the alarm went off at exactly 6:15 a.m. same as every other Tuesday I rolled over silencing it before it could wake Sarah next door my daughter had always been a light sleeper and getting her up too early meant a cranky morning for both of us I lay there for a moment watching the dim Early Morning Light filter through my bedroom blinds creating thin lines across my ceiling the house creaked its familiar morning sounds as the heating kicked in I'd been meaning to get someone to look at that the unit was probably older than Sarah herself
but between the mortgage and saving for her college fund home repairs always seemed to slip to the bottom of my priority list in the bathroom I splashed cold water on my face and studied myself in the mirror at 42 the gray was starting to creep in at my temples and the lines around my eyes were get getting deeper Sarah liked to tell me they were smile wrinkles but I knew better 8 years of single Parenthood had left their Mark I was halfway through making lunch peanut butter and banana sandwich carrot sticks and those little chocolate
cookies Sarah loved when I heard her bedroom door open the familiar Shuffle of sock covered feet on hardwood made me smile morning monkey I called out not turning around sleep okay Sarah's response was a sleepy grunt as she climbed onto one of the kitchen stools her dark hair was a mess of Tangles and she was still clutching Mr Whiskers the stuffed rabbit she'd had since she was three you remembered the cookies this time she asked eyeing the lunch bag I was packing I patted my chest in mock offence that was one time 3 weeks ago
and you're still not letting me live it down a hint of a smile crossed Sarah's face it was a very traumatic experience dad Jenny had Oreos and all I had were stupid apple slices ah yes the Great Cookie crisis of 2024 how could I forget I slid a bowl of cereal across the counter to her eat up kiddo we're running a little behind schedule while Sarah ate I checked my phone a text from work Marcus calling in sick again that would mean another day of covering extra Machinery at the Factory my back was still sore
from Thursday when I'd had to pull a double shift outside the morning was unusually still a heavy fog had settled over our small town of milbrook the kind that seemed to muffle even the sound of birds I could barely make out the Anderson's house next door through the thick gray soup looks spooky out there Sarah commented now fully awake and peering out the kitchen window she pressed her nose against the glass her breath creating small Circles of condensation like in those horror movies you won't let me watch which is exactly why you're not allowed to
watch them I replied Gathering up our things and it's just fog probably burn off by noon but something about the fog did seem different it hung unnaturally still with none of the usual swirling or drifting you'd expect I pushed the thought aside I had enough real things to worry about without inventing new ones the drive to Sarah's school was slower than usual the fog seemed to get thicker as we made our way through town forcing me to lean forward in my seat squinting to make out the road ahead the radio droned on about poor visibility
in the surrounding counties but the morning DJ seemed more concerned with making fog puns than providing actual information hey Dad Sarah's voice came from the back seat why does the fog look weird I glanced in the rearview mirror weird how I don't know just weird like it's watching us or something I chuckled but it came out a bit forced fog can't watch anything monkey it's just water droplets in the air I know that Sarah said but she didn't sound convinced she hugged Mr Whiskers closer to her chest the elementary school parking lot was its usual
morning chaos made worse by the limited visibility I had to break suddenly when Mrs Peterson's minivan backed out without warning earning a muffled curse that I hoped Sarah didn't catch drama club after school I asked as Sarah gathered her backpack she nodded we painting the set for the play today M Russell says I can help with the forest backdrop that's great honey just I hesitated an inexplicable urge to keep her home today rising in my chest I pushed it down just have fun okay I'll pick you up at 4:30 Sarah gave me a quick hug
and hopped out of the car I watched her disappear into the fog her purple backpack the last thing visible before the gray swallowed her completely the factory was only a 10-minute drive from the school but it felt longer today the fog had developed a strange quality to it seeming to press against the car windows like something solid I found myself repeatedly checking my mirrors though I couldn't have said exactly what I was looking for the radio signal started cutting in and out static interrupting the Morning News through the interference I caught fragments about unusual weather
patterns and stay tuned for updates but nothing specific enough to be helpful the parking lot at Miller and Suns manufacturing was half empty when I arrived I badged in through the employee entrance nodding to Rita at security she was was looking at her phone with unusual intensity her normally cheerful face creased with concern everything okay I asked pausing at her desk Rita started nearly dropping her phone oh Thomas yes just just checking the weather my sister in Riverside says the fog's even worse there says it's making people feel strange strange how she Shrugged but her
eyes kept darting to the windows she didn't say exactly just strange the production floor was oddly quiet when I reached it usually there'd be the usual morning banter complaints about Monday Night Football debates about lunch plans today everyone seemed focused on their work or maybe just distracted the huge Factory Windows normally letting in plenty of natural light were completely obscured by the fog Thompson's out sick my supervisor Jack mentioned as I clocked in need you to cover his station too I nodded already calculating how much extra Tylenol I'd need for my back any word on
when this fog's supposed to clear Jack glanced at the windows then quickly looked away Weather Service says they're uncertain never seen anything quite like it apparently as the morning wore on the fog seemed to grow even thicker if that was possible the fluorescent lights in the factory took on a sickly quality creating strange shadows in the corners of the room more than once I caught myself staring at those Shadows thinking they looked almost like figures standing just out of sight around 11: I noticed people starting to gather near the breakroom TV the volume was too
low to hear from my station but I could see the emergency broadcast system Banner scrolling across the bottom of the screen probably a severe weather warning I thought though I'd never seen them issue one for fog before my phone buzzed in my pocket a text from Sarah dad the fog is being weird again Miss Russell won't let us go outside for recess I typed back quickly probably just being careful because of visibility nothing to worry about but as I slipped the phone back into my pocket I couldn't shake the feeling that maybe there was something
to worry about after all the fog pressed against the Windows like a living thing and somewhere in the distance I could have sworn I heard sirens I checked my watch 11:47 a.m. less than 5 hours until I could pick up Sarah and head home the fog would probably be cleared by then I told myself everything would be back to normal but deep down in that instinctive part of my brain that had kept me alive as a soldier and alert as a parent I knew that normal wasn't coming back not today maybe not ever again my
phone buzzed again but this time it wasn't a text the screen showed the familiar emergency alert symbol and as I watched every other phone in the factory began to buzz as well A Chorus of electronic warnings Rising above the machine noise I read the message once then again my hands beginning to shake emergency alert close all windows now do not look outside my hands were still shaking as I lowered the phone around me the factory floor had erupted into confused murmurs as everyone read the same message Jack was already striding toward the windows shouting for
people to step back while he pulled down the industrial shutters everyone stay calm he called out but his voice had an edge I'd never heard before we're going to follow protocol and my phone rang cutting through the chaos Sarah's school my heart stopped for a moment before I answered Mr Reynolds The Voice belonged to principal Harrison and something in his tone made my skin crawl I'd known Dave Harrison for 3 years our kids had been in the same class since second grade he'd never called me Mr Reynolds before we need you to come get Sarah
immediately Dave what's going on there was a pause filled only with the sound of his breathing when he spoke again his voice was barely above a whisper just just come quickly Thomas and whatever you do don't don't look directly outside keep your eyes on the ground please the line went dead before I could respond I was already moving grabbing my jacket from my station jack caught my arm as I headed for the door Thomas we're supposed to stay inside the alert my daughter was all I said he let go immediately nodding he had kids too
he understood the factory corridors seemed longer than usual as I made my way to the exit Rita wasn't at her security desk the first time I'd ever seen it unmanned during a shift through the glass doors I could see the parking lot was obscured by that unnaturally thick fog I pushed through the doors keeping my eyes down like Harrison had said the fog felt wrong against my skin not wet like it should be but almost staticky like walking through an old TV signal the air hummed with a low frequency I could feel in my teeth
my truck was only 30 ft away but it felt like walking a mile I forced myself to focus on the concrete counting my steps 1 2 3 something moved in my peripheral vision a tall thin shape that shouldn't have been there four five 6 another movement closer this time S 8 I fumbled with my keys hands trembling so badly I nearly dropped them as I reached for the door handle I caught a glimpse of something in the truck's side mirror a pale elongated figure standing perfectly still about 20 ft behind me I jerked my eyes
away before I could see more Harrison's warning echoing in my head the truck's engine roared to life too loud in the muffled atmosphere I kept my eyes fixed on the steering wheel as I pulled out of the parking lot the fog pressed against the Windows like it was trying to get in twice I had to stop and wipe the windshield not because it was wet but because the gray seemed to be seeping through somehow Main Street was chaos I could hear crashes and screaming even through the closed windows a man ran past my truck his
eyes wide and unfocused mouth moving in silent words I forced myself not to watch where he was running to ahead someone had abandoned their car in the middle of the road driver's door still open I swerved around it keeping my eyes on the tail lights of the car in front of me it was the only way to navigate following the red glow through the gray soup the radio was nothing but static now punct uated by bursts of what sounded like distant voices speaking words I couldn't quite make out a gunshot cracked through the air somewhere
to my left then another and another I pressed the accelerator harder weaving through the abandoned vehicles in my rearview mirror which I was carefully only glancing at to check for other cars the fog seemed to be getting darker more concentrated the elementary school parking lot was a nightmare of panicked parents and running figures I pulled up to the curb laying on the horn three times our signal something Sarah and I had worked out years ago for emergencies through the fog I could make out the school's front doors firmly closed my phone rang again Harrison I
see you he said quickly stay in your truck keep the engine running I'm bringing Sarah out personally Dave what not now he cut me off just just trust me and Thomas if you see anyone else out here who looks wrong don't acknowledge them don't look at them don't respond if they speak to you the line went dead again I gripped the steering wheel so hard my Knuckles turned white staring Straight Ahead at the school's brick wall my military training was screaming at me to assess the situation to look around and identify threats but something deeper
something more primitive told me that looking would be the worst mistake I could make the school's front door opened with a metallic Creek that carried eerily through the fog I could see Harrison's familiar shape leading a smaller figure Sarah clutching Mr Whiskers to her chest they moved quickly but carefully Harrison's Hand firm on Sarah's shoulder guiding her eyes down Sarah I heard him say as they approached just like we practiced look at your feet count the steps I reached across and opened the passenger door Sarah climbed in quickly and I caught a glimpse of her
face pale frightened but unharmed Harrison helped her with her seat belt his movements precise and efficient Thomas he said leaning in slightly but keeping his eyes fixed on the dashboard get her home barricade your doors and windows don't let anyone in no matter matter what they say or or who they sound like Dave I started but he was already pulling back no time just just keep her safe and remember don't look at them don't look at their eyes he shut the door firmly and turned back toward the school moving with the same careful measured steps
I watched him until he reached the doors never once lifting his gaze from the ground daddy sarahk voice was small scared what's happening I don't know monkey I said trying to keep my voice steady as I pulled away from the curb but we're going home everything's going to be okay A Lie maybe but right now it was all I had the drive home was a blur of careful navigation and avoided glances the fog had grown so thick it seemed to have texture writhing against the Windows like something alive Sarah kept her face buried in Mr
whisker's worn fur only looking up once when we heard more gunshots closer this time there's someone standing in Mrs Kelly's yard she whispered at one point don't look I said quickly just just keep your eyes closed okay we're almost home but I'd seen it too in the corner of my eye a tall impossibly thin figure standing perfectly still in our neighbor front yard as we passed I could have sworn I heard a sound like television static growing louder our driveway had never looked so welcome I pulled in quickly killing the engine okay Sarah we're going
to go inside fast all right keep your eyes down just like Mr Harrison said she nodded clutching Mr Whiskers tighter I got out first hurrying around to her side of the truck truck the static feeling in the air was Stronger now making the hair on the back of my neck stand up something moved at the edge of my vision another one of those tall figures standing at the end of our driveway I grabbed Sarah's hand and we moved quickly to the front door my keys jingled too loudly in the strange muffled atmosphere behind us I
could hear something that might have been footsteps slow and deliberate but I didn't turn to look couldn't turn to look the door opened and we practically fell inside I slammed it shut throwing the dead bolt and chain Sarah stood in the hallway trembling slightly as I moved through the house pulling blinds and closing curtains help me I said trying to keep her occupied we need to block all the windows get the blankets from the hall closet as we worked I could hear them Gathering outside soft foot footsteps on our front lawn the everpresent static growing
stronger Sarah and I moved methodically through the house covering every window every crack where the gray fog might seep in finally we stood in the living room our Sanctuary secured Sarah looked up at me her brown eyes wide with questions I wasn't sure how to answer what do we do now she whispered before I could respond every electronic device device in the house our phones the TV even Sarah's tablet on the coffee table burst into life with another emergency alert the message was longer this time and as I read it I felt my blood run
cold do not look at the entities outside do not respond to familiar voices do not invite them in stay inside help is coming outside something began tapping gently on our living room window the tapping continued gentle but insistent Sarah pressed closer to me her small hand finding mine in the dim light of our living room I forced myself to breathe slowly trying to project a calm I didn't feel let's go to the kitchen I whispered guiding her away from the window I'll make us some hot chocolate the kitchen felt safer somehow with its familiar surfaces
and lack of Windows except for the small one above the sink now covered with an old beach towel I kept Sarah busy getting mugs and marshmallows while I heated milk on the stove trying to maintain some semblance of normaly the static sound had grown stronger seeming to seep through the walls themselves it reminded me of late nights as a kid when the TV stations would go off air leaving nothing but snow and that distinctive hiss but this was different more rhythmic almost like breathing dad daddy sarahk voice was barely audible over the humming air what
are they I stirred the hot chocolate buying time I don't know monkey but we're safe in here that's what matters I saw one she admitted clutching Mr Whiskers tighter before Mr Harrison got me from the classroom it was standing in the playground by the swings it was so tall my hand tightened on The Wooden Spoon Sarah I didn't look at its face she added quickly Miss Russell told us not to she made us practice walking with our eyes down but I could see its hands they were wrong I poured the hot chocolate adding extra marshmallows
to both mugs outside something scraped against the siding of the house a sound like long fingernails dragging across wood Sarah flinched here's what we're going to do I said sitting down beside her at the kitchen island we're going to drink our hot chocolate and then we're going to set up camp in the living room just like we do during thunder storms remember she nodded taking a small sip from her mug with the blanket fort with the blanket fort and we'll wait until a sound cut through the static a voice from outside too close to the
kitchen window please it said the word distorted like a badly tuned radio please help help me it's so cold out here Sarah's eyes widened that sounds like Miss Russell it's not I said firmly though my mouth had gone dry remember what the alert said don't respond to familiar voices the voice came again clearer this time Sarah Thomas I know you're in there please let me in they're coming I could see Sarah's hands trembling around her mug The Voice did sound exactly like Kate Russell the same gentle tone she used in parent teacher conferences the same
slight Carolina accent but something was off about it like a record played at slightly the wrong speed the living room I whispered now we moved quietly through the house leaving our half-finished hot chocolate behind the static grew stronger as we passed the front windows and I caught movement through a small Gap in the curtains tall pale shapes drifting through the fog like dead trees in the wind I made Sarah sit on the couch while I gathered supplies blankets pillows her emergency flashlight shaped like a unicorn anything to keep some hint of childhood innocence in this
nightmare the tapping had spread now coming from multiple windows synchronized like some terrible Symphony Thomas another voice joined the first this one deep male principal Harrison's voice Thomas they're gone now it's safe let us in my hands shook as I draped a blanket over two chairs creating the beginning of our Fort I could feel Sarah watching me could sense her wanting to believe the voices were real Sarah the M Russell voice called again honey sweet and wrong I have your art project the one you were working on this morning don't you want to finish it
that's not Miss Russell Sarah whispered but I could hear the doubt in her voice it can't be we saw her get in her car right before she trailed off and I was grateful she didn't finish the thought I didn't want to know what she'd seen in those last moments at school the fort took shape slowly blankets and chairs creating a small safe space in the middle of our living room I strung up Sarah's unicorn lights inside their soft glow pushing back against the gray light that seemed to be seeping through our makeshift window coverings a
third voice joined the chorus outside Mrs Peterson from next door I brought cookies it called the kind Sarah likes please it's not safe out here the static was overwhelming now making it hard to think through it I could hear other sounds shuffling Footsteps in our yard something that might have been whimpering the continuous scratching at our walls the fog pressed against our house like a living thing searching for ways in look Sarah said suddenly pointing to the bottom of the front door gray tendrils of fog were creeping under the Gap bringing that TV snow static
with them I grabbed a towel from our supply pile and stuffed it against the door but the fog seemed to be finding other ways in around window frames through air vents between floorboards inside I said gesturing to the Fort quick Sarah crawled in Mr Whiskers clutch to her chest I followed pulling the blanket door closed behind us in the soft glow of the Unicorn lights she looked so young so vulnerable I reached out and pulled her close feeling her trembling against me tell me a story she whispered like you used to when I was little
Outside The Voice had multiplied A Chorus of familiar tones calling our names pleading for help promising safety each one perfect in its mimicry each one somehow fundamentally wrong once upon a time I began my voice barely audible over the static there was a brave princess and her father the Knight no dragons Sarah interrupted a ghost of her normal self showing through dragons are scary no dragons I agreed just a loud thump against the living room window made us both jump something was pressing against the glass a hand pale and elongated fingers too long and jointed
in the wrong places the blankets blocked most of the view but I could see its shadow through the fabric backlit by the strange gray light outside don't look I whispered turning Sarah's face against my chest just listen to to my voice once upon a time I kept talking spinning a story about Brave princesses and loyal Knights about safe castles and sunny days but my eyes were fixed on that shadow hand as it slowly dragged down the glass leaving trails in the fog like tears the voices outside had changed becoming less distinct blending with the static
until they were just noise a wall of sound that might have been words once might have been names might have been screams Sarah's breathing had steadied becoming deeper and more regular she was falling asleep exhausted by fear and tension I held her closer my free hand pressed against Mr whisker's worn fur through a gap in the blankets I could see the fog continuing to seep in gathering in Corners like spiderwebs the static had become almost musical now a high sweet tone that made me want to look just for a moment just to see I squeezed
my eyes shut forcing myself to focus on Sarah's breathing on the solidity of the floor beneath us on anything but that siren song of static and fog once upon a time I whispered again as much to myself as to my sleeping daughter once upon a time there was a brave princess and her father and they survived the night they had to they had to to outside something that wore Kate Russell's voice began to sing a lullabi the same one she used to calm her kindergarten class during storms the sound mixed with the static creating a
Melody that pulled at something deep in my brain trying to convince me it was safe to look safe to open the door safe to let them in I pressed my face into Sarah's hair and began to hum loud enough to drown out the song quiet enough not to wake her an old tune my wife used to sing before the cancer took her a real lullabi a true one the gray light outside was getting darker or maybe thicker night was coming and somewhere in the static filled Darkness I could hear them Gathering waiting watching our little
Fortress of blankets and childhood lights with their static filled eyes Sarah shifted in her sleep murmuring something I couldn't quite catch I pulled the blanket tighter around us both watching the fog curl and dance in the corners of our living room the night was just beginning the emergency broadcast tone cut through the static Like a Knife making Sarah stir against my chest in the dim glow of the Unicorn lights I fumbled for my phone keeping my eyes carefully averted from the gaps in our blanket fort the message scrolled across my screen its blue light harsh
in our soft lit sanctuary alert update entities identified as Hollow ones avoid all eye contact Direct eye contact results in immediate transformation they cannot enter homes unless invited remain inside block all windows maintain silence help is on Route Sarah's eyes fluttered open as my phone's alert tone was joined by others her tablet the emergency radio in the kitchen even the TV we'd left on mute each device spread the same message their combined light making our blanket walls glow like stained glass what time is it she mumbled clutching Mr Whiskers closer just past midnight I whispered
the voices outside had quieted somewhat but the static remained a constant presence like electricity in the air go back to sleep if you can I can't she sat up slightly rubbing her eyes the the humming is too loud she was right the static had taken on a new quality less like TV snow now and more like the Drone of distant Machinery it seemed to pulse in time with the fog that still seeped through our barriers gathering in corners and swirling in patterns that caught the eye if you looked too long do you think Miss Russell
is okay Sarah asked suddenly her voice small in the darkness and Mr Harrison and every anyone else I pulled her closer not sure how to answer I hope so monkey they knew not to look at them just like we did I keep thinking about the one I saw at school she whispered by the swings it was so tall and its hands she shuddered I'm glad Miss Russell made us look down you did exactly right I assured her trying to keep my own voice steady that's what's keeping us safe not looking at them not letting them
in through the gaps in our Fort I could see their Shadows moving past the Windows their shapes wrong in ways that defied description the static from their presence filled the air making my teeth ache a new sound cut through the humming footsteps on our front porch slower and more deliberate than before they stopped right outside our living room window Thomas The Voice belonged to Jack from the factory but wrong somehow distorted come on man let me in the others are coming I can help protect Sarah the voice was perfect in its details the slight gruffness
Jack always had the way he emphasized certain words but Underneath It All was something else something that made my skin crawl it's not him I said firmly though my voice shook remember what the alert said they're trying to trick us but it sounds so real Sarah whispered pressing closer to me I know I held her tighter as the thing with Jack's voice continued its pleas but it's not it's just pretending the voice changed to miss Russell's then to principal Harrison's cycling through people we knew trying to find one that would make us open the door
Sarah pressed her hands over her ears tears rolling down her cheeks make it stop she whispered please make it stop I started humming again an old Beatles song This Time Here Comes the Sun Sarah joined in after a moment her voice trembling but growing stronger we got louder and louder drowning out the sobs until they finally faded away but the footsteps returned circling the house now through the gaps in our Fort I could see Shadows passing across the gray fog tall impossibly thin figures moving with an unnatural Grace the static grew stronger with each pass
making my teeth ache there has to be a reason Sarah said suddenly what do you mean why they want in so badly why they're trying to trick us what happens to the people who look at their eyes she was thinking out loud her brow furrowed in concentration do they do they need more of them like a virus sometimes I forgot how smart she was how her mind worked through problems maybe I said but we're not going to find out we're going to stay right here until help comes but what if help doesn't come she looked
up at me her eyes too old for her face what if this is everywhere what if a loud thud came from the kitchen something heavy hitting the window above the sink the beach towel we'd used to cover it shifted slightly letting in a thin beam of that strange gray light stay here I whispered but Sarah grabbed my arm no you can't go out there the thuds continued rhythmic and deliberate they were testing our defenses I realized looking for weak points they couldn't come in Uninvited but they were trying to frighten us to make us panic
and open the doors ourselves I pulled Sarah to the far corner of our Fort positioning myself between her and the blanket door the Unicorn lights flickered their cheerful glow suddenly seeming pathetically inadequate against the darkness pressing in if anything happens I whispered you run to Mrs Anderson's house next door don't stop don't look back don't look at anything just run and pound on her door until she lets you in promise me daddy no promise me Sarah she nodded tears streaming down her face the footsteps were closer now accompanied by that same weird clicking sound the
static had become almost unbearable a physical pressure against my ears and then cutting through it all a new sound sirens in the distance growing closer real Sirens not the strange approximations the hollow ones had tried to mimic earlier Sarah's head snapped up hope flashing across her face the clicking footsteps stopped the static wavered like a radio losing signal outside I could hear movement dozens of those two tall figures rushing past our Windows their Shadows racing through the fog the sirens grew louder joined by the distinctive thrum of helicopter rotors Bright Lights began cutting through the
fog real lights clean and white not the sickly gray glow we'd been living with for hours military response units have entered the area my phone announced suddenly making us both jump remain inside help is here the static began to fade replaced by the sound of engines shouted orders boots on pavement through the gaps in the blankets I could see the fog starting to thin pushed back by flood lights in some kind of mist that smelled like ozone Sarah's hand found mine in the darkness is it over I listened carefully the clicking in the kitchen had
stopped the voices outside were human now clear authoritative real no more static no more wrong sounds no more familiar voices trying to lure us out I think it might be I said quietly but we're going to stay right here until someone comes to get us okay she nodded leaning against me outside I could hear someone with a megaphone announcing that the area was being secured that house-to house searches would begin soon that we should stay inside and wait for evacuation daddy Sarah's voice was Heavy with exhaustion what happens now after they get us out I
looked down at her at Mr Whiskers clutched against her chest at the brave face she was trying to maintain I don't know monkey but we'll figure it out together she was quiet for a moment thinking like the princess and the knight in your story exactly like that I pulled her closer as boots thudded on our front porch we survived the night that's what matters the front door crashed inward with a splintering of wood Sarah screamed as armored figures poured in weapons raised equipped with strange goggles that glowed faintly blue around the edges clear one shouted
sweeping the entrance two civilians in the living room stay where you are another voice commanded how long since eye contact with the entities we haven't looked I called back keeping Sarah behind me we've been in our Fort since it started a soldier approached quickly his movements precise and Urgent the goggles made his eyes look alien mechanical no time to verify put these on now he thrust two pairs of similar goggles at us do not open your eyes until they're secured you have 3 seconds I helped Sarah first making sure the strap was tight around her
head then put mine on the world through the goggles was strange everything had a blue tint and the fog seemed to glow faintly red where it still lingered move the soldier grabbed my arm we've got 12 more houses to clear on this block safe hous is 2 m east stay between us keep the goggles on no matter what they hustled us outside through the goggles I could see them the hollow ones illuminated in Stark red against the blue tinted World they were retreating from the military's advance but their movements were wrong Jerky like broken marionet
don't look directly at them even with the goggles our escort warned as we rushed to an armored vehicle filters aren't perfect yet the streets were C chaos soldiers everywhere more armored vehicles helicopters overhead spraying something that made the fog dissipate through it all civilians and goggles were being rushed to Vehicles like ours what about our neighbors I asked as they loaded Us in the Anderson's next door already cleared the soldier cut me off either evacuated or compromised no time for details move the drive to the safe house was was tense fast Sarah clung to me
and Mr Whiskers as we swerved around abandoned cars and through military checkpoints through the goggles I could see other convoys converging on what looked like the old Community Center the safe house was a fortress walls of portable barriers flood lights everywhere more soldiers with those glowing goggles inside the gymnasium was filled with shell shocked survivors all wearing the same protective eyewear stay here our escort ordered already turning to leave keep the goggles on don't take them off for anyone or anything until you receive direct orders from command I saw familiar faces in the crowd Mrs
Anderson clutching her cat principal Harrison comforting a group of students even Rita from the factory all of us changed all of us survivors of a night that had transformed our world forever daddy Sarah's voice was small beneath the noise of the evacuation what happens now I looked down at her through the strange blue tint of the goggles at the brave face she was still trying to maintain I don't know monkey but we're alive we're together and right now that's enough outside Beyond The Safe House walls I could hear the continuing sounds of the military operation
more helicopters more Vehicles more rescues in progress the sun was Rising somewhere behind all that fog and chaos but I knew the world it illuminated would never be the same again
