A Few Excerpts...

{an excerpt from my work [ The Novel];

{© copyrighted and expressly owned by: A Whisper Beneath The Moon}
Hope you enjoy it...let me know what you think. FYI...No, its not any shade of Grey.
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The view from the front porch hadn't changed a bit from her childhood. The porch itself, however, had not weathered so well against times gone by; worn out floorboards, battered shutters that stretched from floor to ceiling, handrails in desperate need of repair. Original windows and the old storm door with its awful squeak that made sneaking in or out almost impossible. Her family had been busy growing and living to notice such subtle erosion even occurring. Nothing that a small amount of attention couldn't remedy, she'd always reminded herself. Lisa loved the home just the way it was and always thought it odd how people allowed themselves to be overly consumed with every flaw of their own homes. Constantly tinkering and repairing each crack and freshening every chip of paint.

This home had character. If you looked closely enough, this showed itself in every creaky floor board, every loose spindle and  every flake of paint. It was a home that had lived. A home well loved.  Now they would never see her in all of her glory. This old house; that had sheltered her, watched her grow, nurtured a single father and his little girl through all of life's occasions and special moments; First steps and sleepovers. Birthdays and graduations. A wedding and then a funeral. This home had welcomed the newlyweds, Lisa and Daniel Keegan. And later two babies. Their two beautiful girls. This house...it had watched a marriage grow...and then slowly fade away...

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She blinked back tears as she looked across the span of the countless acres she had full command of as a young girl. She could almost hear the leaves crunching under the weight of the little girl that she was, throwing herself into a fresh pile her dad had just raked, for that very purpose. 

The old Red  Maple was massive still. As a little girl it was her favorite site in the front yard. It stood so big, even then. Strong. Solid. Roots, spread wide. Leaves the color of a brilliant sunset all summer long. Then gloriously gold. Then incredibly purple, finally a rusty scarlet. Bare in the coldest of months. Just to bloom every spring, with lush ruby buds. The way the sun shown through the branches and leaves as she lay for hours day dreaming underneath  its protective span. The memory nearly stole her breath.

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As she sat rocking back and forth in her dad's favorite rocker, wearing a pair of jeans that molded perfectly to her slender hips, a v-neck black sweater and a pair of heavy woolen socks, her long brown hair up in a twist a few loose strands blowing in the autumn winds. Traces of last nights mascara dusting her cheeks, the threadbare and familiar throw wrapped around her shoulders, felt like a hug from her dad. Hot mug in hand, an important looking envelope sat on the wooden table next to her. As it started to move with the gust of a late October breeze she picked it up and held it. Staring out before her, lost in thought for a brief moment. Collecting herself she confronted the envelope. It was addressed to her. Return address courtesy of the County Sheriff's Department. She's not surprised, neither is she overly disappointed. A little heartbroken yes, but what choice did she have? Her dad's home would belong to the bank before Christmas. 

{Valentina Silver©️}