The Mist
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The Mist is a story by Stephen King first published in 1980. It is somewhere between the length of a short story and a novella. It is the first entry in his collection Skeleton Crew.
This is a science fiction/horror story about a group of people trapped while shopping in a supermarket in a small mall. A thick, unnatural mist develops outside, obscuring everything, concealing bizarre, unearthly creatures that have suddenly appeared and attack anyone attempting to leave.
Faced with the horrifying physical threat outside, the story also explores the psychological breakdown of the survivors inside, some of whom begin to crack, and turn on each other; King thoughtfully employing the device of the "monster" within us.
Though the source of the monstrosities is never clearly explained, allusions are made to the "Arrowhead Project" being conducted in a nearby top-secret government installation. Eventually, a small group fights their way to a vehicle and leaves the mall, only to find the devastation of the mist is widespread.
The Mist was adapted into a text-based computer game.
The Mist was an inspiration for the computer game Half-Life
The Mist was also adapted into a full-cast audio dramatization, which utilized the Kunstkopf method for 3-dimensional sound. The audio dramatization was released on audio cassette and CD.
Noted director Frank Darabont has recently confirmed that he is currently developing a screenplay based on this story.