The Choices of a Knife
- Todd is suddenly pinned to a tree by a horribly maimed Aaron, who has somehow escaped from the crocodiles. This guy just doesn't quit, now does he?
- Todd is being held so tightly that he feels like he's dying, until Manchee cuts in just in time, sinking his teeth into Aaron's leg.
- Once they've broken apart, Aaron panics and asks about the "sign," which is another thing that Todd doesn't understand. And then they both realize that the girl is gone.
- The girl must be the sign, then, and she also must be the real reason that the town is freaking out—not just from the hold in the Noise.
- Todd does some quick thinking: Maybe the town can get ahold of the girl and leave him and his family alone. Yeah, it's not exactly a heroic thought process.
- Fortunately, though, Todd changes his mind quickly when he hears a piercing scream and realizes that Aaron has caught the girl. He hears Aaron's noise in snippets about a "holy saint" and "sacrifice" and realizes dude's going to kill her.
- Todd gets his knife to kill Aaron, though he really doesn't want to have to do so. He starts bracing himself, but Aaron gets to him first, pushing him underwater.
- Todd breaks free, and after bashing Aaron's head with a rock, the girl hands him the knife.
- Todd tries to work up the courage to use the knife and kill Aaron… but he can't do it. He has a revelation: The knife is a choice. He can decide to kill Aaron with it, but the decision means a lot of responsibility. He knows that Aaron doesn't have long left to live, and he doesn't have to become a killer.
- So instead, Todd turns to Manchee and the girl and tells them that they have to move on.