Nightmare in Niceville Read Online Free PDF Page B

when you put a shell to your ear and heard nothing but the ocean.
    My mom jumped in front of me and screamed, “No!”
    A shot rang out.
    The loud noise echoed all around me, and I had moved for the first time—covering my ears with my hands, squeezing my eyes shut, and crying out. Chelsea was crying and holding on to me. I remember waiting for pain.
    I heard screaming, but it was a man’s voice. My mom dropped to her knees and flung her arms around me. I opened my eyes in shock and saw my father on the ground holding his leg, screaming in pain. The sound of sirens blared in the distance, piercing my ears. I looked behind me and saw Grandpa standing in the doorway, holding a long gun in his hand with a hard look on his face. Grandma had rushed over to us with tears in her eyes.
    â€œLily, look at me,” my mom said, gently shaking my shoulder.
    All I could hear was ringing, and my mom’s voice was blurry underneath the ringing.
    â€œAre you okay, baby?” she asked me. Her voice was a little breathless and she was crying. She stroked my face while holding Chelsea’s shoulder. I couldn’t find my voice, so I nodded.
    She looked at Chelsea and said, “Come on, sweetie.” She picked us up and took us into the house. The ambulance had taken my father away, as several police cars followed behind. One of the cops had stayed behind to talk to my mom and to Chelsea’s mom, and they talked for what seemed like a very long time. My father had been sentenced to six years in prison, though he should have gotten a life sentence for all the crap he put us through. And the innocent people that were dead now. And all the injuries he had given to my mom, and the emotional damage he had done to us. Ashley had been the only one untouched.
    Life had gotten normal again, except there was no Dad. I was actually happy about that, though. Life was finally better for us. Chelsea’s mom had freaked, and I wasn’t allowed to play with her anymore. It was OK though because we had moved anyway.
    I was glad my father was in jail. I felt safer and thankful. But I wished my dad hadn’t changed. That would be a perfect life. I remembered the happier times, before the drinking started. My dad and I used to go fishing, and the three of us would go camping before Ashley was born. I was around five or six when we did all of the fun things together.
    â€œYou gotta be patient, Lily.”
    â€œBut you already have two fishes!”
    â€œTwo fish ,” he’d corrected.
    â€œYou have two fish.”
    â€œThat’s because I don’t move the bait so much, Lil’. Cast out . . . there . . . that’s perfect! Now just wait, you’ll know when to pull.” He patted my head softly. After what seemed like hours to me and my impatient mind, I had finally felt a tug!
    â€œDaddy! Daddy!”
    â€œPull Lily, pull!”
    I had reeled in the line as fast as I could. At that moment, I never wanted anything more than that fish so my dad could be proud of me. The fish flew out of the water and hung there as I jumped around triumphantly.
    â€œGood job Lil’! You caught a Sunfish.”
    â€œDaddy, can we take it home? Pleeeaaasse?”
    â€œNo honey, he needs to stay in his home.”
    â€œWhy?!” My tears started to pool over.
    â€œBecause he belongs here, not in a tank.”
    â€œBut I want to take him home,” I pouted.
    â€œHe has a family in this lake, hon. Do you want them to miss their Daddy?”
    â€œNo,” I said glumly wiping my tears away.
    â€œThen let’s put him back.”
    â€œOkay,” I sniffed and we put the fish back into the lake.
    That had been my first fish. Why couldn’t I be like those fish in the lake?
    My father had worked in a good-paying job, and everything was normal and happy back then. But then he lost his job, and he and Mom started fighting. He would leave and go to the bars, and then he changed.
    After