Jim the Writer

a literary blog

Archives for July 2013

A Couple Days from Cheyenne

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A couple days from Cheyenne, out of food and luck, we follow the shallow river. In late afternoon, a lone, dappled horse grazes on the far bank.

“It’s a wild horse,” George says. “I’d eat horse.”

I have the rifle. It’s an easy shot.

“Go ahead,” George whispers. “Before he spooks.”

I take aim. The horse lifts its head and looks across the river at us. George and I stand still in the shadows, hardly breathing. I start to squeeze the trigger. It isn’t right. I know it isn’t right. We’re almost to Cheyenne, and a long way from starving.

I wrote this story for the 100 Word Challenge #341 at Velvet Verbosity.

Two Boys, a Girl, and a Fire

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Paul and I drew water from the lake in plastic buckets and dumped it on the coals. Steam rolled skyward. From her perch on a nearby log, Susie clapped. Paul lifted his bucket as if to throw water on her. “Don’t you dare!” Susie darted away across the sand as he chased her with the empty bucket.

I guess that was when I knew. So it was no big surprise when she let him walk her home.

I carried the buckets back to the cottage. Behind me, on the beach, hope like some great bird flapped off into the night.

I wrote this story for the 100 Word Challenge #340 at Velvet Verbosity.

Shots Fired, Garden View Apartments

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As she parked near her building, Gina saw a man’s form swaying in the shadows. It was the same guy. She was sure of it.

The book said to call it in. Gina liked the book, but not for this. Instead, she drew her nine-millimeter.

In a second, she was out of the car. Air-conditioners hummed. Crickets sang. Gina stepped forward, the automatic by her thigh.

“Pretty stupid, stalking a cop.”

“Stalking?” The voice was soft, almost feminine.

“Yeah, stalking. What would you call it?”

“Haunting, perhaps?”

The shadow lunged.

Gina crouched and fired three rounds into a potted shrub.

I wrote this story for the 100 Word Challenge #339 at Velvet Verbosity.