There was never any guess what was supposed to happen when I left the store. It was well planned out long before this moment. Yet, the execution was off. That is why the man standing behind me got the bullet that was meant for me. Just one more instance of a person being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The second shot was not planned. I could hear the sonic boom of the round missing my head by inches. This round too found an unplanned for target. The mannequin in the store window had its head explode into a cloud of dust. My pulse rate climbed with each shot. Sweat began to cloud my vision as the stinging liquid found my eyes. A quick and fevered look to find the person who is so intent on ending my life. Most people were scattering in every direction. Some fell to the ground where they stood too frightened to move. Out of the corner of my eye I see an arm rising toward me and I throw myself to the left in a roll and jumped back into the store. The next round passed through the space I just vacated. I try hiding behind a chair. Another round slams into the chair that I am hiding behind. It rips through the fabric. Tiny specs of molten polyester sting my cheeks and eyes, the round passing that close to my face. I crawl along the floor looking for a better place to hide. A quick look reveals that my antagonist is angry, frustrated and marching toward me. He ejects the clip from his firearm and slams a new magazine into the handle. He actions the slide and a new round chambers. A new attack as he rushes forward. Half standing half crawling I move toward the exit. I hit the door running. I slam into the door but it does not give. Someone has the door locked against fire code rules. I turn to see a man standing in the doorway of the store. He begins to walk closer to me. His arm begins to rise. I see the nickel plated gun in his hand. I can’t run left or right. I am trapped by this madman. Ten feet from me. His mouth begins to form a smile. He slows. The gun is now pressed to my forehead. I look into his eyes. Mere slits show only the black of his pupils. “Why” I stammer. He smiles broadly. “Asshole” he whispers. I don’t hear the click of the hammer. Nor do I hear the roar or see the flash. I am dead before I hit the floor. My brain matter splattered against the unyielding exit. Above my body I float waiting for… what? My next incarnation of life? A band of angels coming to get me? Perhaps a light at the end of the tunnel? I don’t know. All I can think of is, “what did my twin brother do now?”
I guess stories don’t necessarily have to embody reality, but, how is a story told in the first person, when the person, after the fact, is ” dead before he hits the floor ” ?? Does that fall into the category of Pulp Fiction ?? i.e. brain matter splattered all over the place.
Ha! At least you didn’t ask me if I had a twin brother. But the idea of writing a story in the first person where the story teller is dead before the story starts? It has been done before.
“Sunset Boulevard” starring “William Holden” begins with his dead body floating in a swimming pool. He then goes to the beginning of the tale and starts telling the story how he got there.
“D.O.A.” dead on arrival, starts with the star of the show being delivered to a hospital. Of course the hero is dead. Yet he does a first person tale of how he ended up dead. Can’t remember off hand who the star was.
So it isn’t a new theme. Though I didn’t start with the death itself. There are examples of doing it this way as well. As for “Pulp Fiction”… made a lot of “Non”sense to me. I enjoyed the movie. As for me, I just wanted to write a bit of fiction with the last words as a gag line. Hope you enjoyed it.
I did. When’s the next chapter ?
Did you make that up or copy it from somewhere? It was very well written.
brain splatters aren’t normally my preferred genre, but very creative nonetheless! 🙂
Don – next chapter? Sorry. One bite snacker.
Dougie – It is my own. See what an idle mind and anxious fingers can create.
Patti – Brain splatters are not my best thing either. Reminds me too much of when my mother tried to get me to eat cauliflower with grey poupon mustard on it. Ugh! Of course… I am an adult now… I may like the taste of it… brain splatters… Mmmmm… No No No… the cauliflower with mustard.