Rhett pushed open the creaky door and stepped into the dark hut.
The boy tried to stand, shielding his sister. "Leave! I won't take your poison! And you won't take my sister!"
Rhett stopped. "The minister is dead. I killed him."
They stared.
"I can cure you. It will hurt. More than now."
"I don't trust you."
"You don't have to. I'm not here to convince you. I'm giving you a choice. Yes or no."
The boy looked at his sister, at his shaking hands. He remembered wanting to sell her for more of the drug. He made his choice.
"Yes."
The mist took him. He screamed.
The girl watched, helpless.
The mist faded. The boy lay still, weak but clear-eyed.
"Sister..."
They held each other.
Joy Boy smiled. "Great! Let's save everyone!"
"No."
"Why? We can help them!"
"Because they don't want to be saved. They've given up. They're empty. One person with a will to live is worth saving. The rest? Not my problem. You can try, if you want."
Rhett turned to the girl, poking her cheek.
He remembered a saying: A flower blooms when it's ready.