The End.
Emily and Nathan
The campfire was dimming. Emily leaned back against Nathan’s chest as he rubbed her stomach gently. She savored his touch during the small moment of peace, for she knew he would have to leave and get more firewood soon. She wanted to come with him, but he always made her stay by the fire. He was afraid she would get hurt in the woods, and the risk became greater with her condition.
Emily's’s eyes became heavy, and a tear slipped out. She hated him going into the woods alone. He had already been attacked once, and that was enough for her to beg him not to go. He would simply brush it off with a ‘I’ll be fine, sweetheart’, and leave anyways. Emily turned her head and looked at his vibrant, emerald eyes. Nathan leaned down and kissed her forehead.
“I need to go get more wood.” He mumbled, standing. She quickly stood and grabbed his hand. “Em, I have to go. If we don’t have firewood, there will be no fire, and no warmth. I can’t take that risk with you.
“Take me with you, then. I won’t get in the way… Please…” Emily was prepared to get on her knees and beg. Nathan sighed and kissed her lips, then her stomach.
“I’ll be careful, sweetheart. I love you.” And with that, he left. She stood by the campfire and watched him climb over the ruins, then into the abyss that was the forest. She sat on the ground and rubbed her stomach, then began singing softly. Singing calmed her nerves, but also made her upset. Before the apocalypse, she was on the road to fame. The day the skies rained fire, she was recording in a studio. Her eyes glazed over as she reflected on that tragic day. Hot tears escaped the corners of her eyes. Emily laid back and watched the empty sky, before silently crying herself to sleep.
*
“No! No! Don’t go! I need you…” Emily moaned, clutching her rotund stomach. A man kneeled by her side and took her hand.
“Emily, I have to run back and grab that blanket. It’ll die otherwise.” The man kissed her head, laid down his gun, and ran for the theater. Emily stayed laying on the old bed, writhing in pain. She was fading in and out of consciousness as the pain spiked and receded. Beads of sweat gathered at her hairline and trickled down her face. The man that ran off returned just as she was losing her grip on awareness.
“Emily, stay with me. The baby is already coming. I just need you to push a little.” He urged, spreading her legs and laying down a towel. She couldn’t see, hear or feel anything but her own blood curdling scream.
*
Emily sat up quickly and tried to catch her breath. She scrambled to pick her watch up off the ground and check the time. It read one o’ clock. Whether it was AM or Pm, she was unsure. But either way, Nathan had been gone twelve or twenty-four hours. She stood up and picked up his knife, then took a deep breath. The woods seemed like it was the Amazon Rainforest; there were wild plants and animals no one knew existed, and the small woods that people walked through in minutes developed into a monstrous forest. When it rained, the floor quickly flooded and took out anything in sight. Besides the unknown species, the size and the rain, there was only one thing left to fear. This fear though, was the greatest of them all, and Emily quickly prepared herself to face it. As she tip-toed into the collage of trees and shrubs, she kept the knife pointed up, ready to stab anything that came near her. She tried to keep her labored breathing light as she trudged over the rubble, but it was becoming increasingly difficult. Minutes felt like hours until she trekked so far that her legs nearly gave out. She collapsed onto a log, put the knife beside her, and looked out among the trees. They seemed to double in numbers, in pairs. She shut her eyes tightly and tried to imagine Nathan’s voice, soothing her. Soon, she heard his voice a few times, before she actually opened her eyes and looked around.
“E-Em…” He rasped. He knocked on the top of the log from the inside. Emily knelt down and took his hand, helping him out. He sat on the ground, wheezing and coughing as she watched him closely. She stayed by his side as he caught his breath.
“Oh, Nathan. I was so scared! What happened? Are you alright? Wh-“ Nathan slapped his hand over her mouth and moved his face close to hers.
“That creature,” he whispered, “it chased me. I need you to stay quiet. I don’t want you harmed.”
Emily nodded and stood. She stepped over the log before accidentally grazing her calf on the hunter’s knife. She fell back against a tree and yelped in pain.
“Oh no…” Nathan limped to her and ripped off one of his sleeves. The red liquid dripped slowly down her leg as he tried to tie on the torn sleeve. Once it was tightly fastened, he picked up the knife.
“This is the wrong time to not pay attention.” He sighed. She looked at him with a hurt expression.
“Well my bad for being clumsy. It’s not like I did it on purpose!” She napped. Nathan scoffed and turned to face her.
“Just pay more… More…” His eyes widened and his jaw dropped. Emily spun around and saw the creature… The biggest thing to fear in the forest was staring her right in the face.
“Don’t move a muscle. Let it check you out.” Nathan whispered, taking his girlfriend’s hand. She whimpered and winced back against the creature’s foul breath. It then stood on its hind legs, revealing its enormous height of about ten feet. It’s lethal jaws dropped, and let out a roar that could be heard from miles around.
“RUN!” Nathan shouted. Emily froze momentarily, but began running towards the forest entrance when Nathan pulled her. The creature bounded after them as quick as its massive body could take it. Emily looked back once and screamed as she noticed it was gaining on them. Nathan pushed her forward and held up the knife.
“Go back to the camp! It won’t leave the forest!”
“I’m staying here with you!” She yelled back at him, watching the creature get closer
“No, Em! Go!” As the creature held its elephant-sized paw up to swing at Nathan, he plunged the knife into its chest. The black figure swayed momentarily, then fell onto all fours. “Now!” Emily finally obeyed and began sprinting to the opening. When she was near, she stopped and looked back in time to noticed the creature coming after her. She took off again, and didn’t stop until she stumbled into the clearing. She sat up and watched the creature wince back against the light, grunt, then turn around and leave. Her breathing was quick and uneven as she started back towards the camp. Her stomach hurt and she was light-headed. She collapsed by the dead fire and wrapped her arms around her torso.
“He’s fine… Daddy’s okay… He’ll be back soon…” She whispered, before passing out.
When Emily finally came to, the ashes and leftover wood had blown away. It felt even colder than before, and it seemed darker. She reached over and picked up the watch, squinting to read it. She then threw it down, knowing that it was no use figuring out the time. She sat up slowly and looked around the camp, knowing Nathan wasn’t there. She assumed he was dead, and as more time passed, she knew her assumption was true.
Emily's’s eyes became heavy, and a tear slipped out. She hated him going into the woods alone. He had already been attacked once, and that was enough for her to beg him not to go. He would simply brush it off with a ‘I’ll be fine, sweetheart’, and leave anyways. Emily turned her head and looked at his vibrant, emerald eyes. Nathan leaned down and kissed her forehead.
“I need to go get more wood.” He mumbled, standing. She quickly stood and grabbed his hand. “Em, I have to go. If we don’t have firewood, there will be no fire, and no warmth. I can’t take that risk with you.
“Take me with you, then. I won’t get in the way… Please…” Emily was prepared to get on her knees and beg. Nathan sighed and kissed her lips, then her stomach.
“I’ll be careful, sweetheart. I love you.” And with that, he left. She stood by the campfire and watched him climb over the ruins, then into the abyss that was the forest. She sat on the ground and rubbed her stomach, then began singing softly. Singing calmed her nerves, but also made her upset. Before the apocalypse, she was on the road to fame. The day the skies rained fire, she was recording in a studio. Her eyes glazed over as she reflected on that tragic day. Hot tears escaped the corners of her eyes. Emily laid back and watched the empty sky, before silently crying herself to sleep.
*
“No! No! Don’t go! I need you…” Emily moaned, clutching her rotund stomach. A man kneeled by her side and took her hand.
“Emily, I have to run back and grab that blanket. It’ll die otherwise.” The man kissed her head, laid down his gun, and ran for the theater. Emily stayed laying on the old bed, writhing in pain. She was fading in and out of consciousness as the pain spiked and receded. Beads of sweat gathered at her hairline and trickled down her face. The man that ran off returned just as she was losing her grip on awareness.
“Emily, stay with me. The baby is already coming. I just need you to push a little.” He urged, spreading her legs and laying down a towel. She couldn’t see, hear or feel anything but her own blood curdling scream.
*
Emily sat up quickly and tried to catch her breath. She scrambled to pick her watch up off the ground and check the time. It read one o’ clock. Whether it was AM or Pm, she was unsure. But either way, Nathan had been gone twelve or twenty-four hours. She stood up and picked up his knife, then took a deep breath. The woods seemed like it was the Amazon Rainforest; there were wild plants and animals no one knew existed, and the small woods that people walked through in minutes developed into a monstrous forest. When it rained, the floor quickly flooded and took out anything in sight. Besides the unknown species, the size and the rain, there was only one thing left to fear. This fear though, was the greatest of them all, and Emily quickly prepared herself to face it. As she tip-toed into the collage of trees and shrubs, she kept the knife pointed up, ready to stab anything that came near her. She tried to keep her labored breathing light as she trudged over the rubble, but it was becoming increasingly difficult. Minutes felt like hours until she trekked so far that her legs nearly gave out. She collapsed onto a log, put the knife beside her, and looked out among the trees. They seemed to double in numbers, in pairs. She shut her eyes tightly and tried to imagine Nathan’s voice, soothing her. Soon, she heard his voice a few times, before she actually opened her eyes and looked around.
“E-Em…” He rasped. He knocked on the top of the log from the inside. Emily knelt down and took his hand, helping him out. He sat on the ground, wheezing and coughing as she watched him closely. She stayed by his side as he caught his breath.
“Oh, Nathan. I was so scared! What happened? Are you alright? Wh-“ Nathan slapped his hand over her mouth and moved his face close to hers.
“That creature,” he whispered, “it chased me. I need you to stay quiet. I don’t want you harmed.”
Emily nodded and stood. She stepped over the log before accidentally grazing her calf on the hunter’s knife. She fell back against a tree and yelped in pain.
“Oh no…” Nathan limped to her and ripped off one of his sleeves. The red liquid dripped slowly down her leg as he tried to tie on the torn sleeve. Once it was tightly fastened, he picked up the knife.
“This is the wrong time to not pay attention.” He sighed. She looked at him with a hurt expression.
“Well my bad for being clumsy. It’s not like I did it on purpose!” She napped. Nathan scoffed and turned to face her.
“Just pay more… More…” His eyes widened and his jaw dropped. Emily spun around and saw the creature… The biggest thing to fear in the forest was staring her right in the face.
“Don’t move a muscle. Let it check you out.” Nathan whispered, taking his girlfriend’s hand. She whimpered and winced back against the creature’s foul breath. It then stood on its hind legs, revealing its enormous height of about ten feet. It’s lethal jaws dropped, and let out a roar that could be heard from miles around.
“RUN!” Nathan shouted. Emily froze momentarily, but began running towards the forest entrance when Nathan pulled her. The creature bounded after them as quick as its massive body could take it. Emily looked back once and screamed as she noticed it was gaining on them. Nathan pushed her forward and held up the knife.
“Go back to the camp! It won’t leave the forest!”
“I’m staying here with you!” She yelled back at him, watching the creature get closer
“No, Em! Go!” As the creature held its elephant-sized paw up to swing at Nathan, he plunged the knife into its chest. The black figure swayed momentarily, then fell onto all fours. “Now!” Emily finally obeyed and began sprinting to the opening. When she was near, she stopped and looked back in time to noticed the creature coming after her. She took off again, and didn’t stop until she stumbled into the clearing. She sat up and watched the creature wince back against the light, grunt, then turn around and leave. Her breathing was quick and uneven as she started back towards the camp. Her stomach hurt and she was light-headed. She collapsed by the dead fire and wrapped her arms around her torso.
“He’s fine… Daddy’s okay… He’ll be back soon…” She whispered, before passing out.
When Emily finally came to, the ashes and leftover wood had blown away. It felt even colder than before, and it seemed darker. She reached over and picked up the watch, squinting to read it. She then threw it down, knowing that it was no use figuring out the time. She sat up slowly and looked around the camp, knowing Nathan wasn’t there. She assumed he was dead, and as more time passed, she knew her assumption was true.