New era? [ii]
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New era ii
CHAPTER 3(ii)
Grey's POV – Present
The room's grown quiet.
Scarlett sharpens her blade again. It's almost ritual now. Jane hums under her breath, voice cracked and off-key. The new boy—Jonah—hasn't moved much. Blair has. She paces, always near a wall. The silence bothers her. The waiting even more.
Someone tries the radio again. Static.
Then more static.
Then—
"This is a secured federal broadcast. If you are receiving this transmission, remain where you are until further instructions. Communications are limited. We are working to regain control."
A pause.
"The infection is confirmed as non-natural. Manmade. Spread is uncontrolled in several regions. Repeat—containment has failed in major cities."
Whispers rise. Someone starts crying.
"There are known safe zones. Coordinates will follow. If you are able, move with caution. Trust no one outside your group. Do not attempt to interact with exposed subjects. There is no cure. Survivors should… stay strong. We are trying."
The broadcast cuts.
Silence.
Then—
A plastic chair hits the wall. Hard. The guy who threw it doesn't say anything. Just leans over, breathing fast, knuckles white.
A woman in the far corner drops to the floor, muttering something about her kids. No one listens.
Another person smashes a vending machine, screaming at the static like it'll scream back.
The panic isn't loud. It's quiet. Sinking. Drowning.
I watch.
Not just their actions. Their eyes.
Too wide. Too unfocused.
They're breaking.
It's not the monsters that'll kill them.
It's this—
The waiting.
The wondering.
The fear.
It slows them down. Makes them soft.
Scarlett meets my gaze. "You heard?"
I nod once.
"They caused this," Jane whispers, curling into herself. "And they're not even saying why."
Blair sits finally, arms resting on her knees. "We don't even know if that message was real."
"It was," Luke says. "Same tone they use when things are already too far gone."
People start talking. Loud. Desperate. Should we go? Should we stay? Someone says the military will come. Another says they won't. Some want to find the safe zones. Some don't believe they exist. A man's arguing with his wife about their daughter. A girl sobs into a backpack that's too clean.
They're all stuck.
Frozen.
I stand.
The noise dims slightly. Scarlett follows. Luke pushes off the table. Jane moves with him, quiet. Closer than before.
"We're leaving at sunrise," I say.
Jonah flinches. Blair blinks.
"You're serious?" someone asks.
I don't answer. Just look at the window. The skyline's still burning in the distance. Smoke eats stars.
"We don't wait," Scarlett says behind me.
Luke's already packing.
Most of them stay quiet. One or two shake their heads.
They won't come with us. Not yet.
Some try to persuade the girls .
I don't care
The noise is starting to increase , voices everywhere....
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