The Last Story

the plan

Kate and I walk through the deserted streets of Kalispell. It's warmer today than yesterday, and the little snow that had accumulated is now gone. I wasn't able to sleep last night. I was too busy thinking.

First, about what happened yesterday, how the creature had manifested itself as my dad. Did the creature kill my dad? According to Hoffman's book it did, or it wouldn't be able to speak with his voice. How did that happen? Did the creature stalk my dad just as it has stalked us? Did it follow it around for days until it killed him? Maybe my dad found its lair just as we did and got killed there. Maybe he just got followed by it and didn't realize it until it killed him in his sleep. I don't think I'll ever find out unless I ever find his body which I hope I don't. Hopefully, somebody else found it and already buried it, I wouldn't want it to be lying around on the highway like some sort of junk.

The creature is an awful thing. It's surprising to know that it's not the only one around as well. Right now I have already heard of another one and two if you count the thing that killed Mark's father. Both of those appear to have happened years ago though, and one is already dead. Hopefully, this is the last one around. I wouldn't want there to be many out there, or for them to be a long-term threat hunting what's left of humanity.

I also wondered about what my dad could have done to kill it. He didn't have Hoffman's book, he didn't know about the creature. He probably just shot at it until he ran out of bullets if he even had the chance to. I really can't believe how lucky Kate and I are to still be alive and well. We have had so many encounters with it already, and in so many of those, it seemed certain that we were going to die. Especially her, it seems like the creature is always focusing on Kate, like if it knew she was the one leading the way towards the town. Of course, it doesn't know this though, because if it did it probably would have already killed me at some point.

Every time that my train of thoughts lands on my father, his travels, and his death my stomach stings. I don't want to think much about him until I'm able to do it in peace, right now I have very real important and deadly things happening around me. I'm not coping well with that though, I haven't been sleeping much since I found him. Especially after last night.

We are still walking down highway 93 even though it's called Main street here. Kate and I are talking, just not as much as we have on other days. We are both tired and stressed and eager to reach our destination. It shouldn't be too long now, we could get there tonight if it was safe, but realistically we'll be there sometime tomorrow. I can't wait for that, maybe Kate and I really are destined to share a beautiful life together.

Kalispell is the biggest town I have ever been to. We entered it about forty minutes ago and we haven't even reached its center yet. Its buildings are old and overgrown as in any other town, but there are just so many of them. They stare down at us with their broken windows as I stare back in awe and curiosity. The road here feels just like at the border, as every step I take results in crushed debris. Everything is covered in fine pieces of broken glass and concrete chips where you can see them under the dry grass. The facades on the first floors of most buildings here seem to all have been made of glass and wood, and now they are just big holes leading into their guts. Many rusted cars also fill the streets blocking off some of them. It is hard to imagine how life was in a place like this where you regularly would see strangers.

"I'm tired," says Kate.

"We probably should stop for lunch somewhere around here" I reply, thankful that she said something because I'm also very tired.

"That building looks interesting," says Kate pointing to the biggest building within what we've seen of the town.

"Is it a hotel?" She asks.