Closure Excerpt
In the dark corner of a room , Sara James waited until the monster fell asleep .
Who was the monster ?
Garrison James , her father .
It amazed her how much had changed in the few short months since her mother , Lila left . It felt as if it happened over night .
At first , he seemed absent . Then the yelling , drinking , and angry glares erupted whenever she entered the same room as him . Soon , he began calling her names . When she thought things could not get worse , the real abuse began .
He ' s not my dad ! He ' s a monster !
Heavy footsteps tromped towards the room . She gulped in jagged breaths and looked to the ceiling while blinking rapidly . A feeble attempt to control her tears .
When hiding from the monster found her , she would replay what she did wrong and how he caught her the time before .
Don ' t cry , she reminded herself , that ' s how he finds you .
She looked around the once lively home for a sweet reminder of better times . There was a time when the house was surrounded by a beautiful garden . Her and her mother would walk hand in hand and choose which flowers to bring inside . Now , the windows were closed , and the vase that usually held flowers sat empty . No matter where she looked , there was no sign of happiness or life .
The house had become a vessel of sorrow and pain .
Mommy , think of her .
She closed her eyes and forced images of her favorite memories . A brief smile appeared as thoughts reverted her to one of the many times when her mother taught her how to bake cookies .
“ Oh , Momma , I miss you ,” she whispered .
The memory of her mother distracted Sara from the harsh reality . However , nearly as quick as the memories arrived , they dissipated , and before she knew it , the monster began lashing out .
“ Sara ! Sara ! Where are you ?” he screamed . Realizing she had made noise . Sara covered her mouth and began internally praying . NOW AVAILABLE