Ethan reluctantly descended to the first floor of the abandoned home, afraid to confront his new reality. He stopped in the kitchen and drummed his fingers on the counter as he plotted his next move. A loud growl rumbled from his stomach, filling the otherwise silent house. He shrugged and opened the fridge. If this really was the end of the world, he shouldn’t feel bad about stealing food.

  A smile spread across his face as he spotted his quarry. Tearing off the packaging, he popped a hot pocket into the microwave and munched a banana while he waited. Swallowing a bite, he carefully propped his garden hoe within reach just in case another monster showed up.

  From his vantage point, he could vaguely see the crushed pulp of the monster he had just pulverized. He turned away — not wanting to lose his lunch again.

  He took a steadying breath and forced himself to plan his next move. The thought of running several blocks back to his apartment sent shivers down his spine. A sneaking suspicion that more of those creatures were out there niggled at his mind, and he didn’t want to risk being out in the open any more than was absolutely necessary. He wanted nothing more than to return to his apartment and unravel the day’s experiences in relative safety.

  Not that anywhere is actually safe anymore, he thought.

  As he watched the hot pocket spin in the microwave, Ethan was reminded he didn’t have much food at home. His e-bike was one street over where he’d left it at the car wash. It felt like an unnecessary risk, but he really wanted to pick it up.

  A plan began to form in his mind as he pulled the steaming hot pocket from the microwave. Taking a big bite, he instantly burned his mouth and tried to suck in air while chewing to cool it down. Unsurprisingly, the center of the hot pocket was still ice cold somehow.

  I’m sure nothing will go wrong with my plan, he thought with a grimace. What’s the worst that could possibly happen?

  A few minutes later, he was carrying his haul into the garage to load into the minivan parked there. He’d found the keys while collecting food, extra clothing, and a last-minute addition — potting soil. He’d hastily run into the backyard to grab a bag of soil for Joel, averting his gaze from the black pulp he’d in yard.

  As he loaded his hoard into the minivan, Ethan considered his next step. He felt that going back for the e-bike was the right decision. If this truly was the apocalypse, he preferred a vehicle he could charge with a solar-powered portable generator. He’d almost bought one months ago with plans to ride down to southern Utah to visit Zion National Park, but never found the time. Now it appeared he never would.

  He placed the garden hoe in the passenger seat, set his jaw, and turned the key in the ignition. The car stereo abruptly roared to life in a deafening cacophony, causing him to jump spasmodically.

  “CAN YOU SAY MAMA? MAMA! CAN YOU SAY MAMA’S NAME?” blasted deafeningly over the speakers in Miss Rachel’s relentlessly cheerful, toddler-TV sing-song. Ethan’s fingers scrabbled across the buttons of the center console, desperately seeking the power button. After mashing every button except the right one, he finally found the off button and shut off the radio.

  He bowed his head, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the steering wheel, trying to calm the frantic hammering in his chest. When he’d calmed down, he let out a shaky laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation.

  It coulda been a Porsche or Cadillac, but noooo, he thought derisively. I choose the house with the soccer mom van.

  “Seatbelts everyone,” he chimed in a singsong falsetto, but his attempt at levity evaporated when he glanced in the rearview mirror and saw two empty car seats in the back seat. Two car seats that belonged to two kids. He slowly focused his eyes back forward with a sad shake of his head.

  Can’t think about that now, he berated himself. Just survive the next ten minutes.

  Ethan clicked the garage door remote and pulled onto the quiet street. His eyes darted up and down the street, searching for any signs of movement. His heart was pounding as he eased onto the road at a snail's pace, wary of any monsters that might pop out. Luckily, the journey one street over was uneventful, and he soon caught sight of his e-bike near Mr. Sparkle's Car Wash.

  He rolled to a stop in front of the carwash and hit the button to open the liftgate of the van. The street seemed as dead and deserted as it had been before. Not seeing any monsters, he opened the door and raced to the bike, intent on stuffing it in the back of the minivan. As he was straining to lift the bike, he heard a chittering screech behind him. His blood ran cold — any doubt as to what it could be was instantly dispelled.

  Looking down the street, he saw a copy of the skittering monster he had just defeated. There was no mistaking the many-legged black monster was heading right for him in a wild, zig-zagging path. A strangled yip wrenched from his throat, and grunted as he strained to load the heavy bike into the back of the van. His action seemed to enrage the beast, which let out a piercing scream that echoed through the air as it chaotically scrambled toward him.

  Heart-pounding, he punched the button to close the liftgate and rushed to the driver’s side door. He spared a second to glance in the rear-view mirror as he turned the key to start the car. To his horror, the monster was almost upon him. He slammed the minivan into drive and stomped on the gas pedal.

  “Come on,” Ethan growled as the vehicle chugged forward slowly. There was a metallic screech as something sharp dragged along the back of the car. He found himself yet again wishing he had found a sports car, but even the slow acceleration was enough to outpace the monster eventually. He exhaled a sigh of relief as he saw the beast growing smaller in the rearview mirror.

  Movement ahead caused him to snap his focus forward, and he slammed on the brakes at what he saw before him. Not one… or two… but three of the monsters blocked the street ahead. His eyes darted back and forth, searching for a way out, but the only way was forward. He set his jaw and yanked the seatbelt into place.

  “Oh man, oh man, oh man,” Ethan chanted as he slammed his foot down on the accelerator. The minivan picked up speed with agonizing slowness that had him bouncing in his seat, urging the vehicle to go faster. Ahead, the monsters rapidly closed the gap, intent on attacking. His heart threatened to beat out of his chest as the distance between them shrank.

  Ethan screamed as the van made simultaneous contact with all three monsters in an explosion of noise and debris. The ensuing moments were a blur as one monster collided with the bumper — its head exploding in an explosion of black ichor and glass shrapnel from the headlight. With a sickening crunch, the center monster hit the minivan and disappeared beneath it in a mess of tangled limbs and shattered bumper.

  The speeding vehicle clipped the monster to the left, but it still managed to cling on with its many legs as the minivan sped past. For the second time that day, Ethan got a close-up view of a monster’s drooling, clacking mandibles as he looked in horror through the driver’s side window. He shrieked in terror and jerked the steering wheel back and forth in an attempt to throw the monster off as it tried to bite through the glass to get to him.

  Despite the chaotic swerving, the hellish creature clung on, refusing to be dislodged. It repeatedly slammed its razor-sharp mandibles against the glass between itself and Ethan, small cracks beginning to spider along the window. He was frantically veering the minivan back and forth when he spied a large semi-truck ahead and had a crazy, desperation-fueled idea.

  He sped directly at the parked semi-truck at breakneck speed, gritting his teeth as he drew closer. With a scream, Ethan slammed his foot down on the emergency brake, yanking the steering wheel sideways just as a sharp mandible tore through the window, sending glass spraying over him. The minivan fishtailed into a sideways skid with a screech, leaving a trail of tire marks and burned rubber as it slid to smash broadside into the semi-truck with a mighty crash.

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  The impact smashed the lower half of the monster, and it arched its back and scrabbled against the minivan with its many legs in an attempt to escape. Ethan snatched up his garden hoe from the passenger seat and pummeled the creature through the broken window — screaming a war cry as he mercilessly beat it back. Between being smashed between the vehicles and his relentless chopping, the monster soon fell still, black ichor oozing from many wounds.

  Ethan sucked down ragged breaths as he marveled at still being alive. Like before, he saw a red orb of translucent light zip from the slain foe toward him. When the orb made contact, the physical strain of the fight was lessened as a surge of strength coursed through him, making him feel invigorated. A moment later, he felt a second orb make contact, filling him with more power. Minor cuts and scrapes he hadn’t noticed tingled as they closed, pink skin taking their place.

  That must have been one I ran over, he thought. Wait… weren’t there three of them?

  Suddenly, a jabbering, screaming monster rammed its head through the broken window, clacking its mandibles wildly at him. Ethan screamed, his arm exploding in searing pain as a mandible scraped along his elbow up to his shoulder, leaving a bloody trail.

  Still empowered by the strength he’d gained, he shifted sideways and plunged the hoe into the monster’s chest. Grunting with the effort, he pinned the monster against the semi and stepped on the gas, lurching the minivan forward.

  Pinned between the minivan and the semi, the monster screamed as it was ground to a sticky black pulp. By the time they cleared the end of the semi, the monster was only a black stain that ran the length of the semi. Ethan didn’t see it, but he felt another red orb sink into him, giving him a jolt of energy and renewed strength. The fresh cut he’d just received as healed instantaneously.

  He sat there for a moment, adrenaline coursing through him, causing his hands to shake. As his breath steadied, he patted himself, shocked to find his body intact and mostly unharmed. He sat in stunned silence, the sound of tinkling glass and hissing motor the only sound.

  “Yahhhhh!” he howled suddenly, punching the roof of the van victoriously. “Take that, you shit-ass bugs! You’re no match for the E-man and his Mother. Fuckin’. Minivan!” He continued to cheer and clapped loudly in a self-congratulatory manner for longer than was strictly necessary. That was until he spotted something ahead. His merriment slowly died when a lithe, four-legged figure suddenly strode from the side street ahead of him.

  A cheer died on his lips as he stared transfixed at the new creature ahead of him. Unlike the asymmetrical and disjointed scuttlers, this new foe was sleek and moved fluidly, almost as if it were made of liquid. It was almost as tall as he was and had a muscular black body with enormous paws. Its head resembled a wolf’s, complete with glistening fangs that dripped with a translucent liquid. It bared its teeth as it stared at Ethan.

  Hellhound, the word coming unbidden into his mind.

  As their gazes met, he saw that the monster’s eyes were pure white and its jaws opened wide to reveal rows of razor-sharp teeth. Tension filled the never-ending moment — both parties frozen in time. The illusion shattered as the wolf-like monster abruptly sprang forward with terrifying speed.

  Ethan let out a wordless scream as he slammed the minivan into reverse and stomped on the gas pedal. The wolf-beast pursued at an astonishing pace, gaining ground with each loping stride.

  With a violent jerk of the steering wheel, he sent the vehicle into a skidding, smoking J-turn, the tires screaming in protest. The momentum of the maneuver sent the damaged front bumper flying in a spinning arc. He put the car in drive and smashed the gas pedal down as hard as he could, as if that could somehow magically make the vehicle accelerate faster.

  Slam. A crashing impact caused the back end of the minivan to raise into the air and crash back down, sending it into a drifting skid. The impact caused him to hit his head, and he had to blink through the blood that was dripping down his face.

  Ethan clenched his teeth and fought with the steering wheel as the vehicle fishtailed across the wide avenue. Finally regaining control, he straightened out and kept his foot pressed hard on the gas, desperate to create space between him and his pursuer.

  Ethan caught sight of the loping monster in the rearview mirror, its jaws open and a long tongue lolling as it gained on him. The hellhound leapt into the air, paws forward in a strike that would undoubtedly finish off the already damaged minivan.

  Out of sheer instinct, Ethan yanked the steering wheel hard to the right and veered down a side street. The van careened sideways, causing the wolf to narrowly miss its strike.

  The massive wolf monster’s claws sent sparks flying as it skidded to a halt and changed direction, charging after him dauntlessly. Ethan tracked its progress in the rear-view mirror in horrified dismay as he racked his brain for a way to escape. His maneuver had only bought him a few moments as he watched the hellhound grow larger in the mirror.

  As he sped through the residential area, he spied a half-finished home dead ahead. It was a chaotic array of concrete and exposed rebar jutting out in many directions. His first thought was to avoid it as it looked like a deathtrap. A manic grin split his face as an insane idea came to him. He prayed it would work.

  The ground-eating gait of the wolf-beast brought it ever closer to Ethan as they sped down the street. He sensed the same anger he’d felt earlier building up within him. An all-consuming rage. This was hands down the worst day of his life, and these monsters were the shit-flavored cherry on top.

  His eyes narrowed in fury as he stoked the rage within, barely keeping it under control as he focused on what he was about to attempt. Ahead, the construction site loomed closer. Behind, the monster was nearly upon him, its glistening teeth glinting in a wicked snarl.

  Ethan didn’t dare let up the reckless pace even as the end of the road rapidly grew large in his vision. They flew by house after house — the wolf-beast was only a few feet behind. With a borderline hysterical yell, he yanked the steering wheel hard at the last moment, sending the minivan careening into a picket fence. Behind him, the hellhound had no time to adjust course and flew headlong into the partially constructed foundation.

  The creature slammed into the concrete at a tremendous speed — the impact sending it tumbling in a chaotic jumble of limbs. The beast’s momentum caused it to be pierced in multiple places by protruding rebar, and it bellowed in pain and anger. Its struggle to free itself drove the metal deeper into its body, locking it in place.

  Ethan slammed on the brakes, skidding to a bouncing halt on the lawn next door, leaving deep furrows in the grass. He craned to see what had become of the wolf monster, but could only see the flailing legs of the beast. Still hot with rage, he seized his garden hoe and bolted from the vehicle.

  He approached warily, hoe at the ready as he slid down the dirt slope leading to the half-finished construction. Before him, the wolf monster was held in place by the metal that pierced its body. It was bleeding black ichor profusely, and its struggling was only causing it more harm. Ethan let out a whoop of victory as he slowly made his way toward the creature, raising his hoe to finish it off.

  As he got closer, the beast’s struggles began to weaken and lose ferocity. It eyed him with large white eyes and strained to snap at him lethargically. The pitiful display threw cold water on the hot coals of his anger, and he was suddenly exhausted — just wanting this nightmare to be over with. Raising his hoe high above him, he brought it down in a decisive chop to the beast’s head.

  Ethan stumbled back from the bleeding corpse of the monster, his hands trembling from the dissipating adrenaline. The gash on his head throbbed painfully and was still bleeding profusely. As expected, a red translucent orb rose from the corpse of the beast, however, to his surprise, this orb was almost twice the size of the ones that had come from the scuttlers. It zipped forward and absorbed into him like the others, but the physical change was much more intense.

  A surge of energy ripped through him in a ripple that passed through every muscle in his body, contracting and spasming to an almost painful degree. His scalp prickled with a stinging sensation where he’d received an ugly head wound. It took him a moment to catch his breath, but he actually felt good when the sensation passed.

  When he’d caught his breath after several moments, he felt noticeably more in control of his body, and he once again regarded how well the garden hoe fit in his hand, understanding intrinsically how to wield it as a weapon.

  He hefted the tool and gave it an experimental swing and followed up with a precise thrust, relishing the amount of control he felt with the action. The unconventional weapon felt like an extension of himself. Eyes wide in wonder, he considered the unassuming object and considered how this might help him survive this nightmare.

  He pursed his lips, assuming a look of thoughtful consternation. Not my first choice for a weapon. Hell, not even second or third choice, he mused. But, by God, does it get the job done.

  As he scrambled back up the dusty embankment back to his minivan, he grimaced and thought the universe might be playing the most elaborate joke of all time on him.