In Neal Shusterman's novel Dry, Alyssa, Garrett, Kelton, Jacqui, and Henry find themselves is a highly dangerous and terrifying situation. There appears to be no water at all left in California, for the state is in the midst of the “Tap-Out.” The teens are becoming severely dehydrated and desperate when they decide to drive to the San Gabriel Dam, a reservoir, in the hopes that they might find at least some water.
As they drive along, they hear music and stop the truck. Kelton goes to investigate and finds a camper and two armed men. He recognizes the danger and turns back, knowing that his group should not approach these two. Then, however, Garrett gets out of the truck and falls to the ground. Alyssa panics, and in the midst of the commotion, the untrustworthy Henry steals the keys to the truck and runs off.
Kelton hurries off after Henry, and the two strange men rush up to claim the truck. One of them takes a good look at Alyssa and decides that he wants to claim her, too. Jacqui and Garrett (who wakes up in the midst of the scuffle) try to defend Alyssa, but one of the men points his gun right at Garrett.
At that moment, Kelton returns and kills both men. The situation continues to escalate as the men's campfire burns out of control. Eventually the group is saved when a plane drops water on them, but they have all been permanently changed by their experiences during the Tap-Out.
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