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The Last One

What would you do to help protect the world?

By Shelly Marie HixsonPublished 3 years ago 8 min read
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The old barn at the end of the road hadn't been opened in anyone's recent memory. High schoolers would always dare one another to go take a peek, but no one ever would. Cups, cans, and bottles laid around from people drinking, trying to get up the courage to go inside. If anyone did, they never told anyone about it. It stood there, all alone, the nearest building over a mile away.

Rumors around town varied from it being a normal barn with nothing inside, to it being a murder building and if you entered, you were never seen again. The fact that no one in the town had gone missing in forever never made this rumor disappear. The big unknown brought out the craziness in people.

I always suspected it was full of a bunch of squatters. What better place to live than somewhere no one is willing to go into. And seemingly didn't belong to anyone. Ever since I was little, I wanted to go see. I seemed drawn to the place as much as it repelled everyone else. My reason for never going was the same as all the others though. Fear of the unknown. Until one day, I had no choice.

To get my barn fix, I would go running down the road and back every morning, when the weather permitted. I didn't have to worry about anyone bothering me or cars trying to run me over. I could pop in my earbuds and just enjoy my time. I was constantly asked why I didn't use the gym, or run the trails like a "normal" person. They didn't understand why I wanted to run by a barn that never changed everyday.

That was the other thing. No matter how much time passed, the barn always looked the same. There were pictures from like a hundred years ago of it, and it hadn't changed in all that time. Someone was making sure it didn't get too rundown and collapse on itself. But again, no one ever saw anyone leave or enter the barn to find out who was doing it. It remained the town mystery.

I always checked the weather before going on my run. I knew I was going to be away from everything for a while and didn't want to get caught in the rain, snow, or any other bad weather. The day was supposed to be sunny, not a chance of rain, not even for a few days. Was a little rain possible? Of course, but if it wasn't expected, it never lasted long and was always really light, I could still run in it. The day started like any other day. I parked my car, threw on some music, and went running.

By the time I got to the barn, my run would turn into a jog. I would take a break, stare at the barn, then start heading back. This day, right when I was about to switch to a jog, a downpour started. I knew my car was further away than the barn, and it was only rain, I could wait it out. I kept running, hoping to get the exercise over with sooner. I was drenched, but when the sun came back out, I would dry up pretty fast. The sun didn't come back out.

When I reached the barn, the rain was worse and lightning and thunder had joined the party. There was no way I could go back to my car in this. My only hope was that someone would think of me and maybe take pity on me and come pick me up. I made it under the overhang of the front of the barn. Protected for the most part from the rain, I stood there shivering. Right when I thought it couldn't get worse, the wind picked up and started slamming the rain into me. I couldn't even see the road to notice if a car was coming for me or not. I felt I had no other choice.

I had to go into the barn.

Turning around, facing the doors, I placed my palm on the wood. With the cold rain around me, I expected the wood to be wet, slimy, and soft. It was the complete opposite. It was warm and inviting. It made me feel like I was about to enter my home. This had to be my mind playing tricks on me. Can you get sick almost instantaneously from being in the rain for too long?

I pushed the door slowly. It didn't creak, it was completely quiet as it swung open. A warm light glowed from within. That wasn't creepy at all since there were no power lines anywhere around and leaving candles lit would have been unsafe, and impossible. I had to have been sick and delusional because I didn't let the weirdness stop me from walking in.

In the center of the barn stood the last thing I would have ever thought I would see. At first, I thought someone was playing a trick on me. Had somehow made an animatronic somehow or something? But then how would they know I would be the one to open the doors.

A unicorn. An honest to goodness unicorn. How did it get here? How long has it been here? Who is taking care of it? That last question is soon answered when someone comes out. They stand back and watch me. I don't move until the person gives a slight nod. With the ok, I slowly walk toward the unicorn.

It's a shimmery white. Almost like cloud white. Pure. And of course there is the horn. A shiny gold that everytime it moves its head, it seems to drop glitter. I reach my hand forward. When my fingertips touch its hide, instead of shifting back, it curls into me. It's the perfect height for its muzzle to push into my shoulder. I didn't realize I was holding my breath until my lungs started to burn, forcing me to gasp.

The person that was standing on the side finally stepped forward. They are young and have an adrogenous look about them. When they speak, I still can't tell if they are a man or woman, I don't think it matters.

"Welcome. I see the time has come for me to move on and for someone to take my place."

"Woah woah! Hold on a moment. I only came in here to get out of the rain. I have no idea what you are talking about."

"That's how it always is. It is still up to you to accept or not. It is why I have held this position for so long. No one has stayed."

"Why not?"

"This is for life. You cannot leave. Everything is provided for you here. There is no reason for you to leave. And no one can enter until it's time for someone else to take over."

"That sounds lonely."

"It is. But it's a worthy job."

"Which is?"

"To take care of the last unicorn in existence. To protect it, care for it. It will be around until this world ends."

"Not to sound mean, but if it's the last one and can't reproduce or anything, why not let the species die out? Everyone thinks they are a myth as it is."

"Unicorns used to roam this world freely. They were hunted down, people thought they would bring them luck if they wore their pelts or carried their horns. They are better alive than dead. Every little magical thing on this earth relies on this unicorn staying alive."

"There isn't any magic on earth though."

"That's because humans take those things for granted. Flowers blooming, the miracle of birth, luck, fate, it's all connected."

That actually makes sense. The things that we can't explain, that bring tears to our eyes for seemingly no reason other than how beautiful it is. Looking at the unicorn, I can see how it could be responsible for those things.

Do I want to take this over? Live on my own with no one but the unicorn for company for who knows how long. I'm already an outcast in my life and don't have many friends. Would anyone even miss me? There would be things in my everyday life that would be hard to give up. But I feel I could do it. To finally do something that means something, even if no one knows about it.

I look up at the person, take a deep breath, and nod. "Ok."

"Are you sure? There is no going back after this."

"I'm sure."

They smile and put their hands on my shoulders.

"Thank you." I can't help but smile back. It feels good knowing that I am helping someone immediately. They can move onto the next step of their life, or afterlife.

The barn doors were never closed after I entered. They walk towards them. I can't see the rain anymore. There isn't a flash of light or anything spectacular like I expected. They are just gone.

How long will it take for someone to figure out I'm gone? What will happen to all my things? How much time will pass before someone else like me stumbles in? Will I go insane being alone all that time? I just might never know the answers to these questions any time soon and that's ok.

I turn towards the unicorn and stroke its mane. "Looks like it's just me and you buddy." It snorts and nods its head a few times, like it understands what's going on. With a little smile on my face, I start exploring my new home.

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