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Back This Side of Night Save as PDF
Chapters (110)
  1. Cover
  2. ALSO BY J. TODD SCOTT
  3. Dedication
  4. Epigraph
  5. PROLOGUE
  6. I
  7. II
  8. PART ONE
  9. ONE
  10. TWO
  11. THREE
  12. FOUR
  13. FIVE
  14. SIX
  15. SEVEN
  16. EIGHT
  17. NINE
  18. TEN
  19. ELEVEN
  20. TWELVE
  21. PART TWO
  22. THIRTEEN
  23. FOURTEEN
  24. FIFTEEN
  25. SIXTEEN
  26. SEVENTEEN
  27. EIGHTEEN
  28. NINETEEN
  29. TWENTY
  30. TWENTY-ONE
  31. TWENTY-TWO
  32. TWENTY-THREE
  33. TWENTY-FOUR
  34. TWENTY-FIVE
  35. TWENTY-SIX
  36. TWENTY-SEVEN
  37. TWENTY-EIGHT
  38. TWENTY-NINE
  39. THIRTY
  40. THIRTY-ONE
  41. THIRTY-TWO
  42. THIRTY-THREE
  43. THIRTY-FOUR
  44. THIRTY-FIVE
  45. THIRTY-SIX
  46. THIRTY-SEVEN
  47. THIRTY-EIGHT
  48. THIRTY-NINE
  49. PART THREE
  50. FORTY
  51. FORTY-ONE
  52. FORTY-TWO
  53. FORTY-THREE
  54. FORTY-FOUR
  55. FORTY-FIVE
  56. FORTY-SIX
  57. FORTY-SEVEN
  58. FORTY-EIGHT
  59. FORTY-NINE
  60. FIFTY
  61. FIFTY-ONE
  62. FIFTY-TWO
  63. FIFTY-THREE
  64. FIFTY-FOUR
  65. FIFTY-FIVE
  66. FIFTY-SIX
  67. FIFTY-SEVEN
  68. FIFTY-EIGHT
  69. FIFTY-NINE
  70. SIXTY
  71. SIXTY-ONE
  72. PART FOUR
  73. SIXTY-TWO
  74. SIXTY-THREE
  75. SIXTY-FOUR
  76. SIXTY-FIVE
  77. SIXTY-SIX
  78. SIXTY-SEVEN
  79. SIXTY-EIGHT
  80. SIXTY-NINE
  81. SEVENTY
  82. SEVENTY-ONE
  83. SEVENTY-TWO
  84. SEVENTY-THREE
  85. SEVENTY-FOUR
  86. SEVENTY-FIVE
  87. SEVENTY-SIX
  88. SEVENTY-SEVEN
  89. SEVENTY-EIGHT
  90. SEVENTY-NINE
  91. EIGHTY
  92. EIGHTY-ONE
  93. EIGHTY-TWO
  94. EIGHTY-THREE
  95. EIGHTY-FOUR
  96. EPILOGUE
  97. I
  98. II
  99. III
  100. IV
  101. V
  102. VI
  103. VII
  104. AUTHOR’S NOTE
  105. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  106. Excerpt from LOST RIVER
  107. LITTLE PARIS
  108. DILLON
  109. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  110. What’s next onyour reading list?

Amador moved their one tiny TV in for them to watch, alone, but Chayo only searched for American shows, like the ones Neva had talked about before. They lay there together in the TV’s faint glow, let it flicker over them like the light of faraway stars, and he whispered to her for hours. Stories about growing up in Blanco and fishing with his papa, and the smell of blood from a newly birthed calf; how it was always his job to help the animal stand on its spindly legs, and the sound of its first live breaths against his chest.

Eating fresh zarca, pulling it apart with his fingers beneath a midday sun, and the way the juice stained his fingers for days.

Drinking from a well his uncle had dug, how the water from it was always so cold and came from a deep part of the earth that no one had ever seen. He had believed there was something magical about it and maybe there was.

Smelling the stew his mama would make from xoconostle peels that was sweet and sour and burned all the way down his throat.

When Neva had first walked up to the bus—smiling, laughing—he’d thought to himself that he’d carry her all the way to Chihuahua City and back, to be with her. And although he’d carried her through the streets to safety, until his arms and his legs and his heart had nearly given out, he understood now that he still hadn’t carried her far enough.

He had many, many more miles to go.

All the while he was telling her stories, he was also watching the TV; all those bright and beautiful images of another world, another place. Somewhere safe, where she’d always wanted to be.

He left their darkened room long enough to talk to Amador, to explain what he wanted to do, and ask Amador if he could help him. There were a few things he needed, and although he’d already asked too much of the couple, and probably put them both in danger, there was no one else.

There was no other way.

Amador sat silent for a long, long time, before finally nodding.

When he told Carmelita what Chayo was planning, the old woman started to cry.

—

CHAYO HELD NEVA’S HAND in his own and told her one final story.

About a boy and a beautiful girl and a long, hard journey. But the girl didn’t have to worry, the boy would carry her the whole way if he had to.

Neva couldn’t speak, but she didn’t have to, either.

Her eyes said everything, and Chayo understood.

SEVEN

America was exhausted, mentally and physically, but she couldn’t leave the bodies behind, so she accompanied them up to the Hancock Hill Medical Center.