"Percy?" he whispered into the darkness.

"I'm here," Percy whispered back. "Look."

It was a useless command. The enormous tree that now covered them blocked out all light. But Matthias reached out in the direction of Percy's voice, and he felt what Percy was holding out to him: It was the metal clasp of Percy's seat belt, surrounded by jagged wood. The falling tree had shattered the wood wall. Percy was free now too.

"Thank God," Matthias murmured. "Let's get Alia and go. Alia?"

No answer.

'Alia?" Matthias said louder, and reached out to the other side, to where Alia had been sitting. His fingers dug through leaves, more leaves, and prickly twigs. And then a branch too large to shove aside.

Cold fear seemed to crawl along every nerve in his body. He reached under the branch, brushing the floor of the truck bed. The floor seemed to be covered with some sort of sticky liquid now.

Dew, he tried to tell himself. Dew or sap. Tree sap is sticky, isn't it?

But he knew what the liquid really was. Blood.

'Alia?" he cried again, his voice coming out in a hoarse gasp.

Someone moaned on the other side of the branch.

Matthias dived over the branch. Mercifully, Alia was right there. He scooped her up into his arms.

"We've got to go, Alia," he muttered. "Now."

Her head flopped loosely against his shoulder.

She's breathing, Matthias told himself. I know she is. I heard her moan. She must still be alive. He took the time to wrap his hand around her wrist. Her pulse beat against his fingers. Faintly.

"Come on, Percy," Matthias commanded, panic making his voice raspy. "I found Alia. Follow me."

Percy put one hand on Matthias's shoulder, and the two of them fought their way through the branches. Sometimes they had to shove other children out of their way too. Sometimes the children moaned or complained: "Ouch! You stepped on my fingers!" Some of the children were crying or screaming: "Help me! Help me!" "My leg!"