“It’s my fault,” he said. “It was stupid of me to leave Troy exposed like that. I of all people knew about the animals.”

“Oh, Jordan,” I choked out, “let’s not play the blame game. It’s fair to say we’ve had a lot on our minds and not much rest in the meantime.”

I looked down at his forearms, both smeared with blood, and I could see puncture marks in each. The sight filled me with despair, and I began sobbing all over again.

“We all should’ve gone back,” I cried. “I should’ve had my mom look at you, too. What are we doing out here?”

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” he murmured into my ear. “We’re not playing the blame game, remember? Besides, it doesn’t hurt that much, truly. I’m strangely fine.”

He held me like that for a couple more minutes as I calmed down and got my shoulders to stop heaving and my nose to stop sniffling.

“So much for getting a little sleep,” I muttered.

“You’re probably right,” he said. “Shall we begin our hike?”

I looked into the dark forest and couldn’t see beyond the first row of trees.

“How about we just sit here for a little bit, maybe until we see some light?” I said.

“Okay,” he said. “It won’t be long now.”

“How will we keep from getting attacked?” I asked, trying to keep any element of a whimper from my voice. But I was scared.

“Oh, after the bear and boar, the word is out in the animal kingdom,” Jordan said. “They know not to mess with me.”

I didn’t really believe him, but it wouldn’t help not to believe him, so we sat together in the field, my back against his chest, and I closed my eyes and didn’t open them again until the sun was peeking through the leaves off to the east.

“Did you get any sleep?” I whispered.

“Sure,” he said. I didn’t believe him for a second.

He grabbed the bag, and we began to walk, dew on the grass and leaves dampening our sneakers and arms. I knew I was slowing us down—he could’ve gotten up that incline four times as fast with me not there. But I knew he wanted me there. And I wanted to be there. And it’s not like I had anywhere else to go.

The woods were fully illuminated now, and my stomach gurgled. Normally I’d be up and finished with breakfast by this time. What was my mom doing right now? How was Troy? Was he getting helicoptered somewhere for medical help? Granted, we hadn’t heard a chopper. Were Tico and Suzanne still with him?

“Someone walked this trail recently,” Jordan said, frowning, his tone suddenly flat. He crouched to touch the grass. “I’d guess no one used it for the year or so we were all gone, which is why there’s all this grass. But these footprints are here.”

We continued up the mountain, and when I could see the steam rising from the nuclear plant’s cooling towers, I knew we were almost to the overlook.