Eric Quiet Place: Day One Novels & Stories

"They said Nova has been dead for at least three hours..." My mother's hand gripped the back of the chair. Her lips moved but no sound came out. My father pulled out his phone and dialed the house number. It rang for a long time. No one answered. "We need to go back," my father said, his voice hollow. "It must be a mistake..." They forgot about Iris in the hospital room. They rushed out the door. When they got home, the barrier tape was already up. A few neighbors stood at a distance, watching. A Guard stepped forward. "Are you Nova Vance's parents?"

When the Program told me I could return, I felt no joy. Only emptiness. The next time I opened my eyes, I was staring at a white hospital ceiling. Machines beeped beside me, and my throat burned as if I had been asleep for years. A nurse saw me wake and rushed over. “You’re safe,” she said. “You were caught in a dockside explosion. Sophia Lane didn’t survive.” My fingers tightened against the sheet. Sophia was dead. Before I could speak, the nurse added, “There was another survivor. A young man named Luca. He woke up this morning.”

"I've been arrested! The police are here! All our money has been frozen! Help me!" In the background, a stern voice commanded, "Don't move! Hand over your phone!" A series of mechanical beeps followed. The call was abruptly cut off. Clutching the phone, Quinn stood there in shock. I watched as the color drained from her face and walked over to pat her lightly on the shoulder. "Quinn, don't be too upset. I looked it up. That car you're driving is rented. Daily rental is 2,000 dollars, and the deposit is 50 thousand dollars."

progressive-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,ul,ol,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pr-8"> _*]:min-w-0 gap-3 standard-markdown"> The night was perfect. Dark. Moonless. Cloud cover blocking starlight. Exactly what they needed for an assault. Director Silas Crane sat in the command vehicle three miles from the estate. Banks of monitors showed real-time feeds from operatives in the field. Thermal imaging. Night vision. Communication channels. "All units report in," he said into the comm. "Team One ready. East entrance standing by," a voice crackled back.

She whispered into the earpiece, "Everything looks quiet... too quiet." Wayne’s voice crackled in her ear, “Stay alert. If anything seems off, we’re pulling you out.” Kaylar nodded slightly, trying to steady her racing heart. The air was thick with anticipation as she waited, every minute feeling like an eternity. Suddenly, the distant rumble of an engine reached her ears, and she turned to see a car approaching from the far end of the lot. It was a sleek, black SUV—ordinary, yet ominous in the dim light. The vehicle slowed as it neared her, the tinted windows hiding whoever was inside.

Shouts in the dark. I clutched the flash drive to my chest. “He’s leaving us.” “Or buying us time,” the repairman said. A flare burst overhea green, hissing, bright as a false sun. “Move!” he barked. We sprinted toward a narrow crevice between two cliffs. Rain slicked the rock, turning it into a chute. My lungs burned. Shouts grew louder. Gunfire cracked. A bullet sparked off the cliff inches from my head. The crevice opened onto a ledge overlooking the quarry floor. Below, trucks and men milled like ants. Silas stood on a rock outcrop, arms raised, as if surrendering.

The kind of quiet that felt staged. “Damien,” Adrian whispered. His voice wasn’t frightened yet just uncertain. But uncertainty was enough. “Don’t panic,” I said, my tone low, calm, ready. “Just breathe for me.” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him swallow, his hand gripping the seatbelt across his chest. The road curved ahead a long empty stretch flanked by rusting containers and abandoned construction sites. A terrible place to get trapped. Perfect for an ambush. My chest went cold.

As I lost consciousness, I saw Levi running toward me. When I woke up again, the smell of disinfectants filled the air, and Levi sat beside me. As soon as he noticed I was awake, he grabbed my hand tightly. He asked, "Caitlyn, are you feeling better?" I yanked my hand away and remained silent, knowing that words would not matter. Levi grew anxious when he saw my empty stare. "Caitlyn, please say something. Don't shut me out like this, okay?"

The cue was louder than usual so the girl was a bit jolted but since she is not facing the screen, it was not noticed. The director started his directions as the cameo listened carefully. "Ok, imagine you're in a garden, filled with the fresh morning breeze, under the warm heat of the sun, and above you is the clear blue sky. It was a usual quiet day not until...ok, leading man on cue!" He shouted again and Gabbie almost laughed at it but she remained her cool, galvanized to do the scene properly, and waited for the leading actor to come in.