Such a crowd
Plenty of people
Everywhere you turn
A team in the center of the smoke
Until one took a few steps back and disappeared
The multitudes followed
The smoke feels so much closer
Sheer panic
Grasping at everyone as they vanish
Begging for anyone to stay
The pleading words just hang there
Frozen in the cold smog
As hard as you try
You cannot leave yourself
So in an instant
You're all alone
Staring into the hazy air
Curl up in the lonely ground
Shut your eyes and wait for the fog to envelop
Shaking and muttering to be swallowed quickly
Maybe you too could just evaporate
A white noise
A faint cry
Someone else
Maybe you can survive with thick breaths
This is a risk
A chance
Find the world
Or get lost in nothing
Just take one deep breath
Last taste of the clean air
Squeeze your eyes closed and calm your heart
The thickened grey is terrifying
Follow the voice
Just follow the voice
There maybe
Squint forward
There
A lone circle
A clearing just wide enough to see her face
She smiles with relief
She has been there the whole time
But she's still there
"I couldn't get close enough"
Her whisper trembles
Take another breath
But everyone disappeared
Everyone that you could see
"But I never left"
