Greywater had always been a sleepy coastal town, the kind of place where secrets whispered on the wind, swept across empty streets, and disappeared into the fog. Most nights, the mist rolled in thick and heavy, cloaking the town in an eerie silence. Even in daylight, Greywater felt like it was trapped in a shadow, a place frozen in time.
Lily Carter had lived here her whole life, blending into the town as seamlessly as the fog itself. At 17, she was a mystery even to those who knew her best. A quiet girl with dark, wavy hair that cascaded down her back like the night sky, her pale blue eyes were always focused on something distant, something no one else could see. She wasn't invisible-but she wasn't exactly noticed, either.
She preferred it that way.
It was better for everyone if no one got too close. If no one found out what really happened to her when the sun went down.
Lily took a deep breath as she stepped out of the old, creaky house she called home. The chill of the early morning air nipped at her skin, reminding her of the fragile boundary between night and day. Between who she was now and who she would become once the darkness took over.
For now, though, she was safe.
The sun had just started to rise, its light barely peeking over the horizon, painting the sky in soft pinks and oranges. It was one of those mornings that felt almost peaceful, where for a fleeting moment, she could forget the inevitable.
Lily adjusted the strap of her backpack and began walking toward Greywater High. The streets were already coming to life—the bakery's sign flickered on, and the smell of fresh bread filled the air. An elderly woman walked her dog, offering Lily a kind smile as she passed.
Lily forced herself to smile back. Normal. Be normal, she reminded herself.
...
School was the one place where Lily could almost feel like she belonged. Almost. She kept her head down, mostly. A few people knew her as the quiet artist who always sketched in the back of class. Her work was good, though no one really ever asked to see it. That was fine by her.
But today, something was different.
Lily sat down in her usual spot near the window in history class, pulling out her sketchbook as the bell rang. The teacher hadn't arrived yet, so the class was buzzing with the usual chatter. As she absentmindedly traced the outline of a tree branch on the page, she felt a presence beside her.
"Hey, is this seat taken?"
Lily looked up, startled. Standing there was someone she hadn't seen before—a boy, tall and athletic, with dark brown hair that fell just above his eyes. He had the kind of easy smile that made people instantly like him.
"Uh, no," she muttered, moving her bag off the seat.
"I'm Jake," he said, sliding into the chair beside her. "I just moved here. Thought I'd sit next to someone who looked like they know the place."
Lily wasn't sure what to say. New people didn't come to Greywater often. She offered a shy nod, hoping he wouldn't press for more.
But Jake was persistent.
"You're Lily, right? I saw you in art class earlier. You're really talented."
Lily's heart skipped a beat. Someone had noticed her? That never happened.
"Oh... thanks," she replied quietly, keeping her eyes on her sketchbook.
The rest of the school day passed in a blur, but Jake's words lingered with her. As the sun dipped lower in the sky, casting long shadows over Greywater, a knot began to form in Lily's stomach. The kind that reminded her the day was almost over, and the night was coming.
By the time she walked home, the sky had shifted to twilight, and the familiar weight of dread settled over her shoulders. She quickened her pace, her heart racing. She had only a little time left.
Lily pushed open the door to her house and rushed to her bedroom, locking the door behind her. She could feel it coming—the transformation. Her breathing grew shallow as she glanced at the mirror hanging on the wall. Her reflection stared back, but her eyes had begun to darken, a sickly grey creeping into the whites.
She gasped, clutching her chest. The skin on her arms felt cold, the veins beneath the surface becoming more prominent. It was happening faster than usual tonight.
No! Not yet!
Lily stumbled to her bed, collapsing onto the mattress just as the last bit of sunlight disappeared. The room was swallowed by darkness, and with it, her humanity slipped away.
The transformation was always painful. Bones cracked, skin tightened, and her heart slowed to a faint pulse. When it was over, Lily wasn't Lily anymore-not fully. Her eyes were now a cloudy, lifeless grey. Her skin had taken on a pallid, corpse-like hue.
She looked like something out of a nightmare.
She felt like one too.
Lily rose slowly, her movements stiff, unnatural. She could feel the hunger gnawing at her insides, but she fought it back. She'd learned to control it. Barely. At night, she kept to herself, barricading her bedroom door, locking herself away from the world.
But tonight, something felt different. There was a new energy in the air, an unsettling awareness that someone-or something-was nearby.
A soft knock came at her window.
Lily froze, her zombie-like form stiffening. Slowly, she turned her head toward the sound. Through the fogged glass, she could make out a figure standing outside.
It was Jake.
- JAPS