“Listen.” The larger boy gripped tighter, stepped closer. “Just listen, freak, right? I—” He broke off in fright, clamping his free hand over his mouth as though trying to stop the words that had already escaped. “Sorry. Didn’t mean that. But listen. I keep having these dreams.”

“Kenzie, just let go.”

“I can’t really remember. Just bits. It’s dark. And there’s rain, right? It’s always raining. But there’s fire. Fire above. Like, in the sky. Blue fire. White. There are people in the dark. And people in the fire, or . . . not sure. Things. Behind the fire. And everything’s beginning to break. Everything. Above. Below. Alex, everything’s breaking.” He was speaking faster, growing wild-eyed. “Right? And you’re there. But there’s something behind you, right?”

“Kenzie, let go.”

“No, listen.” Kenzie was almost shouting. “It’s every night! I’m trying to tell you there’s something behind you, but I can’t talk. You don’t see it, but it’s right behind—”

Alex ripped his arm away.

“Oh.” Kenzie fell silent. His frenzy drained away as though a plug had been pulled. He stood blinking like a sleepwalker startled awake. His rheumy eyes settled on Alex again and flashed fright.

“I need to get home,” Alex said, massaging his arm where the fingers had dug in. “I think you should, too.” He took a few steps, then turned. Kenzie just stood there, looking lost. Alex gestured to him. The older boy responded as if he’d been waiting for instruction. They walked to the corner.

“I’m this way,” Alex said, indicating left. “You’re down there, yeah?” He pointed in the opposite direction. Kenzie followed the motion and nodded vaguely, as if still not quite certain.

“Kenzie, will you be okay getting home?”

“Yeah.” Kenzie shook his head, rubbed at his face, then straightened, composing himself. “Sorry,” he said, walking away.

Alex watched him go. After a few steps, Kenzie stopped, just a shadow now.

“In my dream, though.” The voice drifted along the street. “There’s something behind you.”

Alex dug his hands into his pockets, turned away, walked fast. “Something behind you,” he heard himself repeating. Kenzie’s sudden appearance and babbling about his dreams reminded Alex forcefully of his own sense of being followed. It was there again now, he realized. He looked back. Only an empty street.

He stalked on toward his bus stop, then decided to keep walking, hoping the cool air might settle his churning mind. A few streets later he regretted not taking the bus. He glanced behind again. The streets were deserted. Something about the rain made the night seem blacker. The silence was sharp, tight. Then he heard it. Footsteps.

He stopped to peer around. Nothing. Streetlights made shivering cones of light in the rain. Between them, voids of darkness.