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“We don’t know where she was getting this information,” Vanessa pipes up. “She doesn’t exactly cite her sources.”
“I don’t think we’re going to know what any of this means until we get farther in,” Anthony says. “We don’t have the context.”
“What about what already happened?” Jeremy asks. “You heardthat guy. He said bad things happen when you break the rules.”
“And?” I ask.
“And you broke the rules, didn’t you? You let go,” Jeremy says.
“I know. But whatever was going to happen, it didn’t. I found my way back,” I say.
“You also said there were seven gates,” Jeremy says. “What seven gates?”
“On the road. There are seven gates before you can get to the end and get off.”
“And you didn’t think to mention that?” Jeremy demands.
“I—it’s just part of the legend. I didn’t—”
“Jesus! How do we know you’re not hiding other stuff? Did you know this place was here? Did you know about the gates and the freaky screaming birds and the guy with iron growing through him? Did you know we were going to get stuck here?”
“Who says we’re stuck?” Vanessa asks. She chews at her lower lip, the picture of shyness. “We don’t actually know that. Maybe we c-can just go back.” Her arms are folded over her middle, her head bowed, like she’s ashamed to mention it. I fight a stab of anger, reminding myself that she didn’t know Becca. She’s only here because—because—
For a moment I can’t remember, and panic crawls over me with centipede legs before an explanation clicks into place. She was curious. She’s here because she was curious about local history, and nothing stands between Vanessa and her curiosity. But curiosity is getting ready to kill the cat. No wonder she’s freaked.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” I say softly. “Isaac tried to go back. You heard him.”
“We don’t know what happened to him. We can’t be sure there isn’t a way back off the road,” Vanessa says. “We should try.”
“I’m with V on this one,” Jeremy says, nodding toward Vanessa. “I know your sister’s out there. But it sounds like something bad happened to her. And to a lot of other people. I don’t think we shouldSaving Private Ryanthis thing.”
“I’ve never seen it,” Trina says.
“Spoilers: everybody dies saving Matt Damon,” Jeremy says. “Great movie, though. You could come watch it at my place. After we go back, and don’t die.”
Trina gives him a flat look. “I’m not touching that. But I see your point. We all came for Becca—well, a lot of us came for Becca. But that was before we knew the whole situation. I think it’s fair to give people a chance to reconsider before we go any farther.”
“I’m not going back,” Mel says immediately.
“You didn’t want to come in the first place,” Trina points out.
“Because I thought it was all fake,” Mel says. “I didn’t think we could actually get Becca back. But now we can. And Sara’s not turning back. Are you, Sara?”
I shake my head. It isn’t even a question.
“Then I’m staying. Going. Whatever,” Mel says.
Thank you, I mouth. She shrugs, looking down at her feet.
“Should we split up, then?” Jeremy asks. “Or, like, vote?”
“I don’t care how anyone votes, I’m not going back,” I say.
“But the rest of us,” Vanessa says, voice tentative. “We should at least make sure that the groups are even, right? You and Mel could go, and the rest of us—”
“No one goes back,” Miranda says. We all jump, like we’ve forgotten she’s there. She stands apart from us, as usual, the moonlight making her dark hair gleam like an oil slick.
“What, are you giving orders?” Jeremy asks.
