"Eyes gleam in dark, and Harlow throws herself backward before she puts the face and the voice together, before she understands it's her mom shaking her awake...
There isn't time for her to think. There never is. It doesn't matter: they've done this so many times now that Harlow is an expert at packing without thinking too much."
As far back as Harlow (17) can remember it's always been her and her mother against the world. Or at least the mysterious being they flee every few months. Although she has begun to suspect that her mom is paranoid, whenever Cora says it's time to go she speed packs her few possessions and gets in the car, ready to head off into the night to the next town where she'll have to assume a new name and identity and not let anyone get too close.
But this night is different. A truck smashes into their car. Her dying mother tells her about a safety deposit box in a nearby bank.
"'Just go,' her mother rasps. 'It has. Everything you need. You have to go now. Listen to me. Keep running. Don't ever stop. And don't look back. Just go."
When Harlow opens the safe deposit box she finds a huge wad of cash, a bundle of fake IDs, a will, life insurance papers, a deed to a house in the possession of a Cora Kennedy, a newspaper clipping about the disappearance of an Eve Kennedy whose three daughters remain hopeful that she'll be found, and old photographs of three teenage girls, one of whom Harlow recognizes as her mother.
"Now there is a missing mother, and two sisters whose existence her mother never even hinted at, and a place that it seems her mom set off from first, so many years ago. It's the most she's ever had to go on."
Hoping that she'll be able to finally get answers to the questions that have haunted her for most of her life, Harlow drives to Crescent Ridge, moves into the little house in the woods, and starts asking questions...
...which is risky business. Mom was not paranoid. An evil person is honing in on her location...
...and this time she may not be able to escape.
Hard core chiller affecianados will find And Don't Look Back to be a real treat.
On a purrrsonal note, here in Central Maine the high temperatures are predicted to be in the high 30s. Compared to what they've been recently it feels like a heat wave. Since I'm working at home one more day unless weather goes rapidly downhill I'll supplement my stationery biking with a mid day outside walk. I've been thinking of something safe to eat on nights when I serve Eugene stuff like pork that is a little less plain than sugarless yogurt. My kids are all vegetarians. I was one for ten years until I was having trouble donating blood because of low iron but iron pills upset my stomach. Anyway I mentioned to Amber that now that I'm not donating (I quit after giving 10 gallons) bean based veggie meats might be an option. She sent me info. This looks very promising. I'll see what local stores have when I go on my self designed nutrition field trip.
I'm also thinking of the research I did awhile ago on entomorphagy which is insect eating which is practiced in much of the world. Insects have more vitamins and protein than beef or pork and are much more environment friendly. And in my opinion insects taste just fine.
A great big shout out goes out to Amber who provides me with lots of good information.
Sent from my U.S.Cellular© Smartphone
