The Last Flower on Earth

Goodbye Home

Trees are obscured by a faint glow, a flash of red fills my vision. I jump awake in a cold sweat, I can barely remember the dream, or based on how jumpy I was about it I'd place more on it being a nightmare.

I warm up some of the leftovers to see Emma carrying two large bags. "You can take one of them, but only one." She drops a bag full of clothes.

"You're taking two bags, so why can't I?" She pouts.

"One of my bags is for my stuff, while the second is food and water, so think of it as our bag. And anyway we're taking a pitstop which'll add another bag." The vegetables on the pan sizzle.

Emma walks to the garage.

"So, you found a liquor store?" Yes, I did.

I serve the plates of food and don't bother cleaning it up, as I have no intention of ever coming back to this place. Once I walk out those doors this bunker shall become what it should have always been, a memory, a trauma.

"You have everything you need? Because once we step out those doors we will never turn back." Emma steps back.

"I forgot something!" She scurries around the corner, then pops back. "Alright, let's go!"

The metal doors scrape against the concrete around them, revealing the scratched and dented metal platform. Above that is the industrial-grade blast door which separated me from everything for years. I remember the screaming, the shaking, and how it all went silent.

Before us is the car, but I take one final look. I lower my head to see my hands and arms covered in blood, just like the day I killed Neil. But I'm stronger now, I won't let anything hurt Emma.

The engine begins warming up. "Thankfully I found a pilot to put on the front or else this snow would be untraversable." She didn't know what I meant by a pilot.

"The cowcatcher, the metal part on the front which moves the snow and crap out of the way. I probably installed it a bit wrong, but hopefully, it does its job." After the engine is sufficiently warm, we depart into the city.

"Mira." I make a 'huh' sound. "That's what we should name the car, Mira, I think that's a beautiful name."

"But Mira doesn't sound like that much of a car name." I turn at the intersection. As with a lot of things, Emma says that it just sounds like a good name. "Mira it is then."

We stop out front of the shop, the windows are still intact. But the door is locked. I pull out a fire axe and slam the glass door with it, I kick the rest down before making sure it's safe.

Immediately upon entering Emma and I see a robot sitting on an old chair, its eyes spring to life. "Do you kids have an ID?" Its head vibrates as if it's about to burst any second.

"We don't, and honestly we don't need an ID right now." We walk towards the main door, as we do, the robot attempts to stand up but collapses onto the ground as one of its legs fails.

"I cannot let you pass without adult supervision." It tries to stand again. "I will have to get the manager of this branch to escort you out if you do not comply."

Emma walks over to the robot. "I don't know how to tell you this, but everybody's dead. So go back to sleep now." The robot stands still.

"Everybody... is... dead..." His head turns to look outside. "I only have three percent of battery left before I am deactivated for good."

We stand in silence, all staring at each other.

"What do you kids need, I can tell you where to look." The robot walks into the main area where rows and rows of alcohol lay untouched for almost a decade.

I glass over the selection. "Anything with close to or above fifty percent of alcohol."

"Searching drinks with greater than 80 proofs." We wait as his face turns into a progress bar. "I have your selection, you two are looking for some heavy stuff."

"Come on, tell us!" I hand motion his to speak.

"Gin, Rum, Vodka, Whiskey, Tequila. Let me print you a list of some others you should keep an eye for." His wrist prints a receipt with a list of beverage names. "Do something kids, while you still can."

The robot's screen turns black, his legs give way letting him tumble to the ground. No more than a pile of metal and plastic. "He saved us." I grip the list.

"Let's go grab some and get out of here before night falls." Emma grabs a cart, we weave through rows grabbing everything the robot said we should.

We required a second cart, but we grabbed it all and escorted it back to the vehicle. "Back in the bunker, I grabbed a bunch of cloth. So we should be good in that department." We keep driving down the road, always looking ahead.

"What do you think the arena is going to be like?" If Emma had a tail, it would be waging like crazy. But I don't have any memories of the arena.

"Cold." It's a hockey arena, that's all I know. But it's really big based on the images I've seen.

We sit in silence.

We hear a whistle of the wind, I look around. "Emma, can you drive?" She looks around.

"Um, I, I don't know." Oh boy...

"Left pedal slows you, right speeds you up, the wheel turns the vehicle. Apply light force to the gas as to not kill us."

I hop out of my seat and climb onto the roof. "Damnit Connor! Tell me what you're doing before doing it!" She climbs into the driver's seat and grips the wheel.

The sky is darker than normal. "The wind, it's a sign. Put more pressure on the gas pedal." I look around to see dark silhouettes in the windows.

The wind grows stronger, the powder on the ground begins getting kicked up. "So the right one is fast, and left one is slow. I think I got it. This is kinda fun." Emma sharply turns the wheel around a corner.

Distant screeches echo through the buildings as the wind grows stronger. "Emma! We're almost there! Hold on!" I swing myself into the passenger seat and grip the roof as hard as I can.