Amari revives from the severe whipping. “For three days she hovered between the darkness and the light” (149). She awakens to find Polly nursing her wounds. Amari remembers that Mr. Derby ordered her to work in the rice fields, and their plan to avoid this is to quietly heal out of sight in the hopes that he will forget the order. Mrs. Derby comes to visit Amari daily, apologizing for how Mr. Derby treated her.

Teenie, while visiting her, tells Amari that she has a strong spirit. Amari says “Sometimes spirit die” (154).

Clay comes into Teenie’s house and takes Tidbit; he says he’s going to be needing “gator bait” this afternoon and Tidbit is the perfect size. Clay orders Amari to come along as well because he wants his “friends to see what [he] got for his birthday” (156). Teenie begs Clay to leave Tidbit alone.

When they arrive at the river, one of Clay’s friends harasses Amari. Clay jumps between them, shouting to his friend that Amari is his possession. “Amari couldn’t understand why Clay acted as if he was proud of her, showing her off to his friends” (159).