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Graham’s Resolution News!
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🔵 Look Good, Book 1 - Look Good
🔵 Disasters in a Jar, Book 1 - John’s New Place
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Chapter 14
She slept so long. When she woke, I regretted not waking her sooner, so she wasn’t so startled to see jellies hovering nearby, and I was standing on the hood of the truck, ready to blast the one getting closer. I’d found the shotgun behind the seat when I’d pulled in behind one of those old, abandoned gas stations made of white cinder bricks with empty stalls off the side of a back road in hopes the jellies wouldn’t follow us there. But we didn’t make it in time, so I pulled over on the side of the road instead in a sort of last-stand moment.
I began sweating beads when I spotted them miles back, but sure enough, they were on our tail. The girl didn’t wake when I skidded to a stop like I’d assumed, but that wasn’t on my mind then. I figured there was a chance if a guy left a farm truck ready to go, there might also be a weapon inside somewhere. It's something disposable, like an old shotgun to use in a pinch. You never knew what would happen on a cattle farm. Am I right? And sure enough, as I reach for the space behind the seat, my hand grips a loaded wood stock right where you’d expect it to be. How did I know it was loaded? From the weight. It's funny how old habits die hard.
However, the problem with shotguns is that their range depends on their ammo. Sure, they’re the best guns in a pinch, but to make them useful when pointed to the sky, you must know what you’re holding. And when I pulled the rifle out, I detected a little jiggle. These weren’t slugs. If you’re a good shot, that would have been the best option at this time. At that point, there was only one way to tell what I was playing with. After I let the first volley go, I knew immediately this wouldn’t be easy. Birdshot meant a thirty-five-yard range. It was too close for comfort, but I had to let the little flame makers get close enough to demise.
Which is why the girl is screaming in the passenger seat at the moment while I’m stomping on the hood of the pickup in my bare bloody feet, aiming skyward. I only have five shots. Four now…
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