Redemption
(excerpt from the novel)

By Robert L. Penick

The glow of the computer monitor is just like television, he thought to himself. There were no shadows dancing on the walls. But the glow, the eerie campfire light- that was the same. It put the whole darkened room under its spell.

Matthew relived the girl's death again. In her hospital bed, surrounded by her family. Seventeen years old, her frail body destroyed by leukemia. The boy from her high school who kept vigil in the waiting room being allowed in too late to kiss her closed cooling eyes. The boy left without acknowledging her family, the flowers by the window, or the cards from her classmates.

Matthew was over 100 pages into the book, but he kept coming back to this opening scene. It wasn't right. Something didn't click. It was inauthentic, ringing as hollow as a tin bell. It had to be perfect. It had to be real.