If other scavengers found him, they’d steal the watch.
If the wrong men came later… he might not live long enough to miss it.
“It doesn’t matter who you are right now,” she said, slipping under his arm and trying to lift him. “What matters is getting you out of here.”
He was far too heavy, but somehow she managed.
Step by step they moved through narrow paths between mountains of garbage—hidden trails only a child like Emily knew.
“What’s your name?” he asked between strained breaths.
“Emily.”
“Thank you, Emily.”
She didn’t answer. She was too focused on keeping him from falling.
By the time they reached the edge of the landfill, night had begun swallowing the city. The distant lights of Phoenix shimmered like unreachable stars for people living on its forgotten edges.
They walked through dusty streets. Skinny dogs barked as they passed. Curtains shifted as curious neighbors peeked out.
“Do you think I’m a criminal?” the man asked suddenly, his voice filled with childlike worry.
Emily looked up at him.
“Criminals don’t look scared,” she said simply. “And you’re scared. So I think you’re probably a good person with big problems.”
They reached a tiny house at the end of a narrow alley.