Alex knew it even before he saw the first grey wisps of smoke creeping under the door.

The long unbraided hair hung down in grey wisps round his face.

The first gray wisps of dawn were feathering the sky.

The gray wisp in his mind became a needle, and Dion stiffened beside him.

There was a loud hiss and gray wisps wafted upward.

Thin gray wisps of hair clung to his sweating pate.

Outside, grey wisps of mist drifted across the lights of the station.

Now a soft gray wisp coiled from the shaded trunks ahead and above.

All stood silent, saying nothing, as the last of the gray wisps traced themselves to nothingness.

They blurred into gray wisps of smoke as he watched.