He took my blanket and folded it. He placed it inside a cardboard box on the ground. Then he looped a rope through Girl’s collar, and tied it to the trunk of a tree. He gave her a quick scratch behind the ears, and started walking.

“Where’re we going?”

“Where’re we going?” he said back.

I stayed behind him. We picked our way through shrubs and grass and climbed a steep hill up to the main road. We came out of the woods right behind a sign with swirly letters, Welcome to the Town of Little Sliding. The crushed stone poked my feet. They were still bare but at least my shirt was dry. I nudged my tooth with my tongue and it didn’t wiggle back and forth. It throbbed, but not as bad.

“You have to see the full day ahead,” Carl said. The buttons on his enormous coat were mismatched with the buttonholes, and it made his body appear lopsided. “You can’t twist it to serve your own purposes. You don’t have maternal rights.”

“What did you say?”

“Urh,” he mumbled.

I could already tell it was going to be warm, and as we stood on the gravel shoulder, Carl was panting. A couple of times he hacked and spat. “Pardon me,” he said.

A silver transport truck barreled past us. Carl waved an arm, but it didn’t slow. The horn blared, a long whine that trailed through the air. I felt the blast of wind push me back, then the sharp pull toward the giant wheels. Like suction. I stumbled, but Carl grabbed my arm, yanked me.

“Stand back, Magic Boy. You get flattened and I’ll never hear the end of it.”

“Yeah,” I said. My heart was beating. I could feel it in my face, and I reached up to touch my lip. It was still swollen, but it no longer felt as though it was about to burst.

Another transport truck came around the bend. On its side was a gigantic image of sliced bread. Carl waved both arms this time. I held onto the sign’s wooden supports. The metal machine tore past, but then I saw brake lights flicker. It began to slow, hazard lights flashing. “Let’s go,” Carl said. I hesitated. Go where? Carl was already speeding toward it. Where was he going? How far away from home? Were we coming back?

“Hurry up!” he yelled.

I had to stick to my decision. It was time to forget about home. Forget about Gloria and Telly. And—and Maisy. I was with Carl now. We were doing something. Having an adventure. Exactly what sort of adventure I didn’t know, but most of me didn’t care. Then I realized all of me didn’t care. I started running. “Hey, wait up!” I called. “Don’t leave me behind!” Not too loud, as it still hurt when words vibrated my teeth.