The Battle of La Llorona

January 19, 2023
I was sitting in my tent, the pale moon shining through. I was growing tired, sleep creeping up on me. It’s been years.
Somehow the monsters turned against us. Everyone is gone. I’m the last survivor, other than my best friend, Livie. She was once bit by Bigfoot, but she ended up surviving. Suddenly, a twig snapped in the distance. Skinwalkers were waking up, for the sun was gone.
I peeked through the tent entrance. It was humongous! “Ellie, I don’t think that Skinwalker is alone.” Livie whispered nervously. I turned around and saw a figure dragging her nails across the tent walls. They weren’t sharp enough to cut through, but we were still scared.
We scooted towards the middle, shaking and chattering our teeth. “Which girl has a cold breeze everywhere she walks?” I questioned. Livie was a monster expert. “Most likely La Llorona. She drowned her children on a cold night.” I shook the image from my mind.
A squeal sliced through the air. The Skinwalker screamed in agony as smoke rose to the night sky. La Llorona had killed the Skinwalker! “I think we have a new deadly creature.” I stated, trying to smile. That was unsuccessful.
The tent zipper started going up. She was trying to get in! I grabbed my knife and cut a hole in the back of the tent. It was big enough for us to crawl through. Once we were both out, we ran silently but fast. A scream echoed through the woods.
“Why couldn’t we camp out in town?” Livie yelled over the screaming. “It would have been a lot safer there!” I nodded my head in agreement. I looked back with regret. She was right on our tails. I pushed Livie forward more. “She’s right behind us!”
We ran for our lives. Livie then tripped on a root, pain coming down with her. Her leg was twisted, and she knew she couldn’t run anymore. “Go on without me!” Fear and sadness clouded my face. La Llorona lifted her by the ear and dragged her to the river.
“Nobody will help you.” La Llorona quietly soothed. “You’ll be my daughter forever, and ever, and ever.” I ran, tears flying past me. Why did she have to get taken? Once I made it to the junky town, I ran inside the closest gas station.
A few mice ran about as I stepped over chip bags, empty waters, and paper towels. We had been coming here for food ever since this apocalypse started. I grabbed some water and some chips. Without paying, I walked out. The apocalypse had taken all my friends.
“What am I going to do without you?” I asked myself. I looked around and jogged over to the edge of the woods. La Llorona was now looking for me, but she wouldn’t dare go to town. It was a public place, and she was scared of it ever since the people left.
When I say public, it’s where every monster goes. Even if she is stronger, they can easily kill her. Kill. That word swarmed my brain. La Llorona had killed my friend. I had to get revenge! The question was, how? A groan sounded through the small city.
A doppelganger had bumped into another, so they were now fighting to the death. A cat trotted over to me while I stared. I looked into its eyes. They were blood red. I quickly turned around and ran. A dust storm blew behind me as the small black cat turned into a tall, gruesome Skinwalker.
Fear washed over my face once again. How many times was I going to run like a coward? I turned the corner and hid under a porch full of spiders. I didn’t care, as long as I was safe. He ran past me hurling rocks. They were pretty strong if you asked me. Then, a thought struck me.
I was the last person in my town. No, that wasn’t right. I’m the last kid on Earth! How was I going to survive now? Nobody can take me to the hospital, nobody can help me light a fire. I wasn’t going to survive a month here.
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I got out from under the porch and walked to the woods. I couldn’t just leave my tent out there. No way was I going to sleep on the ground. “Come out my sweet child.” a voice said in the woods. She was still on the hunt. When would this lady just give up?
I quietly packed my tent and put it in a backpack. She would be coming back soon, so I had to be ready for a fight. I grabbed a stick and sharpened it against a rock.
La Llorona wasn’t going to get me tonight. I threw the bag into a tree, a tree perfect for me to climb and live in. Footsteps got closer and closer. She was coming. She stepped into the moonlit circle of just grass. Her dress was caked in mud from the rain last night. Her face was in a twisted grin, eyes cold black.
I didn’t want to get close, not even a step, but she didn’t care, for she was walking to me. “You’ll live happily ever after, just like the storybooks.” I swatted at her words. She was trying to possess me, like every monster did.
“I’m not going to the river with you, and you will never exist after this night!” I yelled at her. She still smiled her twisted little grin. She wasn’t going to give up that easily. “My, my, you’re a tough little girl.” Fear wiped my face, but not for long. How could she sound so kind, but yet, act so cruel? My face grimaced.
Once I had her where I wanted her, I leaped straight for her heart. I fell to the ground. She had quickly dodged my attack! “How is she so fast?” I asked myself. “You have a lot to learn, dear.” She replied. I wasn’t going to let my friend’s death go to waste.
I leaped up and spotted her on the other side of the circle. She was giggling, but not in a good way. It reminded me of Bloody Mary, when I defeated her along with my other friends. She ended up killing them, but I got my revenge.
I planned all my positions in my head. Stealthily, yet quickly, I jumped off the ground. She tried to run, but I twisted my body and sliced through her hair. She screamed, now angered that I was beating her. I ran for her chest, missing her once again.
“You won’t ever catch me, so just give up!” La Llorona yelled at me. I ignored her words. I then stepped back and jumped as high as I could. She fell to the ground trying to look up at me. I then quickly stepped on her and sliced through her dress.
With pain and agony, she squealed. Black smoke rose into the sky. She was finally dead. “I avenged you, just like I intended to.” I said staring up into the sky. Tears ran down my face, tears of joy and tears of sadness. “I’m going to miss you.”As the sun went down, I grabbed my bag from the tree and walked into the woods, mud covering my face.
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“Now was that a good story?” I asked. He nodded.“Grandma, was it all true?” Little Mike asked. I nodded my head. “Monsters have been banished because I fought them all off. I hope you won’t ever have to go through such dangers.” I told him.
The room was empty except for shelves and shelves of items from my battles. I would never forget them. One shelf in particular stood out the most. It only had a bag full of black greasy hair. That bag was from my best, and worst, battle: The battle of La Llorona.