The Grey Ones

by Candra Baguley

  ****

  The skies have been dark for an hour and we still haven’t found a shelter in these trees. On the bright side, we also haven’t come across any of the Grey Ones, looters, or other survivors yet. Billy has been carrying the radio and power supply in his backpack since we left. He uses it every chance he gets - which is usually only when we stop for short breaks.

  “Dad, I’m tired.” Ty whines in between us.

  When Travis ignores him, he turns to me and says, “Mom, when are we going to stop?”

  “When we find a safe spot to sleep.”

  “What if the Grey Ones find us?” His voice sounds nervous, scared. The beam from his flashlight shines through the trees surrounding us. A spider web spread across the branches glistens in the light. A cocooned bug on the spider web, waiting to be eaten, it reminds me of our possible looming fate.

  “They won’t.” Travis replies quickly.

  “How do you know?”

  With his flashlight beaming ahead of us, he says, “Because I just found our shelter for the night.”