The Group Project

~Chapter 3~

I gripped the steering wheel, my knuckles turning white from the pressure. My face paled as I watched the woman continue attacking the once-concerned bystanders. With a surge of adrenaline, I slammed my foot on the gas pedal, running the now-red light. Fumbling for my phone, I dialed Jon's number, my trembling fingers struggling to maintain grip as I navigated the chaotic scene before me.

"Come on, pick up, pick up," I muttered to myself, the seconds dragging on like an eternity as I waited for the call to connect. Fear, desperation, and panic swirled in my mind as the dial tone echoed in my ears, intensifying my panic with each passing moment.

"Please, please," I whispered urgently, barely audible over the pounding of my heart. "I need you to answer." As the call connected, relief flooded through me, but my heart still raced.

"Mars?! Are you okay? Did you get that message?! Where are you?" Jon's voice, a lifeline amidst the chaos, brought a fleeting sense of reassurance.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm almost there," I stammered, adrenaline still coursing through my veins. "Have you seen what's happening? Are you guys okay?"

"Yeah, we're all good man, we've seen the alert. Hurry up and get here! Bea said she has a bunker here, can you believe that?"

I silently contemplated my reply. "A bunker? Are you serious- Wait that's not the point Jon, something is going on and not just with the alert. The people-" Recalling the events, I felt a chill down my spine and disgust start to rise. Clearing my throat, I continued. "I think something is happening to the people in our town and us." 

"Martin, what do you mean? You sound freaked out." He asked.

"Have you looked in the mirror?" I could only guess that the same thing had happened to their hair but Jon had yet to notice. 

"A mirror? What are you talking abo- WHAT THE FUCK?!"

I hastily distanced my phone, his reply echoing through my ears. Moving my phone back to my lap I was met with the confused muffled chatter of the others.

"Jon, are you there? Is everything okay?" I asked.

"Yeah we're okay, they heard me squeal and came up. What's going on, what happened to our hair? Gannon and Bea have the same white patch, they're as confused as I am."

"I don't know what happened, but that's what I mean. Hair just doesn't spontaneously change color, especially for dozens of people.  I think it happened after 4. That's when I noticed mine. But something else isn't.. right."

"Well no shit, there's that and a bunch of asteroids coming at us! Hurry up man!", Jon exclaimed.

"Wouldn't it be meteors?" I heard Gannon questioningly say. There was a moment of silence before he and Jon started to bicker. Jon had changed his end of the call to a facetime, allowing me to see them all sporting a new white strip of hair is various places. 

I interrupted their minuscule argument with a loud and stern, "GUYS!" Halting their dispute, the three synchronously replied, "What?"

"I mean it when I say something isn't right. Something is happening. I had to drive around this old man who wouldn't move at a green light, but when I passed he was perfectly still and looking at the sky. It creeped me out so I sped up but I kept seeing others just like him, stuck staring at the sky with white eyes. Everyone that wasn't frozen had gained a white strip or patch in their hair, including us.."

They continued to listen in silence, exchanging glances at each others hair, all of them sporting a white strip of hair in various places. 

"Then t-they.." A lumped formed in my throat, I attempted to continue. "They stopped looking up and started to.. attack people, I seen a woman jump on her husband and stand up with.. pieces of him in her mouth. I- I think she killed him, there was so much blood. How is no one reporting about this?! Can you guys check news websites or something?"