Excerpt of Included!

CHAPTER28Isat up fast. Dead-of-night darkness spilled through the window, and with itcame the taint of smoke. I shook Grace. “Get up,” I said.“What is it?”“You smell that?”She reached for a lamp. “Don’t,” I said. I swung my legs over the bed andpulled on pants, snatched up my shoes. Grace climbed out, too. “Get dressed.”Grace ran for her clothes and I passed down the dark hall, out onto theporch, the screen door screeching like a night bird. A solid black sky presseddown: no stars, no moon. The wind came over the hilltop, the charred smell sofaint I could almost miss it. Then the wind gusted and brought smoke thickenough to taste. When Grace came out, seconds later, she was dressed andready. “What are we doing?” she asked. I pointed north, where sudden orangestained the bottoms of low clouds.“Get in the car.”I flung gravel as I slammed the pedal down, fishtailed out of the drive. Weraced down a dark tunnel, Grace’s hand clenched on my shoulder. As we256