I crawl to the edge and look over. Tony lies at the bottom of the ravine, twisted and broken between two boulders. He’s not moving. A wavy sick feeling passes from my head to my belly. It’s all I can do not to throw up.

“I better check,” I announce, my voice shaking. “Maybe he’s still alive.”

Mia says, “Don’t, Daniel. What if you fall, too?”

“I won’t.”

I’m as careful as possible, finding my way down the cliff. From handhold to foothold. Concentrate on what you’re doing, don’t think too far ahead. Taking my time because I dread what I’ll find when I get there. I’ve never seen a dead body. The thought terrifies me. But somebody has to do it. Tony Meeks was acting stupid and showing off, but he doesn’t deserve to be abandoned. And maybe, just maybe, he’s still alive.

At the bottom, I take a deep, shuddering breath and steel myself to the task. The boulders where he fell are not far away. The first thing I see are his feet, sticking out from behind the rock. Utterly and completely still.

I’m not an expert, but I don’t really think anyone could survive a fifty-foot fall onto rocks. It turns out I’m right, but it’s still hard to believe. Minutes ago he was dancing on the edge of the cliff, alive and full of mischief. Now he’s gone, truly gone. The thing that surprises me, that shocks me almost as much as the accident, is that Tony isn’t there. The body he left behind is badly damaged, but empty of poor Tony. I make myself find his wrist and feel for a pulse, just to be sure.

Nothing. The body is limp and lifeless. He’s gone.

Imani shouts from the cliff top. “Daniel! Anything?”

I shake my head, take a deep breath. “I’m going to pile some rocks around, to protect him from animals! Are you and Mia okay?”

“Not really! But we’re hanging in!”

“What about Deke?”

“He’s not going anywhere!”

I’m not sure what that means, but first things first. I gather smooth rocks and stones from along the riverbank and carry them to Tony’s temporary grave. Temporary, because I’m sure his family will want him closer. It takes a long time to gather enough stones, but I keep at it, like a robot following my own commands.

Don’t stop until it’s done. He made a horrible mistake trying to impress Deke, but he deserves to be treated like a human, and humans care for their dead.

Don’t think about it, Daniel. Just do it.

When the stones are in place, I search for a suitable branch to serve as a marker. I prop the branch upright between the stones. Then I close my eyes and say a prayer.