I looked at Carl and Girl, and even though I was dead tired, I was so happy I’d stayed with them. Carl had protected me back at the camp. Had cared enough to tape up my feet. Girl was right there each time I tumbled. She even licked away my dumb tears.

“Come on,” Carl said. “Urh, daylight is coming.”

We walked along a narrow path of flattened rock until we came to a dock that jutted out into the lake. A rowboat was tied to a post with a thin stretch of rope. When we stepped onto the dock the dry wood bobbed up and down, water lapping underneath. The rowboat clunked against the dock. Empty sounds. Lulling me. I knelt down, wanted to lie down, but I knew if I did I wouldn’t be able to get up again. Reaching over the side, I cupped cold water in my hand, splashed and rubbed my face.

“This is mine,” Carl said.

“The dock?”

“All of it. Everything.”

He pointed beyond the dock to a small log cottage. Carl strode toward it, then climbed the two steps onto the deck. I followed as quickly as I could, my legs feeling like stumps fused to the ground. I leaned against the wall, watched Carl lift the welcome mat. “Urh,” he said. Then one by one he threw over a line of potted plants, flower stems cracking. Next he grabbed a knotted rug off the back of a patio chair and shook it.

“Stolen again. Can’t get in. Urh. No, I’m not misinformed. Listen to her. Listen to her.” He began pacing in a tight circle, grabbing his beard and tugging.

“Did you check to see if it’s unlocked?” I reached out, gripped the knob. Sure enough, when I twisted it the door swung open. “I’ve got the touch,” I said, grinning with relief. Carl’s face remained flat.

He peered through the open door, whispered, “What touch? Urh. Exactly what touch are you talking about?”

Inside the cottage he moved slowly, mouth open, inspecting everything.

He stuck his nose in the air, sniffed. “It doesn’t smell right. They’ve been in here.”

“Who?”

“Who? They have. The Workers. I can tell.”

My heart started to beat. Why couldn’t he forget about workers? Whatever they were. At least for a little while.