Tyler fell asleep the next day anticipating to see the boy waiting for him with a story to tell about why he disappeared so suddenly, his eyes shiny with mischief and his grin hidden by a bandana.

Instead, Jenna was there in his place, her skin stained with smoke and blood. Her clothes, which had previously been dark green and still that odd bright color, were torn and singed. The budding end of stitches stuck out from right her cheekbone, and a white patch covered up half of her neck. She looked like she just ran out of a burning building covered in barbed wire.

"Where is he?"

She shook her head, her legs giving weigh underneath her. Tyler caught her before she hit the ground. A strong smell of burnt wood and cloth emanated from her, so strong that Tyler had to hold his breath as he helped her to the ground.

"Why isn't he here?" He asked.

Jenna opened her mouth, but only a harsh cough came out. She doubled over, her shoulders shaking with the force. Tyler rubbed her back.

When she gathered her bearings, she choked out the words, "a fire."

"Fire? There was a fire?"

She nodded. "Sacarver."

"What?" Tyler shook his head. "Sacarver did this to you? But she's a Bishop."

"When will you learn that they're not... your friends..."

She wiped her mouth against the back of her hands and leaned her head back. Blood smeared across her cheek, and her once brilliant blonde hair was caked with ash and dirt.

"Why are you hurting if you're asleep?" Tyler asked.

"Injuries in real life add on to your dreams, and vice versa. That's why when J- my friend pushed you out of the Bishop's way, he broke his head open."

Jenna let Tyler wipe her face with the sleeve of his jacket he'd fallen asleep in, but it only spread the ash more, discoloring her face even more. She smiled softly at the gesture.

"He'd be here if he could," she said.

Tyler frowned. "Then why isn't he?"

"They won't let him fall asleep."

"Why not?"

"Its protocol. "Jenna flinched at Tyler's fallen expression and continued. "He and Ryan were infected by Sacarver. For the next 48 hours, she can infiltrate their dreams and find out where the rest of our camper are. They can't fall asleep until it wears off. Sorry."

"So, what now? Why are you here?"

"I'm here to continue what Josh started until he's better," she responded.

"And what exactly did he start?"

Jenna brushed a clump of her hair behind her ear, staring at the space ahead of her. "We're Banditos, Tyler. We help people, but only if they accept our help. I know this seems like a lot for you to sink in, but you need to trust us."

"How can I trust you when I know nothing about you other than the fact that you all left Dema at one point to go live as a freaking nomadic tribe or some crap and you're Sleepers like me?"

"You know my name," she retorted. "And its forbidden to tell someone you're name before their escape, so I've already broken one of our most sacred rules to help you out."

"Yeah, I bet that's what you tell all the boys."

"This is serious, Tyler."

"Then why can't you tell me his name?" Tyler snapped. "I want to know who I'm talking to."

Jenna softened slightly. "Because we don't know if we can trust you yet. I'm sorry, but that's how it is out here. For all we know, you could turn us into one of the Bishops and get us all killed, just like the attack from last night."

Tyler didn't know why he was angry. He was just tired of this whole 'trust us but we don't trust you' debacle between him and the boy and now Jenna. "Last time I checked, trust us a two-way street. This one only seems to go in one direction."

"I'll tell you what you need to know when I know I can trust you."

"How will you know you can trust em if I don't even trust you?"

Jenna rolled her eyes. "What is it you want me to do to gain your trust?"

"Tell me his name," Tyler said. "Tell me what the hell that color is, and tell me how you know I'm a Sleeper. Then maybe I'll trust you. Deal?"

She paused for a moment before letting out a huff of defeat. "Deal."

Jenna grabbed his shoulder, and the dream shifted, the open field they'd been standing melting in to a burnt mountain side. Wooden poles and chunks of cloth were still on fire, and the ground let off curls of smoke. Some tents stood half-right, with heir insides either smoldering or missing. Whoever left there left in a hurry. The air was hot and dense, like an invisible wall that made Tyler's chest feel like a hot air balloon.

The bodies were the worst part. Boys and girls alike, none of them looking over the age of thirty, were strewn around the camping ground, pools of blood and the stench of burning flesh making Tyler's own start to break out into goosebumps.

He recognized one boy from Vetemo's

"Holy cow."

"This is what your Bishops do." The words fell off her tongue like acid, and Jenna's lip curled into a scowl, but she kept her composure. "They burn away our homes and send us running like the fugitives they want us to be. All we want to do is be free from our insecurities. From our struggles. And we get killed for it."

Tyler looked around. He saw a patch of blood stained grass and indentations of hooves in the fresh mud. "The kid he went back to save... did he make it?"

Jenna shook her head. "No. Thirteen injured, four dead. Josh is lucky he's not one of the dead ones with that dumb ass move he pulled."

"Josh, huh? Nice name."

She sent him a sharp look, but softened when Tyler stomped out a small flame still burning on what remained of a pillowcase. "Josh found you in the ravine basically signing your death warrant. He thought you were ballsy when you just stopped in front of that Bishop."

"You saw that?"

"No, but our leaders did. They agreed to let Josh continue talking to you."

Tyler grinned. "Does that make me special?"

Jenna pressed her lips to a thin line. "All Sleepers have dreams before their graduation. That's how we know who you are. Usually, Sleepers don't know what's going on and it takes us weeks if not a couple months before we get them to understand. But then you came along, and you were one of the only Sleepers we've ever met who's had dreams for years and was never caught. Someone with your self preservation and your intelligence to avoid detection for so long- you were definitely worth saving. So yeah, Josh thought you were something special."

Tyler's stomach did a somersault.

"That's two of your three questions, but I don't understand the last one. What color?"

"That." Tyler pointed to Jenna's shirt. "It's like... dark blonde or something."

Jenna looked down and back up again, a confused look on her face. "What, this?"

"Yeah."

"You've never seen yellow before?"

He shook his head. "What is it?"

There was a sort of softness in her eyes as she untied the bandana around her neck and placed it around Tyler's. "I'll let Josh tell you. He's the one you want to see, right?"

Tyler's face flushed red. He didn't know why his stomach felt so twisted inside at her knowing look.

"Shut up."