As we came through the woods toward the tower lot, we could hear laughing and cheering. Sage and I stood for a moment at the mouth of the trail, taking it all in. Across the clearing they had made five or six small fires, which they were feeding from a mountain of branches and sticks at the edge of the lot by the woods. One of the De Martino brothers was standing on top of it, hurling down branches to others waiting below, who were dragging them to the fires, dried pine exploding in sparks through the air. Three boys were rolling kegs across loose stones; there was one already tapped along the water tower’s perimeter fence on the eastern side, farthest from the road. Groups of teenagers were gathered around the scattered fires.

Abbey came toward us, holding a plastic cup of beer. “You’re here. I thought you might not come.” She kissed Sage on the cheek, then looked at me and touched my shoulder. “Hey, Gallagher, you out in the world again?”

I nodded half-heartedly and realized I was practically standing behind Sage, like a shy child with its mother. I stepped out and tried to hold myself tall and not cross my arms, a dead giveaway that leads to unfavorable shifts of power, according to Marie.

They had blocked the service road with a huge barrier made from branches and tires. Police cars wouldn’t be able to drive down, Abbey said.

“It’ll take them a long, long time to move it, and by then we’ll all be spirited into the woods. Like ghosts.” Abbey made a motion with her hand to show how we would all vanish into the dark. “That’s us. Shwoop. Gone. Like that.” She stared at us for a moment for effect. She looked wasted. I wanted to ask her what was stopping the cops from just getting out of their squad cars and walking around the heap and up the trail like everyone else.

“You won’t be vanishing anywhere fast if you keep going like that,” said Sage. “You’ll just be sitting on your ass in the dirt, legs useless in front of you, waiting for the kind policeman to take you home.”

Abbey laughed and pushed Sage. “Go get beers. There’s plenty for everyone.” She gestured toward the kegs. “And then come sit by that campfire.” She pointed to the farthest one, closest to the service road, and wove her way back toward it. Sage and I went down to the keg at the fence.