Stung

Bowen leads Fo from the camp toward a downtown area with taller buildings, alleyways, factories, and deserted streets. It is a cloudy morning. They hear a hive of beasts (a large group traveling together) nearby and await their attack; Bowen holds a grenade and allows Fo to aim the rifle. No beasts appear. Rain arrives in a steady downpour. Later, Fo thinks she sees a single wispy person slip into a building. Bowen thinks whoever it is might be afraid of them. They arrive at an abandoned factory where Bowen has stashed supplies and glued the door. The hive approaches rapidly as Bowen tries to get in; finally, Fo must help him break in. They lock the door from the inside.

From a high window, Fo and Bowen see the beasts trying to pick up their scent, but they cannot because of the rain. Fo asks why Bowen went rogue with her. He says he wants to keep her safe, both for herself and because she might be “the only person in the world who carries the mark who doesn’t go insane” (117). He insists on placing the leg cuffs on her so that he can sleep.