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IT WAS A LONG WHILE BEFORE EITHER OF US SPOKE. NOW, OUT OF

danger, I pushed back on the rear of the horse, trying to get as far away from the boy as possible. He was a strange breed of man, part wild. Not the sophisticated kind who graced the pages of The Great Gatsby. Nor did he seem like the violent men Id encountered on my first day in the wild. He had saved me, at least. I could only hope it wasnt for some nefarious purpose. He wore stained pants, ripped at his knees, and his shoulder-length hair was rolled into dreadlocks. Unlike the gang members, he carried no gun, which was of little consolation; he was as broad and muscular as them.

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I wasnt sure what perverse thoughts he was thinking about me, a girl hed found alone in the woods. I pulled my T-shirt away from my breasts. Whatever youre planning, its not going to work, I said, straightening up to make myself appear bigger than I was. I eyed the three dead rabbits that were slung over the horses neck, their feet bound with twine. The boy glanced back at me and smiled. Despite his poor hygiene, his teeth were straight and white. And what is it that Im planning? Really, Id love to hear. We were trotting down a highway now, the metal guardrails barely visible beneath the vines. Off in the distance was a half-crumbled bridge. You want to have intercourse with me, I said matter-of-factly. The boy laughed, a loud, raucous laugh, his hand slapping the horses neck. I want to have intercourse with you? he repeated, as if he hadnt heard it right the first time. Thats right, I said more loudly. And Ill tell you now, I will not let that happen. Not even if . . . I searched for the right metaphor. . . . I was the last man on earth? He looked out on the vast, unpopulated landscape and flashed a mischievous grin. His eyes were the pale green of grapes.

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Precisely. I nodded. I was glad he could at least speak and understand proper English. I wasnt having nearly as much trouble communicating as I would have imagined. Well thats good, the boy said. Because I dont want to have intercourse with you anyway. Youre not my type. I laughed then too, until I realized he wasnt kidding. He kept his eyes straight ahead as he maneuvered the horse off of the highway and onto a moss-covered street, urging it around holes in the pavement. What do you mean Im not your type? I asked. The plague had killed far more females than males. As one of the few women in The New America, especially an educated, civilized woman, Id always supposed I was every mans type. The boy glanced at me once and shrugged. Eh, he muttered. Eh? I was intelligent, I worked hard. I was told I was beautiful. I was Eve, the valedictorian of School. And all he could say was, Eh? His shoulders shook a little. I looked at his face and realized, for the first time during our ride, that he was teasing me. He was making a joke. You find yourself very funny, dont you? I asked,

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turning so he wouldnt see the sudden flush in my cheeks. He tugged on the reins, directing the horse past the bridge and off toward the setting sun. As the sun went down it turned the sky the purplish-blue of bruises. Gray clouds were rolling in, accompanied by the distant boom of thunder. Well, youd better be taking me back to where you found me now. My . . . very large man friend is waiting for me there. Hes very scary and . . . kill-happy, I added, repeating the phrase Id heard the gang use. The boy kept chuckling to himself. I am taking you back. Yes, I knew you were, I said, looking around. I wasnt quite sure where we were. We hadnt yet reached the WAL MA T. The road was nowhere in sight. Two yellowed poles shot up from the ground on our left, marking an old football field that was now thick with corn stalks. Is there anything you dont know? the boy said, his face giving way to another smile. I turned away, pretending not to notice the dimple that formed in his right cheek, or the way his eyes shone brightly, like he was lit from within. The Illusion of Connection, Teacher Agnes had called it once. Was that what this was? We were both silent for some time, listening to the grumbling sky, until we turned into the neighborhood

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where Id last seen Arden. I recognized a beaten tire swing, the rubber cracked in places. A wild cat roamed the street, its belly hanging low. The boy scanned an overgrown front yard and pointed to a tiny figure, hidden behind some leaves. I assume that is your very large man friend? Arden slowly emerged from hiding. The knees of her pants were wet and muddy, like shed been crawling on the ground. I jumped off the horses back, expecting her to question me, but she was too busy studying the boy to even acknowledge my presence. We were all silent for a moment, with only the horses loud breathing filling the air. She kept one hand on her knife. The boy shook his head. Youre paranoid too? Let me guess, you two are fresh out of School? He dismounted in one swift motion. The sky rumbled again and he stroked the horses neck, trying to comfort it. Shhhh, Lila, he whispered. What do you know about School? Arden asked. More than youd think. Im Caleb, he said, reaching out his hand for Arden to shake. She paused, staring at the mud caked under his nails and in the creases of his knuckles. Then, slowly, she relaxed her shoulders and

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let her grip slip from her knife. My eyes darted between them. He was getting to her. Arden, I hissed, wishing she wasnt touching him. Her gaze settled on a tattoo on the front of his shoulder: a circle with The New American crest inside it. Come on, lets go cook dinner. I knew this sudden male presence was as surprising to her as it was to me, but we couldnt stand there anymore, inches from him. Exposed. I started down the road, gesturing for Arden to follow. But she didnt move. I couldnt catch anything, she said, finally stepping away from Caleb. She looked at the three rabbits that hung from his horses neck. Then she opened the sack that hung at her waist, showing me its empty insides. The storm clouds were coming closer. A peal of thunder shook the air. I kicked a stone across the road, wishing Id thought to take those rusty cans from the baby bear. Tonight would be another frigid, rainy night with nothing to eat. Caleb climbed back onto his horse. Theres plenty of food at my camp if you two want to join. I laughed at the suggestion, but Arden looked from me back to Caleb, then at the rabbits.

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No . . . I muttered under my breath. I grabbed her arm, tugging her back and away. Her feet were planted firmly in the dirt. What kind of food? she asked. Everything. Boar, rabbit, wild berries. I killed a deer a few days ago. He gestured out at the gray horizon, his fingers stretching toward some unseen place. Its less than an hours ride. I kept moving backward, step after step. But Ardens head was cocked, her fingers working at a knot in her short black hair. She strained against my grasp. How do we know we can trust you? she asked. Caleb shrugged. You dont. But you have no horse, nothing to eat, and a storms coming. It might be worth a chance. Arden looked up at the gray sky, then back to the empty sack at her side. After a moment she shook free from my grip. She circled the back of the horse and climbed on behind Caleb. Ill take you up on that offer, she said, adjusting herself. I shook my head, refusing to move. No way. Were not going to your camp. I made quote signs in the air. It was surely a trap. Suit yourself. But I wouldnt want to be alone out here if I were you. Especially not in this weather. Caleb

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pointed to the dense storm clouds, which were moving faster, stretching out, ready to spill water onto the forest, then turned the horse and they started down the road. Arden waved good-bye to me, not troubling to turn her head. I looked back at the field wed come through. The sunflowers leaned to one side, pushed down by the wind. I wasnt sure which direction the house was in, or how far off it was. I didnt know how to start my own fire, I didnt know how to hunt, and I didnt have a knife to call my own. I dug my fingernails into my palm. Wait! I called, running after the horse. Wait for me!

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