Chapter 238

Something woke Janine from a light slumber. She lay in bed, one half of her face squashed against her pillow, listening. Not even the creak of joists shifting broke the heavy silence. Holding her breath a moment longer, she tested the ambiance of the room. Is anyone here? Am I alone?

Her senses craned, seeking that sense of vitality that only another person could emit. She sought another presence, a reason for waking, and felt nothing. She exhaled with relief.

No bogeyman tonight.

For those who might mock her, she had no problem admitting a fear of the dark, especially the particular shade it achieved in the middle of the night. Dark deeds often happened under night's shadow. And sometimes a little girl wakes and opens her eyes to see bloodshot ones staring right at her. The shriek she uttered proved piercing.

The scarier thing? Daddy screamed at an even higher pitch.

But that had happened a long time ago. Only the one time, but it left an impression. She'