David makes his way to the cafeteria. He thinks about what he's gonna say. He had it kind of planned, but he doesn't anymore, because the thing he's gonna say has changed.

When he gets there, he accepts one of the little paper cups of water and downs it. Makes him feel a little better. He hadn't really realized how foggy he'd gotten.

"Um, you're not from Chicago, are you?" he asks the upperclassman who gave him the water. "D'you know any of the Chicago folks?"

"What, you looking for your big brother or something?" the upperclassman says, not unkindly. "I know them, what do you want me to tell them?"

David swallows again. "Chicago's - gone," he says hoarsely. 

The upperclassman furrows his brow. "What do you mean Chicago's gone?"

"The enclave. It's not there anymore. Neither are the kids."

"What?!"

"Have you seen anyone else coming in from Chicago?" David says dully.

"...no," he says slowly.

David splays his hands. There you go. "I lived in town. I tried to get in two different ways. It just... wasn't."

The upperclassman looks sick. "If this is some kind of, of joke," he says faintly.

"Not a joke. Tell your Chicago friends I'm over here with their letters."

He doesn't just tell his Chicago friends, of course. This is the kind of news that exists to be spread. David's relieved. He didn't want to have to say it more than once.