uneasy not knowing for sure where his wallet was, so with a deep breath he pushed himself up from the bed and made his slow and hesitant way back up the hall.

*************************

It was shortly after midnight when Julianna entered the darkness of her mother’s sewing room and quietly pushed the door shut behind her. She was immediately engulfed by blackness save for the light of the moon which cast its glow toward her across the wooden floor. The moon had risen high enough that it was no longer visible through that south-facing window, but its light left a narrow path for the girl which seemed to invite her along farther into the room. She knew better than to hit the switch on the wall for the crystal chandelier fixture hanging from the ceiling would surely shed light beneath the crack of...

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