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And if that was how I felt, it was probably ten times worse for the other guys who had girlfriends back home. Or, if not girlfriends, at least girls who would talk to them.
But you can’t think about what’s at the other end of the road. The road is too long.
We were out there one day, digging not too far from the road. Magnet just kept stopping and staring. It was like he was hypnotized. I was usually the slowest digger, but when the lunch break came, my hole was a foot deeper than Magnet’s.
“Man, you got to snap out of it,” X-Ray warned him. “You’ll be out here all day.”
“I’m leaving this place,” Magnet declared.
“There’s only one way out of here,” X-Ray said.
“Down that road,” said Magnet.
“In a coffin,” said X-Ray.
Magnet just kept staring down the road. “Next time the supply truck comes and goes,” he said, “I’ll jump on the back bumper and ride all the way to San Antonio.”
“Supply truck’s coming today,” said Zigzag. “It’s been two weeks.”
Somehow, Zigzag always knew the day of the week. Maybe it had something to do with his TV schedule.
“You ain’t goin’ nowhere,” said X-Ray.
We heard the truck before we saw it: a low rumble way off in the distance. Then the dust cloud appeared just above the horizon. Fifteen minutes later the truck lumbered by.
Magnet climbed out of his hole.
“How you gonna jump on a moving truck?” Squid asked.
“I’m gonna dig a ditch across the road,” he said. “The truck’ll have to slow down.”
I pointed out that the truck driver might get suspicious, since the ditch wasn’t there when he drove in.
“It’s a long, old road,” said Magnet. “You think the driver remembers every pothole?”
Armpit seemed especially worried. “The truck will go really fast. How are you going be able to stand on a bumper of a fast-moving truck for hundreds of miles?”
Magnet smiled. “I’m a human magnet,” he said. “Besides, they probably leave the truck unlatched. I’ll just slip inside.”
“You ain’t goin’ nowhere,” said X-Ray.
“Just watch me,” said Magnet, and taking his shovel, he headed for the road.
I did watch him, for a while. As I dug my hole, I could see him digging his ditch. I felt like a part of me was out there digging with him.
I knew the Warden would punish all of us. If nothing else, we’d have to dig Magnet’s hole. But I didn’t worry about that for the moment. If Magnet could get away, it was like a part of me would be free, too.
I wasn’t worried about Mr. Sir or Mr. Pendanski coming by. I knew they were busy with the supply truck. The counselors always took the best stuff for themselves.
After a while, I couldn’t see Magnet anymore. He must have finished the ditch and been hiding behind a dirt pile nearby.
I was about chest high in my hole when the truck came barreling down the road. A huge dust cloud trailed behind it. We climbed out of our holes to watch.
The truck suddenly braked sharply, and I heard Zero whisper, “All right.” I felt really nervous, like I was the one about to jump on the back.
But I couldn’t see what happened. The dust cloud caught up with and encircled the braking truck as it bounced over the ditch. Then the truck picked up speed and thundered off, the cloud of dust swirling behind it.
“Anyone see him?” asked Armpit.
