The Quiet Collapse

A pandemic stole more than lives. It stole voices. In the hushed streets of New Hope, once the vibrant city of Portland, the Silence reigns.  A neurological after-effect of a devastating virus has robbed 10% of the population of their ability to hear and speak, transforming them into the Silent Walkers.  Calla Vey, a former journalist, is one of them.  Her world, once filled with the clatter of keyboards and the murmur of conversations, is now eerily still. The silence amplifies every unspoken anxiety, every furtive glance, every tremor of fear. But within the silence, a new sense awakens. Calla and the other Silent Walkers discover a heightened sensitivity, an uncanny ability to perceive the unspoken truths hidden beneath social interactions.  Dr. Julian Avila, a neurologist haunted by the pandemic's legacy, sees in them not victims, but an evolutionary leap. He guides Calla to hone her newfound abilities, to see The Silence not as a disability, but as a different way of perceiving the world. However, a sinister undercurrent runs beneath the city's fragile reconstruction. Crystal Lopez, a driven government agent, sees the Silent Walkers as tools for control, initiating a clandestine program to exploit their unique sensitivities.  Calla, with her heightened perception, detects the discordant hum of the government's conspiracy. Her journalistic instincts reawaken, urging her to uncover the chilling truth.  Joined by Emily Patterson, a sign language interpreter caught between two worlds, Calla navigates a dangerous dance in the shadows. Their investigation takes them from sterile government corridors to the hidden corners of New Hope's underground network, uncovering a disturbing web of informants and manipulated individuals. As Calla delves deeper, the Silence becomes her strength. She learns to navigate the world through subtle vibrations, the nuances of body language, the unfiltered emotions radiating from those around her. But her every move is shadowed by Crystal's agents, making her investigation a high-stakes game of cat and mouse where silence is both weapon and shield. During a city-wide blackout orchestrated by Crystal, Calla and Emily must use their combined skills to expose the conspiracy and rally the Silent Walkers against government control. In the ensuing darkness, the fractured cityscape becomes a silent battleground, where the future of human connection hangs in the balance. In *The Quiet Collapse*, Rebecca Lyons weaves a gripping tale of resilience, resistance, and the enduring power of connection