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Rain stood, leaving Hazel behind. She wasn't crying anymore, which should have been better.
But it wasn't.
She sat with her hands locked together so tightly her knuckles had gone pale, like if she loosened them she would break apart completely.
Rain lingered for a second longer than she should have before leaving.
Sunset high didn't feel like school anymore. It felt strangely restless.
People lingered in groups, their voices low and broken and every conversation somehow circled back to one name.
Grayson.
Rain's eyes swept past them and Nora wasn't there.
She spotted a girl from the drama club, sitting by the hallway window hugging her knees.
"Have you seen Nora?" she asked
The red-haired girl looked up tiredly
"Rosewood?" She rubbed her eyes before responding, "I think I saw her a while ago, around the nurse's office."
Rain nodded, "Thanks." Then she kept walking.
The hallways buzzed, but not with life. Just the fear that whatever was going on might become the new normal.
She reached the nurse's office and paused. Just as her hand was about to touch the door, it opened.
She stepped back as Nora's posture went stiff for a moment.
Her eyes moved past Rain and toward the corridor then back again, like she was checking something behind her.
She stepped out quickly and pulled the door shut.
"You scared me," Her shoulders loosened.
Rain didn't smile, "What are you doing here?"
Nora lifted a sachet in her hand.
"Couldn't sleep. My head was killing me"
Rain's eyes dropped to it, then back up again. Nora tilted her head.
"Why are you looking for me?"
"I was with Hazel."
That changed Nora's posture immediately.
"How is she?"
Rain shook her head, her lips pressed thinly. "Not good."
That was an understatement.
Hazel looked like she was barely holding herself.
"And Grayson?" Nora looked away.
Rain exhaled. "No one knows."
"People are saying it might be an animal attack." Nora said casually.
"I don't…know." Rain lifted her shoulders, then dropped them lightly.
Nora's gaze shifted, "honestly…" she paused. "Grayson's disappearance isn't completely out of character."
Rain frowns in confusion, she didn't understand why she would think that. Nora's chin tilted to the side as she crossed her arms. "sixth grade?"
Rain went quiet.
Of course she remembered.
Grayson had vanished for almost the entire day. The whole school was turned upside down searching for him, only to show up later.
No explanation. No apology, like nothing had happened.
"We were kids." Rain spurted out.
"Yeah, and he didn't exactly grow out of being impossible." Nora made sure the words came out dryly as possible.
Rain didn't answer.
Nora simply continued. "Who knows? Maybe he is being an asshole to someone right now."
Rain couldn't find the words to answer. Grayson could be awful, everyone knew that. But…
Her fingers twitched at her side. Grayson's scream echoed faintly through her memory again and something about it didn't feel like one or any of his usual stunts.
Before she could speak again, footsteps
"Mason," Rain said before she even turned fully.
Mason appeared at the end of the corridor. He looked exhausted, his hair disheveled and dark circles that popped against his light brown skin settled beneath his eyes.
"I've been looking everywhere for you two."
"Why? What happened?" Rain straightened.
He stopped in front of them "Luke and the others are back." His words pressed against their thoughts along with something uncomfortable.
Rain could feel a tight sensation in her chest, "Back?" She repeated, just to be sure she hadn't heard wrong and she didn't, cause Mason responded with a nod.
That would mean…
"Did they find Grayson?" She asked quickly.
Mason rubbed his head, "I don't know." He said, but he held an expression that didn't suggest good news.
The three of them started walking, the sound of their hurried footsteps faded into the corridor.
The silence settled again, and for a long second nothing moved.
Then, the nurse's office door creaked open. Tommy stuck his neck out taking a peek.
His gaze moved left first then right, making sure no one was there. Only after a moment did he step out. A small white sachet rested on his palm.
He looked at the sachet briefly. Green, blue and white tablets filled the transparent sachet. After a while, he stuffed it into his pocket before walking away.
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As Rain walked into the boy's shared space, her attention got pulled by how different it looked.
The tables had been dragged together into a long makeshift surface, lined with flashlights, metal rods, bats and other scattered supplies.
Students gathered around.
Some stood inside, while others lingered in the doorway peeking. Rain took a glimpse at Nora before stepping further inside with Mason.
Luke was at the center. He looked up the moment they came in and he saw them, but Rain didn't react to him.
Her attention had already moved past him to Hazel who stood at the opposite side of the table.
Their eyes met. Rain stopped breathing for a second.
Hazel looked drained. She held a look in her eyes that made Rain's stomach tighten. Luke pushed away from the table and approached them.
"We found something," he said
"Grayson?" Rain asked.
Luke hesitated.
The room shifted into silence not too quickly, just enough for them to feel the discomfort from the question. Hazel looked her way. And as if she already knew the answer she just turned aside.
"We found traces." Luke replied, his hands folded into his pockets.
"Traces?" Rain raised a brow.
Luke nodded, then glanced at the others quickly. "In the woods, near the fog."
Rain gaze sharpened. "The one at the exit?"
"No," Luke said simply, "The fog, i think its spreading. Towards east."
Rain was surprised, she could feel a sudden chill rest by the side of her neck. She had thought by now it would have gone down, but instead it had spread that far?
At that moment, the door shifted as Tommy walked in.
"Yo," One of the guys called, his voice deep and cutting through the room. "Where the hell have you been?"
Rain's head spun toward the door the second he entered. Her eyes landed on the paled skin boy, not sickly just tired. His brown hair was a different kind of messy, but his youthful features still stood out.
His hoodie sat askew over his shoulders as he walked around the table.
"Busy" he answered, nothing else.
Nora darted a look at him, it was quick. But Rain noticed it. Their eyes met for a second before Nora looked away.
Tommy's expression hadn't changed, he stood by Conner's side, then Luke turned his attention back to the group.
"Where is Dave?"
"Why?" Mason asked, but before he could respond, David hurried in pushing himself through the crowd that stood at the door.
"I'm here." David's ginger curls had frizzled out, sweat was visible on his forehead like he had rushed over "You said it was urgent."
Luke pointed at the desk, "we need to know something." He picked up one of the flashlights, the industrial heavy duty kind. "If we go into the fog, would this be enough?"
Dave paused, he pushed back his glasses observing carefully the flashlight. "I can't say for sure." He placed it back on the table. "I haven't gone through to see for myself."
"you are the only one." His eyes flicked to Luke, and so did everyone else.
"But," Dave continued. "If it's as dense as you say…" His eyes swept through the equipment. "This probably won't cut it."
Luke rubbed his hands across his face in frustration. He had believed Dave would be of help but he only seemed as uncertain and clueless as he was.
The room felt uneasy, Luke's grip tightened around the edge of the desk. "I still don't get it. He muttered, "What kind of animal drags someone that far."
His jaw clenched. "Maybe a wolf." One of the students in the room offered.
"There are no wolves here." Conner killed the idea. "My guess?" He added, "a bear."
"In Sunset Cove?" Rain chimed in.
"We searched all night." Conner was slightly raised, which caught them off guard. "No breaks, no stopping." he said, speaking through his teeth,
"How the hell did the animal take Grayson that far east?"
Dave stilled. His gaze whipped towards him.
"East?"
Whatever chatter remained slowly disappeared. "Didn't you say you found traces of Grayson close to the fog?" He asked. Conner pushed himself off the desk and stood upright.
"Yeah." His eyebrows furrowed.
Dave didn't say another word, he hurried to the desk, pulling the map closer.
Luke stared at the others then looked back at him. "What? Did you figure something out?"
But, David didn't respond to his question, his gaze stayed fixed on the map.
"The school is East." Dave said quickly.
Conner turned his chin to the side, "So?"
"It's completely fine for traces of Grayson to be found that far, but….." His gaze lifted up, unintentionaly landing directing on Rain, who was standing in his line of vision. "The fog was sighted at the town's exit."
Rain took a step forward as Dave continued, "Either the fog is spreading, or…" he paused, his eyes narrowed as he thought.
"Or what?" Rain asked, but before Dave could respond Conner cuts in. "We are wasting time."
He grabbed a flash light and a metal rod. "Every minute we stand here talking is daylight gone." He looked around like he was the only one who was close to Grayson.
"If Grayson's still alive," His voice lowered, Hazel's eye darted to him, tears forming in them, then he added. "we should move"
Nobody argued, everyone in the room immediately began grabbing supplies.
Lights, rods, bats. Anything they could carry. The atmosphere became urgent, restless. Rain watched them for a second before Luke came closer.
"Rain." His voice tightened as he called her name. "I have doubts, the fog is…"
"Strange?" She completed, his lips tugging slightly, "I was gonna say suspicious, but that too."
Rain blinked, she wasn't sure whether to laugh or not. But she knew the situation didn't call for smiling faces.
Luke shook his head, his lips pressed and pushed forward as he thought, "I have a bad feeling about this."
Rain's fingers twitched at her side. She felt the same too, the only difference it was since she had her dream.
"I'm going to go check out the fog." she said, "David might be on to something."
Luke's face changed, he didn't agree "No." He shook his head, "it might be dangerous."
"It's fine. I could ask Mason or Nora to come with me."
"No." He said again, more firmly. "We still don't know what took Grayson. It could be out there."
Before Rain could say a word,
"I'll go." Dave's voice cut into their conversation. Both of them turned and he took a step closer. "There is something I have to check."
Luke hesitated, he stared for a second then looked back at Rain. "You sure?"
Dave nodded once. "If the fog is indeed spreading," he swallowed, "I have to see it for myself."
Luke looked between them again, then exhaled. He pointed towards Rain "You go check the exit."
Then towards the others gathering supplies. "The rest of us are heading to the woods."
Luke grabbed a flashlight from the table, "Let's go."