The Last Place on Earth (31 page)
Read The Last Place on Earth Online
Authors: Carol Snow
“And then I thought about leaving a trail of bread crumbs instead, but I figured the ducks would eat everything before we got here.”
“They would have.”
We hold each other's eyes. “So ⦠you want to go to the dance? If not, we can just stay home and watch Netflix. I'll even let you pick the movie.”
“I want to go to the dance.”
“Good.”
“You'll need to get me a corsage.”
“I can do that.”
“Okay then.”
He leans forward and touches his lips to mine. And the earth moves.
No, seriously. It moves.
“Earthquake!”
We jump apart. By the metal grate, a mallard flaps his wings as the water around him swishes back and forth and splashes onto the bank. Around the pond, other ducks awake from their naps to squawk in protest, and a few frightened coots take to the sky. A tiny wood duck rides a wave like a surfer.
The earth lurches. The earth churns. And then it stops.
Like a pendulum, the pond has found its rhythm and continues to move even after the ground has stilled. Back and forth, it sways. Back and forth. If I close my eyes, I can almost believe we are at the ocean.
“It must have been a sign,” Henry whispers.
“Of what?”
“I dunno. Of something good?”
“Or something bad.”
He takes my hand. “One of those.”
The churning in the pond slows and then stops. The coots return from the sky and land in the water, where they resume their paddling and their diving. It is like nothing has happened, and life goes on as before.
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I'VE WRITTEN FAR
too many books to have launched into this one as I did: with a few suspenseful pages and no idea whatsoever where the plot was headed. I owe a mountain of thanks to my gifted editor and dear friend, Kate Farrell, for falling in love with that brief beginning ⦠as well as for her honesty a few months later when she told me that the next sixty pages really had to goâbut not to worry because we'd figure something out. And it looks like we did.
My wonderful agent, Steph Rostan, has been involved in every phase of every book I've written, and this one was no exception. I am endlessly grateful for her support, as well as for the smart and hardworking crew at the Levine Greenberg Rostan Literary Agency. I am thankful, too, for all the people at Henry Holt Books for Young Readers for turning my messy manuscript into such a pretty book. Thanks to Rachel Murray for her attention to detail; the art department for the gorgeous cover and book design; and the eagle-eyed copy editors whose fact-checking and map-reading skills saved me from tremendous embarrassment.
Thanks to Paul Chiotti and Sue Sefcik for sharing their professional expertise; to Kim Snow for her enthusiastic early reader feedback; and to Tim Scott for backpacking with my husband so I don't have to. Next time, guys, try to remember the matches.
Finally, thanks to my family: Philip, my self-appointed target reader; Lucy, who found a new use for Kool-Aid; and Andrew, who is my everything, always.
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Carol Snow
is the author of
Bubble World
and many other books for teens. She has also written five novels for adults. Originally from New Jersey, she now lives in Southern California with her husband and their two children. Visit her at
carolsnow.com
or sign up for email updates
here
.
    
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Contents
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Copyright © 2016 by Carol Snow
Henry Holt and Company, LLC
Publishers since 1866
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The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:
Snow, Carol, 1965â
    The last place on Earth / Carol Snow.âFirst edition.
           pages   cm
    Summary: “Daisy's best friend Henry has mysteriously disappeared, leaving behind only a cryptic note”âProvided by publisher.
    ISBN 978-1-62779-039-0 (hardback)âISBN 978-1-62779-040-6 (e-book)
  [1.  Best friendsâFiction.  2.  FriendshipâFiction.  3.  LoveâFiction.  4.  SurvivalâFiction.]  I.  Title.
    PZ7.S6807Las 2016         [Fic]âdc23          2015003266
First hardcover edition 2016
eBook edition February 2016
eISBN 9781627790406