Matt

They were too big and too round, and the pupils seemed to bleed into the surrounding iris.

Even though the photo quality was bad, they seemed to stare straight ahead.

Not at the camera, not at the fire, but out.

At us.

On the bottom of the photo, in the same black ink, someone had written, It can come as any of you.

Okay, Miguel said.

So, uh, fun question.

How sure are we that we're all actually us right now?

It should have been the kind of joke he'd make normally, but his voice cracked on the last word.

I looked at him, then at Ryan.

Ryan looked back at both of us in the rearview mirror.

None of us said anything for a long moment.

Then Ryan forced a laugh that sounded like it hurt.

You've been with me since we left the house, he said, and I've been with you.

If something swapped one of us out, when would it even have done it, while we were all right there together?

Miguel opened his mouth, closed it, and then said, "'What about last night?'

We all thought of the same thing.

Miguel going to pee, his footprints ending in the wash, the voice behind me.

I looked at Miguel.

He caught my glance and bristled a little.