Waveland

Chapter 31: The Past

Rose planted each step down the faded dashed yellow lines.  Down an abandoned highway, cars piled on top of each other. Destruction everywhere. She walked down the middle of the road barefoot and in her nightgown. It used to be a pretty lilac but now was covered in filth. Two kitchen knives were braced in her hands. She had no plan of turning back. She was done running. She was done with everything. For a couple of months, she had been on her own. Forced to be on her own after her father. He betrayed her. Her heart ached with the loneliness, she was a traitor to herself. How could she care so much about someone who left her to die? One single tear dampened the side of her face. 

Never in her life had she felt rage like she did in this moment. She knew she was going to die. Either in a few months when she was no longer lucky hiding from the monsters or caught by the awful humans. She didn't want to die a coward. She was going to find these god damned aliens, and take one with her to burning hell. Her lips curved slightly upwards imagining it. A different type of reaction than her usually perfect smile. Cheerful Rosey. The name her family would call her. The name her dad came up with. She stopped abruptly. Thinking about them made her heart burn with rage. She turned to her right in a fast motion. A perfect stalled red sedan sat unburdened on the highway somewhere in Arkansas. Without thinking she raised her fist and jumped using all of her endless rage. Slamming her arm against the red sedan's window shattering it. Glass pierced through her skin. She bit her lip from screaming, while her mind nubbed her pain blind with rage. 

She waited for the sound of the falling glass to dissapear. A few seconds before all the pieces find their new places on this Earth. Her right arm was covered in blood where the glass dug into her skin. She reached over the broken window, remaining pieces breaking skin underneath her arm as she unlocked the vehicle. She swung the door open, and planted herself in the passenger seat. She placed both hands on the steering wheel. She left her mind drift to want it would be feel like to drive a car in a normal. Her father teaching her, while terrifed for his life. Driving all her friends to school. Driving on dates and letting her crush down her car while she starred at him with only the silly love in her eyes. 

She reached underneath the steering wheel, twisted a knife against the plastic. Ripping the black plastic covering from the car to find the ignition. Ruining the ignition cylinder. But she was about to do a lot worse. The car hummed with its power. Her hands rubbed up and down the steering wheel. She took one more step on the gas and it roared down the highway, scratching the nearby cars. She pushed harder and harder on the pedal. Passing 60 mph , passing 90 mph. She hit 120 mph. A rocket on the dead highway. She punched her fist repeatedly central on the steering wheel. Honking for the nearby monster to come out of hiding. The sound waves carrying. She didn't even acknowledge the blood falling down her left wrist, her skin stinging in the brutal wind. 30 feet around a collapsed bridge. Normally she would be terrified. She would think about all the irrational ways this could go wrong. Not anymore. Peering in the left mirror, she saw the monster that lurked in her nightmares. A creature with six legs, spider-leg form but large sprinting right to her with insane speed. She was terrified, but she was ready. She turned violently to the right, sticking her feet on the brake. The car sliding sideways, tires screeching. She kicked open the door. The alien prowling toward her. She stared it down. As the Alien jumped to crawl at her, she dodged at the right moment. Somersaulting to the right as the alien dove right into the car, smashing it to pieces. That would be her soon, but she wanted this. She wouldn't be a coward anymore. She held out the knifes. Untrained, but armed. The creature was stunned by the impact so she took her advantage stabbing its back leg. The creature screeched in alarm. Rose flipped backwards, landing on one knee, and stabbed in the middle of another of the creature's thigh. Black liquid leaked from the wounds. Its red eyes aimed on her. She should be afraid, but she wasn't. She was just numb. The creature attacked slashing against her chest. The attack sent her flying on her back. The breath knocked from her as blood covered her chest. She coughed getting forcing herself back on her feet as the alien prowled for the second attack. She reached wide, bringing her knife against its slim front ankle. The main body part the creature used for support.The alien's hard pierced screamed burned Rose's ears. It's left claw now in her hand. She threw the alien's own black bloody hand at its skull as it attempted to dodge, she went for the opposite front leg, swiping at the low thin skin. Rose completely separated its tendon. The alien screeching collapsing on its legs. Rose stepped on its back leg, as it attempted to crawl at her with its remaining legs, she used both knifes to cut higher on its right back leg to remain completely immobilized. It hollered at her in both anger and overwhelming pain that Rose understood as the Alien lunged for her trapping her on the ground. One of its good remaining legs stabbing through her arm. Rose screamed in pain, hearing the crack of her bone. The knife clattered to the ground. The Alien hovered over her face, its disgusting slime dribbling on her face. Rose forced her face right trying to avoid the alien. It teeth snuck into Rose's shoulder. Its sharp teeth breaking skin, blood sweeping down her body. Rose promised herself she wouldn't die a coward, she promised she would make the alien hurt as much as she did. So with her last bit of strength she hollered lodging the good arm toward the Aliens skull where her other knife she held in her hand still strong. She shoved the knife into the aliens eye. She pushed and pushed until it hit whatever little brain the species possessed. It went limp on Top of her. The end of the knife barely visible through its skull. She shoved the alien away from her. 

Black and red blood mixed on the abandon highway. Rose stayed on the ground and wept. Her whole entire body shaking. She could very well be bleeding out. She was hysterical. All of her emotions crashing into one. She closed her eyes, she was so tired. She just wanted to die there. Her body exhausted and she didn't even react as the darkness slowly overtook her and soft arms caressed her. The sensation of being picking up and stolen from the highway.