The Only Human

The world I knew is gone. It's now a graveyard of twisted metal and crumbling stone. Every breath I take is thick with the acrid scent of death, the stench clinging to the back of my throat. I don’t even know how I barely survive this. Or should I say I’m lucky? As I trudge forward, my feet shuffle over broken glass, the crunch echoing in the silence that seems to stretch on forever. I’m f*****g alone. Utterly, and terrifyingly alone. It was never this way. No it wasn't. I don’t remember how many days have passed since I last saw another living soul. But one thing I know is, I'm the only human remaining. I’ve stopped counting. Every step I take feels like an exercise in futility, but I keep moving. I have to. Lucas has done the worst thing ever. Neglecting me, and not looking back. His name echoes in my mind, a dull ache that won’t go away. I should hate him. I should curse the day I met him. But instead, all I feel is this intense emptiness. This void where my heart used to be. How could I still love the man who doomed my race? The city’s ruins stretch out before me. The ones I care about are now buried underneath the rubbles. The buildings that once scraped the sky are now hollow shells, their windows shattered, their walls crumbling. I move through them like a ghost, haunted by memories of a life that no longer exists. Oh, save me, please! I stop abruptly, my breath catching as I spot something half-buried beneath the rubble. I crouch down, my fingers trembling as I brush away the debris. It’s a small, leather-bound book. Its cover is burnt, and cracked. My heart pounds as I open it, the pages brittle under my touch. And then I see it, his handwriting. I choke on a sob as I read the scrawled words. “Forgive me, Oma. I’m so sorry. I never meant for this to happen” My vision blurs with tears, but I force myself to keep reading. The words are disjointed, as if he wrote them in a hurry, desperate to explain. But, what can explanation do? And then, on the very last page, I see a message that chills me to the bone. “They’re coming for you. Run!” A scream traps in my throat as the book slips from my grasp. I whirl around, my heart hammering against my ribs. I looked around, searching for any sign of movement, any hint of the danger Lucas warned me about. But there’s nothing. Only the oppressive silence and the ever-present shadow of death. For a moment, I’m frozen, my mind racing as I try to make sense of it all. Who is coming for me? And why? I don’t have time to find the answers as my instinct to survive kicks in. Before I know it, I’m running, turning over my shoulder at intervals to see if anyone is pursuing me. The world blurs around me as I sprint through the wreckage, my lungs burning, my legs screaming in protest. I don’t know where I’m going, only that I need to get away, to put as much distance as possible between myself, and whatever threat lurks in the shadows. The air grows colder the deeper I venture into the ruins, a bitter wind cutting through my clothes and stinging my skin. But I won't stop. I can’t stop. Not until I’m safe. That’s if there’s even such a thing anymore. I glance over my shoulder, panic gripping me as I hear a distant howl. My blood runs cold. The wolves are close. Too close. I push myself harder, my breath coming in ragged gasps, but it’s of no use. I can feel them closing in, their presence like a dark cloud looming over me. The howls grow louder, echoing in the empty streets, reverberating in my chest. I stumble, nearly falling, as I burst into a hole amid the debris. The sight that greets me sends a jolt of terror through my veins. They’re here. The pack surrounds me, their glowing eyes fixed on me with a predatory hunger that makes my skin crawl. They’re not ordinary wolves. They’re massive, their fur bristling with a wild energy. I know I'm trapped, my back pressed against a crumbling wall. There is nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. My heart pounds as the largest wolf steps forward, his eyes locked onto mine. There’s something familiar about him. Something that stirs a memory deep within me. And then, i saw his firm face. It’s Lucas. I gasp, my mind reeling as he shifts before my eyes, his massive form shrinking, until he shifts back to human once more. But this isn’t the Lucas I remember. The warmth in his eyes is gone, replaced by something cold, and scary. I stare at him, my mind screaming for answers, but my voice betrays me, coming out as nothing more than a broken whisper. “Lucas… what’s happening?” I mutter. For a moment, he says nothing. He just studies me with an intensity that makes my skin crawl. Then, slowly, he steps closer, his expression unreadable. “You shouldn’t have come back, Oma,” he says quietly, his voice like ice. His words cut through me like a knife, and I feel my world tilt on its axis. “I didn’t have a choice,” I manage to choke out, the desperation clawing at my insides. “I thought… I thought you’d…” “Save you?” he finishes, a bitter smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “There’s nothing left to save, Oma. Not anymore.” I shake my head, refusing to believe what I’m hearing. This can’t be happening. This isn’t the Lucas I know. The man I fell in love with would never abandon me, never let me suffer alone. But as I search his eyes, all I find is emptiness. “Take her,” he commands, his voice sharp, and before I can react, the wolves are on me. Their claws dig into my arms. Their snarls fill my ears as they drag me away, into the darkness. And Lucas? He doesn’t even flinch. He just watched as I’m hauled off into the abyss, his expression as cold, and unfeeling as the night itself.