water pistol – Christy Grace Scarlet Pen

Smoking or Non Smoking | Short Story

I walked slowly towards the non-smoking section with my hands resting in my coat pockets. It was time. Time to show Slone Carter what it meant to cross me. I was nobody’s fool.

The mid-afternoon smokers always felt more encroaching than the rest. Maybe because the day was already partially over, or maybe because they felt that the non-smokers wouldn’t want to come out to the courtyard and brave the cold weather.

I could see my breath as I took each step closer towards Slone. There was nothing he could say to change my mind; this was how it had to be.
Another step, and another. The bulge in my pocket felt heavier as I get closer. My heart thud in my ears and head, and pulsed through every vein in my body.

I reached them; the smoking workers. One looked up and frowned at the sight of my scrunched face. I pulled out the gun that rested in my pocket and aimed it at Slone Carter. His college pulled at his sleeve and pointed in my direction; the whole group freezing in place.

“Slone Carter. You know who I am?”
Slone shook his head and the anger warmed my cold extremities. “You wouldn’t. I’m just one of the many people who opposed the expansion of the Smoking Area.”
Slone narrowed his eyes and shook his head. “I’m sorry,” he stuttered. His eyes dropped to my gun and his face softened. “You should put that down before someone gets hurt.”
I straightened my shoulders and shook my head violently. “I’ll bet you didn’t consider the environmental impact of smoke. Not to mention the second hand smoke issue for humans and animals.”

Slone Carter rolled his eyes and I stiffened. He wasn’t taking this seriously. If he wouldn’t, I would make him. I took a step closer and the other men in the group – who had dropped their cigarettes onto the ground – retreated a step. Slone, however, didn’t move an inch. His face became calmer the closer I got.

“What do you want me to do about it now?” Slone asked.
I paused. “Isn’t it obvious? I want you to return things to normal.”
Slone laughed and I took another step, my gun now inches from his head. I frowned. “Why aren’t you more concerned that I have a gun to your head?” Sirens grew closer, and in the pit of my stomach, I knew they were coming for me.
Slone raised his chin and tilted his head. “Because I know a real gun when I see one. All you’ve got is a water pistol.”

See You in the Adventures!
Christy Grace

The Great Bike Robbery | Short Story

“Don’t point that thing at me,” I said as he pushed the weapon into my face.

“Shut up! Just hand it over,” he said, his eyes wild. I rolled my eyes and shook my head.

“Don’t wave that around, you could hurt someone.” My protest fell on deaf ears as he eyed the loot he had spotted behind the counter.

“This is a serious weapon. Just do what I say.”

I was getting impatient now. “You think I’m just going to hand this over? It’s worth a lot of money. More than you have, I’m sure.”

His face scrunched further, and he flung the weapon further towards me. I took a slight step backward and sighed dramatically. I glanced at the woman standing in line behind him and she avoided eye contact. I didn’t want to call my manager to the register for this, it wasn’t worth the incident report.

Begrudgingly, I shoved the items into a bag and handed them over to him. He grinned and continued pointing the weapon in my direction as he walked backward out of the store.

“Haha!” He screamed, running from the store and towards his getaway vehicle.

The boy slung the bag over his shoulder and jumped onto his bike, slipping the water pistol shaped like a gun into his pants pocket. He pedaled away with whooping about his victory.

The woman who had been behind him opened her wallet and paid for her son’s purchases. She gave an apologetic smile and slumped her shoulders, “He’s never done anything like this before.”

Okay so ‘GREAT’ may have been a stretch. Have you been a witness to an interesting incident with a child and parent in a store?
Share it in the comments below!

See You in the Adventures!
Christy Grace