His Rebellion Will Soon Turn to Hope   When Chris Buckley first encountered the mysteries of creepy Solitary, North Carolina, he had little idea how far he would fall into the town’s shadows. After losing the love of his life, Chris tried to do things his way. He hunted answers. Then he gave up trying to find them.   But now Chris comes back to Solitary knowing there’s a purpose for his being there. As he watches his place in a twisted and evil bloodline become clear, Chris waits for the last battle—and wonders who will be left when he finally makes his stand.   The fourth and final book in the Solitary Tales shines light into deep darkness as Chris’s journey to Solitary comes to a dramatic close. Critically acclaimed and creatively diverse novelist Travis Thrasher is the author of more than twenty novels, including the novelization of Home Run : The Movie , The Solitary Tales, Isolation and Ghostwriter. Writing stories that move, haunt, and provoke readers, Thrasher tells tales in a variety of genres. He lives with his wife and three daughters in a suburb of Chicago. HURT A NOVEL By TRAVIS THRASHER David C. Cook Copyright © 2013 Travis Thrasher All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-4347-6416-4 Contents Cover, Preface, 1. Joyful and Lovely, 2. Dark Outside, 3. Five Months, 4. The Only Battle, 5. Concrete, 6. Figuring It Out, 7. Like a Disney Movie, 8. Ray of Light, 9. M&Ms, 10. When You Smile, 11. In the End, 12. The Joker, 13. Vessel, 14. Help, 15. A Little Guidance, 16. Friday Night, 17. Someone Else's Story, 18. Ryan Gosling, 19. The Wizard of Oz, 20. Sap, 21. Ridiculous Timing, 22. About Time, 23. The Movie I'm In, 24. The Bridge, 25. Some Kind of Hero, 26. A Sliver of Sunlight, 27. Whole, 28. Faith, 29. The Ticking Clock, 30. A Gift Returned, 31. Totally and Completely, 32. The Great Below, 33. Not So Good, 34. Restlessness, 35. Freedom, 36. Nothing to Fear, 37. The Terrible Beauty of Being a Teen, 38. Mounds, 39. A Sign, 40. My Prayer, 41. Hurley's Numbers, 42. Lost for the Moment, 43. Drum Song, 44. Head Over Heels, 45. Broken, 46. 1820, 47. A Light Blue Nightmare, 48. Babysitter, 49. Solitary for Starters, 50. A Smell, a Taste, a Touch, 51. Hundred-Year-Old Grandmother, 52. Strong, 53. Soon, My Friend, 54. More to Say, 55. Messed Up, 56. Help, 57. Armor, 58. The Conversation, 59. Surprises, 60. Strength, 61. Serious, 62. A Mess, 63. The Sun and the Rainfall, 64. What Comes Around Goes Around, 65. A Brief Lull, 66. Bummer, 67. Action, 68. The Balloon, 69. Stuck, 70. The Memories You Try to Bury, 71. Uh Huh, 72. Weird and Surprising, 73. Prayers, 74. Freeze, 75. Nowhere Fast, 76. Magical, 77. Midnight, 78. Heading In, 79. A Familiar Face, 80. Protection, 81. Sweet Dreams, 82. Monster Story, 83. Peace, 84. Lovely, 85. The Third Passage, 86. Driver's Test, 87. Start of the Breakdown, 88. The Wheel Goes Round and Round, 89. What Is Imagined and What Is Real, 90. Question Marks or Bite Marks?, 91. A Night of Romance and Mystery, 92. Tightening, 93. Return of the Beast, 94. What's Your Deal?, 95. Sweet Dreams Part 2, 96. Something Else for the Scrapbook, 97. Getting Out, 98. This Jerk, 99. No Light, No Light, 100. Sæglópur (Do You Understand?), 101. End Theme, 102. The Most Beautiful Song on Your Playlist, 103. Now We Are Free, 104. My Son, 105. How You Carry On, 106. Tick of the Clock, 107. One Final Postcard, 108. Going Away for Good, 109. Rabbit Hole, 110. Something I Should've Done, 111. Fixed, 112. Come Alive, 113. Alone, 114. Promise (1), 115. Promise (2), 116. The Thinner the Air, 117. New Surroundings, 118. Facing the Grave, 119. The Pretty Picture in Front of You, 120. Again, 121. The End, 122. All the Difference, 123. Life and Death, 124. Is Your Love Strong Enough?, 125. Maker and Judge, 126. Coming Out Party, 127. Well, It's About Time, 128. The Road Never Traveled, 129. Waiting to Exhale, 130. True Faith, 131. Triumph, 132. Asleep, 133. Just Like Heaven, 134. The Living Proof, 135. Crystal Clear, 136. Solitary, 137. All Flowers in Time, 138. Tornado, 139. Somebody, AfterWords, CHAPTER 1 Joyful and Lovely The first thing I see when I unlock the front door to the cabin and turn on the light is Lily. I freeze and clutch Midnight a bit too tight. Lily is dead. I saw her die with my own eyes. I can still close them and picture her body in the woods after the car she was driving took a sharp turn over a mountainside and ejected her. I still feel fortunate I was wearing a seat belt, but when I think of Lily, that word doesn't come to mind. Regret is more like it. I shut my eyes as I hear Mr. Page's truck backing out of the driveway and heading back home. I know I'm just seeing things. It's just the stress of having flown back from Chicago with Kelsey and somehow managing to keep the truth from both her and my father