I finally got up my nerve on the last day of school, urged on by John, and I asked Pauline if she’d like to go to the movies with me over summer vacation. Her name was Pauline Genero and she was so pretty, it made my mouth go dry, just looking at her. There was this girl at El Camino, my school. Alex’s mom is my mom’s sister, so I guess this was supposed to be our way of helping out.Īnd then, and this was actually the all-time worst, Alex had spoiled a major summer hope of mine. The parents were getting a divorce now…a difficult divorce, my mom called it. Two years ago his dad went off and left Alex and his mom.

Mark’s, and he’d actually believe a werewolf was really nice and only needed some normal living.

He just needs some normal living.ĭad is pastor of our community church, St. He’s been having such a bad time at home, he said. So everything was messed up.Īnd then, just to make it worse, Dad asked me to be especially nice to Alex. And of course my parents said I couldn’t just go off and leave him here alone. But I know you and John can handle camping. She was responsible for him and he was only twelve. At first we thought we might still go and take Alex. We were going to camp along the banks, fish, snare rabbits and live off the land. Because of him my friend John Sun and I couldn’t go downriver on the trip we’d been planning all year.

He’d only been with us a week when I discovered that he’s a whiner and a show-off and I think probably a big liar, too. First and worst, my cousin Alex had come up from Los Angeles to spend the summer in Rivertown. The summer wasn’t turning out the way I’d planned. Or am I blaming the Blackwater when I should be blaming myself? CHAPTER 1 I didn’t know there would be deaths, and disgrace and misery, and that the river would be to blame for it all. I always knew how terrible it could be, but I didn’t know how, one summer, it would change my life. My parents taught me to respect the Blackwater. I’ve seen it run gently and I’ve seen it angry and hateful. I’ve lived with that river for thirteen years, ever since I was born. THE BLACKWATER RIVER flows through our town.

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