James and Amy crawled out of the tunnel and into the open air. They both had on their protective masks as they emerged from their underground dwelling. James took out a kit he used each week to test the air.

“This is a positive sign,” he said to Amy. “The particulate level is down significantly from last week’s reading. Maybe by next week we’ll be able to come to the surface and remove our masks.”

Amy looked toward the horizon beyond the large tree just outside of the tunnel’s hidden entrance. “The haze also seems to be lifting a little,” she said. “The sun is a little brighter and I think I can even see some hints of blue in the sky.”

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