crashed onto the shore. Their gentle song soothed Nicole’s ears. As far as she could see, the water met with the blue sky and gently wrinkled. Nicole let the fresh air that breezed in fill her lungs.

  Courtney dutifully joined her. Whenever they arrived at a new place, whether it was an island or a locale on the edge of the water, Nicole always wanted to stop and observe the ocean. It was just one of those things, Courtney figured. Usually, Nicole sat in silence for about fifteen minutes and then they continued on their trek. Nicole never said a word. She always smiled, took deep breaths, and stared ahead, seemingly stuck in a deep meditative trance.

  Truthfully, Courtney barely knew anything about the person that hid in Nicole’s body. She didn’t know what lied behind Nicole’s perfectly defined cheekbones, dazzling green eyes, and infectious smile. But that was fine. This was a business relationship and Courtney’s curiosity wasn’t as important as the money and accolades they brought in. Courtney had a lot of people to prove wrong and the only way to effectively do that was to succeed. Nicole had gotten a great tip about this island and a secret cave with priceless riches. This needed to be the big score. So Courtney leaned back and waited for Nicole to snap out of it. But then the unthinkable happened: Nicole spoke. “Today is my brother’s birthday.”

  The sound of Nicole’s voice was so unexpected, Courtney thought her ears played tricks on her. Her head turned and locked onto Nicole’s face, staring for any hint that Nicole had actually spoken. Sure enough, as Nicole’s green eyes gazed into the horizon, her mouth moved again. “It’ll probably be his last one. And I’m not there.”

  Nicole dropped her head and plucked on strands of grass. Sadness reflected off her eyes. Courtney looked back at the waves roaring into the shore. She didn’t know how to reply. This was possibly the first time she’d seen anything but strength from Nicole. Settling on what immediately came to mind, Courtney said, “I didn’t know you had a brother.”

  “I do. He’s been sick his whole life. He’s just a kid in high school. Now it’s finally catching up to him.”

  Nicole’s fingers unconsciously clenched to a fist. A wave of sorrow rushed over as her lips quivered. “Sometimes I think the world is punishing me. It won’t stop until it’s taken everything.”

  Courtney responded, “I’m sorry to hear about your brother.” Courtney looked at the black ink tattooed on Nicole’s forearms… at the mysterious numbers: 3 2 9 9. Those numbers were the one thing Courtney would like to know about. Maybe if she knew that, she’d know Nicole. Maybe her brother had something to do with it. All Courtney could do was wonder. And wait. For now, the two stared at the ocean with the life of an island at their backs. When Nicole stood up, they would continue their trek and look for Opai Village.

  An hour after Hailey left the hospital with the Washington High Bats, Dave gently placed Hailey on her feet. “Thanks Dave.” They’d arrived: Pirate’s Cove. Hailey could already hear the crashing of the waves. She took a deep breath and smelled the salt water and fish that filled it. The air felt fresh, free from the confines of pain. The bats’ feet crunched against tiny gravel as they landed around her in what was once the parking lot for visitors.

  Down below lied Pirate’s Cove: a beach under the edge of giant cliffs. A popular hangout for beach-goers and seals alike, it was a secluded area that required a small hike down a narrow path to reach. Hailey stood at the top of the cliffs, with palm trees blocking her view of the ocean.

  Grace and Mike emerged and stood next to her. As all the bats continued to land, Hailey asked Dave, “Can you guys stay here? Keep a lookout for anyone who might come by?”

  Dave nodded.

  “We’re going to head down. Take a quick look. We’ll be alright.”

  Mike said, “You two go. I’ll stay here with them.”

  Hailey replied, “You don’t have to do that. Come with us.”

  “No it’s okay. You two started this together. You should finish it that way. Besides…” he whispered into her ear, “They won’t know what to do without their Chosen One.” A smile snuck across Mike’s face. He had been gradually getting comfortable around them. Now jokes seemed to pop out c
onstantly. She wondered if this was what he was like before that night. “Okay Mike. We’ll be right back.”

  Grace turned to Hailey and asked, “You ready?”

  Hailey nodded. “Let’s go.”

  Hailey and Grace walked on the gravel that cracked under their shoes toward a cleared dirt path. At the edge of the entrance, Hailey stopped and looked back. The countless bats led by Mike and Dave stared at her and Grace.

  Hailey said, “It feels like forever since it’s been just the two of us.”

  Grace looked back at the army they had since amassed. “It’s hard to believe we’ve come this far.”

  Hailey silently concurred and entered the pathway. Along the sides, tall grass bended in front of them. She used her hands to push the blades away. “Watch out for poison oak.” Hailey’s legs kept moving when, to her surprise, a small lizard darted in front of her. Its little body waddled, seemingly looked her in the eyes, and continued on its way, disappearing into the grass. It’s good to know not all species of animals have gone crazy.

  To the right, about a dozen yards ahead, a huge boulder protruded and its rocky surface ripped into the sky. The slope wasn’t very steep and would be an easy climb. On a normal day, Hailey would be tempted to race up and peer at the ocean from the top. But today, she continued ahead and approached a sign lodged in front of her with two arrows: one that pointed left and another that pointed right. From here, the path split. To the right sat a tall archway of stone. Through it lied a clear, scenic view of the ocean. But it also held a straight drop to the unforgiving rocks below. Not a year went by where someone didn’t recklessly go through the arch and fall to their death. To the left winded the path that continued to the beach. Her heart pattered. Was this the spot she would finally find Alex? A sick feeling grew in her stomach. If she did find him, then what?