Her need for him rose up in her like the spirits of every hungry animal in that forest. His house was closer than hers, but getting there without stars or moon would be difficult. She would almost have to feel her way.

She could do it. If she were blind, she would know how to find that sweet little house.

By the time she arrived at the fence, she was bruised and scraped and covered in mud. She stopped on the Hooper side of the fence and looked to the guiding light of the house windows.

What would she tell them? She couldn’t explain. Not even to Jackie.

She ducked through the fence, staggered to the front door, and rang the bell. Ms. Danner answered. “Raven!” she said. “Come in!”

Jackie and his mother stared at her.

“What happened to you?” Jackie asked.

“I got lost. I was walking and forgot to bring a flashlight. There’s no moon or stars tonight.”

He knew she was lying. She saw it in his eyes.

Ms. Danner frowned, too. “Let’s get you some dry clothes,” she said.

Raven followed. She stumbled on a chair and nearly fell, but Jackie caught her.

She took a stack of Jackie’s clothes into the bathroom, and when she looked in the mirror, she understood why they were alarmed by her appearance. Her hair was tangled with leaves and vines. Her face was smeared with dirt, one cheek scratched by a blackberry vine. Her clothes were wet and filthy.

She turned on the faucet and gulped water with her cupped hand. Then she rubbed the water over her face. She hardly had enough energy to change into the clean clothes. Jackie’s soft, soap-scented sweats were like a warm embrace.

“Are you hungry?” Ms. Danner asked.

“A little,” she said. She had to eat, though she had no appetite.

Ms. Danner rewarmed a plate of food from their dinner.

“Can you stay awhile?” Jackie asked.

“Yes.”

“Come upstairs.”

He would ask what was wrong. She had to make sure she didn’t cry as she had in December.

Jackie closed his door. Raven sat on the side of the bed next to his homework.

“I’ve been so worried about you!” he said. “You ran off the other day and missed two days of school. You missed your birthday yesterday.”

March twelfth, her fake birthday. That meant it was Friday.

“Why are you home doing homework on a Friday night?” she asked.

“Why would you ask me that?” he said in an angry voice. “You know why. Because I haven’t heard from you for two days. Do you really think I’d want to go out without you tonight? I almost went over there today.”

“But you were afraid of the gun.”

“Of course I was! I thought your mother was going to kill me that day!”

Tears were coming. She couldn’t let them. She curled onto her side on the bed and closed her eyes.

“What’s going on? Did she kick you out of the house again?”

“No,” she said, keeping her eyes closed.

“Then why do you look like you’ve been living in the woods for the last two days? And I’d swear you’ve lost a lot of weight.”

“Stop. I’m tired. I just want quiet.”

“My mom is going to ask me what’s going on. She knows that’s why I brought you up here.”

“I was lost.”

“As if I’d believe you, of all people, could get lost on your land. You told me you’ve been trusted to wander alone since you were six.”

Raven bit the inside of her bottom lip to feel pain that would stop the tears.

Jackie sat on the bed next to her. He stroked his fingers through her hair. “I’m sorry I sound angry. I’m not. I’ve been worried.”

She dared not speak or she’d cry.

“Happy birthday,” he said. “I have a present for you. Do you want to open it?”

“Not now,” she managed.

He sighed. “I don’t know why you don’t trust me enough to tell me what’s going on.” His fingers stopped stroking her hair. “Raven . . . did your mother . . . did she . . . pass?”

Yes, she had passed as some people said. She had passed from one world to another. And if she couldn’t find her way back, Raven would never see her again.

She would find her way. She’d said she would.

“Did she?” he asked.

She kept her eyes closed. “No.”

“Is she really sick?”

“She’s getting better.”

“If that’s true, why did you leave Bear’s and run away from me?”

“I forgot to do something my mother asked.”

It hurt to lie to him, but she had to. At sixteen, she probably wasn’t allowed to live alone. Police would take her away from her land. Mama wouldn’t be able to find her when she returned.

“Would you turn off the light?” she asked. “I want to rest a little.”

He turned off the desk lamp and tugged the comforter out from under her. He got in the bed behind her, pulled the cover over them, and wrapped his arm around her.

“Whatever’s going on, I’m glad you’re here,” he said.

“Me too,” she said.

He hugged her tighter.

She pushed away all thought. She only let herself feel his warmth and hear the soft rhythm of his breathing. She fell asleep without once looking up at the plastic stars.