“I’m gonna learnt you good, boy!” hollered the drunken hulk of a step-dad from the kitchen. Alex’s heart began to race. It was only an empty threat unless the man bothered to get up. His young ears strained to hear the distinctive sounds of chair scraping on linoleum.

errrtt

Alex flew to his feet. As nimble as a deer and quick as a jackrabbit, he slipped out of his bedroom, skidded on the rug in the hall, and ducked into the den. Here, there were many places to hide as well as an arsenal of weapons.

His eyes rested on the gun case. The glass front was etched with ducks and deer. Two rifles were nested inside, a third disassembled on a card table smeared with shoe polish and pocked with cigarette burns.

“BOY! Dontchu hide from me!” Heavy footsteps shook the bullets in their boxes. Alex closed his eyes and made a wish. When he opened them, he felt it might come true because the key was in the lock on the gun safe door.

Opening it as the angry man flung the door open to the den, he had one thought. Hide!