We're the Last

by G Sasaki

  Mike’s surprised eyes widened. His initial reaction was to pull away from this unexpected kiss. But it felt nice. And how could he deny his heart what it truly wanted? Instead of pushing her away, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer.

  Under the stone archway, with the ocean rushing in the background, Mike and Grace kissed. Their eyes closed and passion fueled through their lips.

  For years, Grace felt like she wasn’t good enough. For anyone. The past two weeks had proved her wrong. She was good enough. And now, in Mike’s embrace, she found a happiness she never thought possible. Grace’s lips gently detached from Mike’s.

  Mike smiled back. He would soon be different. But for now, they would enjoy what time they had left. He uttered, “I like you.”

  Grace rubbed her forehead against his. “I like you too.”

  52

  Minutes earlier, Hailey stood on the sand and watched as Mike and Grace escaped up the hill, where they would find refuge under the arch. She didn’t need to follow them, she figured. They would be alright. She glanced at the horizon to see the position of the sun. Just the top of it remained and shot the last light of day into the sky. Their chance to cut someone’s heart was gone, at least for today. Hailey faced The Giant, about 25 yards down the sand. And marched toward him.

  Nicole thrusted her fingers into The Giant’s eye sockets, hoping to blind him. The Giant let his machete fall and his monstrous hands gripped Nicole’s body. He plucked her off of him and slammed her to the sand. Nicole pounded on her back and before she could move, The Giant gripped the machete off the sand and jabbed it through her chest. He slammed it so hard, the handle was all that stuck out from her body.

  Pinned to the beach, Nicole’s eyes widened. The pain of the blade wasn’t so bad, but she knew she was mortally injured. A cool throbbing radiated through her core. It felt like ice replaced her blood. Nicole inhaled deeply but the air haphazardly traveled to her lungs.

  Hailey witnessed Nicole absorb this attack. It was a sad sight and a true display of The Giant’s power, but Hailey’s feet kept on. Nothing could stop her now. She steadily made her way toward him as bats flurried around like a hurricane of debris. Dozens of Washington High bats and Unstables stood staring at her. Hailey’s face locked in rage and oddly, the bats whose strength far ascended hers stepped away. With blood dripping down her entire body and a scowl resting on her face, it was clear to see: the Chosen One was furious. So when her bloodied body walked straight at the bats in her insane quest to reach The Giant, they leapt from their feet and escaped into the sky, like birds on a sidewalk.

  The Giant turned from Nicole’s impaled body to see a naked girl storming toward him. Her bloodied body waddled along on the sand. To his surprise, the bats he recruited were afraid of her, stepping away and keeping their distance. Nothing would stop this girl from reaching him. The Giant smirked and waited.

  Hailey stepped in front of him and planted her feet in the sand. She pulled up her eyes and glared at his face, like looking toward the top of a skyscraper; his presence loomed over her. Hailey and The Giant stared at each other, neither budging from their spots.

  Bats settled from the sky and landed on the beach, most of them reclaiming their former spots from Grace’s planned execution. One at a time they came, all to marvel at Hailey standing up to The Giant. The Giant watched as the bats’ eyes landed on him, eager to see his next move.

  But truly, they stood in awe of Hailey, the Chosen One. She had never been the bravest of girls and she wasn’t particularly good at anything. She was just another girl. A nice girl. Yet here she was, after surviving the most grueling period in the history of the world. Hailey, a 17 year-old girl. You’re too young to understand, people used to say. Weeks earlier, she ran with terror through a haunted house. But that girl was gone. Hailey had been afraid of who she was becoming. Not anymore.

  In the past two weeks, hope had been massacred and replaced with doom. The bats had searched for any glimmer, any reason to believe in themselves, to believe in each other. And here was Hailey, like a singular rose in a field of thorns.

  Hope was not dead. Hailey, the Chosen One, brought it, against all odds, into the new world.

  Hailey’s eyes squinted at the nameless giant and she demanded, “Give me the necklace.” She wasn’t going to allow them another chance at ‘saving the world’.

  The Giant didn’t bother to respond. He knew she would be unable to understand. Hailey glanced toward the sand, at Nicole, who had been watching her. Pinned to her back, her breathing slowed. Nicole nodded and forced a pained smile at Hailey. Hailey whispered, “Thank you.”

  The Giant grew irritated. He could kill this girl with a twitch of his thumb if he wanted to. But he couldn’t. He needed her heart. So instead, he lifted her miniscule body and picked her up like a rag doll. He spread his massive wings and flapped them into the sky. The air from his wings blasted at the bats on the ground, who simply watched and wondered what the Chosen One would do next.

  With the enormous strength of his wings, The Giant soared into the sky. The ocean air blared into Hailey’s face as she struggled against his grip. They flew away from the beach and into the openness of the horizon. She could only guess where he planned on taking her. Presumably, he would take her somewhere and wait until the sun went down tomorrow. Snugged around his thick neck, she could see the necklace, exactly what she wanted. The leather pouch dangled from the string. If she could just free her arms, she could reach up and grab it. But he cradled her tightly and her arms were kept stuck at her side.

  Hailey shouted in frustration. She pulled her arms as hard as she could but couldn’t release them. Her feet were no use either. The only way she could get to the necklace was if The Giant loosened his grip. Just a little. Hailey had an idea so ridiculous, she snickered to herself.

  The wind is strong, so I’ll need to aim a little ahead of him. She cleared her throat, gathered some phlegm in her mouth, and launched it high into the air. The ball of spit floated up and splattered right next to The Giant’s eye.

  The surprise of what landed on his face did the trick. His grip loosened just enough. Hailey tossed her free hand up and gripped the leather pouch. Once she had a firm hold on it, she snapped the necklace and hurled it away.

  The Giant watched in horror as the pouch fell toward the grasping waves of the ocean. It practically moved in slow motion, shrinking in size, disappearing from view, where it would be lost forever. Water splashed up, like hands from Hell, to try and grab the pouch. But out of nowhere, a speeding bat clutched it from freefall.

  The bat soared upwards and flew to eye level with The Giant, keeping a healthy distance between them. As he tied the necklace around his neck, Hailey and The Giant recognized him: Alex. Dried blood covered his shoulder and any trace of wooziness seemed to be gone.

  Hailey shouted, “Get out of here!”

  Alex ignored her and addressed The Giant. “Let her go!”

  The Giant responded, “Have you and Nicole lost your mind? This is what you brought me here to do!”

  “The plans have changed.” High above the ocean, Alex and The Giant effortlessly flapped their wings. The apprehension of their standoff could be felt all the way to the bats watching below.

  The Giant demanded, “Give me the pouch.”

  Alex countered, “Give me the girl.”

  “Give me the pouch or I’ll kill the girl!”

  Alex responded, “We both know you won’t do that.”

  The Giant declared, “Then I’ll have to kill you.”

  Unworried, Alex responded, “If you can catch me.”

  Alex flung his wings back and darted away. Despite The Giant’s colossal wings, Alex knew he could outfly him. The Giant had too much weight to lug around. The Giant gripped Hailey and chased after him, convinced he would kill Alex and take back the pouch.

  On the beach, Nicole could feel her life slipping away. She couldn’t help but feel responsible for everything. The guilt
overwhelmed her. She never should’ve gone to Endless Life, never should have tried to cut open someone’s heart. She was just going to have to accept her unfortunate role in the fate of the world. Her eyes rested closed, accepting death, when a human voice interrupted her.

  “Hi Nicole.”

  Her eyes darted back open, and sitting next to her, staring at the horizon, was Ava.

  53

  “Ava?”

  The breeze from the ocean gently blew at Ava’s blonde hair. Ava took a deep breath, soaking up the freshness of the ocean air. Her blue eyes peacefully rested on Nicole, delighted to see her sister once again.

  Nicole looked in amazement at Ava. She was so genuine… identical to the girl in her memory. But in some ways, it looked like Ava appeared a little older. Like she might have looked if she never died. Was Nicole hallucinating? She couldn’t be. The detail in her face was too real, too… alive. Seeing Ava again, really seeing her, brought goosebumps to Nicole’s skin. She had prayed for years for a moment like this. Nicole asked, “What are you doing here?”

  Ava’s cheery face beamed as usual. A warm smile graced upon her. Her eyes squinted and seemed to radiate with a light around them. Ava looked so healthy... so peaceful. The gentle sound of Ava’s voice caressed at Nicole’s heart. “I’m here to take you with me.”

  Nicole’s eyes teetered and fought to close. But she kept them open. She couldn’t understand why she deserved to go anywhere with Ava. Nicole lamented, “I screwed up.”

  Ava shook her head. “No you didn’t.”

  “Yes. All of this. Everyone dying, everyone changing. It’s all my fault…”

  Ava placed her hand on Nicole’s forehead and gently rubbed. Nicole could feel the soft moist texture of Ava’s palm. Ava brushed Nicole’s brown hair back. “It’s not your fault. And besides, what happened is not bad. It’s just different.”

  Nicole mumbled, “All the people who suffered…”

  “That’s over now. All pain, no matter how great, always goes away. Everything ends eventually, and it’s there, at the end, where there’s nothing but happiness. Because nothing else can exist.” Ava paused. “I’ve waited for you.”

  “Where are we going?”

  Ava took a breath and extended her smile, dimpling her cheeks. She shifted in the sand and turned her body. Nicole waited for an answer that wouldn’t come. Instead Ava said, “You’re coming with me. But not yet. Before we go, there’s still one more thing you have to do.”

  Nicole’s mind raced. What could she possibly do in the state she was in? With a simple blink, Ava vanished. In her place appeared a pair of feet rushing toward her. There was something strange about the legs that flung through the sand. They looked unhuman, like they should’ve been covered in fur, but weren’t. The bat’s knees dug into the sand and bowed beside her. As soon as Nicole’s eyes rested on his face, she knew who it was.

  “Jeremy.”

  Blood rested around Jeremy’s mouth and seeped through his teeth. Heavy purple bruises sprouted on his face.

  Despite the machete buried through her, Nicole’s concern grew for him. “Are you alright, J?”

  Jeremy couldn’t answer. The sight of the blade handle emerging from her torso rocked him. His whole body felt weak and nearly shut down from the shock. His trembling hands covered his eyes. He didn’t want to believe it. He finally found his sister... like this? No. Please no. Tears fought past his eyes and air had a hard time reaching his lungs. He turned his head. He didn’t want her to see him cry.

  Nicole softly said, “Jeremy, don’t be sad for me. I’m so happy to see you.”

  He took a deep breath. “I’m… I’m…” But he couldn’t finish his thought without interruption from sobbing. He tried again. “I’m not sick anymore”

  Nicole felt a peace grow in her heart. Finally, good news. She lifted her hand and Jeremy took hold. She whispered, “You’re going to make a great explorer.”

  Jeremy dropped his head in despair and stared at the grains of sand underneath him.

  “Jeremy, look at me.”

  His head reluctantly lifted and his eyes met with hers. Ava’s words on this very beach so many years ago had stuck with Nicole her whole life. Now, she needed to make them her own and give them to Jeremy. “When you miss me, just look at the ocean. No matter how life changes, it will always be there. It never changes, it never goes anywhere. I’ll be just like that. I’ll always be with you. My love will never leave you. Just promise me… when you think of me, you won’t cry… you’ll smile.”

  Jeremy nodded.

  She continued, “I wish I was a better sister to you. I’m sorry.”

  Jeremy shook his head. “I told you. I wouldn’t want anyone else as my sister. I meant it.” Memories of the childhood they shared flashed in his mind. She was always there for him to look up to. For him to strive to be like. All he ever wanted was to go on an adventure together. To explore some long-gone civilization and learn from her. And be like her. He squeezed her hand. The time she had left was short. In the distance, he heard the sounds of screaming. His eyes shot toward the sky, where The Giant held Hailey and chased after Alex.

  Nicole glanced at the scene. “Is that girl really your friend?”

  “Yes. She saved my life.”

  “Tell her I’m sorry.”

  Jeremy looked at Nicole with uncertainty. What if Hailey didn’t make it out of this? What could he do? He was just a weak, furless bat.

  Nicole nodded, knowing exactly what stormed through his mind. “You know what you have to do.”

  Jeremy took a deep breath. “But I don’t want to leave you.”

  “Go Jeremy. This is only goodbye for now. I’ll see you again someday. The adventures belong to you now. It’s your turn.”

  Jeremy reluctantly let go of her hand and rose to his feet. “I love you, Nicole.”

  She smiled. “I love you too, J.”

  Jeremy took one last look at his sister. She wasn’t as he remembered but he could see her in her eyes. Although tears drummed against the back of his eyes, he blinked them away and did what she asked: he smiled. He turned his body, stretched his magnificent wings and leapt into the air.

  Nicole watched as he flew higher and higher, until he looked like just a spec in the sky. Seeing her brother and knowing he was happy was the greatest gift she could ask for. Nicole’s eyes finally won their battle to close. She smirked as she rested. Ava’s voice was the last thing she heard.

  “Now we can look out at the ocean for as long as we want. Together.”

  54

  Alex swooped through the air and flipped through the darkening sky, moving masterfully like a fish through water. He knew he couldn’t beat The Giant in a fight. But hopefully, The Giant would continue to chase his precious pouch long enough to drain his energy. Then, Alex would make his move. Until then, they would continue, like cat and mouse, to soar through the air.

  Hailey kept her eyes shut. All the spinning and diving made her nauseous. It was like being on a roller coaster that never ended. She didn’t know how much longer she would be able to stay conscious like this.

  The Giant knew what Alex was trying to do. But he had energy to last for hours. Eventually, he thought, it was Alex who would grow weary. Then he would tear him apart, one limb at a time, for making him undergo this test of endurance. But unexpectedly, in The Giant’s field of vision, a new bat appeared. He looked odd… without fur. In the distance, this bat ascended and faced him. The Giant became intrigued. Who was this crazy person who looked to get in his way?

  Alex bent back his wings and swooped to the left, allowing gravity to build his speed. The wind blared at him and blasted at his wings. Flying this fast was somewhat fun. To his surprise, when he looked back to track The Giant’s progress, he wasn’t behind him at all. The Giant was flying in another direction, toward a furless bat who flew in place.

  Jeremy’s eyes grew wide. The sheer size of The Giant became evident with every foot he moved closer. Jeremy’
s heart raced with fear and his instinct screamed to fly away. But Jeremy had spent his entire life being afraid. Of the illness that almost took his life. Of the nurses in the hospital who ripped off his fur. His gut nudged him again to leave. But he whispered to himself, “Shut up. I’m not going anywhere.” Jeremy’s wings flapped and he stayed in place. He took a deep breath and he couldn’t help but see Nicole’s face giving advice to him in the hospital. “In the face of danger, you have to rise with courage and face what’s in your way. Sometimes, you’ll feel scared. That’s normal. But the braver you are, the better off you’ll be. Because if you believe in yourself, you can do the impossible.” Jeremy’s apprehension faded away and he clenched his fists, ready to face his fate.

  Air blasted at Jeremy as The Giant flapped his massive wings to come to a stop. The two faced each other eye to eye. Jeremy looked at his oversized head, at his enormous eyes. He had already felt the force of The Giant and knew one mistake could result in his death.

  From the arms of The Giant, Hailey yelled, “Jeremy, get out of here! He’ll kill you!” Jeremy’s eyes wandered to her and Hailey noticed something unusual about him. The timid, scared boy she rescued from the hospital was gone. His demeanor, the look on his face, was different, like fired flared in his eyes. Confidence streamed out of him, making him seem taller than he was. Jeremy gave a slight, simple nod to Hailey. As if to say, Don’t worry. She eased in The Giant’s arms.

  The Giant spoke with his monstrous voice and asked, “What are you doing?”

  Jeremy remained silent and stared into The Giant’s eyes. The Giant could tell Jeremy wanted trouble. So he would kill him. The Giant made a slight move with Hailey, sliding the bulk of her body into the grip of one arm, allowing the other one to land a surprise attack. It was barely noticeable, but exactly the hint Jeremy needed.

  In that instant, Jeremy thought of his sister. A tear stood at the edge of his eyes. But he didn’t cry. Instead, he smirked. Either he would fulfill his promise and become the explorer he always wanted to be or he would join her right now. It was up to fate to decide. Because now, for what he figured was the first time, he would be like Nicole. “You’re braver than you know,” she told him in the hospital.