I looked around. Outside our tiny orb of brightness from Carl’s flashlight, there was nothing. Only blankness. But maybe I should try to find my way home. If I kept going in a line, I’d come out of the woods eventually, wouldn’t I? Then I could fix everything with Gloria. I could mow the lawn, in those perfect straight lines she liked. Or dig up the garden and plant some beans or some radishes. It wasn’t too late. I’d even scrape the old paint off the porch. And the deck, too. Things would be better if I didn’t give her a single reason to get upset.

Carl’s flashlight sputtered and we were swallowed in heavy black again. I could feel the cool darkness in my nose and sitting on my top lip. Winding its way down my arms, around my fingers. If I left Carl and Girl, I might run into that man and the lady with the stupid hat. Straight into Carl’s whittling knife. I touched my neck. The spot was sticky. I couldn’t go home now even if I wanted to.

Three bangs against his palm and the flashlight burst back into life. Carl shone it up the length of the creek.

“The Workers might be, urh, tracking us. We best stay close together.”

I wanted to reach out and hold onto his coat.

“What are we going to do, Carl?” I said. “Where can we go?” I knew I was asking even more questions, but I couldn’t help it. Water pooled in my eyes. I tried to shove the wetness away but Girl trotted over, licked my cheeks.

Carl mumbled. He sounded frustrated. “No, that’s right. We can. It’s still mine. Once you build something, it’ll always be yours. Paper doesn’t matter. That’s the law.”

“Carl?”

“We’re going to a secure location, Magic Boy.”

He shone the flashlight on my face, then onto my feet. Rummaging in another enormous pocket, he pulled out a roll of gray tape. He walked toward me, and I could hear squelching from his shiny shoes. They were ruined. Bending in front of me, he picked up my left foot, swiped the bottom on his pant leg, then peeled off strips of tape and stuck them to my skin. Over the toes and up around the heel until my foot was a secure clump of silver. Did the same with the other.

“Too tight?”

“No.”

When he stood up, he stuck his big hand in my hair. Ruffled it. “I know. I think so,” he whispered. Then to me, “You really should float, Magic Boy. That’s just common sense. Much easier on your soles.”

After he said that, I couldn’t help smiling. The weight around my heart fell away. Carl had a plan. Things were going to be all right. “Thank you, Dot,” I said. I knew it had come from her.