Final Dawn: Season 1 (The Thrilling Post-Apocalyptic Series)

by Mike Kraus

  Ten minutes passed, then fifteen, then twenty, and still Leonard didn’t hear or see anything out of the ordinary. No less nervous than before, Leonard decided that it was pointless to stay sitting still. Trembling ever so slightly, he stood up from the bed and grabbed his hardhat and headlamp off the table nearby. He put them on his head, then shouldered his backpack and shoulder bag. He crept into the hallway, moving slowly as he went, keeping as low to the ground and as close to the wall as possible.

  The feeling that he was being watched didn’t diminish as Leonard moved from the hotel room to the hallway, then into the entrance of the hotel. After a few minutes of quietly walking along, Leonard positioned himself in the entrance of the hotel, with a clear shot to his Jeep that was parked just outside. The glass doors were still open, and in the large, open space, he still couldn’t make out anything that was out of the ordinary.

  Taking a slow breath, Leonard decided to risk turning on his headlamp. He reached up to it and clicked it on, then swept his head around, looking out the front of the hotel, down to the right hallway, then back to the left, where he just came from. Leonard nearly yelled out in shock as his headlamp beam fell upon an endless array of silver orbs in the left hallway. The eyes of a dozen creatures stared back at him, and the light reflected from the silver metal that crisscrossed their whole bodies as they crouched, motionless, in the hall, not twenty feet down from the room he had been staying in.

  For a long moment, neither Leonard nor the creatures moved. Each side eyed the other, sizing them up and working to decide what to do next. Not wanting to stick around to find out if the creatures’ attitudes matched their appearances, Leonard made the first move. He leapt up and forward, sprinting for the exit to the hotel to get into the Jeep. Within seconds, a great cry went up from the creatures and he heard their bare feet thundering towards him, gaining on him with lightning speed.

  As he neared the Jeep, he slid his backpack off his shoulder and tossed it forward, landing it square in the back of the vehicle. Not daring to look behind him, Leonard ran to the driver’s side door and pulled it open, jumping inside and slamming the door behind him. Without a roof on the Jeep, Leonard was completely exposed, and he frantically fought with the keys in his shoulder bag, first trying to pull them out and then struggling to get them into the ignition.

  The whole process took less than ten seconds, but to Leonard it felt like years, especially since he could hear the creatures approaching from behind. Finally, Leonard managed to get the key into the ignition. He turned it violently and the engine sputtered to life. The headlights came on in the same moment, illuminating the road in front of him out of the hotel parking lot and back to the highway.

  As Leonard was pulling the Jeep into gear, a dark shape slammed into the side of the vehicle, sending it skidding several inches and rocking it violently. Leonard craned his neck to see the cause of the damage, and saw it was the largest of the creatures in the group, the first to arrive at the Jeep in pursuit of him. A split second after smashing into the side of the Jeep, the creature lunged forward again, this time aiming directly for the driver’s side door. Leonard worked the shifter with his right hand while his left dug through his shoulder bag, frantically trying to find something, anything that he could use as a weapon.

  Glass shattered across Leonard’s lap as the creature impacted with his door, causing the half-rolled-down window to disintegrate across the front of the car. The Jeep stuttered forward, half in gear but needing a few seconds longer before it could truly get going. Again the creature smashed into the vehicle, and this time Leonard could feel its rough hand dragging across his chest, searching for something to grab so it could pull him out of the car.

  The hand was rough and muscular, and in the corner of his vision Leonard could see that it had the same patchwork silver metal embedded in it as the rest of the creature’s body. As the hand found Leonard’s shirt, it tugged sideways, causing him to spin slightly in his seat and throw him off balance. Leonard shouted as he tried to bash the creature’s arm out of the way, smashing it with his left elbow several times. The hand didn’t disappear though, and the creature merely snarled and howled in pain at him, tightening its grip on his shirt.

  Another rough tug came, then another and Leonard felt as if he was about to be pulled from the Jeep. It was still sputtering along, but unless he could free himself enough to drive it properly, he feared that he would never escape. A third tug came on his chest, but just before the creature could jerk him out of his seat, Leonard’s left hand finally fell on an item in his bag that he could use as a weapon.

  Without hesitation, Leonard pulled out the cordless drill he used to break into the hotel room and squeezed the switch, causing the drill to spin violently at several thousand rotations per minute. Without even looking over, he jammed it out the side window at the creature, flailing it wildly in an attempt to get the beast to loosen its grip and let him go.

  A shriek of pain and the feeling of resistance in the drill proved that his aim was true, and the grip on his shirt immediately loosened as the creature fought against both the moving vehicle and the cordless drill’s painful impact on its body. Leonard took advantage of the momentary freedom to force the shifter fully into place. With a final thrust from the cordless drill, the creature loosed its hand from Leonard’s shirt, its screams ringing in Leonard’s ears. He stomped down on the gas, rocketing the Jeep away from the hotel and the cluster of creatures behind him.

  In the rear view mirror, Leonard could still see the glints from the creatures’ eyes and metallic skin as they began to run after him, their heads and bodies bobbing up and down in the pale moonlight as they chased him. With two hours left until daylight and a whole city’s travel ahead of him, being chased by a pack of ravenous creatures was the last thing Leonard needed or wanted to do. As he began to get into the destroyed areas of the city, Leonard wanted to slow the car down to reduce the risk of crashing into something in the dark. Every time this thought crossed his mind, though, a quick look behind him spurred him on to faster and faster speeds, all in an effort to shake the creatures that were pursuing and hunting him like common game.

  Nancy Sims

  6:52 AM, April 2, 2038

  An hour from the Virginia state border, as the sun was rising in the East, James pulled the truck over to the side of the road. He and Nancy got out and she retrieved a gas can from the bed of the truck. Together, they refilled the gas tank as they had done many times on the drive, and then threw the empty can back where it came from.

  This time, James did not get back in the truck. Once the tank was filled, he sank slowly to the ground, sitting on the asphalt next to the vehicle. Nancy tugged on his arm, encouraging him to get up. “Hey, want me to drive? You need to get some rest; I’ve been sleeping all day and night.”

  James sat still, not speaking, staring out at the field and the trees in the distance. They were miles from the nearest town and the scene was calm and quiet, with a light breeze. If you ignored the black clouds overhead, it looked like an average spring day.

  Nancy leaned down next to James, patting his hand. “Come on, James, let me help you up.”

  James gasped softly, struggling to bring air into his lungs. He whispered to Nancy, his soft voice carried away on the breeze. “I’m done, Nancy. I’m sorry, but I’m done.”

  Horror grew on Nancy’s face as she realized what he meant. She argued with him, trying to force him up, but unable to lift him on her own. “No! Dammit, James, no!” James looked at Nancy, smiling weakly and squeezing her hand as she fell to her knees, crying next to him.

  A moment later, when Nancy looked up through her teary eyes, James was gone. His head was slumped to the side, his skin pale and his eyes closed. She screamed at him, beating on his chest, willing him to live, all to no avail.

  For hours Nancy sat on the side of the highway beside the body of a man that she had met just a few short days ago, weeping for his loss. She knew virtually nothing about him be
yond his name and what he did for a living, but of all of the friends and family she had watched pass away over the years, this was by far the most traumatic.

  Once the initial shock of his passing subsided, Nancy pulled herself up. I’m not leaving him here on the side of the road, she thought. She looked around, trying to think of what to do. Far out in the field next to the truck was a single oak tree, its branches as wide as they were tall. It was an ancient tree, and it presided over the field as a knight, destined to forever guard the surrounding land.

  Nancy nodded to herself as she decided on what to do. Without any tools to dig a grave, she was left with only one choice. She leaned back down next to James, whispering in his cold ear. “I’m sorry… forgive me, please.” With as much dignity as she could muster, she took his arms and slowly pulled him across the highway into the field, moving towards the oak.

  Every few steps Nancy had to stop and rest. When she did so, she gently lowered James’ head to the ground and sat next to him, cradling his lifeless form in her arms. Her short trip was made long by the burden, but not once did she complain. Upon reaching the tree, Nancy slowly raised James into a sitting position, propping him up against the base of the tree.

  The trunk of the oak was enormous, at least three times the width of James’ shoulders. Once he was seated, Nancy placed his hands in his lap, doing her best to give him a natural position and place to lay for his final rest. When she was done, Nancy stood and stepped back a few feet, wiping the tears from her eyes. She spoke softly, as much to herself as she did to James.

  “We only knew each other for… what, a day or two? We didn’t really get to talk about ourselves or our past or anything except escape. In spite of that, you were my friend and protector, even though you didn’t know me. You helped me and saved me, and you died to get us free. I wish I could have met you before all this. I wish this could have been all different. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

  Nancy turned and slowly walked back to the truck. She gave one final look back to the tree where he was laying, bowing her head as tears slipped from between her eyelids, falling to the dusty earth. She climbed in the truck and started it up, then pulled away. The sun slowly disappeared over the mountains behind Nancy as she drove on.

  No matter what happens, you won’t have died in vain. I will get to the city and find what you were searching for. I swear I will.

  Marcus Warden

  3:39 PM, April 1, 2038

  Even from the distance he was at, Marcus could hear the screams of horror coming from the person that the six creatures were pursuing South down the highway. The man was obviously terrified, and he ran in a random pattern as he jumped over obstacles in the road, trying to get away from the creatures as well as he could. After a few seconds of staring at the figures in the distance, Marcus pulled out his binoculars to get a better view.

  The six creatures were of varying heights and builds, though they all shared the common features of silver metal woven into their bodies and heads. Their faces were locked in an emotionless expression and Marcus could just make out thin wisps of silver smoke trailing behind them as they pursued their prey. As for the person they were pursuing, Marcus figured him for a middle-aged businessman judging by the tie and slacks he had on. The sleeves of his shirt were bloodied and torn and his face was covered with small cuts and scrapes with a large gash across his forehead. Terror was etched in every corner of the man’s expression, a feeling that Marcus understood far too well.

  Marcus’s first instinct was to try to help the man, but his fear of the creatures stayed his movement. What can I do anyway, he thought, trying to justify his inaction in some meaningful way. I barely made it out alive when there was just one of those things! How am I supposed to help him when there are six of them on him? Marcus continued to hesitate, both wanting to move to help and paralyzed in fear and inaction. In a moment, his decision was made for him.

  Marcus saw a change come over the creatures as he debated trying to help the man. The six figures began to speed up, dividing out from their cluster and flanking the man on both sides. Two figures on each side, one following behind the other, moved to the edges of the highway. The two left behind brought up the rear, increasing their pace to move in closer. They moved effortlessly through the rubble and wrecked vehicles on the highway, bounding over them with ease. As though on signal, the six closed in on the man as a single unit, with the two lead creatures grabbing the man by his arms and throwing him down to the ground flat on his face.

  The man rolled over and tried to stand up, but it was too late. Like a pack of wild wolves the creatures were upon him, their metal-infused limbs and hands tearing into his body like knives. After a few seconds, Marcus turned his head and put down the binoculars. He covered his ears as best as he could, but he could still hear the screams of the man echo in his head just a few hundred feet away. Then, all at once, it stopped, the screams cut off with a faint gurgle as the man succumbed to the ferocity of his attackers.

  Marcus sank down behind the rail of the overpass, shaking his head and trying to keep himself from vomiting. What the hell are those things?! His eyes darted to the bike that was nearby. I’ve got to get out of here before they spot me, he thought. The idea of running away brought up mixed emotions, but at this point it was too late to even try and help the man.

  Crawling on his stomach to keep from being seen, Marcus moved quickly to the bike, ignoring the scrapes and cuts that were forming on his forearms from the broken asphalt underneath. Once he reached his bike, Marcus climbed on, keeping his head and body tucked low to the frame. He pushed the bike towards the center of the overpass between a group of cars to avoid being seen by the creatures. As he pedaled off to the west, Marcus could still hear the man’s screams in his mind, imagining the carnage that was still unfolding just a short distance away.

  After a few miles of frantic pedaling, Marcus finally began to slow down once he looked back and saw no pursuers. I guess they didn’t spot me, he thought. Marcus could still scarcely believe what he had seen. Every time the memory replayed, he felt sick to his stomach, both from revulsion at the sight and at his own inaction. Marcus had always thought of himself as a man of action who would step up when his time came. He had felt this to be proved true in the cavern when he came face-to-face with the creature and walked out victorious. After today, though, this was all put into question.

  I let a man die today. I saw him die, I let him die and I did nothing about it. Marcus didn’t even try to rationalize his decision anymore. So what if there was nothing I could do? I shouldn’t have let him die alone!

  The terrain became smoother the farther out from Charlottesville he got, and Marcus was finally able to ride the bike most of the time instead of pushing it along. Night was falling fast, but Marcus didn’t stop to sleep or eat for many hours more. Adrenaline, fear and – most of all – guilt propelled him on into the night as the moon rose slowly into the sky, illuminating his path through breaks in the clouds.

  Rachel Walsh

  12:22 AM, April 4, 2038

  Still struggling with the pain dealt to her by the creature, Rachel slowly made her way out of the train car, rolling to the ground as she hopped out. Sam followed close behind, still limping but moving faster than he had been. Before leaving the train car, Rachel had checked his legs and he didn’t seem to have any broken bones, which she was exceedingly grateful for. As for herself, she was virtually certain that she had at least one or two broken ribs and a mild concussion. Other than that, though, the play was fine, she thought to herself, hobbling along the road back the way she came.

  In the time it had taken Rachel to recover from the attack and move out with Sam, the train had made significant progress. For some reason, though, the silver masses had paid no attention to her and Sam, even with the gunfight and the roars emanating from the train car. You’d think that would get their attention. I guess their weaknesses are bigger than I thought.

  This lack of attention that th
ey paid was not all good, though. With the progress made to the track, Rachel figured that she had 20-30 minutes at most before the track was fully repaired and the train could move at full speed again. Unless she was able to get to the handcar and her backpack before the train did, she and Sam would be stuck walking with no supplies and only one full rifle magazine.

  The thought of losing her supplies in addition to their mode of transportation sped Rachel’s steps and they soon arrived at the handcar, right where they had left it. This time, the train was close enough to clearly discern all of the shapes on it, and she could swear that its speed had picked up. “Get up here, boy, c’mon!” Rachel coaxed Sam up onto the handcar and made him lay down before hobbling around to the front of the car. At the rate the train was coming, she knew she wouldn’t be able to pump it up to speed fast enough, so she leaned against the front, gritting her teeth to keep from crying out at the pain in her chest.

  Rachel put out all her strength in pushing the handcar and finally got it moving back in the direction that they had come from. Her only hope was to get it off onto a small side rail that she thought she had seen about a quarter mile back on the outskirts of the city. She wasn’t positive that she had seen it, but thinking back to when they had rolled into town, she remembered seeing a thick stand of trees with some large rectangular shapes behind them. If it really was a side rail – and if she could make it there in time – then they’d be safe. If not…. Rachel dared not think of what would happen to her and Sam if they became stranded.