The days passed. We had no contact with Cecil or Jasper, and we did not hear the rumble of the truck. The only sign that Cecil, or someone, had stopped by was about four days after Cecil"s last known visit. We had woken to find a replenished stockpile of food and water. He"d left us a flashlight, a few more books, and an old board game, with a mismatch of elements from various other games. He"d even emptied our waste pail and returned the second one. Unfortunately, he hadn"t provided any more tissue. The shredding of books had become a possibility.
I"d insisted smelling Beth"s hair the moment I noticed our increased stores. She had been reluctant, but I persuaded her. My anxiety eased when all I smelled was sweat and dirt and not the lingering scent of his putrid cologne.
Since Cecil"s l
