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Back The Year the Maps Changed Save as PDF
Chapters (75)
  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Dedication
  4. Epigraph
  5. Map
  6. Prologue
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. 64
  71. 65
  72. 66
  73. Acknowledgments
  74. About the Author
  75. About the Publisher

“Get Sam, go next door, I’ll call as soon as I can,” he said, and then I was slamming Anika’s door shut and walking down our driveway, shivering in the cold night as I watched their headlights trail down our street and then disappear around the first bend.

I swear I only stood there for a second or two, listening to my breath all ragged as it came out, like I’d just run cross-country . . . and then I turned around and ran back into the house to find Sam standing at the end of the hall, in the middle of Anika and Luca’s doorway with his arms hanging limp by his sides as he looked into their room.

I walked slowly toward Sam and stopped behind him to see what had him shaking like that.

There was blood on the sheets.

So dark it was nearly black, and pooling right where Anika slept.

And then I was grabbing Sam by his shoulders and hauling him back, turning the light off again and swinging the door shut.

“Put your shoes and a coat on. We’re going next door!”

And to my surprise, Sam did exactly that.

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24

Nearly Impossible

I’d spent the night on the floor of Lily’s room—not sleeping—while Sam stayed in Jed’s room. In the morning Luca called Vi to say everything was okay. Anika was tired and sore and staying in the hospital to make sure Drumlin wouldn’t try to come again before it was time.

When I’d asked to speak to Luca, Vi said he had to go, and she hung up the phone. I asked if Sam and I could go to the hospital, but Vi said we had school and that Luca had insisted we go.

“I think Sam’s very shaken up,” Vi said, and I leaned forward and looked sideways to see Sam wiping his snotty nose on his pajama sleeve as he sat next to Jed at their kitchen table. “I think school would take his mind off things, and you keeping a close eye on him today would be good.”

Vi drove us and even hopped out of the car to talk to Mr. Khouri in private. That was kind of embarrassing but also made my chest feel a little lighter. She gave Sam and me a kiss on our foreheads, same as she gave Jed, and I tugged on her arm as she turned to leave.

“Vi . . .” I whispered, so Sam wouldn’t hear. She crouched down to me. “Anika and Luca’s bed. There was all this . . .” But I couldn’t say the word blood; it just wouldn’t pass my lips. And I didn’t know how to explain that I kept imagining Anika or Luca coming home to see it all, the sheets still black and ruined, and that we couldn’t let that happen.