Short Story

Hi,

The following is my entry in a recent short story competition. Commentz welcome.

POINT BLANK

"Firing a gun is a binary choice: you either pull the trigger or you don't. As surely as the bullet rips through the victim's flesh, organ and bone, it shatters the image of the man who presses the trigger". – Max Payne

The bullet is one of the most destructive pieces of machinery ever invented by man. A single small piece of lead and gunpowder can shatter, virtually, anything living.

It could bring down a person from dizzying heights to become a lowly cripple or worse face death. A bullet is one of the most commonly used methods of exacting revenge. Yes, Revenge. A harmless little seven letter word designated to bring doom based on the seven deadly sins. All revenge originates from one of the seven deadly sins, Lust, Greed, Gluttony, Envy, Sloth, Pride and Wrath.

So why am I talking about all this revenge? Who am I?
Listen to me, mortal, while I unravel the sands of time and take you back into my past.

I am a bullet. Yes, one of those vessels of doom. I am talking about all this because this is the reason why I was created. This was my purpose in this hateful life. I was born in an armament factory in the USA as a .45 steel magnum bullet. I thought that this was great. I had a shiny look and the land of freedom and liberty was perfect for me. I was soon packed into a box containing other bullets. Chip was my friend there. (He was called chip because his body was chipped off while manufacturing.) Chip was a regular old shotgun bullet. Slow and wise. One shot was all it took. I guess one shot in the right place was all it took no matter what the bullet.

I was shipped into a small town called Happyville. Happyville, I am so happy. Little did I know that this would be the hit. I was taken to a small gun store and placed on the shelf. A few days later, I was bought by a soft looking person who said he was looking for a gun for self defense. This was good because, at least, I will save someone’s life.

But something did not seem right. Why was a soft looking person buying a .45 magnum? Wouldn’t a normal .3 suffice for self defense or a shotgun which was so that the adversary would be scared away? But I kept my thoughts to myself. The next day found me in the gunslinger of my owner. A nice leather gunslinger, which increased my doubts of this person even more. He cleaned me and kept me shiny. I was happy to get such a nice owner who made sure that the machinery was maintained well. But why? This constant thought kept nagging my head.

The D-day had arrived. My owner (I overheard people calling him SAM) took the gun and placed it in the gunslinger. I was surprised and a little scared here because I was the only bullet in the gun. He sat in his 98 Chevy Corvette. Vrooom!!! and off we went. The destination: Sam’s fiancée Sheila’s home.

We reach there in twenty minutes amid the bustling traffic. Sam knocked on the door; Sheila opened it and let Sam inside. They wasted no time in getting into an argument. Apparently Sam suspected Sheila of having an affair with his friend Joe. The argument got a little out of hand.

BANG! Everything happened too fast. I was released from point blank range straight into her head. I guess she moved a little, but not too much, because I went right through her face taking an eyeball with me and crashing into the brick wall behind. It was over. I could hear her body slump into the floor. Blood was flowing down that beautiful face, which I had just scarred to death, staining the new carpet.

So what happened? Why am I feeling so bad? My purpose was fulfilled, albeit the killing of a lady. But what is that which makes me feel so remorseful? A day later, I was taken by some forensic experts in a plastic bag. The eyeball had since been removed from me. I came to know as I overheard the cops talking. My worst fears were realized. This was a classic case of wrongful revenge.

Sam had indeed misunderstood the relationship between Joe and Sheila. Those long meetings between them were only a plot to surprise Sam on his wedding day with a huge gift, the gift that he would now never receive.

As Sam now sits behind bars regretting his rash decision, I realize that the seven sins were the keys for doom. Yes, those seven deadly sins which fuel that seven-letter word REVENGE.