Abe was sleeping soundly, tucked away from the storm in the hollow part of an old tree. He dreamt of a seaside he didn't recognize, with strange people on the shore who ached with a torn-up sort of longing. He hoped they wouldn't see him. He felt somehow that their pain was his fault, and that they would certainly kill him if they knew he was near.

A sharp, sudden slap on his cheek woke him up with a start. The rain had stopped and he heard footsteps, but when he pulled himself out of his little shelter no one was there. "Ava?" he yelled.
Ava! He checked his watch and his heart dropped to his gut. He was already eight minutes late.