Chapters 17 & 18 Summary

The teens decide that eventually, they should try to return to their safe place in Hell. It won't be safe to leave for another week, so until then, they have to stay put. Kevin is clearly healing from his mental breakdown, and his idea to fish for trout has proved worthwhile. The teenagers are having no trouble finding food to sustain themselves, and Ellie wonders if the kids are as lucky. She's seen glimpses of them over the past few days - heard them crying at night, and sometimes even laughing - but they have been careful to set themselves up to avoid another ambush. After the fishing expedition, Ellie tries to leave some food out for the children, but to her disappointment, they leave the food untouched.

Meanwhile, bombings take place almost everyday, but Stratton is relatively untouched, probably because it had...