Luke watches as the trees in the distance begin to fall. His mother tells him to get inside and hide, so Luke obeys. He always obeys. Luke’s family maintains a farm in the middle of the woods, but now the woods are being leveled to make room for more houses. Before going inside, Luke takes a deep breath of fresh air and worries that it may be the last time he’s ever allowed outside. 

At dinner, Luke asks why his parents chose to sell the woods around their home, but his parents clarify that it wasn’t a choice they were given. The government takes what it wants. Luke is 12 years old, but he sometimes imagines the government as a big, scary person who tells everyone else what to do. Luke asks if he’ll have to stay away from the windows once people move into the new houses, sending his father into a rant about how he should already be staying away from the windows. 

Luke doesn’t know what will happen if he’s seen, but he knows there will be consequences. Luke’s older brother Mark complains about having to take on Luke’s chores now, but their mother assures him that Luke will do what he can.