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The drive back was quiet. Rain's gaze was fixed on the car radio, but her mind was elsewhere.
Luke's eyes remained pinned on the road as he drove, trying to avoid any distractions that could lead to another accident.
But, he darted every now and then to Rain.
"You are quiet again." He finally said something, but this time didn't look her way.
As though waiting for a word from him, she quickly faced him, her brows faintly pulled together. "I don't get it…" she blurted out. "It doesn't make any sense. The radio. The fog. Nothing."
"Is that what got you quiet?" he asked, his head still pinned on the road.
"Relax Rain. Hopefully, by tomorrow the fog will be gone."
"No." Rain shook her head. "You heard what the radio said…" leaning closer, "Do you think it's related to the reason everyone suddenly left?"
Luke couldn't find the right answers. His lips parted, "I don't know."
The air was still.
Rain bit her lips, she had no words to explain it but a strange feeling crawled up her spine.
A bad one.
"What if…" her voice was low, "the same thing is going on in the next town? Just like ours…but worse."
This time, her words pulled his attention. His head briefly snapped to her. Surprise flickered across his face. And something faint.
His grip tightened along the wheels.
When his gaze returned back on the road, his eyes widened.
A figure had jumped in front of the car. He slammed on the brakes. The car had jerked violently before stopping inches away.
Thankfully no damage was done.
Their heads lifted slowly.
A person stood directly in front of them.
Hands raised, as she held a smile across her face.
Rain's breath hitched, then recognition settled in.
Hazel.
For a moment, Hazel didn't move. She just stood there like she couldn't believe what she was seeing either. Her shoulders dropped, the tension finally breaking into relief.
She rushed forward. At the same time, Rain had jumped out of the car and now stood right in front of her.
"Rain!" She breathed.
"Hazel…" Rain responded, she scanned her carefully. Her face, her clothes, even her breathing. "Are you okay? Where have you been, I thought you were missing?"
Hazel spoke at the same time, words spilling out her mouth. "Thank God…I found someone. I don't even know anymore. I have been walking, running…." She swallowed hard, shaking her head.
Rain didn't say anything right away, she let her finish.
"I couldn't find anyone…no one. My mom… even my dog," her voice cracked as she spoke. "They're gone. I thought I was losing my mind."
Her words hung between them. Her head lifted to Rain as her expression gradually shifted. It didn't seem like a surprise. More like confirmation.
Rain released a deep breath, her voice lowered. "Well…" she said, "You better hop on board. Because it only gets crazier from here."
"What?" Hazel's shoulders stiffened again.
Luke poked his head out the car window, yelling from inside. "Hey," he said. "Welcome to the team." He gave a quick wave.
Hazel and Rain stood there. No one reached for words.
Behind them was the fog, and ahead the road stretched empty.
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The moment they stepped into the basketball court, their footsteps slowed.
Everyone was lined up. Boys on one line, girls on the other. The restless noise from earlier had changed into something more controlled. Not calm, just more organised.
Some students quietly stood in the lines, their gazes darted between their phones and the entrance. As though waiting for an adult to suddenly appear and fix everything.
And at the very front of the lines stood Nora. She was completely in control.
"You already wrote your name?"Her voice cut through the court sharply, reaching them.
A nervous boy nodded quickly.
"Good. Go get a number."
Without waiting for another response she turned toward a different group. "If you haven't checked in yet, move to the back.
Stop crowding the table."
Rain blinked, her eyes moved across the room. There was a folded table that had been dragged toward the bleachers. Sheets of paper were spread across it, names scribbled down in messy handwriting.
Even Grayson and a few of his friends looked mildly disturbed by how organised things had become.
Finally Nora's gaze landed on them. Directly on Rain. And for the first time since they left, her composure slipped off.
"You're back." She rushed to Rain.
"Yeah.." Luke answered first as he got closer. "And we found Hazel." He added.
Hazel took measured steps forward. Her lips thinned into a small smile. "Hi Nora," she waved, her smile didn't last.
Nora looked her way briefly, and gave a small nod as acknowledgement. Then returned back to Rain.
"What's going on here?" Rain asked, as she observed everyone.
Nora gave a smile, a sense of pride resting on her chest. "Someone had to take charge."
Rain narrowed her brows slightly, "Well…it is calmer than when we left."
"Exactly." She answered simply "We took a head count of everyone in the room. They wrote their names and were given numbers." Nora continued. "Mason is in charge of that."
She pointed toward him.
Luke blinked and Rain was equally stunned.
"I'm shocked." Luke's eyes were wide. "I didn't expect this…" Nora cut in quickly,
"Don't be, yet." raising a hand to his face.
"There are a hundred and fifty people including you and Rain right here…"
Her gaze shifted to the Hispanic girl by Rain's side. "...Well a hundred and fifty one now."
Then added. "Any news on your end? Folding her hands across her chest.
Rain and Luke exchanged glances. For a fraction, the air that lingered between them became heavy.
They turned back to her, confusion visible on her expression. "What is it?" She leaned closer.
Rain swallowed,
"There is something you need to know."
The space between them tightened.
"....about what?" Nora asked.
Luke shook his head, "Not here," his gaze hovered across the room. "If everyone finds out, they might panic."
Nora straightened instinctively, her head tuned briefly then she nodded in agreement.
"Let's go somewhere private."
Rain and Luke followed quietly.
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The nurses office felt too small for the number of people inside it.
The walls were white mixed with different shades of brown, which made it even more uncomfortable to be in.
The smell of antiseptic lingered in the room, that even the windows pushed open couldn't get rid of it, just a little.
Nora leaned slightly against a desk which had been pushed off-center from her weight. Rain sat on one of the beds, her fingers twisted on the sheets.
Mason was the first to speak. "So…," he started slowly. "What exactly did you want to talk about?"
Nora exhaled. "I don't know yet."
He blinked, his voice slightly raised. "You called a meeting you don't know."
Nora shot him a look.
Rain spoke quickly. "I'll explain."Then her focus moved to the door. "Let's wait until Luke gets here first."
"Alright." Mason nodded.
He watched, then added.
"Why here though?" Mason asked, looking around.
Nora's head snapped toward him.
"Because it was the only room I could actually pick its lock," she said flatly. "Can you stop asking questions?"
Mason stared at her for a while, his eyes narrowed slightly. He moved closer to the desk she had been leaning on. "Right…" he muttered under his breath. "I wonder why."
Then he took the chair behind the desk and sat.
Rain heard his words, but she didn't say a thing. Neither did Nora.
The door clicked open, and Luke stepped in. Drawing the curtains by the door shut.
"The corridor is empty," he said.
"Finally." Nora mouthed, already turning back to Rain signalling her to speak.
Rain straightened her posture. "This morning, when we were going to the next town." She paused. "We found something."
Luke folded his arms as he listened. She explained the fog, the way it didn't move and how thick it was.
Luke added. "I went in and couldn't see anything even with my flash light on."
Mason frowned. "Why didn't you just go around it?"
Rain shook her head, standing up. "it spreads into the woods. There was no way through."
The tension sharpened, Nora spoke first. "What now?"
Rain instinctively looked at Luke.
He exhaled.
"We either wait till it clears…or find another route."
Mason tilted his head. "If it's as thick as you said, I don't think it's changing overnight."
Just then, a sound came from the corner of the room. It was a sudden shift, a soft scrape and the room shifted.
Mason jerked back from the sound. "What was that?" He said, everyone turned toward it.
A bed in the far corner, white curtains drawn around it. Luke stepped forward, as Rain immediately grabbed a chair and handed it to him, before a single thought could form.
He took it. Waited a second, then yanked the curtain open—
"WAIT!!!" a voice screamed.
Everyone froze. A boy pushed himself from the bed, his hands raised. "It's me, it's me. David."
"Dave?" Rain called out, surprised.
The tension in the room dried up as quickly as it came.
"What are you doing here?" She asked.
Dave swallowed. "I was tired, so I came in here for a nap."
Nora sighed, rubbing her hand across her forehead. "Well…" she added. "So much for secrecy."
Dave shook his head. "I won't tell anyone. I promise."
Rain held Nora's gaze, neither of them said a word.
Dave hesitated. "...if you have a strong enough light source," he said slowly, "you could probably get through the fog."
Luke's head angled toward them. "That could work."
"Yeah, that's if we had one." Nora snapped. "There is no electricity."
Dave straightened slightly. "We don't need one." He added, "I just need a really strong battery…. Or there is another option."
Nora's eyes narrowed. "Which is?"
"You go through the mountain route, that's the only other way. And that's really dangerous."
No one rushed to respond after him. They just shared glances, and somehow their eyes held the answer.
Nora released a deep breath. "Tomorrow," she said, "we will go through the hardware store. Find something strong enough to cut through the fog." Then continued. "We should inform everyone to go home and get some rest, it's getting dark."
Rain's head snapped toward her. "No," she spoke immediately. "We can't split up."
Nora blinked. "What?"
"We don't know what's happening, we should stay together tonight. Everyone"
There was a pause between them. Nora simply stared at her.
"Fine," she nodded once, "But everyone still goes to get supplies. Blankets. Food. Anything useful."
Mason raised a hand. "I agree."
Luke breathed. "Then it's settled."
One by one they moved out the door. Although the decision had been made, Rain didn't feel relieved.