Yutaka took a good, long look at the sun's position in the sky. A little after midday, strong but waning, due to arch west. He did not know how long it would take to gather edible plants, but he promised, silently, that he would time himself; the sun was their only compass right now. He was secretly thankful that the jackets came with such deep pockets. He didn't know how else they would have stored their rations. Neither Lottie nor he had grabbed a bag at the Cornucopia.

He jogged over to Lottie to hand her the hatchet.

And she looked so sad. There was something about desperation that rendered its recipients childlike in their helplessness. For a moment, he thought he was looking at a child. It broke his heart. He tried not to think of how despondent and small Keita had looked, how he had cried for the first time in years just before Mim--

"It's gonna be okay," Yutaka swore.

He held out the hatchet for Lottie to take, handle first.

"First, we'll break out of here. And then we'll force those game guys to send us home. We're tough! Don't forget you're tough!"