Author : Amy Sutphin

Sargent Pedlson watched the foggy mass forming through the streets from his birds eye vantage in the radio tower. It was thinner than traditional fog, but behaved as though fluid. The ghost oozed through the streets, around the houses, creeping though any crack or crevice it found. Pedlson knew the chemical vapor wasn’t alive, but the way it was attracted to living things created a very eerie anthropomorphism.

“That,” Private Michael said beside him. “Is the biggest ghost I’ve ever seen.”

“They used to get five times that size during the war.” Pedlson said. “Engulfed entire battle fields.”

Pedlson had seen the end of the war, when the weapons were getting out of hand. He’d watched from evac helicopters as the chemicals engulfed those either too slow, or too unlucky to escape them.

“Good thing we were able to evacuate that district.” Michael said.

“Mhm.” Pedlson grunted. The naturally forming ghosts were much slower than the ghosts catalyzed for swift deployment. He doubted anyone had the technology to catalyze a ghost attack now.

“Sargent there’s a person down there!” Michael cried.

Pedlson, and the two enforcers on patrol with them peered over the platform. A lone figure was indeed, making its way through the fog.

“We have to get down there.” Michael said.

“No time. That’s a dead man.” Pedlson said, peering through his binoculars

“Doesn’t look dead.” Said one of the enforcers.

He was right, Pedlson saw. The figure should have keeled over by now, convulsing on the ground.

“Maybe he had a gas mask.” Michael ventured.

“Wouldn’t help, stuff gets into your cells.”

“That’s not a person.” The other enforcer said. He’d hardly said two words the whole night.”That’s a pest.”

Pedlson whistled.

“A stray from the attack yesterday?” He wondered.

“Could be.” The enforcer said.

“Better call it in.”