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Chapters (42)
  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Dedication
  5. Epigraph
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. Acknowledgments
  40. Discover More
  41. About the Author
  42. Also by Richard Lange

Edgar puts the car in reverse and hits the gas. The back bumper shatters Jesse’s left knee. He falls to the ground, and the Galaxie crushes his right ankle as it rolls on top of him. The car stops then, but Jesse’s stomach is against the muffler. The hot steel sears his flesh. That’s what finally starts him screaming.

He’s still screaming when Edgar shifts into drive and takes off. His shirt catches on the bumper, and he’s dragged out into the road before the fabric tears and he skids to a stop. The Galaxie speeds away, its taillights visible long after the sound of the engine has faded.

30

30

THE LITTLE DEVIL STARTS IN AS SOON AS JESSE SPRINGS ME FROM the camper after he and Mr. Sanders come back from the red arrow motel. He don’t care nothing about you, he says. He killed Abby. He tried to kill you. You can’t trust him. He keeps spitting poison until I fall asleep in Mr. Sanders’s room. Ruins my hamburgers ruins my French fries.

I wake up thinking about Abby. When I recall what happened to her I feel like crying. I feel like taking a knife to Jesse and dusting him. Do it! the Little Devil whispers. I turn on The Brady Bunch to drown him out. Mr. Sanders is writing in his book. He says, Do you have to play it so loud? He’d best watch himself or I’ll off him too.

Soon as Jesse gets up he tells me to pack my bag we’re moving on. Stacking the little I have left in my grip steams me even more. There’s my cards but I want my checkers. There’s my dinosaurs but I want my sword.

We’re going to Seattle. They got Brakeman Bill there and JP Patches and Gertrude. The new car Jesse stole is a Galaxie. A galaxy is stars you need a telescope to see. I looked at the moon with a telescope. There’s a face on it. Sometimes the moon’s out during the day. What you call a Judas moon. Judas betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. Jesse betrayed me for a piece of ass.

A&W ain’t gonna make up for that. Every time I look at Jesse I get mad all over again. He goes to pee and I slide over and start the car. Drive off, the Little Devil says, get away. Jesse comes back before I make up my mind. He yells at me in front of the waitress girl.