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“What?” I grab him by the shoulders again. “No, Mav! It’s me, Deni!”

He pushes himself up in the same motion as he scrambles backwards, further into the entrance of the closed store. “No, no no no!” He shakes his head. Confusion is written across his face. “You can’t have my body f-for yourself, I won’t let you.”

What the fuck?

“Mav, don’t you recognize me?”

“I didn’t do it, he looked like me but he wasn’t!”

Before I can get a grip on what he’s talking about, something hard hits me in the side. I startle and jump to my feet, swearing.

A wooden walking stick is pointed at my chest. It’s owner, a man with a tattered beard and pajamas, glowers at me. “You can rob the kid when he’s dead, alright? Don’t you people have any sense of decency?”

“Rob him? He’s my friend!”

The man narrows his eyes. “People with real friends don’t usually sleep in doorways.”

I swat the cane away with irritation. “It’s not my fault he’s here, I was searching for him everywhere.”

“Huh.” He sets his cane down and gives Mav a sad look. “He break out of some kind of institution?”

I, too, turn to look at Mav, who’s pulled his knees to his chest and started crying.

“No. I don’t know what’s going on with him…”

“Well, you should take him home. He’s been very distressed and, frankly, I could use that sleeping bag back.”

Slowly, like approaching a frightened animal, I squat down and reach for Mav. “Hey, it’s ok. I’ll take you home, how does that sound?”

He gives me a frightened look and frantically shakes his head. “You can’t take me!”

The old man puts his hand on my shoulder and pushes me aside. “Let me.” He reaches out and takes Mav’s shaking hands in his. “You know the people who control your mind?”

Immediately, Mav begins to look around as if looking for danger.

“They’re looking for you, buddy, and they’re coming from that way.” He points in the direction I’ve come from. “You have to go.”

Mav starts to cry a little harder but gets to his feet. He mutters something.

I glare at the man. “You just made him more upset, why would you say that?”

His expression is one you’d give a very dumb child. “They tell you not to feed into people’s delusions but out here, the most important thing I can do for someone is to keep them safe. When I found him, he was blabbering on about someone controlling his body and ice in his head or whatever, and was only a few minutes away from getting cooked alive by the sunrise.” He shakes his cane. “Told him he had to hide from the people who want to control his body by staying out of the sun – lo and behold, the boy is still alive.”

Ice in his head. I know what that feels like.I swallow. “You found him?”

He shrugs. “He was wandering around looking lost and confused. Thought maybe he was just having a mental break. Decided it would be a shame if the kid died out here when he didn’t have to.”

I look at the plastic bags stuffed with clothes and other belongings scattered around Mav’s feet. Meanwhile, Mav tries to wander off into the street and I need to hold him back. How did he get here? We’re still a long way from Tartarus. Could he have tried to see his mother?

“So this is your… home?”

“Don’t be condescending.” The man’s voice is bitter. “Yeah, this is my stuff. I sleep here some nights. I kept an eye on him, just to make sure he was alright.”

I take a deep breath to calm my nerves. “Thank you so much for looking after him.”

He shrugs and, with great effort, lowers himself down onto the step of the entrance. “Ah, well. I’m glad someone gets to have his happy end. Been waiting for twenty years for someone to take me home.”

While I fumble with my pocket to take some cash out, I ask, “Do you remember exactly what he said when you found him?”