'Ethan,' I say as we walk towards the woods. 'Maybe we should try not to worry everyone with what we've discovered. Do you think you could keep your mind blank?'

Ethan furrows his brow, trying to dissipate his thoughts. The more he tries not to think about things he shouldn't think about, the louder he thinks about it. He starts distracting his thoughts about Brambleburg by thinking about me instead. But then he starts thinking about how I—

'Stop, stop,' I say quickly. 'Don't think about me.'

'I don't know how else to distract myself! I can't stop thinking about how strange things are here. Do you think if we went to the school now it would be empty?'

The thought of an old, abandoned schoolyard sends an uneasy feeling crawling down my spine. 'I don't suppose anyone's been there since my class graduated.'

'What about the teachers?' he asks. Did they disappear without a trace....

'No! Ethan, no,' I say quickly. 'Christine's mum was our class teacher actually. She had to switch jobs when we graduated.' I paused. 'We all took it in stride that we were the only batch. I didn't find it strange at the time. And that's what freaks me out the most.'

Ethan kicks a pebble in his path. 'I didn't find it strange either, not seeing any kids the whole time I was here. It didn't feel odd to me in the least.'

The oddness is there now, suffocating him. Suffocating me.

The woods loom in the distance.

'Ethan,' I say. 'Maybe try thinking of that annoying Oompa Loompa song. No one will want to be within hearing shot of your thoughts then.'

'What?' Ethan looks stricken. 'What's wrong with the Oompa Loompa song? That's a great song!'

'I don't mind it personally,' I quickly say. 'It's just that it gets a little repetitive, so it's a good cover for your thoughts.'

We get within mindshot of the group, and I send out a Hey. Ethan dutifully starts humming the lyrics in his head. A few townsfolk look aggrieved and discreetly slink away from him.

I lean again a tree trunk at the edge of the forest, anxiety building a bubble inside my throat. Ethan tries to balance on the tree roots that poke through the ground, hopping from one to the next.

I can hear the explorers moving through the woods in groups and pairs, combing every inch of it for a way out. They create a telepathic line of communication, reaching from one end of the woods to the other.

Christine spots us and breaks away from her group, running over. 'Hey!' Oh no, Ethan's singing that godawful song again. She sticks her ground however, looking resigned to her fate.

'Hey!' Ethan matches her enthusiasm.

I plaster on a smile and say, 'Hi, Christine.'

'I never bothered to go on these expeditions earlier.' Christine adjusts her cap over her long, brown ponytail. 'But I think there could be a real chance now! Imagine!'

All I can imagine is how disappointed everyone is going to be when they realise it's hopeless. I had thought that we could leave on the night of a full moon. But I tried. We're trapped. Ethan could still leave.

Christine stares at me, sifting through my thoughts like searching through a sock drawer. I stiffen and put all the unnerving thoughts of the past few days out of my mind, instead focusing on my anxiety of everyone being trapped here.

'I wouldn't be too upset if it turns out we can't leave, Lukas,' she says finally. 'Brambleburg is lovely - I really like it here. And from what I've seen through Ethan's thoughts, Florida seems awful honestly.'

'Right, yes. It's pretty bad.' Ethan glances at me, wondering what Christine had seen in my mind to make her say it.

'Either way, there's no harm in trying.' Christine gives my shoulder a comforting squeeze.

But dejection and disappointment permeate the thoughts of everyone in my radius. Search parties going off in opposite directions somehow end up right in front of each other again. The forest runs in a loop, one end dissolving into the other with no way out.

My gloomy thoughts are interrupted by a squeal behind me. I turn to see Clara standing with her mouth wide open, holding a massive pretzel that's bigger than her face. I realise the screaming is coming completely from inside her head. OH MY GOD IS THAT CHRIS...CHRISTINE??!! HELP SHE'S SO PRETTY!!

Christine pinks.

'Hey Clara,' I say. Then feeling a little bad for her I try to change the topic, 'Where did you get the pretzel from?'

Clara shoves the rest of the pretzel in her mouth, nodding vigorously. 'Mm! Pretzel!' Christine! 'PRETZEL, YES!' Oh my god, Christine! Crumbs of pretzel fly out of her mouth. She points haphazardly in a random direction. 'There.'

Ethan, oblivious to Clara's internal struggle, hops down from the tree root he was balancing on, starting towards the pretzel cart.

'Ethan,' says Christine, clearing her throat awkwardly. 'Kai is parked on the other side. I saw them this morning.'

Clara twists a blonde lock between her fingers, trying to sound casual. Her voice still comes out squeaky. 'Were you working at the pretzel cart this morning, Christine? I didn't see you there.' I haven't seen you in so long. Wow, you have pretty hair.

'I was only there for a little while,' Christine says, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. Clara's thoughts are so loud that they drown out whatever Christine is thinking.

'Um, let's go then, Ethan?' I ask, wondering if I should give the two of them some privacy.

Christine looks alarmed. Don't leave me alone with her!

The thought slips out.

Clara looks hurt.

'I could- I could really use another pretzel, Lukas. I'll join you,' she says sadly.

Biting her lip, Clara trails behind Ethan and me.