The Casual Neighborhood short stories

Gun Safety (Part 1)(May 15th 1995)

It was already cold and dark outside when I got back with Oliver. We had been in town all day while dad was at work. Since he still hadn't come back yet we started playing hide and seek.

I was still counting to twenty when we heard dad's car pull up. Oliver came bounding up beside me as I went to go get the door for dad. "Move" he grunted as he burst through the door and shuffled angrily down the hall. "Go get my files out of the car, I'll be needing them later tonight." He yelled down the hall before slamming the door to his office.

"Is papa mad?" Ollie asked slowly as he stared up at me with concern in his green eyes. I stared at him blankly for a while but then answered that I didn't know. Then I went outside to get dad's junk after Oliver hurried back to his room. I slumped over to the car and opened the door just to see a messy assortment of files and papers flutter out to my feet. I started cursing under my breath as I started picking them up and throwing them angrily into the messy pile I had been creating.

I had already been on my way inside with Dad's junk when I heard my father holler for me and Ollie from his office. I hurled Dad's junk onto the countertop and proceeded to scurry up to the beaten door of his office.

"Lou, Ollie, give me your hands for a split second." He said drowsily while taking out a needle. I flinched as he struck it into my arm and drew blood. I observed that he was probably a little drunk by the was he was speaking to me and Ollie and shaking as he drew our blood.

"You reeaaallyy need to lay off of that stuff," I spoke cautiously. "Mom said it messes with y-". "She's dead. And you will be too if you don't shut your mouth." He snapped. "Now you two kids go play somewhere else while I do this." I gave him a look as I scurried away with Oliver before I could ask what he was even doing.

Dad had worked on blood tests for his job a few years ago so I suspected that this was probably another one of his dumb science experiments.

About an hour or two later, I heard some commotion somewhere in the house, so I obviously got up to go see what the heck was going on. I was stomping down the hall when I looked into the kichen and saw my own father pointing a loaded pistol at me.