Snippet #2290055

Mist bit her lip as a male voice responded. "Jo, this is Stefan. Remember me? We used to watch movies at Nilda's house? Basil showed up sometimes too... Were you sleeping? You sound out of it, bud... Have you been outside recently? Do you have a mask? More importantly, are you safe? Is everything okay?" She raised a hand up to her temple as a slight pain started, as if a headache was on the way. Her brows furrowed as she tried to figure out what the man was talking about.

“Nilda? Basil? I-” She paused, struggling to understand. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t remember anything. Who are you? Do you know what happened before I woke up?” Anxiety blossomed in her heart and she began to pace the living room. “Who is Jo? My name is Mist.” She stopped abruptly, taking a few shallow breaths. “I just woke up somewhere then came to this house. I live here now. It’s nice. I’m safe here. I feel safe here, I mean.” Mist briefly remembered how she had been drawn to this house after so much wandering. She had forgotten about it after she settled because then she hadn’t needed to worry about a place to stay. She chewed on her bottom lip, feeling her teeth scratch the plump flesh. “I’m okay. I just don’t remember anything. I mean, I do. I remember that I had family, that I had friends. But I can’t remember them. Or what happened to them. Like, I don't remember their faces or names. I just know that I did.” Mist let her thoughts congest before she tried a different approach. “Your name is Stefan? I want to see you. I’ll come to you. Where are you? Do you live in Moscow?” She swayed as another ache started then faded as she began to pace again. “I have a mask. I’m ready.” She murmured, moving towards the back room to get prepared.

A quick beep from the phone made her pull it away and glance at the screen. “Eight percent battery.” She felt her fang pinch her bottom lip and finally she released it, leaving it alone lest she pierce it by accident. Mist raised the phone back up to her ear as she reached the armoire at the end of the hall and pulled it open. She reached into the tattered clothing and unhooked the latch on the door before climbing into the hidden room and closing the door behind her. She inspected the room and her eyes caught on the mask. She wandered over to it and picked it up, holding it delicately. A memory flashed before her eyes.

Josephine looked down into the water, clueless and lost. The backpack clung to her shoulders and the white dress was dirty and wet. She shivered, glancing around it to make sure that no one was around before looking back down into the water that had a strange tint to it. “The haze is everywhere.” She could remember what the mist was now. It was sickly, destruction upon humanity. She briefly thought about how she named herself after it. “Well. I am sick.” Josephine focused on the reflection in the water. The mask covered her face and bright blue eyes gazed back at her. “Hello Mist.” She smiled and the fragile-looking woman smiled back. “I don’t remember you or what you did. I just feel that something happened, right here.” She pointed to her chest and shook her head. “We need to survive. Find my home.” She nodded, imitating an actual conversation before a chuckle escaped her. The tinkle of laughter echoed…

Mist took a quivering breath as the laughter faded and she shook the memory away with a shudder. The mask stared at her and she sighed, turning her gaze away from it to look around the room. She continued to listen to the other person on the phone. He seemed important.