Chapter 32
The rippling of water from Selna’s paddle told Maggie to row forward. Their boat hit the shore with a grinding bump. The last few children climbed onboard, their faces anxious and afraid.
“Selna,” the last boy to climb into their boat said, “have you seen my parents? Do you know if…” The boy’s words drifted away as though he were afraid saying them might make them more real.
“I don’t know,” Selna said. “I didn’t see them.”
The boy nodded as they rowed back out into the darkness.
The way back to the village seemed longer than the way to the dark place. It might have been that Maggie’s arms were burning with fatigue or that anticipation stretched every moment.
Maggie held her breath as they started down the long, watery path to the village. More people were standing on the f
