Ashlynn pov
I ran through the empty streets, feeling the gray mist swirl around me, thick and heavy. The air burned in my throat as I held my breath, pushing forward. I didn't know where I was going—just away from my house, away from that dead-eyed creature that used to be my neighbor.
Every few steps, I'd pause to listen, catching only the faint rustling of the mist against the broken asphalt. The world was blanketed in an unnatural silence, as if the city itself was holding its breath.
Then, a faint sound—a cough, sharp and ragged—cut through the silence.
I froze, eyes darting toward a narrow alleyway. Someone was there, a shape in the shadows, doubled over as they hacked into their hands. The figure stumbled, trying to stand, and I stepped back instinctively, ready to turn and run again. But then I heard a voice, faint and pleading.
"Please… I'm not infected," the figure said, their voice thin but desperate. "Please… don't leave me here."
I hesitated, squinting through the mist until I could make out her face. She was young, maybe a few years older than me, with tangled hair and dirt-streaked cheeks. She looked exhausted, worn, but her skin was still its natural color—pale, but not gray.
I took a step toward her, against every warning in my head. "Are… are you okay?"
She gave a weak nod, clutching her side. "Yeah, just… out of breath." Her gaze darted around nervously, like she expected one of the gray figures to appear out of nowhere. "I was trying to find somewhere safe when… when it hit. The mist."
She looked at me, her eyes wide and filled with something I recognized: fear. But there was something else, too. Hope.
"Do you know anywhere safe?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper. I shook my head, feeling the weight of that question sink in. The word "safe" felt like something from a different life.
"I… don't think anywhere is safe," I said quietly.
She nodded, her shoulders slumping. "I figured." She looked down, breathing slowly, as if trying to hold back the exhaustion threatening to overwhelm her. "I'm Lila, by the way."
"Jordan," I said. The name felt foreign on my tongue, like it belonged to someone else. Someone who didn't live in a world where the air itself could kill.
We stood there, the silence stretching between us, until another sound broke through the mist. This time, it was a low, dragging sound, like footsteps scraping across the concrete.
Lila's eyes went wide, and she gripped my arm, pulling me into the shadows with her. "Shh," she whispered, pressing her finger to her lips.
I held my breath, peeking around the corner. A man shuffled into view, his movements slow and unnatural, his eyes unfocused and distant. He wore a tattered suit, his skin cracked and gray, and his mouth hung open, as if he'd forgotten how to close it.
I didn't dare move, my heart pounding as I watched him shuffle past, his hollow eyes scanning the empty street. For a moment, I thought he might pass us by, but then he stopped, turning his head just slightly in our direction. I felt Lila tense beside me, her hand clamped tightly on my wrist.
We stayed as still as statues, watching as his blank gaze lingered on the alleyway. I could feel the mist seeping into my lungs, but I didn't dare breathe, afraid that even the faintest sound would draw him closer.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he turned away, his stiff movements carrying him farther down the street until he disappeared into the mist.
Lila let out a shaky breath, her grip on my wrist loosening. "We can't stay here," she whispered, glancing over her shoulder. "There's… more of them."
I nodded, barely able to think straight as fear gnawed at my insides. The streets were filled with them, creatures that once were people, transformed by whatever was in the air. And if we stayed in one place too long, they'd find us. It was only a matter of time.
Together, we crept along the alleyway, moving as silently as we could. Every shadow seemed to shift, every creak of metal or whisper of wind a reminder of what lurked just beyond the mist.
After a few blocks, we found an old convenience store, its windows cracked but still intact. Lila held up a finger, signaling for me to wait, then slowly tested the door. It creaked open, and we slipped inside, our footsteps echoing through the empty aisles.
The place was mostly picked clean, but there were still a few cans of food left on the shelves, enough to keep us going for a little while. I grabbed a can of soup, barely noticing the layer of dust that coated it.
Lila sighed, leaning against the counter as she caught her breath. "We can stay here… just for a bit," she murmured, her voice hoarse. "Just to rest."
I nodded, sliding down to the floor beside her. We sat in silence, listening to the faint sounds of the world outside, the occasional shuffling footsteps, the strange quiet that had settled over everything.
After a while, I glanced at her, studying the tired lines on her face. "Where were you going?" I asked. "Before… all this."
She looked down, tracing a pattern in the dust on the floor. "Home, I guess. I thought… maybe my family would be there, waiting for me." Her voice was hollow, as if she already knew the answer. "But… I don't think anyone's left."
The weight of her words settled over us, thick and heavy like the mist outside. I didn't know what to say, didn't know how to tell her that I understood. The truth was, we were all alone now, two strangers in a world that had turned cold and gray.
And yet, there was a strange comfort in knowing that, at least for now, we were alone together.