You decide you can't stay here forever. The smoke is the only lead you have. Taking a deep breath, you unlock the front door and step outside. The air is crisp and strangely clean. The silence of the world is immense, broken only by the crunch of your own footsteps on the pavement.
You start walking down the empty street, your eyes fixed on the thin column of smoke rising into the perfectly clear, blue sky. You have no idea what you'll find there, but it's better than waiting in the dark.
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