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Back The Hallows Save as PDF
Chapters (89)
  1. TITLE PAGE
  2. COPYRIGHT PAGE
  3. DEDICATION
  4. CONTENTS
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. 64
  69. 65
  70. 66
  71. 67
  72. 68
  73. 69
  74. 70
  75. 71
  76. 72
  77. 73
  78. 74
  79. 75
  80. 76
  81. 77
  82. 78
  83. 79
  84. 80
  85. 81
  86. 82
  87. 83
  88. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  89. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

“I did.” I looked around the house one more time, thinking I’d feel something. Some tug of regret. I felt nothing.

“Take care,” I said.

“Wait, wait,” Sarah said, coming up and touching my arm. “What are you doing, Tatum? This is ridiculous. Do you want to take a vacation? I’m happy to take some time and go with you. Tim said take as much time as you need and you’ll always be welcome back. I mean, when I called you down to the scene, I didn’t think this was what was going to happen. I just wanted to show you . . . I don’t know.”

I leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. “Goodbye, Sarah.”

“Wait, when will you be back?”

“I won’t. Hope you find what you’re looking for in life. I mean that.”

I got into my Tesla, rolled down the windows, and drove away, leaving Sarah standing by the front door watching me.

8

8

I drove out of Miami and contemplated where to go next. Though I ran some places through in my head, my thoughts kept returning to that sparkly pink nail polish. And that led only one place: a place I hadn’t been in nineteen years. The memories weren’t exactly pleasant, but as I drove out of Florida, I realized I didn’t have anywhere else to go. I had no close relationships, no real friends. Only then did it hit me how much I had let success seclude me from everyone.

I stopped only to gas up and sleep in whatever hotel was nearest the freeway off-ramps. As I drove into Utah a couple of days later, my guts were in knots, and I had to roll down the windows and let the air hit my face. It was dry and hot, but there was no hint of smog to it. No metallic taste of exhaust, no scent of the poison that constantly pumped into the air in Miami.

River Falls was right over the Nevada-Utah border, about an hour from Las Vegas. It was one of those small towns that had been set up for some mining operation or around a large factory, and the residents had put down roots and stayed long after the industry they’d been hired by had moved on.

A white and yellow sign said, WELCOME TO RIVER FALLS! Usually towns bragged about something they were known for. Even Beaver, Utah, one of the least populated cities in the nation, had a welcome sign that read, HOME OF THE BEST WATER IN THE COUNTRY. River Falls didn’t boast anything.

To my utter shock, the town looked . . . essentially the same. A couple of new convenience stores and a coffee shop that wasn’t there before, but other than that, it hadn’t really changed. A freaking time capsule.