Chapter 2

Sophia saw how hard I was crying and put her arms around me.

Her voice was impossibly gentle. "Emily, what's going on? Don't be scared. Tell me."

All my life, whenever something hurt me, Sophia was the first one to reach me.

I put my face into her shoulder, and the tears kept coming back.

I said, "Sophia, I had a nightmare. Somebody was trying to hurt you.

"I ran back to save you, and a man threw me down and broke my spine, and I never walked again.

"Mom and Dad almost lost their minds. We were the ones who got hurt, and nobody would help us."

I choked, and the rest wouldn't come out.

I couldn't make myself say how it ended for Sophia.

Sophia rubbed the top of my head and kept her voice soft. "Silly girl, it was only a dream. Dreams come out backward, so don't be scared."

Mom's brows came together, and she wasn't pleased.

She said, "What are you talking about, Emily?

"We finally got a family trip, the weather is perfect, and the country out here is beautiful.

"Now you want to quit and go home. What a waste."

I snapped my head up and caught Mom's arm. "This isn't a dream. It's real. It's going to happen. Mom, believe me. Believe me this one time."

My fear was too real for any of them to brush off.

It was nothing like a dream.

Sophia didn't hesitate at all, and her voice was steady. "I believe Emily. We'll skip the rest of it. Being safe matters more."

Dad was quiet for a few seconds behind the wheel, and then he gave in and nodded. "If Emily doesn't want to stay, then we don't stay."

My nerves finally started to come down.

As long as we got out and Sophia stayed whole, there was still time.

But two staff members stepped in front of us at the campground gate and waved us down.

"Sir, I'm very sorry. There's been a slide on the mountain road, and every road out is closed."

I panicked and leaned out the window. "A slide on the mountain road? Every road? There isn't one way out?"

One of them explained patiently, "That's right. All of them are shut. The crews have already started on it. We got word from the county that nobody leaves in case there's a second slide."

The cold came over me all at once.

There was no way out.

We really couldn't get out.

Mom let out a long breath and laughed at me.

"Look at you, Emily. You worked yourself up over nothing. If the world won't let us leave, then we may as well enjoy two more days."

Dad frowned, and there was nothing he could do about it.

He said, "The road is closed and we can't get out. We'll have to go back and wait."

He turned the RV around where it stood.

We drove back into the campground.

I held on to my shirt and told Dad right away.

I said, "Dad, don't park where we were before. Find another spot. Put us in the open area with the most people in it."

Dad was confused, and he did what I asked.

He parked the RV in the busiest part of the campground.

Tents stood all around us, and tourists kept moving past.

I kept the escape hammer in my hand.

My eyes went over every shape that moved outside the window.

Mom saw how tight I was holding myself.

She reached over and patted my shoulder.

She said, "Emily, ease up. Let's go walk around the market.

"Honey, go fill the water jug. Nobody knows the road is closed yet, and once it gets out, people are going to strip the shelves."

Dad nodded, because she was right.

He said, "There isn't much stock up here, and running out of food would be the real problem. Let's split up and make it fast."

I got in front of them and blocked the door. "No. Nobody gets out. None of you leaves this RV."

Mom's brows came together, and her patience thinned. "Emily, that's enough. You may not be hungry, but the rest of us have to eat. We can't sit here starving."

Sophia took my hand gently and kept her voice soft. "Emily, don't be scared. We'll all go together. With this many people around, we'll be fine."

I looked at the crowd outside the window.

I bit my lip and nodded.

With that many people out there and the sun up, nothing would happen yet.

Dad picked up the jug and told us to be careful.

Then he turned and walked toward the water station.

The three of us went to the little market at the campground, side by side and fast.

I couldn't settle the whole way.

My eyes kept moving, and I couldn't focus on picking out food.

Mom and Sophia saw how anxious I was and didn't linger.

They paid quickly and started back toward the RV.

Two steps out the door, my eyes locked and every hair on me stood up.

There was a strange man circling our RV.

He stood next to the window with his head down.

He kept trying to see inside.

Heat went through my head and took every sensible thought with it.

I dropped the grocery bags and ran at him.

I asked, "Who are you? What are you doing next to our RV?"

The man turned around with a smile on his face. "Hey there, kid."

The shadow of the last life came down over all of me.

My vision went red.

Before I could think about it, I put a fist into him as hard as I could.

"Emily!" Mom and Sophia went white.

They rushed up and put themselves between me and the man.

Mom asked, "Who are you? What are you doing next to our RV?"

Dad had just finished filling the jug and saw the whole thing.

He dropped the jug and came across the lot fast.

He asked, "What do you think you're doing? Going after my daughter?"

Everything locked into a standoff.