Y-y-you want me to come? She asked shocked they actually wanted her

Ember looked at her and nodded. And Coal didn't say anything which lead Ember to say. "That's his way of saying yes."
They went down stairs and outside. The fog was almost upon them and there were screams and roars of other things coming from it. Ember looked at the blackness coming for them and her stomach dropped out from under her. Coal pushed her and Ruby forward. "Run like your life depends on it, cause it does." And Ember took off, back pack weighed down with books, but knowing she didn't have time to stop. Her heart hammered in her chest every time her feet slapped the pavement. I should not have been looking forward to this.
She shouted behind her at Coal. "Where's mom and dad?"
Coal pushed her forward. "Faster, we'll talk about it when we're safe."
So Ember continued to run as the fog followed with the screams.

Ruby ran with them terrified, "w-what is th-that" she stuttered, she stuttered a lot when she was nervous or scared

Coal groaned agitated. "Run. We'll talk when we're safe." They ran through town, the fog on their trail. But it slowed down as it reached the main part of the city. The trio too that chance to get out of the fog's grasp.
Ember paused, legs feeling like Jell-O and her breaths were only coming in as gasps. "I need a break." She thought of herself as athletic, but she had never trained for a run like that.
Coal looked at her, holding her shoulders. "You can do it. Just push yourself a little harder." He looked at Ruby to see if she was okay. He decided that if they were stuck with her then he shouldn't ignore her.

Ruby nodded, she was shaking but she needed this run, she never had been unfit and always enjoyed athletics.

Coal raced on, leading the girls to the check point. There was a car and it was packed with provisions. "Get in." He told them, getting in the drivers seat. Ember got in the front seat, putting her hands behind her head to help her breathing. "Tell..me...what's....going...on." Ember demanded.
Coal sighed. "Not yet."

Ruby panted and got in the back seat, "I don't get it" she whispered to herself "MY BROTHER!" She remembered "no no please, he's only 5" tears formed in her eyes

Coal had yet to start the car and looked back at Ruby. "If we go back for him, then we are all going to fall to the fog." He gave her a sympathetic look though, he had come back just to save his sister. He started the car and pealed out of there. At least she is on this side of the fog. Coal thought, knowing better than to say it out loud.
Ember found her breath finally and turned to look out the back window. The fog had slowed down in swallowing the buildings. I need to make sure to include that in my calculations. Ember sighed, wishing she grabbed her memory card with all her computer stuff on it.

Ruby curled up and cried quietly on the back seat. Why her brother? He was the only one she really cared about.

They drove, the city shrinking in the distance, until finally Coal stopped. The sun was making its ascension in the sky and Ember had fallen asleep long ago. So it was only Coal that heard Ruby's cries from the back seat.
The stop was at a small house, clearly unowned, but not to shabby. It was meant just for the night's sleep, because tomorrow, they needed to travel again so they would be a few days from the fog, which will give Coal time to enlighten them of what was going on.

Ruby sniffled and wiped her eyes on her sleves "w-where are we?" She asked, god knows how she looked he hadn't even gotten ready this morning and she was crying.

Coal got out of the car after shaking Ember awake, not answering Ruby.
Ember sat up. "Where are we?" She looked around. "Oh, this is my grandma's old house." She turned to Ruby. "Let's go in, we'll get you nice and cleaned up." Ember gave her a small smile before getting out of the car.

Ruby nodded, putting her hands either side of her face. She was becoming slightly angry now, what had she ever done to coal?

They went into the tiny house and Coal was already in the guest bed room. Ember brought Ruby to the master bath and ran her a hot bath. "There, take your time. I'm going to talk to Coal." She closed the door behind her and went to Coal's room.

Ruby nodded "thanks" she whispered to the closed door. When she got in the bath she began crying again. Taking her time she got out a while later and dressed. Opening the door she put her hair over one shoulder, pating it with a towel.

Ember went into Coal's room and slammed the door. Her anger that she put away in the fear of running away was now boiling over, making her voice rise. "Now tell me what's going on." She pulled up a chair with anger in her movements and put it in front of Coal who was sitting on the bed.
He looked worn out as he ran his fingers through his hair. "Look, Ember. Mom and Dad didn't want to tell you before hand. They just-"
"Why?" She interrupted, her food was tapping with great speed on the floor.
He gave her a look. "I'm trying to tell you why, so stop interrupting me." He took a breath, watching Ember before beginning again. "They didn't tell you because they didn't want you freaking out. They had a plan, for me to come and take you as far from the fog as possible."
Ember crossed her arms, trying not to talk.
"I begged them to come with us, but they said no. That they would slow us down, that they didn't have the power to run. I tried convincing them all the way up until it was time to leave." He paused for a while, taking long breathes.
Ember waited for him to go on, but as time passed she didn't think he was. "So what is the fog?"
Coal shook his head. "I don't know much and I want to wait until your friend gets in here before I say it. I don't like repeating myself."
Ember gave him a look. "You need to be treating her better, Coal. She is going to be here with us through all of this, and I can't have you being rude to her because you don't like talking. We don't have that luxury anymore."
Coal looked at her. "I realize that, and I thought I was getting along well."
Ember rolled her eyes. "Not well enough. I know it's tough for you, but she is also going through a rough time right now." Ember thought of how Ruby lost her brother, unlike Ember. She loved her parents despite what she has said and how she has treated them, but them being gone hasn't hit her yet. She still doesn't understand what the fog did. If it just killed everyone, why were their so many horrified screams?

Ruby walked in, happy to see Ember there but it didn't show on her face, her eyes were swollen from crying and she was still sniffling a bit. She walked over to Ember not saying a word and stayed closely by her side "w-whats the fog doing?" she asked looking up at her.

Ember smiled at Ruby, kicking her brother in the shin and giving him a look. He sighed. "Before I begin." He stood up and gave Ruby a bow. "I'm sorry for my behavior, is there anyway to make it up to you?" He said formally.

"N-no, but its okay you probably have your reasons" she nodded and looked down with her hands on her knees, all she wanted was a hug off her brother "I just wanted to hug him one more time"

Coal put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "If things work out, you just might." Then he leaned back, going back into his usual self.
Ember sighed with a lot of drama. "So, what is the fog? What's going on?" She crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair.
Coal ran his hands through his hair, a frown on his face and his eyebrows drawn together. "From what I have learned, the fog is turning people and animals into strange creatures. People have died from it or been transformed. I leaned that in the mountains and came rushing home and from what I have learned that is all true." He sighed, running his hand through his hair again, obviously stressed out. "But I also learned that it could be defeated, I just didn't learn a lot about it, just that it can be defeated really."
Ember rolled her eyes. "So now we have to either out run this until someone else defeats it or do it ourselves?" She threw her hands up in the air in derision.
Coal shook his head. "No. There's no out running it. It's coming from all sides. There's just delaying it. So we either have to defeat it or join it."
Ember groaned. "Great." She turned to Ruby. "Looks like you won't get your chance to ask that guy out."

"He probably doesn't know I exist anyway" she shrugged "at least I'll be with my brother...when we do die, is it quick?" She asked looking up at coal.

Ember looked at Ruby quickly, "Who said we are going to die?" She stood up so quickly her chair fell over. "I'm not going to die, we have to defeat this." She began to pace with Coal watching her.
"Calm down Ember." He looked to Ruby. "I don't think you should be thinking about death. The chances of that is slim. The things in the fog could kill you, but I don't think that will be our worry." He sighed. "And I think, if we succeed, that you're brother will be alive."

Her eyes widened "he will!" She jumped up smiling "ah I'm going to hug him so much when this is all over" She beamed happily

Coal sighed, he had told her he would live, but he wasn't completely sure the boy will. That's why he keeps his mouth shut.
Ember paced around the room, not liking what was going on one bit. Finally she left the room, saying. "I'm going to bed." But she slammed the door to the room and went to another, obviously to worked up to sleep.

Ruby jumped at the sound of the door and frowned "d-did I do something?" She looked down "I'm sorry....."