When the farm the Lisa and Nela were establishing came to an untimely end, Lisa and her child, Enela, attempted to flee back to the butte. After a long cross-country trek, she had the butte in sight. At that moment she was struck by a semi driven by Joe Carpenter. Joe discovered that Nela's baby had survived the accident and took her home to live with him and his wife. When Mary discovered that Nela was not the sweet little human baby she originally thought she was, life became very strained in the Carpenter household. At first Nela spent her time learning about humans and the typical human environment. She had several interesting adventures and gained the knowledge she would later require to save the Elder people from utter destruction. After several years with the Carpenters, Nela was faced with a situation too terrible to endure. She was forced to make a decision that could lead to her ultimate death or permanent confinement.