The sun began coming up behind the trees in the backyard, shining their light over the books that surrounded me with far-off places and adventures that I would never go on. Not that I needed any further adventures. I have had enough to last me an entire lifetime at this point in my life, and the biggest plot twist was just here on my doorstep.

I could not sleep for a single minute, and still I did not feel tired. It was not that I was in a new place, or that I could hear the light snoring coming from Mr. van Leer's room. It wasn't even the fact that...