It always surprises Tess how friendly people can be here. Or maybe "friendly" is the wrong word –– friendliness itself certainly isn't dead in her time, just a little more cautious. What's really dead in her world is a sense of community, the kind that prompts complete strangers to reach out to each other, and that's why Tess looks up at Elena with a guarded look.

"No," she says, after a beat. She sits up a little straighter and takes her feet down from the adjacent chair. "You need a light or something?"