“Likewise,” said Tom, and shook his hand. Barney came over and they shook hands too. Tom thought it was funny, how Shen and Barney simultaneously seemed younger than everyone else but also much older and wiser, but he valued both of them for it, and was pretty sure they’d played a much bigger part in getting everyone to safety than he had.

The church door opened and Tom turned, feeling a sudden wave of nervous anticipation—after more than a week on their own, they were finally about to encounter an adult, someone who’d take control of this insane situation.

And then he saw that it was Joel coming out of the church and Tom couldn’t help but laugh.

Joel shook his head, acting as if the last twenty-four hours hadn’t happened. “It’s still early. Maybe we should just walk along this street here, see if we can find anyone in the houses.”

He didn’t wait for a response but started along the wide dusty road that ran alongside the church, toward the houses that sat behind picket fences in various states of repair. The rest of them followed.

Alice fell in beside Tom and said, “Surprise, surprise, he’s up in front again.”

“We’re all safe now. He can do what he likes.”

They walked on and saw a child’s bike leaning on one of the fences, though there were still no people to be seen.

Alice looked at the bike and said, “It’s weird, isn’t it, the way it felt like the whole world had changed when we were lost? You know, people talking about meteor strikes and things like that, but this is it—nothing’s changed, nothing at all.”

Tom nodded, smiling, but he was actually wondering if perhaps the world had changed, and changed completely, but that they were the only ones who could see it. And if each of them inhabited a world of their own creation, perhaps that was the truth. All he said was, “We haven’t seen any people yet.”

Before she could answer, they heard Joel saying cheerily, “¡Hola!”

Tom had a disturbing flashback to him walking into that camp, but then he saw up ahead, a large woman standing on a porch with a small child next to her.

“Hola. Do you speak English? ¿Inglés? Uh… habla inglés?” She shook her head, looking at the entire group with suspicion. “¡Inglés!” Joel repeated louder, as if she simply hadn’t heard him.

She said something to the child, who nodded and ran off, out of a side gate and along the road. If this was their deliverance, it seemed to Tom that it wasn’t going to plan. Then things took another turn as a vehicle approached along the dusty road, an SUV, and even some distance away, the lights on top burst into life and then went out again.