06:31:46 AM

Arnold took his bowl of Cap’n Crunch to his room as he pulled up his email. There were forty-two new messages in his inbox, more than he’d ever received at one time. He scrolled through them. Most said the same thing.

Yes.

Okay.

Count me in.

Hell yeah, Hurley, ya sonuvabitch!!

Arnold pursed his lips at Greg’s email message. He finished his cereal and wiped the milk from his mouth with his shirt sleeve.

“Arnold!” his mother called from the bottom of the stairs. “Get a move on or you’ll miss the bus!”

06:37:18 AM

Sunlight trickled through forest canopy, sprinkling the floor with spots of gold and green.

Randall rolled up his sleeping bag and stuffed it into his backpack. Sara had already shouldered her own pack.

“Do we have everything?” Randall asked her.

Sara nodded.

“Then let’s go get Jack.”

With the sun at their backs, Randall and Sara headed out of the woods toward the waterfront.