The Killing of the Roadagent

The man shoots and kills a roadagent who threatens the boy.

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The Ambush

The Confrontation The Truck People They hear a diesel truck approach. Men in the truck, some with rifles. The man and boy hide. One of the men comes into the woods to relieve himself. The man holds him at gunpoint. The Struggle The roadagent tries to use the boy as a shield. The man shoots him in the forehead. The boy is covered in blood. The man carries him and runs. The Flight They run through the woods, the boy mute. They hide under a bridge. The man washes the brains out of the boy's hair. He says, 'This is my child. I wash a dead man's brains out of his hair. That is my job.'

The Aftermath

The Trauma The Boy's Silence The boy does not speak for a while. The man tries to comfort him. The boy eventually says he is talking now. The Code The man tells the boy they are still the good guys. The boy asks if they are carrying the fire. The man says yes. The Lesson The boy learns that the world is violent, but he has a father who will protect him. The killing is a turning point; the boy sees his father's capacity for violence.

early in the journey

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