Inch by inch, I crawled forward, my whole body splayed out like a corpse. The sky was pure and blue, not a single cloud in sight. To know Marley was to know this kind of day as the exact color of her eyes. In blinking desperation, I pieced together the world around me. A desert, I told myself again, then scolded my ignorance. There was always more to see. I spotted a sign staked into the ground in the near distance. Like a newborn foal, I clambered toward it until my eyes could make out the words: THE POINT OF NO RETURN.

I’d passed the point of no return.

The quicksand was not sand at all, but a sewer lid. In sweet relief, I collapsed back down and pulled Harrison’s letter out of my pocket, careful not to stain it with the blood still dripping from my nose.

HARRISON SHIN

Welcome to the Adventure. Eyes on your own paper, please.

I’ll never forget the day you moved onto Albany. We were all so excited to have another kid on the street. Especially Bigs. After Nick told us a new boy was moving in across from him, Bigs was the one who said we should ride our bikes over and check you out. Did you know that? Then Aidy took you on your own tour of the town without the rest of us. And that was that.

It’s so weird to think about. How did it take you only a day to know you liked her? It’s taken me a whole lifetime to decide on one single thing I like that much.

Don’t ask what it is.

I admire so much in you. You’re always around, living your life, keeping everything together. I know you’re like in love with Aidy. Your dad passed away. You keep Cap’n Crunch in a plastic bag in your pocket at all times. You’re pretty good at tennis. You’re ridiculously strong. And of course, there was that one time you saw a snake in your backyard and you freaked out. That’s my number one favorite memory of you. I’m pretty sure it was a garden snake, but you were hunched over in a corner like it was about to reach out and grab you. Tiny little Ollie had to be the one to catch it. So good.

It’s been years, and that’s pretty much all I’ve got. I should be able to embarrass you with your deepest secret or something. I’ll look at you when I’m trying to start some trouble and I’ll be like, “Hmm. I’ve got nothing worth saying.”