A kid of your age---any kid---could get hold of matches if she wanted to, burn up the house or whatever. But not many do. Why would they want to?

Any thoughts of guilt, any feelings of regret, had faded. The desert had baked them out.

The scariest moment is always just before you start.

where the world ends is where you must begin

Eddie discovered one of his childhood's great truths. Grownups are the real monsters, he thought.

Zombies are the new vampire.

Hug and kiss whoever helped get you - financially, mentally, morally, emotionally - to this day. Parents, mentors, friends, teachers. If you're too uptight to do that, at least do the old handshake thing, but I recommend a hug and a kiss. Don't let the sun go down without saying thank you to someone, and without admitting to yourself that absolutely no one gets this far alone.