Lightning Bugs
an excerpt

A large collection of thumps ensued as Penny dragged her suitcase down the stairs. Arriving into the hallway of her home, she allowed her suitcase to lean against the wall and the duffle bag dropped to the floor. Heaving a sigh, Penny slumped into the kitchen where her mother was setting the table. The table cloth, which was covered in daisies, was surprisingly clean on this morning. Her father, Harold Marvel, was standing at the counter reading a comic strip while the smell of burnt waffles wafted into Penny’s nostrils.