Two Wolves

Ben heads down the slope to a stream to drink water. There, he opens his notebook and calculates how much money his father has hidden in the bag. Thinking over the situation, he realizes that his parents are in trouble. Just as he does so, a voice asks him what he is doing.

The voice turns out to be Olive, who followed Ben down to the creek. Ben tries to run away from her but eventually decides to spend time with her. The two of them build a raft and discuss the events of the last few days. As they finish, their parents call them back to the cabin to have some lunch.

When they arrive at the cabin for lunch, Ben discovers that the bag and the black plastic are no longer in the rafters. Ben’s father gives them presents: Ben receives a Swiss army knife, and Olive gets a skateboard. Ben’s mother receives a diamond ring, and she thanks Ben’s father while commenting that this is the “first real present” he’d gotten her in 15 years (76). Ben and his family spend the evening together, and after all the gifts, Ben wonders whether he is correct to be suspicious.