Do WE Survive This?

Pilot — BEFORE EVERYTHING CHANGED

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Rain had stopped ten minutes ago, but the streets still shone beneath the headlights.

Nolan Gilbert drove with both hands on the wheel, one eye on the road and the other on the clock glowing faintly beneath the dashboard.

7:41.

He smiled to himself.

“See?”

Tessa looked up from her phone.

“See what?”

“We're early.”

She glanced at the clock.

“That’s not early.”

“It’s twenty minutes.”

“It’s nineteen.”

Nolan smiled.

“That’s still early.”

From the back seat came the faintest sound of music.

Tracy had her headphones on, forehead against the window.

Tessa looked at her through the mirror.

“She’s been quiet for an hour.”

Nolan shrugged.

“She usually is.”

“No, she isn’t.”

He glanced at the mirror again.

Tracy’s eyes were closed.

She wasn’t asleep.

He knew that.

He lowered the radio.

Tessa noticed.

“You don’t have to do that.”

“I wasn’t doing anything.”

“You always do that when you think we’re going to argue.”

Nolan’s fingers shifted around the wheel.

“Are we?”

Tessa looked out the window.

“It’s our anniversary.”

“Exactly.”

“And we’re late.”

“We’re not late.”

“You said we’d leave at seven.”

“I said we’d leave around seven.”

“You said seven.”

“I said around seven.”

Tessa gave a short laugh.

“There.”

“There what?”

“That. You hear yourself? You’re arguing about the time.”

“Because you’re arguing about the time.”

“No. I’m telling you why I’m upset.”

“And I’m telling you we’re not late.”

Silence.

In the back seat, Tracy opened her eyes and reached into her bag.

Nolan saw the movement in the mirror before she'd finished it. He knew exactly what she was reaching for.

"Tracy."

She paused, headphones half-raised.

"You don't have to hide behind those."

She looked at him in the mirror. "I wasn't hiding. I was going to put them on anyway."

He smiled despite himself — small, tired, almost grateful she still gave him that much of an answer. "Fair enough."

Tessa turned toward the back.

“Don’t hide from us.”

“I’m not.”

“You are.”

“Mom.”

Tessa softened.

“I just don’t want you thinking—”

“Thinking what?”

Tessa stopped.

Nolan looked at her.

The question had landed somewhere neither of them wanted to go.

Tracy waited.

“Nothing,” Tessa said.

Tracy put the headphone back over her ear.

“Okay.”

The word came out too quiet.

Nolan knew that tone.

He’d heard it before.

At the next red light, he reached back and gently lowered the volume on her phone.

Tracy immediately raised it again.

He smiled despite himself.

“Worth a try.”

She almost smiled.

Almost.

The light turned green.

For a few seconds, nobody spoke.

Then Tessa said:

“I don’t want to go.”

Nolan kept his eyes on the road.

“To the dinner?”

“Yes.”

“We’ve already talked about this.”

“I know.”

“Graham’s been planning this for weeks.”

“That’s not my problem.”

“He’s our friend.”

“He’s your friend.”

Nolan looked at her.

“He’s yours too.”

Tessa shook her head.

“You don’t understand.”

“Then help me.”

She looked at him.

For a moment, he seemed to mean it.

That almost made it worse.

“I don’t want to spend tonight pretending.”

Nolan’s voice lowered.

“Pretending what?”

Tessa looked down at the ring on her hand, turning it slightly with her thumb.

“That you’re going to hold my hand under the table because you want to.”

She looked at him.

“Not because Graham’s watching.”

Nolan didn’t answer.

“I got the necklace you wanted,” he said quietly. “For tonight. It’s in my jacket.”

Tessa didn’t turn around.

“I know.”

A beat.

“You told me three times.”

Nolan stared at the road.

Tracy took the other headphone out.

“Can you please not?”

Neither parent moved.

“Just tonight.”

“Tracy—”

“I mean it.”

Nolan’s voice softened.

“Okay.”

He nodded toward the back seat.

“She’s asking us to stop.”

Tracy swallowed.

“I don’t even want to be there.”

“Why?”

She hesitated.

Her thumb found the edge of her phone case—a habit worn smooth from doing it so often, like checking a bruise to see if it still hurt.

“You know why.”

Nolan did.

He almost said the name.

Decided against it.

“He may not even be there yet,” he said instead.

“Good.”

The answer came too fast.

Tessa studied her daughter.

Tracy looked away.

“I just don’t want to spend tonight watching everybody pretend they’re happy.”

Nobody answered.

The city moved around them.

Tessa’s face changed—not anger. Something closer to hurt.

Nolan noticed.

He always noticed eventually.

Just never early enough.

“We’re not pretending,” he said.

Tracy looked at him through the mirror.

“You are.”

Tessa lowered her eyes.

Nolan had no answer for that.

Then—

Bang.

The impact threw all three of them forward.

Tessa screamed.

Nolan slammed the brakes.

The car stopped hard enough to make Tracy’s seatbelt bite into her shoulder.

For several seconds, nobody moved.

“What was that?” Tessa whispered.

“I don’t know.”

Nolan unbuckled.

“Stay in the car.”

Tessa was already opening her door.

“Nolan—”

“If it’s a person—”

He stepped outside.

Tessa followed.

Tracy climbed out behind them.

The street was almost empty.

Then Tessa saw the body.

A young woman lay several feet from the car, motionless.

“Oh God.”

“Don’t touch her yet.”

The woman moved.

Not gradually.

Her whole body jerked upward as if something had pulled her by invisible strings.

She rose to her knees.

Then stood.

Too fast.

Too straight.

Her back was toward them.

Her fingers weren’t shaking.

They were trembling so violently they seemed to vibrate.

“Ma’am?”

She turned.

Her skin looked drained beneath the streetlights, almost gray.

The whites of her eyes were webbed with red.

Nolan took a cautious step forward.

“Are you hurt?”

Her mouth opened.

Nothing came out.

“Miss?”

“I’m okay.”

Her voice sounded thin.

Dry.

Wrong.

She looked at Tessa, then Tracy.

Her eyes stopped there.

For one strange second, something like hunger crossed her face.

Then it was gone.

Tracy stepped back.

“Dad.”

The woman blinked.

“I said I’m okay.”

“You’re bleeding.”

She touched the side of her head.

Looked at the blood on her fingers.

Seemed almost surprised to find it there.

“I’ll be fine.”

“You should let us call an ambulance.”

“No.”

The answer came instantly.

She backed away.

“I have to go.”

“Wait—”

She turned and walked.

Then walked faster.

Then disappeared into the darkness between two buildings.

Tessa stared after her.

“She shouldn’t have been able to do that.”

Nolan looked at the empty street.

“She walked away.”

“I saw her stand up.”

“She’s alive.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

Nolan glanced at her.

Tessa lowered her voice.

“She was hit by a car.”

“I know.”

“And she just got up.”

“She was probably in shock.”

Tracy hadn’t taken her eyes off the place where the woman disappeared.

“She looked sick.”

Nolan rubbed his hands together.

“Okay.”

He looked between them.

“We have somewhere to be.”

Tessa looked back at the darkness.

Then at her own trembling hand.

She slowly closed it.

---------------

The hotel rose above the city in glass and stone, glowing against the night.

Inside, everything was warm, golden, expensive.

For a little while, it was possible to believe the world outside was perfectly ordinary.

Graham Whitmore spotted them before they reached the restaurant.

“There they are!”

He crossed the room and pulled Nolan into a hug.

“You made it.”

“Barely.”

“You’re always late.”

“I’m nineteen minutes early.”

Graham laughed.

Behind him, Elise smiled.

“Happy anniversary.”

“Happy anniversary,” Tessa returned.

Graham turned.

“Tracy.”

His face lit up before she could react, and he pulled her into a hug.

“Look at you. When did you get so tall?”

“I’m seventeen.”

“Exactly. Practically ancient.”

He kissed the side of her head.

“I’ve missed you.”

“It’s been two weeks.”

“Two very long weeks.”

She smiled despite herself.

Then her eyes drifted toward the entrance.

Empty.

Her shoulders loosened.

No Barry.

Not yet.

“Come on,” Graham said. “Have a seat," he said, pulling out the chair for her.

Tracy lasted three minutes at the table before she stood.

“I’m going to the bathroom.”

Nolan looked at her.

“Tracy.”

“I’ll be back.”

He knew she wasn’t going to the bathroom.

But Graham was watching, so he smiled.

“Teenagers.”

She disappeared into the hotel.

A moment later, a manager spoke quietly to a server.

“Table twelve. Take these over.”

The server lifted the tray.

Tessa happened to look up.

Her face went still.

The girl from the road.

Same pale skin.

Same red eyes.

Same trembling hands.

The girl saw her.

Stopped.

The tray tilted.

A glass rolled.

Food slid across the white cloth.

She stared at Tessa like she’d seen a ghost.

“I’m sorry.”

Then she turned and walked away.

“Tessa?” Nolan's voice pulled at her,

She didn’t hear him.

Her eyes stayed fixed on the retreating figure.

Outside the hotel windows, a siren wailed.

Then another.

Then several more.

Tessa looked slowly toward the glass doors.

For the first time that night, the city didn’t look safe.

It looked like something was coming.

And they were already inside.