The Shadow Of Others

Finn warily opened the door to the closet and poked his head out, coughing at the sheer smell that hit him. Finn looked around after regaining his composure and just froze at the sight. Anyone who couldn't get into an enclosed space was just gone. There was barely anything left of them, and whatever was left was broken into bits and pieces. His now deceased classmates lay scattered on the floor, burned and decomposed. Some even had their skin left on, but most didn't even have much flesh. Other children were beginning to exit their hiding spots as well, some throwing up or passing out from it all. This isn't a shooter, nothing like that, Finn thought. Everything had a yellowish haze to it, making Finn more and more nauseous as time went on. 

He saw nobody else was going to take charge, so he decided to do it himself: "Listen up, everyone!" He shouted, standing in the middle of the room.
"I know you're all probably scared and confused, but we need to exit the building. Whatever caused this could still harm us," Finn said in a raised voice, catching everyone's attention. "We need to stay calm, you saw what happened when we didn't. We'll go out in a single file line, and use whatever you can find to cover your face."
Once Finn had gathered all his remaining classmates together, he led the way out and picked up other survivors along the way. 

They made it out of the building, where the air was beginning to clear up, making it easier to breathe. Finn went to the front of everyone again and spoke a bit louder this time," We should break off into groups of three to four, pair up with people you know who live near you. We should go check-"
Though he was cut off short by someone calling out in the crowd, "Why should we listen to you?" And that alone sparked outrage, with some figuring it was best to stay with Finn, while others wanted to find their own path.

They broke into two groups: the loners on the left, and Finn's group on the right. Finn's group was substantially smaller than the loners, consisting of Malachi and a couple of kids he recognized from the technology and swim teams. 

"I'm not going to make you follow me; go on your own if you wish. But whoever wants to come with me, we'll investigate a bit and see if our parents are still alive," Finn stated, beginning to lead his group away and towards the neighborhood. 

They wondered until they made it to the first house, home to one of the tech team kids. They tentatively opened the door and, to their expectations, everything was covered in the same yellow haze, and everything was dead. The child let out a soft sob, realizing their parental figure was gone too, and another moved to comfort them. They kept moving, the same results repeating over and having different reactions: fear, anger, sadness. They finally arrived at Finn's house, already expecting it to be abandoned. And it was. Finn didn't weep or cry; he just stood there, wondering what to do next. 

Finn made up his mind and began speaking again, sounding defeated," We'll shelter here for now, and we'll figure things out as we go. If you have any objections, please speak now."

Nobody spoke. They just followed Finn into the home.