“What’s up?” Zadie repeated, incredulous. Her head was spinning. She couldn’t decide whether to believe everything she’d just heard. She’d gone her whole life assuming that her sister and she were some kind of exception to the laws of time and space. Only now was she starting to consider how conceited that belief actually was, like the presumption that Earth is the only planet with life in the universe. She and Finn weren’t special, or at least maybe they weren’t the only special ones.

“You’re mad.”

“I’m not mad, it’s just … you don’t seem fazed by any of this.”

Finn grinned. “Cool, huh?”

“Are you sure they’re not some kind of cult?”

“What makes you think they’re a cult?”

“I saw this place last night on my way back from the showers. You know they only use black lights at night?”

“So?”

“So they probably use them to see the blood of all the travelers they’ve sacrificed.” Zadie was only half joking.

Finn let out a sudden bleat of laughter. Their mom used to say she sounded like a sheep on nitrous oxide. “Are you sure you don’t have heatstroke?”

Now that her sister mentioned it, she was feeling a little woozy. “I don’t know. What does heatstroke feel like?”

Finn took her sister’s arm. “Come on, let’s sit down. I’ll get you something to drink.” Zadie started to let her sister lead her, then stopped abruptly. “No, wait. I’m not finished.”

“It’s not a cult, Zadie. They have a volleyball net.”

“Not that. Do they know about us?” Zadie knew she sounded dramatic, but she didn’t care.

“I mean, I showed up here in the middle of an echo, so they saw me all—you know.” Finn unfocused her eyes and stared into space.

“Right.”

“Don’t worry. I didn’t tell them about you.”

They were quiet for a moment. A fleeting breeze sent sand slithering past their toes. Then Finn said, “I thought we were the only ones, you know?”

“I know.”

“And now”—Finn looked back at her new friends—“to know we’re not alone…”

Even Zadie had to admit it was kind of cool to find out that she and Finn might not be the only weirdos in the world. It was like they were mutants who had just discovered the X-Men. “I still don’t want them knowing about me.”

“Don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with me. Come on,” Finn said, taking her sister’s hand. “I think Samir is firing up the grill.”

Zadie gave in and let Finn lead her to a picnic table under a canvas tarp where a few of the residents were chatting and eating. “I’ll grab us some drinks,” Finn said and hurried off, leaving Zadie alone.