One Wrong Step

By this point, Atlas and Maddie are both angry and exhausted, and they disagree about Mr. Blake’s intentions. Maddie thinks that Mr. Blake might be innocent, while Atlas is convinced that he sat alone at Camp Six without ever trying to help the others. When Atlas and Maddie reach the camp, Atlas’s suspicions seem to be confirmed by the fact that the oxygen tanks are empty and the food is gone. As they sit and rest, Maddie asks Atlas why he is always so angry. Atlas admits that he believes his father knew that his mother was going to die when they left for Kings Peak. Maddie encourages Atlas to see the situation differently, reminding him that he was able to say goodbye to his mother and that his parents were likely just trying to save him from experiencing the horror of his mother’s death in real time. Atlas realizes that he has a lot of reflecting to do. He tries to use the radio to check on the team and manages to get through to his father. Atlas is thrilled to realize that his father is alive, but all he can hear are the words “Atlas” and “hole.