Neighbors Mocked Him For Building An Underground Room, Then They Looked Inside

Raising the blockade

That afternoon, Eli saw Mr. Crane hammering rough wooden panels onto their shared fence to make it even higher; the action completely blocked the view into the backyard.

The boards were uneven and nailed in a hurry, a telling of how fidgety his neighbor was. Mr. Crane wanted to shut everyone out, but it only made Eli more determined.