Chapter 42 Melissa

• We had only been out in the cold night air for a few minutes when I felt it. A prickling feeling at the back of my neck. It wasn't simply the wind; something was off. The earth continued to tremor from the explosions deep in the tunnel system behind us, but my anxiety was not caused by them. It sprang from the quiet that followed. The air was heavy with anxiety, and the silence was so frightening that it felt like the entire planet was holding its breath.
• Gustavo stood beside me, his chest heaving from our furious rush. He looked around, searching the tree line as if anticipating an attack. Something seemed wrong. I could see it in his posture—rigid and stiff. His hand was shaking.
• "Melissa, we need to keep moving," he continued.