Hope in the Hearth

by Jacob Raya

  I ran out of the house as the police arrived. I begged the officer to shoot me, as I had nothing left to live for. The officer declined and forced me into the car as I tried to reach for his gun, and I was in jail for the next few weeks after that incident. On the fifth day, maybe around 3:00 in the morning, I heard many of the officers screaming in panic outside.

  I heard gunshots, and the officer at the front desk ran out to help the other officers. He didn’t come back. Shortly after, I saw a weird-looking creature standing and staring right at me in the distance. It was just watching me in the dark hallway with little light, barely enough to light my cell. I blinked once, and the creature had fled. I couldn’t believe my eyes and fell to the floor, knocking myself out unconscious.

  I awoke to the sound of more gunshots, and this time a man yelling right beside me to get up. “Get up, man; we're getting you out of here! Now move, quickly!” I got up to my feet, still a little disoriented, and heard more gunshots with otherworldly screams and screeches.

  I followed the man outside, and there were more people with guns standing guard, and I was surprised that I survived and didn’t die from blood loss.

  I asked the man what his name was, and he replied with, “Not right now, we need to get you and everyone else to safety.”

  They took me in a car and bandaged up my head, stopping more blood from being lost. I was able to eat a decent meal and drink as if I was in the desert for a month. They took me to their safe place, and that’s where I became one of the main protagonists to stop these creatures from taking any more innocent lives. That’s where you and your fiancé came in.”

  “Wait, so that dream I had of the creature killing my neighbors and all the people I knew from my hometown wasn’t real? And my cousins, they're not dead, are they?”

  “It wasn’t a dream; it was a flashback, because those events did unfold. I’m sorry, Matt, for your losses.”

  I sat down slowly.

  “So it was all true.”

  I banged my head against the wall and screamed with such agony and pain that I started to scratch my face. I began to sob like I never have before, flooding my eyes with tears and blaming myself for what happened.

  “I should have known! Dammit. Sons of bitches! I should have killed it when I had the chance!”

  Bernard sat next to me and put his arm on my shoulder. He said, “Matt, look. My family is gone. Part of your family is gone, and maybe Rebecca's. Hell, a lot of people have died in the past few weeks. That’s what the authorities said, that over half of Earth’s population is gone! But now is no time to mourn, we’ve got to stick together and watch each other’s backs. We’re all human and mustn’t let these creatures destroy everything that we have become.”

  “Yeah, that’s what we need and should do,” I said, sniffling my last bits of sorrow. “We need to take care of each other, and most of all, watch out for each other in the darkest times of human history, such as this event.”

  “Yes indeed, Matt.”

  “Does that mean that there are more people in places like this?”

  “Yes, they are scattered around the world, and even though we speculate that there are more than 500 of those creatures living on our soil, we have to adapt to their way of life for now, or until we can figure out a way to eliminate all those damn things!”

  “That means that my mother, father, sister, and brother are okay?”

  “Yes, they all are. You can contact them if you wish, but right now we have some important business to take care of.”

  “Wait, but how do you know that for sure?”

  “When we brought you here we heard your phone ring, luckily when there was still cell service. We answered, and the woman asked if she was speaking to Matt. We told her that you're in safe hands and so was your fiancé, Rebecca.

  She believed me, as she mentioned that you have a lot of people that you know and are trustworthy. She also told me before she hung up to tell you not to worry because all your family, your father, sister, and brother are all okay.”

  That was a massive weight lifted off my chest.

  “Oh yeah, and what kind of business needs to be taken care of?”

  “I’m glad you asked.”

  Suddenly, a woman walked in with a paper and pencil in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other.

  “Hello, you must be Matt?”

  “Yes, and you are-”

  “Amber, I’m the reporter of this facility, which means that I account and write down all the information that every person in this facility may have on them.”

  “And why do you have a paper and pencil, that seems like a lot of information to be writing down.”

  “There is no internet access after those creatures killed every last man in space, and now there are no satellites to get connected to the internet or any TV signal. We at least still have cell service and functional power supplies that don’t require any extra help from space, such as electricity. So we have to use paper.”

  “You better have lots of paper if you're going to be asking me what the hell I’ve been through.”

  “Don’t worry Mr. Matt, we do. We have a whole storage room full. We have about 100,000 sheets of paper, if you want the exact number.”

  “Well, at least you have plenty of it, that's for sure. So, what exactly am I doing?”

  “I’m going to be asking you just one simple question, and you’re going to tell me everything that you remember. And after all this, you’ll be able to go back and get some rest, and I’ll ask your fiancé, Rebecca, the same thing. And soon after, many others.”

  “But why everyone, and how does this help?”

  “Mainly if we survive, this will go down in history. We came close to extinction with the hundreds of wars our world has endeavored, but now we have to deal with supernatural things, so to speak. And this will be able to help us if another disaster like this should happen again.”

  “Let's hope that it doesn't and we put those things in hell!”

  “Don’t get too overwhelmed just yet; we haven't even started.”

  “Right, sorry.”

  “So I have this coffee for you, that way you could have a nice drink while you tell your story.”

  “Well, that is really nice of you. Thank you so much.”

  “That is not a problem at all, Matt. First, let's start with where this all started. That’s the number one question I’ll be asking you. And after you answer that, you may move in any direction you choose or in any way you remember the events unfolding.”

  “Um, okay, sure.”

  “And let me know if you want more coffee or anything else to drink. And if you want anything to eat, because I have a feeling that we will be here for quite some time.”

  “Yeah, I feel that way too.”

  “Okay, start from the very beginning. Where all this started to take place and what happened.”

  “Okay, sure thing. Let’s see how much time we have on our hands, as I feel I would take everyone else's time in this whole facility more than once. I’d be glad to explain all of it.”

  “Start whenever you’re ready, and I will be writing down every single thing you say.”

  “Okay, sounds good to me.”

  I took a sip of coffee and began to tell her every little thing that happened and what I remembered. It was going to take some time, but if it will save us and benefit us in any way that we cannot see yet, then this whole thing is worth every last breath. Soon enough, it will be over, hopefully, and we’ll finally be able to live again, to be able to have the good night’s rest we have never gotten. She started to write as soon as I started speaking, and man oh man, was she the master. She must have been writing fast, as I said over 30 pages of content already and she kept up with me all this time.

  We got to the 45th page and needed to take a break.

  “Matt, I need to take a break if that’s all right with you. My hand is killing me. Even though we took small breaks in between, I need an hour break.�
��

  “Definitely! Go right ahead! Your hand must be feeling like it’s ready to fall off with all the writing you’ve been doing for the past two hours!”

  “Thanks, Matt. I’ll be in the cafeteria if you want to grab some grub.”

  “Thanks, but I’m going to wait for my fiancé to wake up.”

  “Sure thing.”

  I waited in the headquarters for Rebecca for what seemed like hours, but only 10 minutes had gone by. I slowly put my head down on the table and fell asleep.

  “Hey, wake up, babe.” I heard a faint voice.

  “Wake up.”

  It sounded like Rebecca's voice was in my head.

  “Wake up babe, come on, let’s go get something to eat!”

  There it is again. I lifted up my head and saw Rebecca leaning over me.

  “Hey, babe, you're awake!”

  “What, yeah, of course I am. How long have you been trying to get me up?”

  “Oh, about a few minutes, not too long.”

  “When did you get up? And how did you find me?”

  “Well, when I woke up I thought I was at home, but realized that wasn’t true when I turned on a light and realized the room was different than ours but looked rather similar.”

  “And what did you do from there?”

  “I found a nice man by the name of Bernard, and he told me that you were in headquarters if I was looking for you.”

  “Oh, and did he tell you everything?”

  “Yes, he did. About that nightmare that you had about the both of us. And, about Chief Whitehorse, Michelle, the poor women I killed to save us, and your family. I’m so sorry, Matt. Also, how he saved us and that half the world’s population is gone. Too much to say, which I’m pretty sure you know all of it.”

  “I’ve already heard enough today; I just need to get some fresh

  air.”

  “We can; the sun’s up.”

  “What time is it?”

  “7:30 in the morning.”

  “Then can we go outside, have you asked them?”

  “Yes, we can, Matt. I already ate breakfast, but if you want to go outside, then we can.”

  “Yeah, I’d like to. Where’s Bernard at?”

  “He’s helping set up precautions throughout the whole base because this is our new home.”

  “Hopefully for a limited time, but can you help me get up? My arms are killing me.”

  “Sure, you must be from sleeping on a hard table.”

  “Yeah, I was tired of telling Amber my whole side of the story. But she must be even more tired, considering she was the one that was doing all the writing.”

  “Oh yeah, that’s right. She said she'd interview me next after she’s done with you.”

  “Good luck with that, even as a speaker it can get tiring after a while.”

  “Enough said. Let’s go outside and breathe for a moment. Breathe in relief, because for now we have the time for a little relaxation.”

  “First let me tell Bernard we’re going outside.”

  “He already knows.”

  “What? How?”

  “Babe, I know you like the back of my hand. Every time you wake up from a long nap or even when you sleep, the first thing you like to do is go out and get some fresh air.”

  “Damn, we know each other so well we shouldn’t even talk, just read each other's minds.”

  “You wish, but come on; the door is a few doors down.”

  We both walked to the last door of the facility, which led outside and into the street. As we approached it, Bernard stopped me to say good morning.

  “Ah, Matt, I see you’re up. And Rebecca, you’re looking fantastic!”

  “Why, thank you!”

  “Yep, just got up and still tired, but I need to get outside for a bit,” I said.

  “Well, I understand that Matt, but would you like to eat first?”

  “Nah, is it okay if I wait for about an hour?”

  “Yeah, absolutely. Breakfast is open until 9:30 a.m. Just in case late birds as yourself need to get some fuel in their bodies before we get to work.”

  “I forgot about the work, damn it.”

  “Don’t worry about it, Matt. Just enjoy yourself with Rebecca as much as you can until that time comes.”

  “Thanks. And to repeat it, thank you so much, Bernard, for taking us under your wing.”

  “No problem, Matt. I know that not many people will want to help others in a disaster such as this one, but we all need to help each other to survive. It’ll just be idiotic to kill others for one’s own needs, because that person may see the same fate as their victims if they are alone in this treacherous time.”

  “Preach the word, Bernard.”

  “Ha, you know I will. All right, you two be safe out there. But most of all, forget everything. There’s a beautiful pasture about half a mile away from here. I’m pretty sure both of you would love it.”

  “That sounds lovely, doesn’t it, Matt?” Rebecca asked confidently.

  “Yes, yes it does.”

  “Well, I won’t keep the both of you standing here any longer, get on out there while you can. It’ll look different, but it’s better than staying in here all day!”

  “For sure. Well, you keep yourself safe as well, Bernard,” I said with eagerness.

  “I will, don’t worry. We’re going to get through this.”

  “With enough hope and faith, we must.”

  We walked out into the sunlight, and the door closed behind us with full force, and the bolts locked in an orderly fashion. Rebecca and I slowly walked out into the road and noticed that Bernard wasn't wrong. The first sight was countless dead bodies.

  Men, women, children, all seeking help, but we couldn’t get to them in time, and the creatures in darkness killed them. There were dozens of cars wrecked, still on fire, and scribbles of graffiti on the first two we passed. My gut filled with pain when we read the first one, which read:

  “And I’ll run, run way too far to get home!”

  The second one made me think the same thing, but still left me in fear. This one read:

  “Has God left us here alone?”

  The cars had blood all over them, and there were body parts scattered all over the streets.

  “Matt?”

  “Yes?”

  “Will you hold my hand?”

  I stopped dead in my tracks and grabbed her hand faster than a speeding bullet. Both of us were shaking, and her hand was sweating so much that it felt like I dipped my hand into a bucket of water. But, as Bernard said, we’re safe as long as the sun is out.

  We continued walking down the road, passing by other deceased and unfortunate people, especially the children and pregnant women with their bellies torn open and the fetuses missing.

  “Matt, isn’t that…”

  “Holy shit! That’s Blake!”

  To the right was Blake torn in half, holding a note in his left hand. We rushed over, and I took it out of his hand and read it.

  “Blake, please come back home. We miss you. I know life hasn’t been going too well after your wife died. It wasn’t your fault. A drunk driver hit the both of you, and she was killed, and by the grace of God, you survived. But you need to stop. Stop the drugs and alcohol, stop beating yourself down. There are people here for you; we are here for you. Just, whatever you’re thinking, we all have been through it. Please come home. Sincerely, your loving mother.”

  The letter must have been a year old, as the date at the top was May 8th, 2024. As we know, it’s May 2025, but didn’t have the exact time after this disaster happened.

  “Poor Blake. He must have been going through a lot before this happened,” Rebecca said.

  I just stood there in silence.

  “Rebecca?”

  “Yes, babe?”

  “Let's run to the pasture like we did on our first date. When we ran to the fields by your house. Let’s ignore all this. This is all just death, agony, pain, loss, and bloodshed. It’s abo
ut time we got away from it for a while.”

  “My heart aches. Let’s go.”

  I grabbed her hand, and she held onto mine. We ran over to the pasture past all the wrecked cars, buildings, dead bodies, and the smell of blood. I turned my head to the left, looking over Rebecca’s shoulder at one of the buildings.

  There was complete darkness, and I saw one of the creatures staring at me, resting its hand on its side. It was just standing there, holding someone's head in its other hand. I quickly turned my head forward and continued running.

  In a short amount of time, we arrived at the pasture. It was beautiful, but with most of the grass soaked in blood and bodies piled everywhere. Despite that, we managed to find a small area with a few dandelions and green grass.

  Rebecca and I leaned on the wooden posts, overlooking a group of people burning the dead bodies about a mile away from us. We were alone. Having some time to ourselves, just at peace. Being able to take a few breaths without any stress.

  “Babe?”

  “Yes? Honey?”

  “You know I love you, don’t you?”

  “Of course I do. Why would you ask that?”

  “I don’t know. My mind is lost.”

  “Yep, so is mine.”

  She leaned over slowly and kissed me.

  “We’ll love each other until the end, right?”

  “Of course, honey, but we haven't had our wedding or honeymoon yet.”

  She laughed and said, “I completely forgot about that. I don’t even know if we’ll be able to do that, will we?”

  “We will, of course!”

  “I hope so, babe.”

  She put her head on my shoulder, and we gazed together at the horizon.

  “I promise we will, honey.”

  “That’s a hard promise to keep.”

  “It may be, but it's one that’s locked in my heart. My heart is in knots and will be only for you, and I’d be distraught if anything ever happened to you. For now, we must take in this pain, but it will result in something better. We’ll be able to live again, to forget all this…the hearth will not burn out in us…I promise.”

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Jacob J. Raya is a 17-year-old student, author, and guitar player. He lives with his wonderful parents and two brothers along with his German shepherd little pup, Ellie. He's the best sign holder in the world and has been for the past three years. He's in a band, plays three instruments, and plans on writing more in the future. He values honesty and perseverance the most, but wishes upon those he crosses paths with to keep this in mind: "Be who you are, not what they are."