The Last One Standing

• Albert Guan, Grade 5, Mont Albert Primary School
• Short Story
• 2016

Excellence Award in the 'Top Secret 2016' competition

The luminous moonlight saw me wandering in the darkness. Not a soul was to be spotted as I trudged past the cracked, spine- tingling cold tombstones bearing the names of the many unfortunate. A deadly plague was sweeping at an incredible speed spread by rats. I was the final survivor of the many millions of citizens who used to enjoy a glorious life here in Hurtlesborough City.

CRUNCH! CRUNCH! SNAP! The sounds of sticks and leaves startled the living daylights out of me as my head turned instantly to the left. A bloodcurdling moan sounded to my right. My head turned another 180 degrees when an eerie, green glow started to shine from a tombstone in my south-east direction.
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!” an ear-piercing scream erupted in front of me. A decayed hand, maggots and worms squiggling over it, wrinkled, holey and black bits of torn skin hanging off it burst out from the brown marsh. I let out a loud shriek and bolted for my life. My body pumped circulated its blood at a rapid pace as I ran as fast as my stiff legs could carry me.

Exhausted, I squeezed into a nearby fissure when… SQUEAK! Huh? I turned and met the menacing, malice eyes of a big, hairy rodent! I stared at it, now with all the taste for revenge building up inside. I sprinted into an old, rundown pub, its windows shattered and the door looking as if it had been bashed.

Suddenly, an enormous pack of mice burst through the wooden door attacking me from every angle. My arms flailed here and there as I fought to throw the mice off me. My hands groped for anything that could be a weapon. They settled on a piece of barbed wire. Full of hatred, I plunged into battle. I thrust out and started stabbing the mice. Loud squeaks rang out as I continued to jab at the animals that killed my family and friends. With one last effort, I chucked the mass of bodies into a nearby bin, one by one.
Soon after, I emerged from the darkness, a bloody mess full of large, deep gashes and bruises. As I padlocked the lid, I knew that more mice and danger were to come. Hurtlesborough City was safe, at least for now.