We're the Last

by G Sasaki

  “Because I have to. Soon I will become one of them.” Victor slowly stepped around the frame of the bed and paced next to her. “I was hoping for a still-human girl to come along. I figured if I could find one, we could start to repopulate and save the world. Since I’m still human and you’re still human, our kids will be too. We can work toward a world free of those freaks.” Victor paused and eyed Hailey’s body. “I would have preferred to do this with Grace but they got her first. So me and you, Hailey, we will be the modern-day Adam and Eve.”

  Hailey’s eyes widened at the mention of Grace. Hailey needed to get to her. And now. Hailey begged, “Don’t do this. I have to save Grace. Please.”

  Victor laughed at the suggestion of letting Hailey go. “You think I’m just going to untie you after all you put me through to hunt you down? If you cooperated at the grocery store, none of this would’ve had to happen.” Victor pondered his next thought, cautious with what he said, but continued anyway. “And I wouldn’t have had to kill your father.”

  Hailey felt numb. The muscles in her body relaxed. Defeated. She didn’t want to believe what she heard. “Dad?”

  Victor nodded in satisfaction. “He did his best to stop the Unstables from helping me hunt you down. Obviously, I had the last word on that.” A cocky smirk rested on his gloating face.

  Rage overtook Hailey. She rocked the bed and caused a tremor in the home as she screamed, “You asshole! If you want to save humanity so bad, why don’t you let them take YOUR heart?”

  Victor grinned. “So you know what they’re doing, huh? You really think that’s going to work? Besides, they couldn’t use my heart. I’m infected after all. They know it. I just haven’t started to change yet. And these…” he flashed his clear-colored fingernails, “…I had to tear off my black fingernails to put these on.”

  Insane. Hailey screamed again, “Help! Dave! Anybody! Alex! Help me!”

  Victor rolled his eyes. His radio host voice took its time to taunt her. “Shut your mouth! I told you, they don’t care! While the Unstables were fighting your friends, a giant one of them appeared. The biggest one I’ve ever seen. He came with a man and a woman and stopped everything. And you know what? They all just stopped fighting and listened to him. I couldn’t believe it. He told everybody he had a secret method of reversing the virus: cutting out a still-human’s heart and using some kind of magic potion. It’s stupid if you ask me, but they all bought it, even the ones who were fighting for you. I told that big guy you were around somewhere, probably hiding on the beach. Sure enough, they found you and kept Grace. You see… everyone, even your friends, is on board with this. The ‘Chosen One’ hasn’t done anything for them. They don’t want to help you. They want to help themselves. No one is going to help because they believe killing Grace is going to save them. But you and I, we know better.”

  Hailey froze, overwhelmed with helplessness. She peered into Victor’s eyes and begged, “Please, she’s my best friend. Let me save her.”

  Her plea predictably fell on deaf ears. Victor replied, “I hope you know normally, I wouldn’t do something like this. But I have to, for the sake of humanity. So just try to enjoy it.” He climbed onto the bed in the empty space next to her. The mattress sunk as Hailey scooted herself away as far as the ropes would stretch. Her voice was coarse from screaming so she didn’t bother anymore. Instead, she tried to keep her bare skin from his.

  But there was only so far she could move. Victor shifted next to her and rubbed his naked body against hers. His hand wandered and tingled against her chest. It tickled like fire. I hate this. I hate this. Hailey aggressively struggled, whipping her body back and forth, desperately trying to avoid his touch.

  “Stop it!” he yelled.

  Victor gripped her face and forced her lips against his, suffocating her. As he tried to kiss her, she pulled away. He gazed at her, disappointed by her reluctance. But he had a way to make her comply. “If you do this, I’ll untie you and let you go after your friend.”

  Hailey paused. She looked into his eyes, now inches from hers and timidly whispered, “This isn’t going to work.”

  Victor, sensing her start to surrender, again gripped her face. He inched his lips toward hers, anticipating a struggle. To his surprise, she didn’t. His lips grazed against hers and despite her lack of cooperation, he passionately kissed her.

  As Victor’s lips attacked hers, enormous guilt overwhelmed her. She should be fighting him, resisting with all her might. But she had no choice. Her friend was in danger. Apparently she had already lost her dad. She wasn’t going to lose her best friend too. If this was what she had to do to save Grace, then she would close her eyes and wait for it to be over.

  Victor massaged her thigh. His rough hand inched upwards, tentatively seeing where she would allow him to go. He squeezed the inside of her leg and his hand continued to move. Hailey’s body jerked as she reacted to being touched between her legs. His fingers rubbed on top of her underwear. “You’re done resisting,” he whispered. “Good girl.”

  Every muscle in Hailey’s body tensed. She slammed her eyes shut and breathed heavily. She could feel her underwear slip down and rest at her thighs. I can’t do this.

  Victor hopped to his knees and straddled over her. He leaned forward and draped his body over hers. She could feel the fine hairs of his chest brush against her. His breathing grew intense and his rotten breath collided into her face. Hailey clenched her fist and pointed her toes, praying this nightmare would end.

  Victor whispered into her ear. “You ready?” Victor pushed her legs further apart. She felt like she was going to throw up. I can’t let him do this. Hailey knew it was no use but screamed one last time, with all the voice she had left, “HELP!”

  BANG

  The sound of exploding glass rocked her ears and instantly followed with light flooding the room.

  Hailey’s call for help was finally answered.

  48

  Glass burst everywhere. Some bits cut across Hailey’s skin and drew blood. The whole side of the wall practically collapsed. A bat crashed through the window, taking the curtains with him. The bat’s eyes took in the sight of Hailey restrained to the bed with Victor straddled over her. The bat unleashed a livid roar, rocking the house and nearly deafening Hailey.

  Victor leapt from the bed and pointed at her. With petrified eyes, he said, “I’m not human! Take her!” The bat calmly stared at a trembling, terrified Victor. The two looked into each other’s eyes when Victor recognized him. In disbelief, he uttered, “It’s you…”

  Hailey looked at the bat, bulky in stature and instantly familiar. “Dad! Help!”

  Dad looked with heavy eyes at her. She was in a position no father could ever imagine seeing his daughter. With every second, the fire inside him grew into an inferno of rage. Dad’s fists shook as he looked at the man who had created the scene.

  There was nothing Victor could say; nowhere he could hide. He simply stood naked, staring back.

  Victor snapped into motion and turned to dart out of the room. Before he could even take two steps, Hailey’s dad flapped his wings and soared at him.

  Dad gripped his hands around Victor’s shoulders and threw him back into the room. Victor’s naked body rocked into the wall, smashing the plaster and destroying the wood framing. His body hit so hard, Dad could see into the adjoining room. Victor lay on the ground, whimpering in pain.

  But there was no mercy. Dad picked him up, held him above his head, and slammed him to the floor. The wood crunched under his back and the air blasted out of him. As he coughed and gasped, Dad gripped the remaining fingers on Victor’s right hand. And cracked them clean backwards.

  Horrific screams of terror filled the room. Hailey tried to catch a glimpse of what was happening but being tied down, she couldn’t see. It was strange; normally she’d never want to see something like this. But Victor deserved every bit of what happened to him now. And she wanted to savor it.

  “Please stop!” Victor b
egged. Dad heard his cries. But nothing could move him now. Dad sat him upright against the wall, gripped his bare calf, and began to bend his leg. It bent like rubber until it snapped in half like a twig. The bottom part of his leg bent flimsily like clay. The white bone stuck out of the skin. Slowly, to make sure it was excruciating, Dad bent it backwards. With every inch, his muscles ripped. He continued until Victor kicked his own kneecap.

  Dad paused and stared into Victor’s eyes. Agony screamed from them. Dad snarled, “Your last moments in life will be your worst.” Dad reared back his fist and plowed it forward, collapsing Victor’s nose into his face. The bones shattered to pieces and Victor struggled to bring air into his lungs. Dad smashed his fist into Victor’s face again. And again. Until the bones were reduced to nothing but tiny fragments that could barely hold the structure of his face.

  Dad stood and looked at what he had done. Victor’s naked discombobulated body looked more like a Picasso painting than a human being. Now tinkering with death, Victor breathed heavily, waiting for his life to end.

  Dad still didn’t feel satisfied.

  Dad fell to his knees and rested in front of him. “You know what a rapist doesn’t need?” Victor’s eyes rolled in the back of his head. Barely conscious, he had no interest in answering his question. So much pain radiated through his body, he couldn’t feel much of it at all.

  Dad lowered his hand and gripped Victor’s penis. Making sure he had hold of everything, including his testicles, Dad ripped his hand backwards and tore them from Victor’s body. Victor shouted in anguish and blood pumped out of the new hole between his legs. Dad haphazardly tossed them aside and stood over Victor.

  “Dad,” Hailey’s voice echoed from behind.

  Dad’s rage subsided and he left Victor to tend to his daughter. Somehow Victor’s blood had gotten all over her. Dad immediately worked on the knots to untie her from the bed. He freed her wrists and began to loosen her feet. Hailey watched as he untied the rope. She felt no embarrassment being naked in front of her dad; he was naked too after all. She gazed at his face and despite not looking like his former self, she could see him. “Thank you Dad. You saved me.”

  Hailey was all he had left. Dad had refused to give up, not until he knew she would be safe. As he untied the final rope he looked at her and smiled with the mouth he had left, grateful to see her once more.

  BANG.

  Dad’s smile vanished. His body jerked backwards. Hailey stared wide-eyed at him. BANG. BANG. BANG. Dad’s body fell to the floor. “No!!!” Hailey sat up and quickly worked to untie the last knot on her ankle.

  From across the bed on the floor, Victor’s arm trembled as he held a gun in his hand. He aimed it at an unsuspecting Hailey. With only drops of life left, he focused and pulled the trigger. Click. No more bullets. His hand fell to the floor and he couldn’t help but chuckle in disbelief. “God damn Chosen One...”

  Hailey freed herself, pulled her underwear back up, and hopped off the bed. “Dad!” He lay on his back on the floor. His chest struggled to rise and fall as he breathed. She looked at the bloody mess of what was left of Victor and he wasn’t moving. Hailey knelt to her dad and put a hand under his head. “Are you okay?”

  Dad gently shook his head. Although he had survived two gunshots before, those were inconsequential; he hadn’t been hit seriously. But this time, he’d been shot in the back four times. He knew he couldn’t survive that. He could feel his life slipping away. He lifted his hand and caressed Hailey’s soft cheek.

  Hailey placed her hand on top of his. She closed her eyes as her lips shuddered. “Please don’t leave. I can’t go on without you.”

  Knowing he wouldn’t be able to communicate with her, Dad tried to convey his message with a simple nod. Upon seeing it, Hailey broke down. “I love you Dad. I need you.”

  He shook his head. With his finger, he tapped on the middle of his chest, on top of his heart, and pointed at her. Through her sobbing, Hailey said, “I’m sorry if I was a brat. I always just wanted to make you and Mom proud.”

  Dad’s fingers gently squeezed the air, asking for Hailey’s hand to meet his. She complied and held his furry hand. Dad tightened his grip and rested his eyes. This was it: he was going to join the rest of his family. As he lay dying, he wanted to tell her how proud he really was. She had proven him wrong. She had proven everyone wrong. She wasn’t too young. Hailey’s heart, her will, was stronger than anyone could’ve known. He managed to set her free from Victor but he had to trust she could take care of herself. Now, he knew he could trust his daughter. He only wished he would have had more faith in her before. Hopefully when she thought of him, she would remember the good times. He squeezed Hailey’s hand and grinned. “Thank you,” Hailey said. “For everything.” As Dad’s grip loosened, Hailey gently lowered his hand to the wood floor.

  Dad was dead.

  Hailey rose from her knees and stared at Dad’s peaceful face. She wiped the tears from her eyes. “Goodbye Dad.”

  Hailey turned to leave the room when Victor emitted a low cough. Hailey halted and stared at him. His body was destroyed; his face crushed beyond recognition, his leg bent backwards, his few fingers contorted, and a crater between his legs pumped blood to the floor with every heartbeat. Victor’s bruised eye sockets revealed nearly lifeless eyes that glared up toward her. A fury arose in Hailey as she looked at him. Of all the people she had killed in the past two weeks, this person in front of her was perhaps the only one who deserved it. Hailey said, “My dad. All those people. They had no choice. You did.”

  Victor’s eyes rested on Hailey. Her comment confused him. All he wanted was to continue humanity. To save the world. Wasn’t that what everyone was trying to do? He believed his method would work. Impregnate a female who wasn’t infected and start to work toward a new world. What was so wrong with that? He used the last of his strength to utter, “You don’t understand anything. You’re just a stupid little girl.”

  Hailey clenched her fist and tried to repress her anger. But why bother?

  Hailey dropped her hand to the floor and picked up a large shard of glass. She stood in front of him with it dangling from her hand. His blood dripped down her face and covered her naked body. Every second that passed with Victor still alive shook her. She lunged forward and thrust the sharp end of the glass into his exposed neck. More blood splashed onto her face. But she didn’t mind. The glass flowed right in and cut through his skin like scissors through paper. It felt good. Victor’s reaction was surprisingly minimal. His breathing grew uneven as the glass blocked the air to his lungs. The last thing he would ever hear was Hailey’s soft voice whisper, “Now die.”

  Hailey ran out of the room to go help Grace. She didn’t bother finding clothes. The underwear and smattering of blood on her body was enough. Time was running short. Nobody wore clothes anyway.

  Hailey didn’t know what she could do to help Grace.

  But anyone who stood in her way would suffer.

  49

  With the wind gusting against her naked skin, Hailey ran. She sprinted past the remnants of the battle of bats that ended outside Nicole’s house. Bodies scattered everywhere, some still twitching with life. Hailey’s bare feet slammed against the cement and her legs pushed her through Andrene Avenue as fast as she could go. The sharp pebbles stabbing her toes were no deterrent. Her lungs desperately kept up with her pace, passing air in and out as the thought of Grace in danger kept her moving.

  From the journal, she knew the contents of the pouch had to be poured into the heart exactly when the sun was even with the horizon. Through the orange sky and dazzling blue clouds, the sun inched down, ticking like an ominous clock with every second. From her guess, there were about twenty-five minutes until it would be exactly even with the water.

  Hailey arrived to the parking lot area where she first landed with the Washington High bats. As she raced through, she didn’t see anybody. If the bats took Grace far away, there was no chance she could stop them. Hailey darted
into the pathway with the long grass slapping against her thighs. The crossroad with the sign of arrows pointing in opposite directions loomed ahead. To the right was the archway where Alex was shot. Where Alex was shot! In the scrum to get to Grace, she nearly forgot!

  When she reached the crossroad, she peered at the archway and saw Alex’s body lifelessly resting where she last saw it. Her furious feet halted and the world around her stopped. “Alex.” Her pumping heart gulped and her hands dropped to her sides. The breeze off the ocean stopped and the sun froze. The entire world dawned upon her and everything but Alex disappeared. She stared at him, feeling like her heart would explode with every second that stretched into hours. With the arrows on the sign begging her to decide which way to go, she stepped toward the archway.

  Hailey analyzed his face. With his eyes closed, Alex looked nothing like the boy she loved. The animalistic look of the Ropen had overtaken him, like everyone else in the world. She stood over him and looked at his body, covered in fur and protruding with muscle. It looked like the bulk of blood that had seeped out came from his shoulder. Please be alive. She was afraid to check. If he was dead, she didn’t want to know.

  Nonetheless, she knelt to his side and placed her palm to his face, rubbing his cheek. Contrasted with the shine of Hailey’s bare skin, Alex had nothing in common with her. They were two opposites, fated to be apart no matter what they tried. “Alex,” Hailey whispered. “Can you hear me?”

  Alex’s eyelids slowly slid open, revealing his brown eyes. Hailey laughed in relief and tears of disbelief emerged. His brown eyes looked exactly as she remembered. Alex’s eyes hazily looked around until they managed to find Hailey. It was there they stayed, staring at her.

  Reuniting with Alex was a moment Hailey had fought and risked her life for. It felt different from how she imagined. She gazed with amazement that she had actually found him.

  Alex stared back. All he could think was… was it really her? Why was she covered in blood? Maybe he had died and she was there to greet him. He had looked everywhere for her and spent restless hours searching. He’d been convinced that she was dead, gone forever. Now here she was, gazing into his eyes. He didn’t understand how it could be possible.