Pages 1 - 50 Summary

As the story opens, Paul and his mother are preparing to set out for Florida from their home in Houston. The house has been sold and Paul notes that his mother wants to go back through the house to be sure absolutely nothing is left behind.

Part one begins with an entry dated Friday, August 18. Paul says that his mother takes on the move from Houston to Florida as she would have a "military operation." She calculates the exact time it will take to cover the distance and figures in the stops they'll make for gas so that they leave at six in the morning in Houston and arrive at nine that night in Tangerine County, Florida. They arrive safely and on time and find Paul's dad and Erik already there, as planned. Dad says that he's been trying to get...