The World Beneath: Initiation

Carl’s life is small on purpose: work at Darbys, sleep on Granny B’s pullout couch, keep moving, and do not ask for more than the day can survive. Then his dog talks, a hidden layer of Galesburg opens under his feet, and one bad confrontation drags him into a buried world of companions, routes, marks, and violent local pressures. With a corgi, a feral cat, a frantic genius squirrel, and one impossible watch, Carl has to learn fast: he cannot protect the whole town, but he might be able to hold his block.