The Last Flower on Earth

A World Where the Sun Never Shines

Dim and early we awoke, or Emma woke me up for a change. We had a quick breakfast and set each Molotov in its respective location. I double-checked each lighter before handing Emma hers.

We stood before the forest edge gazing into the abyss and the Hate Demons scurried through the darkness at ludicrous speeds. We light the rags on fire and prepare to throw, one of the monsters stopped and stood like a deer in between a hunter's crosshairs. Emma and I threw the bottles with all our might, the grass fractured against the monster as flames began to consume it.

Its screams were like that of a banshee's hellish screech, the ghostly howls of pain had a very human, and very tortured sound layered beneath it. The noise of suffering drew more towards it, one of the creatures took too close to the flame and got burned, its scream drew more in. The rustling noises sounded like a thousand elk running towards, instead of away, from a gunshot.

We lit more Molotovs and threw them in, Emma's hit while mine fell short. The noise and the screams caused the Hate Demons to notice us. They piled towards us with inhuman screams like satanic war cries. I lit another bottle and blindly threw it back. They wrapped around the pool of fire.

I noticed then that there weren't twenty of them, or thirty even. There were hundreds of them carving over each other to kill us.

Rushing into the Factory I grab another, I light the fuse and throw it into the doorway as Emma prepares another. The monsters run into the flames with deafening screeches, the first collapsed into the flames as the rest begin climbing over the charred black corpse.

Emma throws another onto the stack of burning creatures. An orchestra of suffering pierces the air as each ablaze Hate Demon screams in harmony.

The doorway was filled with their burnt bodies.

Shouts of communication overpower the faint screams, and they found another way in.

Emma rushes up a floor as I struggle with the lighter. The demonic communication echoes through the dark hallways.

A small flame erupts from the lighter and spread to the fabric. The monsters burst from the right and topple over each other, I smash the Molotov on the ground to slow them down. They rush through the fire without hesitation.

Inches from my face I stare one directly in the eyes before it collapses to the ground in a chard mess.

I rush after Emma.

At the end of the hallway, we make our first stand. We both know that there are far too many of them than we thought.

I pick up a bottle and put my lighter on the rag. "How many you reckon there are?" I ask, not wanting to know the answer.

"Easily two, maybe three, probable four." Emma lights her own fuse. I can make an educated guess that she means hundreds, we don't nearly have enough incendiaries for this many of them. "Who really knows, they could still be coming."

The monsters stood at the other end of the hallway, gazing at us with a strong backlight so only their glowing eyes had colour aside from the crimson red skin and occasional protruding bone.

We were at a standoff, both of us didn't want to have the first move. The Hate Demons knew that if they pushed us we would throw, but if we threw first they would rush over the fire and kill us.

We backed up. "Connor, you go to the staircase. I can make them push. Go!" I turned away and ran.

A blinding light combusted behind me, filling the halls with a divine glow that only lasted a fraction of a second. I found Emma by my side again and we raced to the stairwell.

I leaned over the railing to see Hate Demons crawling up, I threw my already lit throwable down at the and raced up.

The monsters poured in after us like a rampant flood of blood and gore, their weight collapsed the steps below them and sent them tumbling to the abyss below. I gave Emma a high five and continued up the stairwell.

The catwalk was still there waiting to be crossed, Emma noticed how flimsy the cables are. "Em', you can go across first," I grab an unlit throwable, "I can slow 'em down," I said with a slightly cocky tone knowing full well that I was terrified.

As Emma crossed safely I ignited the rag and threw the incendiary at the oncoming threats, they rush through the flames at a deceptive speed. I turn tail and run across the bridge.

Some monsters slide across the ground, through the railing and onto the bottom floor, but most of them stab the ground and begin sprinting towards me.

They jump onto the catwalk. The cables holding it up snap as I'm halfway across. "Connor!" Emma shouts from the other side.

About a dozen of them fall into the molten metal while one is holding on for dear life like me are dangling above another batch of glowing iron.

I try to pull myself up, but the Hate Demons are faster than me. I draw my pistol out of my back pocket and fire into the monster's head, he lets go and falls into the glowing and bubbling metal below. I kept note that I fired five times with the six-round cylinder. I climb up to see Emma rushing over to pull me up. "Is it a bit late to say I found a pistol?" I wave it around before putting it back into my pocket.

A group of monsters stands across from us, we all stare across heavily breathing. The Hate Demons' chests expand and contract with each breath, even though they are dead, why do they breathe? They're hateful souls who resisted moving into the afterlife, so why do they breathe?

I tap Emma's shoulder while standing up. "Let's go," I stretch my hand out to grab hers, "We're almost there, Em'."

We approach the ladder to the roof, the agitated screams of hungry monsters fade away as we stand alone on the roof, together.

I rush first to the back of the building, Emma follows close.

"You ready?"

"Yeah!" Emma says in an excited manner.