For Rebecca, an excerpt from Whispers In The Shadows, a novel by Jason LaVelle
Chapter 1 A gunshot woke Delia from sleep. Her eyes flew open as the loud crack roared through the house, and she bolted upright in bed. She wore a long linen nightshirt, but gooseflesh raced across her body. The shot came from within the house. She knew because, on occasion, her father had to put down one of the animals outside, which produced a muffled sound. This one sounded like it came from downstairs; the very walls had vibrated with its force. She jumped out of bed. Heavy footfalls stomped up the stairs, adding a thumping bassline to the echoes from the gunshot still ringing through the house. A confusing noise filled her head, the type of sound a windstorm made against her bedroom window. Moments later, a scream bellowed up the stairs and found its way to her room. She recognized the voice immediately, though something about it sounded terribly wrong. Her father never screamed like that. His voice was usually soft and kind. A mere word from him...