CHAPTER ONE
Inhale.
Exhale.
My breaths fogged up my old and dusty helmet, as I trudged down the arid and desolate desert. Every step was a battle; sand swallowed my boots, dragging me down like a slow, merciless tide. The dust burned my throat, coating my tongue with grit. The wind howled, settling the dust on my cracked visor, obscuring my vision. I wheezed loudly, clutching my chest as I found it difficult to breathe, the inhabitable air slowly poisoning me.
It'd been three years since the apocalypse happened. I remembered it like it was yesterday.
"Ugh! I'm in the 22nd position," Talle, my best friend groaned as she fiddled with her watch.
"That's an improvement from the 23rd," I teased slightly.
She scowled at me, and I smiled. "No, really. You moved up a level," I held her hand.
She heaved a breath and shrugged. "Mom's never gonna let me live it down."
"Hey, do you want me there when you tell her?" I offered, and she spared me a glance. "Your mom loves me," I boasted and she rolled her eyes.
"A little too much if you ask me. Sometimes, I wonder if she picked me off the street and took me in."
"Oh come on, you know that isn't true," I paused and she smiled warmly.
"Your mom wouldn't pick you if she had a choice," I finished.
Talle cracked her knuckles and tilted her neck. Her red hair fell over her eyes, and I knew I was in trouble. I stood and backed away slowly, my arms outstretched.
"Now, now Talle. It was only a joke."
"We'll see if it's still funny when I get you," she threatened as she advanced towards me slowly.
I eyed the door to my left. It was ajar, and I knew I had only a few seconds to gain a head start. But just as I was ready to escape, the hairs on my body stood up, and cold chills ran up my spine. The noisy chatter in the classroom quieted down, and the air was still.
"Look!" someone yelled, pointing outside and the kids ran to the window.
"Do you feel that?" I stared at the goosebumps spread out on my arms and Talle nodded silently. Her eyes shifted warily as we walked towards the window.
The once blue sky had darkened like the night, as a strange fog headed towards us. I ran out of the class to the field, ignoring Talle's call to wait up. The kids paused as they all stared at the incoming fog, an eerie chill in the air. The field was silent, nobody dared to breathe as it got closer. Right then, a terrifying scream tore through the air, breaking the silence and the kids yelled as they ran back to the hallways.
I knew I ought to run with them, but something didn't feel quite right. A shape moved in the fog, but it was so fast I wondered if I'd imagined it. The fog got closer, and so did the shape that dwelled in it. I caught a glimpse of its shadow. It wasn't a human's, but something unnatural.
I gasped in horror and took a step back. I should have ran the hell out of there, but I stood rooted on the spot. Frozen. My legs unwilling to move, no matter how much I willed it to. The ringing in my ears drowned out the noise around me. A loud screech pierced through the air, and the ringing stopped. I looked around me to see kids running around in panic, stepping on other people in the process.
A boy lying on the floor yelled in pain as he got trampled on. I could see the fear in his eyes as he crawled slowly towards the entrance. He seemed to have trouble with his ankle. I ran to him and pulled him up. His lips trembled, and I looked back at the fog. It was just about a few feet away, mere seconds from reaching us, and I held the boy's arms, helping him up without looking away from the imminent danger.
"Can you run?" it seemed like his ankle was broken during the stampede earlier.
"I think so."
"Good," I stared at the fast-approaching fog. "Run!"
I dashed through the corridor, pushing through a crowd of terrified kids as they scrambled for safety. I glanced behind, only to see him struggling to catch up to me. I cussed under my breath and ran back to help him. I placed his arms on my shoulder and held his waist to support his weight, as we power-walked down the hallway.
"Thanks," he smiled.
A quick glance at the window sent my heart racing—the fog was getting closer.
"Don't thank me yet," I said and tried to open the door to my classroom.
It was locked. I scrunched up my eyebrows in confusion, it was unlocked earlier when I ran out. I pulled on the knob, but it remained in place.
"Get lost!" a voice yelled from behind the door.
I recognized Cyran's voice easily, and I peeked in through the window. I could see a couple of kids scrunched up in fear underneath the tables, and Cyran had a murderous look in his eyes as he stared at me.
"Cyran! Open the door!" I banged on the metal door, my breath coming in short gasps.
"Get lost, or I swear I will kill you myself," he yelled.
I had no doubt he meant it. Cyran was the bully whom the entire school, including me, feared. He was a half-witted, huge cretin who had nothing working for him except his parent's money. His usual targets were smart kids, and I'd been his victim once or twice. It was why I kept my head low around him and enjoyed my almost perfect invisibility in the school. I looked around the room frivolously, and when my gaze settled on a short redhead, I sighed in relief. My gaze rested on her shrinking figure and I smiled.
"Talle!" I called, and she looked up.
I pointed towards the door. "Talle, the door."
She nodded and moved to open the door when Cyran stepped in front of her.
"If you open that door, you'd best believe you are joining her outside," he threatened.
Her shoulders slumped, guilt flickering in her eyes as she turned away from me. My stomach knotted in disappointment. She went back to her hiding spot without looking back and my fingers curled into fists.
"We are gonna get killed out here," the boy jerked my arm, jolting me out of the shocking betrayal of my best friend.
The fog seeped through the cracks like a living thing, carrying the stench of rot and something… unnatural, which made it difficult to breathe. I covered my nose and glanced around in panic. The long-legged eerie creature was in the hallway. I didn't have enough time to think as I simply looked for any door that was unlocked. I could hear the kids whimpers when the screeches echoed down the hallways. We needed to find a place to hide.
I remembered the practice room and headed for it. It was unlocked, but the door beeped and opened when I swiped my wristwatch across it. He stared at me in awe, and I locked the door behind me quickly. I helped him sit and stared at my watch. I had so many missed calls from Mom.
"How did you-."
"Benefit of being a wonk," I hardly spared him a glance as I dialed Mom back.
Her holographic face popped up, and I could see the worry etched on her face as she stared at me.
"Are you okay?!" she yelled.
Her hologram shook as the static became worse.
"Mom, I'm trapped in school. The fog-," I gasped when the screams broke out, and I ran to the door. I saw kids running helter-skelter, trying to get away from the fog. I pulled away from the door in horror.
My watch beeped loudly, and I stared at Mom's unstable hologram.
"S-stay a-a-away from t-t-t-the fog!" her shrill voice rung out in terror.
"Mom?" the fear in her voice sunk my heart.
"I-it's d-d-dangerous. Do ---- t-t-trust a-anyone. T-t-the --- f-f-f-f-fog.," the watch went off, leaving us shrouded in darkness.
"She knew about the fog," the boy said, after some moments of silence.
I stood still, my brain failing to process anything, and leaving me looking blank, like Cyran when asked a question.
"That means the fog isn't only in the school. It's everywhere!" the boy filled the blank.
A loud bang. I gasped in fear, stumbling back.
"Help! Please help!" the cries grew louder as my heart pounded faster.
"This thing's killing us. Open the door, please!"
I moved to open the door when the boy stopped me.
"Don't!"
"What? They need our help!" I walked to the door to open it, staring into the helpless eyes of the girl who stood on the other side of the door.
"We don't know what kind of monster is out there! We'll be in danger if we let her in, Emre," the boy yelled.
My hands froze on the doorknob. Cold dread slithered down my spine as I turned to him slowly.
"How do you know my name?"
He looked at me without any emotions, and there was a pin-drop silence in the room. Goosebumps grew on my skin, as I became wary of him.
"Your friend said your name earlier," he said.
I moved away from the door slowly, my gaze never leaving his as fear gripped my heart.
"No, she didn't," I said.
"What?" he got on his feet, straightened his broken ankle which had miraculously healed, and stared at me.
"She didn't say my name," I walked away from him, cautiously.
"Oh."
Silence.
He gripped his hair, and a smile appeared on his face.
"I thought she did."
I gasped when something banged against the door, and I stared towards it. On the other side of the door, a pair of bright violet eyes stared right into my soul, as the fog slowly seeped in from under the door. The boy smirked as he walked towards me, and on the far right, the monster tried to break in. My uneventful life flashed through my eyes, as I stared at death in the face.
This was it.
I was going to die.