Ashlynn pov
We didn't stay in the convenience store for long. The gray mist had a way of creeping in through the cracks, finding its way into even the smallest spaces, and the thought of it closing in on us was enough to keep us moving. We walked in silence, sticking to the shadows, feeling like ghosts haunting our own city.
The streets were emptier than I'd ever seen, every building hollow and lifeless, windows shattered, signs broken. It was as if the city itself was decaying along with the people in it. And yet, every so often, I'd catch a glimpse of movement—a shadow darting down an alley, a faint whisper from inside a boarded-up shop.
People were hiding, scattered like rats. We weren't the only ones left, but out here, everyone seemed to be keeping to themselves, trusting no one.
As we turned a corner, the sound of running footsteps echoed down the street, sharp and fast. Lila and I froze, ducking behind an overturned car just in time to see three figures sprint past us, faces pale, eyes wild. They were young—probably around my age or maybe a bit older—and they looked frantic, like they'd been running for miles.
"Hey!" Lila whispered, just loud enough for them to hear. "Are you okay?"
The tallest of the three—a guy with a torn jacket and a fierce look in his eyes—spun around, his gaze landing on us. He narrowed his eyes, glancing between Lila and me, clearly trying to decide if we were a threat. After a tense moment, he motioned for the others to follow and cautiously approached.
"Where are you two headed?" he asked, his voice rough, but calm. There was an edge to him, a kind of survivalist's grit that told me he'd been out here for a while.
"Nowhere," I said honestly. "Just… trying to stay alive."
He gave a short, bitter laugh. "Aren't we all?"
The other two were catching their breath, leaning against the car. One was a girl with short-cropped hair and sharp eyes that seemed to scan everything, as if she was cataloging every exit, every hiding spot. The other was a stocky guy with a quiet, steady demeanor, who watched us without saying a word.
"I'm Caleb," the tall one said, finally relaxing a bit. "This is Zoe," he nodded to the short-haired girl, "and Luke." The quiet guy gave us a nod but didn't speak.
"I'm Lila. And this is Ashlynn," Lila replied, giving them a hesitant smile.
Zoe's gaze lingered on us, eyes narrowed. "You two don't look like you've been out here long."
"We haven't," I admitted. "We… just found each other."
Caleb grunted, folding his arms. "Well, whatever you're doing, you're not gonna last long out here. The mist is spreading faster than any of us can run. We're trying to find somewhere safe, but…" His voice trailed off, and for a moment, his hard expression cracked, revealing a flicker of hopelessness.
"What's it like out there?" Lila asked, glancing nervously down the street.
"Bad," Luke muttered, finally speaking up. His voice was low, steady, like someone who had seen too much and had learned not to talk about it. "People are turning faster. The gray ones—some of them are starting to get aggressive."
"Yeah," Zoe added, her tone dark. "They're not just shuffling around like they were. It's like they're learning, adapting. I've seen them swarm together, hunting."
The words sent a chill down my spine. The idea of these gray, lifeless creatures "hunting" felt impossible, but in this new world, nothing felt impossible anymore.
"Look," Caleb said, his tone shifting. "We're stronger in numbers. We've been looking for supplies, safe spots. It's risky, but… better than wandering alone. You're welcome to come with us if you want."
I glanced at Lila, and she gave a small nod. It wasn't much of a choice, really. Alone, we wouldn't last. With them… maybe we had a chance.
"Alright," I said. "We're in."
---
We spent the next hour combing through the nearby buildings, grabbing whatever supplies we could find—canned food, water, batteries. Every shadow felt like a threat, every sound like the whisper of something moving just out of sight. Caleb kept us moving quickly, directing us with a kind of grim determination that made it clear he'd done this before.
As we scavenged, I got to know the others a bit more. Zoe had been a med student before everything fell apart, and she carried a small first-aid kit that she guarded like a lifeline. Luke used to work in construction, which explained his calm, steady demeanor. Caleb didn't say much about his past, but the way he moved, the way he scanned every room with a sharp, calculating gaze, made me wonder if he had some kind of military background.
But it didn't matter who we used to be. Out here, we were all just survivors, clinging to whatever scraps of life we could find.
We were making our way through an old office building when a distant scream shattered the silence. It was high-pitched, raw, filled with pure terror.
"Let's go," Caleb whispered, motioning us toward the stairwell. But before we could move, another scream echoed down the hallway, closer this time. And then we saw them—a group of five or six people, sprinting down the hall, their eyes wide with fear.
One of them stumbled, falling to the ground, and the others didn't even stop—they just kept running, leaving him behind. The man scrambled to his feet, gasping, but then a figure appeared behind him, emerging from the shadows. It was one of the gray ones, its eyes blank and lifeless, its mouth open in a silent snarl.
The gray figure lunged, its movements jerky but fast, and the man didn't even have a chance to scream before it was on him. We turned and ran, the sounds of struggle and ripping flesh filling the air behind us.
"Go, go!" Caleb hissed, shoving us through the stairwell door and slamming it shut. We sprinted down the stairs, our footsteps echoing through the narrow space as we hurtled toward the exit.
Outside, the mist was thicker, swirling around us like a living thing. The street was chaos—figures ran in every direction, some human, some gray, the air filled with the sounds of panic and desperation.
"This way!" Caleb shouted, leading us through a maze of back alleys. We didn't stop running until we reached an abandoned parking garage, ducking inside and hiding behind a row of empty cars.
We sat in silence, catching our breath, listening to the muffled screams echoing from the streets outside. The mist seemed to thicken, pressing in around us, heavy with the scent of decay.
Zoe looked at each of us, her eyes fierce despite the fear lingering there. "We can't keep running forever. We need a plan."
Luke nodded. "There has to be somewhere the mist can't reach."
Caleb's jaw clenched, his eyes hard. "We'll find it. We have to."
And as we sat there in the silence, surrounded by shadows, I felt a flicker of something I hadn't felt in days: hope.
But deep down, I knew that hope was a fragile thing in a world where the air itself had turned against us.