Demon reflects on choosing sobriety as a daily act, beginning with detox and learning proper Suboxone use before moving into a Knoxville sober living home. He spends off-hours at the Halley Library, navigates frequent relapses around him, and recognizes how easily tests and triggers topple people. He notes Maggot’s path through juvenile detention—both feared and helpful—and that Maggot is now out, living with Mariah in Bristol.

He finds anchors in housemates Viking and Gizmo, rural Kentuckians also trying to stay clean, and in Chartrain, a Knoxville native, wheelchair basketball star, and generous guide. Chartrain teaches the city habit of saving one’s “juice,” conserving attention for people who matter, which helps Demon endure sirens, crowds, and constant need on display. Demon works Walmart produce, while Viking and Gizmo shoulder warehouse jobs; he protects his knee and avoids the smoking room’s temptations.

Through Chartrain’s story—combat injuries, loss, and relentless drive—Demon learns resilience by example. Viking copes with oxy-induced hearing loss and hopes sobriety will restore it so he can hear his baby say “Daddy.” Gizmo struggles with guilt from a fatal crash and a girlfriend in prison. Their shared losses redefine what recovery can still salvage.

City life unsettles Demon: locked doors, sirens, and a sky without stars. He mourns the missing soundtrack of home—birds, insects, seasons—and recognizes differences between city “money economy” hunger and mountain “land economy” mutual aid. He accepts that both places demand hustle but require different survival skills.

In emails, Tommy immerses in Appalachian history and argues how rural self-reliance is mocked in national caricatures. Demon counters that neither system is superior, only different. Their Red Neck strip is paused under a contract clause, and Demon keeps building the habits, friendships, and language to stay alive and sober.