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Back Atlanta Burns Save as PDF
Chapters (50)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Page
  3. Dedication Page
  4. CONTENTS
  5. PART ONE: SHOTGUN GRAVY
  6. Sometimes she wakes…
  7. CHAPTER ONE
  8. CHAPTER TWO
  9. CHAPTER THREE
  10. CHAPTER FOUR
  11. CHAPTER FIVE
  12. CHAPTER SIX
  13. CHAPTER SEVEN
  14. CHAPTER EIGHT
  15. CHAPTER NINE
  16. CHAPTER TEN
  17. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  18. PART TWO: BAIT DOG
  19. CHAPTER TWELVE
  20. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  21. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  22. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  23. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  24. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  25. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  26. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  27. CHAPTER TWENTY
  28. PART THREE: THE FARM
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  30. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  31. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  32. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  33. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  34. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  35. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  36. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
  37. PART FOUR: KISSING FIRE
  38. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
  39. CHAPTER THIRTY
  40. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
  41. CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
  42. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
  43. PART FIVE: BAIT GIRL
  44. CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
  45. CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
  46. CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
  47. CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
  48. EPILOGUE: THE MESSAGE
  49. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  50. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

She paces the house for a while, the dog trotting in her wake. Afternoon fades and evening steps in, and at a certain point Atlanta is surprised to discover she wants her mother. Wants to see her, wants to talk to her, wants her to make pancakes, because hell if a stack of Mama’s pancakes isn’t the most comforting thing in the world. Like a golden pillow slathered in warm, buttery syrup. Atlanta goes to the fridge to see if they have the fixings for just such a golden pillow. It’s there on the fridge that she finds the note.

It’s in her mother’s handwriting and it’s held fast to the fridge by a Dunkin’ Donuts magnet. The note reads:

Atlanta

Gone for few days. Cousin Harley is down in Richmond and hes a lawyer now so I’m visit with him to help with forclosure prob.

Luv

Mama

Atlanta plucks the message. Reads it a few more times just to make sure she gets it.

She should be happy about this. House to herself, for one thing. But more importantly, if the Mountain Man comes looking for his dog or the Nazi shitbirds come home to roost, Mama won’t be standing underneath the sky when it comes falling down.

But that’s not how Atlanta really feels. What she feels is anger at her mother running away. And sadness over being alone. And above all else, fear. She’s scared of what’s coming, scared of having to face it all by herself. Just once she’d like to be a little girl again, crawling up into her mother’s lap and watching television and eating M&Ms and popcorn out of a big bowl. That can’t happen. Not now, maybe never again. It’s hard realizing your parent is just another crazy, screwed-up human being.

Just like everyone else ever.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

The next day, Mama calls, and Atlanta thinks to yell at her, to open up with not one barrel but two, but somehow she just doesn’t have it in her. Day after the mess at the Farm and Atlanta’s feeling sore all over. Groggy, too. Like she was a little bit drunk. Or maybe like she was chained up to a metal pole and hit in the back with a canine tranquilizer.

Instead she just tells her mother everything’s fine, it’s quiet, no problem.

It’s not fine. Atlanta’s twitchy now. A shoot-out will do that to you. She keeps thinking she sees movement by the windows—just a shape, just a blur—but nobody’s ever there. Sometimes when the house is quiet she suddenly hears breaking glass or the bang of a gun, but it’s all in her head. Shakes her up just the same.