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psychic readings?”
    â€œBased on the way she’s dressed, she’s probably here for the same reason we are,” I said.
    â€œThat’s weird,” Jenna said.
    â€œNot really,” I said. “I mean, people who live in New Orleans are working to rebuild it, too.”
    â€œStill, a psychic,” Jenna said. “Do you think she’ll let us know if she gets bad vibes?”
    Before I could respond, the guy on the ladder clapped his hands. “All right, people! I need your attention!”
    Everyone stopped talking and edged up closer.
    The guy clapped his hands again. “I’m John. And this house is our project.” He pointed toward the house behind him. “Working together, we’re going to gut it, then rebuild it.”
    Gut it. That sounded so harsh.
    â€œGutting should take only a couple of days. We’re going to move everything out, put it at the edge of the street so we can haul it away. We’re going to remove the walls, the windows, the doors. The only thing we’ll leave is what remains of the frame.”
    We’ll be able to do all that in a couple of days? I thought. Amazing.
    â€œThe woman who lives here is staying with her parents right now. She’s already taken all that’s salvageable, so anything else—just move it to the curb. Be sure to gear up. We have hardhats, safety goggles, and dust masks over there. Work together and be really careful because you don’t know what you’re going to find hidden beneath all this stuff.”
    Hidden? A shiver went through me. Saraphina had said I’d find something hidden.
    â€œAny questions, people?” Without hesitating a beat, he clapped his hands three times. “Then let’s go!”
    â€œI had a question,” Amber said.
    â€œDid you really?” I asked.
    She smiled. “No, but he didn’t even give us a chance to ask one if we did.”
    â€œGuess he’s anxious for us to get started.” I caught a glimpse of Jenna off to the side, talking on her phone. I took out the work gloves that I’d stuffed into my jeans pocket earlier. Ms. Wynder had given us tips for how we needed to prepare for this summer of labor. She’d done it last year as well, so she knew what was useful and what to expect. I tugged on the gloves, grateful that I had them. Jenna came back over. She and Amber tugged on their gloves.
    Then we walked over to get the rest ofour equipment. A line had already formed. Probably two dozen people were here, many already starting to walk by with their gear in place.
    â€œDoes a hard hat leave a hard-hat line around your head when you take it off?” I asked.
    â€œWhat does it matter?” Jenna asked. “You’re not trying to impress anyone.”
    â€œStill, with all the gear, we’re going to look like we’re going into a contaminated zone.”
    â€œWe probably are—with the mold and stuff,” Amber said.
    Once we were properly geared up, we grabbed one of the wheelbarrows at the edge of the property and rolled it closer to the house.
    â€œWhy don’t you girls pick up some of the loose debris that’s still around the house?” John asked.
    I saluted him. He grinned.
    â€œYou okay with us just tossing stuff off the porch and letting you take care of it?” he asked.
    â€œWorks for me,” I said.
    â€œGood. I love a can-do attitude.”
    He walked into the house and several people tromped in after him. Amber, Jenna, and I began gathering any broken and rotting pieces of wood that hadn’t yet been hauled to the curb. Beneath one board, we found a doll’s head, which made us sad thinking of a little girl without her doll.
    John came outside and tossed what looked like molding cushions onto the ground.
    â€œDid a little girl live here?” I asked.
    He glanced over at me. “Yeah, she’s fine. There are two girls, actually. They’re with their