I could see the faint hint of the rising sun as we trudged past the exit sign that read HOODVILLE. A strange feeling came over me as I read the word, but a moment later it passed. My gaze shifted to Jonah, a few paces ahead of me. The muscles of his left arm bulged from the weight of the duffel bag he carried. I don’t know if I could have carried it for more than a few feet; he made it look effortless.
He and East set the pace. Sara, Blaise, and I walked side by side and Josh brought up the rear. It was clear that East and Jonah were in the best shape, but they were also motivated to get home. The rest of us had nothing that we were walking toward, and with each step south we got farther from our families. We had no other option. Not today, anyway.
Thinking of my friends, I worried we mi
