Chapters (95)
- Front Cover
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Contents
- Video #1
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Video #2
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- Thirty-Nine
- Forty
- Forty-One
- Forty-Two
- Forty-Three
- Forty-Four
- Forty-Five
- Forty-Six
- Forty-Seven
- Forty-Eight
- Forty-Nine
- Fifty
- Fifty-One
- Fifty-Two
- Fifty-Three
- Fifty-Four
- Fifty-Five
- Fifty-Six
- Fifty-Seven
- Fifty-Eight
- Fifty-Nine
- Sixty
- Sixty-One
- Sixty-Two
- Sixty-Three
- Sixty-Four
- Sixty-Five
- Video #3
- Sixty-Six
- Sixty-Seven
- Sixty-Eight
- Sixty-Nine
- Seventy
- Seventy-One
- Seventy-Two
- Seventy-Three
- Seventy-Four
- Seventy-Five
- Seventy-Six
- Seventy-Seven
- Seventy-Eight
- Seventy-Nine
- Eighty
- Eighty-One
- Eighty-Two
- Eighty-Three
- The Final Video
- Acknowledgments
- About the Author
- Back Cover
“You think this could open the floodgates?” he asks.
“I hope so.”
“Yes,” he says, sounding distracted. “I hope so, too.”
My eyes pass over every detail of the scene. If one moment came back, maybe more will if I just look hard enough. Maybe I can jump-start my memories, shock them back into my brain.
But nothing else comes to me. Just the same blackness, except for that small flash.
My fists are clenched in frustration. My fingernails dig into my palms, almost breaking the skin.
“Are you okay, Hunter?” Scott asks. “Seriously. Should you be in school? Or…”
His question brings me back to the moment. “I’m home today,” I say. “Maybe for a long time. Going to the school…with everything going on.”
“Yeah, right.” Scott sounds understanding. “Are you wondering why I’m out here?”
“No. I guess maybe you’re out here for the same reason I am.”
“I think you’re right,” Scott says. “I’m remembering Chloe. Not that night, since I can’t know what she went through, but it is a way for me to feel closer to her. This is the last place…”
He doesn’t cry or wipe at his eyes. But he does turn away from me and toward the trees. I’ve never known what to say to the man, and I really don’t now. The last time I was in his presence, his wife called me out over Chloe’s disappearance. Maybe Scott shares her opinion, but that and his grief make it difficult to think of something to say.
And I don’t want to make small talk.
“Have the police come up with anything new?” I ask.
Scott doesn’t look back at me. “Nothing. There’s never anything new. It’s all just a nightmare that doesn’t end. Like one of those dreams about falling, except this is real life and I never hit the ground.”
“I’m sorry,” I say. And I mean it.
He glances back at me. “I know you’ve been dealing with a lot, too. What Laura said the other night at that vigil…she’s…Laura is struggling with everything. It’s my job to help her through this, to protect her. To protect my family. It’s not easy. Her sister’s with her now, so I decided to take a drive. Just to have a moment.”
“Me, too.”
Scott looks at his car. “I need to get back.”
“I guess you heard about my friend Daniel.”
Now Scott turns back. “Yes, I did. I heard the two of you were close. I’m sorry.”
“Thanks.”