The silence fell over the world. Cities that once roared with life now stood as skeletal remains of skyscrapers under an eternally grey roof. It was not a plague or war that brought humanity to its knees but creatures from depths of the stars: the Stalkers. Stalkers hunted by sound, and above a whisper, all that noise became a death sentence.

Before Amara moved across the deserted space with her little sisters, Eli and Mira, she adjusted her grip on the small hands they held. For them, moving was an art; it was sketching, writing in the silence that missed every step and then skirting over the rubble that used to be their family home. Eli made a soft crunch underfoot when stepping on the broken glass, freezing Mira with eyes wide.

''We are almost there,'' was on Amara's lips; however, there was not a sound in it. 

The grey clouds loomed menacingly over them, as if they were also sentencing them to death.

As they arrived at the shelter, Amara's mind was overwhelmed by everything that was happening. She wanted to see her parents again, so she had the false hope that they were still alive.

Amara left her things in the shelter located near the metro. The air was thick with humidity and the metallic smell of oxide. Mira, while she held onto her stuffed animal, whispered, “Do you think Mom and Dad will come back one day?"

Amara's chest tightened. “I...I don't know,” was her barely audible reply. But she couldn't lie forever to her sisters.

Suddenly, a high pitched scream shattered the quiet of the moment. The group felt the tension rise in the air, as if they were not breathing. A stranger miles away made a HUGE mistake. The sound rang throughout the ruins and then the sound of inhuman clicking began.

“They are coming,” said Eli, panicking.

While the kids hurried toward their hiding place, Amara kept a hand on Mira's trembling shoulder. "Be quiet, no matter what," she hissed. The creature’s heavy footsteps resonated through the walls. Each step was very heavy. It was death incarnate, as its steps made the ground shake. Amara held onto the edge of an oxidized pipe, knowing it would not do anything, but unwilling to die without a fight.

The Stalker hesitated, its head tilting at an unnatural angle while it listened. Suddenly, it emitted a low, guttural growl that vibrated through the floor. Eli gasped without intending to do it.

The creature lunged.