Eric Quiet Place: Day One 소설 & 이야기

I can tell that he is also feeling the uneasiness in the car. Adrian is just there with his head at the seats’ headrest and his headphones, moving his head to the beat of whatever music he is listening to. I rub my palms together and also rest my head on the window, allowing the silence to elude me as I fall asleep. ◉‿◉◉‿◉◉‿◉ “We are here Rea”. I feel a nudge on my arm. I slowly open my eyes and noticed that the car had stopped moving.

By evening, I returned home exhausted. My apartment felt unusually quiet. The silence gave my thoughts too much room. I poured a drink and sat near the window. The city lights blurred together below. My phone vibrated. Another message. Unknown sender. Again. A familiar dread settled over me. I opened it. The photograph loaded slowly. Then it appeared. And everything inside me froze. Elara stood beside a black luxury vehicle. One hand resting on the open door. Her face was clearly visible. The vehicle itself was impossible to mistake. I recognized the company insignia immediately.

“‘Brother.’ What if Moros wasn’t _him_? What if he was _like_ him?” Kieran’s knuckles went white on the wheel. Another buzz. Picture message. Grainy. Security camera. A girl. 10 years old. Black hair. Silver eyes. Standing in the middle of a church. Surrounded by bodies. Human bodies. All kneeling. All _dead_. Timestamp: 20 minutes ago. Location: Erie, Pennsylvania. 60 miles ahead. “Faster,” I said. Kieran didn’t answer. He just floored it. --- *Erie — St. Mary’s Church — 1 AM*

I stared at the name until another message appeared below it. Nora, I'm so sorry. I never meant for you to misunderstand me and Elliot. I just wanted to explain. I should have deleted it. Instead, my wet thumb brushed the screen and opened the request. A photo loaded. It had been taken through the glass wall of an emergency room bay. The reflection was faint, but clear enough. Elliot stood with his arms around Tessa. His head was bent toward hers. One hand rested against the back of her hair, the same careful way he used to hold me when I cried.

Same impossible stillness. Same unsettling calm. And somehow that felt wrong too. Daywalkers weren't supposed to exist. But he was. Standing there. Watching me. Not smiling this time. More serious. People moved between us. Cars passed. A horn sounded somewhere nearby. I took one step forward. Then another. Eyes locked across distance. He didn't move. Didn't look away. For one strange second the city disappeared. Noise faded. Movement blurred. Only him. Watching. Like he knew something.

*Timeline: April 12th, 2022. 7:03 AM. Malibu Beach House.* *[SFX: ALARM. THEN FEET. THEN BACKPACK. THEN NORMAL.]* *7:03 AM. [SFX: ALARM. THEN SHOWER. THEN HIM.]* Alarm. Not 2 AM. Not panic. 7:03 AM. iPhone. Default tone. Alex. First day back. School. Kindergarten. St. Matthew’s. Private. New security. Levinson vetted. LAPD patrol.

Feeling relief. DOFF-doff, DOFF-doff DOFF-doff More shots fired. I can hear the helicopter landing now too. Loud inaudible shouting from outside. CRACK A different shot fired now. Then quiet. Callie and I sit huddled together, holding onto each other for dear life, for what seems like an age. The silence is deafening now. *** Knock knock knock “Cammie, open up, it’s safe to come out now!”

Grace's integration lasted exactly forty-seven minutes before they came for her. Not IQRD. Not government. Something worse. The attack started with silence. All sound in the building simply—stopped. No breathing. No heartbeats. No ambient noise. Just absolute quiet that made my ears ring. "Dampening field," Maria said. Her voice cut through the silence somehow. "Old technology. Pre-Preserve. Someone's creating dead zone around the building." "Who?" Reaper demanded.

Eric arrived alone in his car and was met with dead silence. He switched off the engine and stepped out. With a handgun tucked behind his back, he looked around cautiously. "I'm here," he said softly into the earpiece. "Rosie, wait for me." The factory gate stood slightly ajar. The rusted iron creaked in the wind and irked him. Eric pushed the door open. His flashlight sliced through the darkness. "Anyone there?" His voice echoed through the empty space. There was no answer. He moved deeper inside. Suddenly, the light caught a pool of dark red liquid on the ground.