The Fog: An original story by Charlie Harrington

Chapter 3

Annie opened her eyes. Where am I? Oh wait. We're still in the woods. She thought. Mike was next to her, curled up in a ball sleeping. Annie looked around. Nothing had changed since the previous night. Annie pulled her phone out of the pocket of her sweatshirt, and saw that it was 9:34 P.M. There was a text on her screen, which must have come through in the middle of the night.

REASON FOR MY EXISTENCE IN THIS PATHETIC WORLD:

Annie, where are you and your brother? I didn't think you two worked today. I just wanted to let you know I'm working late tonight, so I left money on the counter. Order some Doordash or whatever. Be safe.

-Mom

Annie tried to respond to her mother, but the message refused to be sent. Oh well, it's not like she'll care if we're gone. The girl thought. She nudged her sleeping brother in an attempt to wake him up.

"Five more minutes..." Annie heard her brother murmur under his breath. She rolled her eyes, and proceeded to shake the boy.

"We don't have five more minutes, dingus! Get your lazy butt up!" She yelled. Mike groaned, and lifted his head up. Annie stood up, and extended her hand.

"Thanks," Mike grumbled as he looked around. "Okay, what's our plan? Are we gonna just walk around until we find something? Are we going to try to call someone?" Annie signed.

"If I'm being honest with you, I don't know what to do Mike. I don't think calling will help. I feel like we should look for a path, but I'm also scared to get even more lost. I kinda just want to stay here and wait for someone to find us, but I know that will never happen." Annie blabbered on, and Mike grabbed her left hand.

"Hey, everything is going to be okay. Why don't we try just walking around? Say, you remember Mrs. YanBen?"

"The old eighth grade teacher?"

"Yeah! She used to live in the woods before she croaked, maybe her house is nearby!" Mike chimed. Annie rolled her eyes.

"That is literally the stupidest thing I have ever heard." Annie said. Mike looked at the ground, pretending to be crushed by her words. "Come on, let's keep walking."

The siblings walked for about two miles, talking. Annie was trying to keep herself together for her brother's sake. She looked calm, but on the inside she was freaking out. She feared there was no escape from these dense woods, and her and Mike would be trapped there for all eternity. Mike was also scared, but he rarely showed emotions. He was taught emotions made him seem weak and fragile. Annie always told him emotions were what made him human, but sometimes her words felt like they were fake. Distant. Unreal. Ever since their dad died, the siblings had grown more dependent on one another.

"Holy shit Mike, look!" Mike heard Annie yell. He snapped out of his inner thoughts, and looked to where Annie was pointing.

"Oh my god, it's a house." Mike said as he grabbed Annie's hand and ran towards the building. The two siblings looked around for an entrance. Mike found a door, and knocked.

"Thats stupid, knowone lives here." Annie remarked. Mike turned around to look at his doubtful sister.

"You don't know that An." He said. The door clicked, and Mike spun around."Who the hell are you?"

"I think I'm the one who should be asking that question buddy-boy."