Summary

Ben went outside searching for the dog, as it had not returned. He found it in a puddle of bloody snow. It had killed a rabbit and was eating it raw. Concern for him gone, Ben returned to the A-frame and helped Ashley out of the bath tub. She asked if it had been difficult for him to be around her so much and if he had thought about having sex with her. Ben reaffirmed his faithfulness to his wife, despite the fact that they had separated. He gave her a puzzle to do—one he found in one of the many cabins around the A-frame—while he went out to hunt. He killed two rabbits and brought them back. Ben tried to tell Ashley about the truth about his separation with his wife, but he could not.

In Chapters 35 and 36, continuing the...