Are You Ready For More?

Since I have actually acheived my goal from the beginning of the year I figured I should keep write on going. BUT I have two novels in mind (I have more then that but I'm debating between a particular two right now) so the fun part is that you, the readers get to choose!

1. The second novel in the Ashley Parks series: Repay No Evil

or

2. A completely different and unrelated novel.

That's all the detail you're getting right now. I'm including the prologue for Repay No Evil right now (some of you may have read this one but read again - it's going to be completely re-written) and I will include the first chapter later - hopefully tomorrow.

Then I will post the first chapter of the second novel and everyone can choose. I can't promise how quickly I'll get stuff up because I do HAVE to work on the completed novel to actually make attempts at publication but with the big kids in school and the babies napping I have a little more time so I will do my best (with your encouragement and occasional kick in the pants!)


Prologue: Repay No Evil

He was on top of her. Suffocating her. She couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe. Who was he? How did he get in? What did he want?
The children! No, she didn’t hear any noise.
He pulled the pillow away from her face long enough for her to catch her breath. She could feel a burning in her arm. His knife had nicked her. He moved himself to the edge of the bed next to her. She could only see the silhouette of him in the darkness. For a moment that seemed like eternity the man didn’t move. He just stood there as though he needed to gather himself.
Thoughts raced through her mind. She had to get away. She knew if she didn’t this man would kill her. He laid his knife on the nightstand next to her. If she could get to it she might have a chance. She inched towards the knife but immediately the man was back on top of her preventing her escape. His gloved hands wrapped around her neck and squeezed. The bulk of his body rested on her abdomen. No air was getting in. Stars danced in front of her eyes and she feared it would be over. She kicked her legs in an attempt to push him away but the man only clamped down tighter.
Oh, God, how could this be happening? Her thoughts screamed in her head. Two small children lay just down the hall. They needed their mom. She squirmed her right arm out from under the man’s legs and began to claw at his face. His hands let go of her neck to grab her free arm. She gasped for a small amount of air.
He held her arm fast with his left hand and kneeled over her. With his right hand he unzipped his pants; the sound of the zipper made her want to vomit. This couldn’t be happening. She strained against him. It felt like her insides were being ripped out. Maybe this was all he wanted. Maybe then he would leave.
But he didn’t leave. He stood next to her, looking at her. He retrieved the knife from the nightstand and waved it in front of him. The moonlight reflected off of the steel but still she couldn’t make out his face. Something was familiar about him but she couldn’t figure out what.
“My husband will find you,” she said softly, the words grating on her raw throat. “Leave me alone now and I’ll make sure he doesn’t kill you.”
The man scoffed and slapped her across the face. Blood seeped into her mouth. She moved her hand to wipe it away. As she lifted her arm he drove the knife deep into her abdomen. He ripped it out again. The nausea that had threatened to surface came out onto the bed. The taste of blood and vomit mingled in her mouth. Pain shot through her body.
He attacked again from behind, driving the knife into her back while holding her shoulder with his hand. She arched back and screamed. He drew the knife out and she felt the blood gushing. She turned to fight him but was too weak to hold herself up.
As quickly as the man came he was gone.
She was still alive though just barely. The phone. It was just next to her on the nightstand. She forced herself to roll over towards the nightstand but she was too close to the side of the bed and fell off with a thud.
She froze.
Had he heard her? Would he come back? Couldn’t think about that. She had to reach the phone. But could she move?
She reached up to the nightstand with her right hand, her left arm holding the wound in her abdomen to try and stop the flow of blood. Touching the phone with her fingertips she knocked it off the nightstand and onto the floor.
“9-1-1. What is your emergency?” A woman’s voice answered her call.
“A man…stabbed me…at home…children here.” Slowly the words came out. So few words; so much she wanted to say.
“Ma’am, where are you?” The woman’s tone now matched her urgency.
“2110…Lockhart…Street.”
“I’m dispatching paramedics and police now. Stay with me, ma’am. Help is on the way.”
“Love my kids…Love my husband.” The phone slipped from her hand and her head fell to the floor. She couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe. “Oh, God…take me home. Save Wes…and the kids. I love them.”
They were Amy Donovan’s last words.