“Ran, are you ok?” Clara asked, pulling back her hood to reveal her face, an oval of black makeup surrounding her black eyes.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine,” he said, his voice a rough whisper. “Just get these things out of me.”

She looked at the rest of his body and began to expertly remove the stalks of bamboo. “What did they do to you?” she said.

“I’m ok, now that you’re here.” He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, wanting just a moment of rest before he would have to rise to his feat to begin their escape.