The punishment for a seventh-grade dropout runaway is probably pretty harsh, but Ash Barker doesn't care. She can’t waste time or emotions on anyone but her brother, Matt. They were placed in separate foster homes, so Ash runs away to find him. If she fails, she’s headed back to juvenile detention. Everything is going right on schedule until two kids, Dayna and Kevin, barge into her hideout -- which just happens to be in their house. She ditches the pair fast, but can’t stop thinking about those bruised, skinny kids. Dayna and Kevin live with abusive parents who force them to stay in their room most of the time. If they go to the authorities for help, they’ll be split up, too. Ash knows how that feels, and she goes back to help, taking the two with her. With any luck, they’ll all help each other along the way. Meanwhile, as Matt waits for Ash, he can’t resist telling his foster brother and best friend, Jon-Allen, about the plans. They stash food, earn money, and keep watch for the night Ash appears at their bedroom window. Ash is so happy to be reunited with Matt and to discover she’s falling in love with Dayna that, at first, she doesn’t worry about what they’ll do next. But life on the road begins to take its toll -- they have to resort to shoplifting and scavenging to survive. Ash feels a growing sense of guilt at the disaster she’s made of everyone’s lives. Can she somehow keep her newfound “family” together despite hunger and sickness? Or will she be able to find the strength to reach out for help?

No Turning Back

“I miss them every day,” Ash said. “It isn’t fair; they died and now I don’t even have my brother. Sometimes it’s like he died, too.”


Dayna wiped a tear as Ash sorted through her things again.


“This is a newspaper article about their crash.”


Dayna’s hand shook as she reached for the newspaper clipping, which fluttered in the breeze. “Doug and Laura Barker?”


“You never told us your last name,” Kevin said.


Ash looked from Kevin to Dayna with wide eyes. “Oh, yeah; I forgot. When I met you I didn’t think I would stick around very long, and I thought you guys might try to turn me in.”


Kevin crawled toward a group of thick weeds. “Dayna, if I find a baby squirrel can I keep it?”


“You should probably leave it with its mom, Kev.”


“But what if its mom was eaten by something?”


“How are you going to know that?” Ash asked with a laugh.


“I’ll ask the baby squirrel.” Kevin stretched out his hand to move some leaves.


Chapter 22