David tries to sleep for a few hours. When he wakes up, Amanda is worried about Mrs. Carmody and her expanding group of followers, whose devotion resembles “some crazy kind of church service” (90). Four more people have died by suicide, while others are becoming increasingly despondent. Ollie worries that Mrs. Carmody may convince enough people about the viability of human sacrifice by the next morning. David begins to suspect the monsters outside are attracted to scent. He wonders whether he and a small group can reach his car before the monsters detect them. After searching for Steff, he wants to go south to escape the mist. He plans with Ollie for an early departure the next day.

As darkness falls, the smaller creatures return. This time, however, they do not enter the store. Mrs. Carmody continues to preach, and her congregation grows. In the early hours of the morning, Ollie wakes David. They gather Billy, Amanda, Mrs. Turman, and several others. Mrs. Carmody convinces her followers that the only thing that can save them from the apocalyptic mist is human sacrifice. As David tries to lead the escape, Mrs. Carmody calls on her followers to sacrifice Billy and Amanda.