my handgun. I pulled it and took my time aiming at the man. I think it was the man who shot Bill. He was still aiming at Bill and adjusting downward. I saw this... I don’t know, some sort of outline on the man. I pulled the trigger. I saw the hit, figured ‘next’ and just kept aiming and shooting until I ran out of bad guys. It seemed like they were just standing there waiting to be shot, so I shot them.”
Terry shrugged. It sounded completely ridiculous to say it out loud.
Aggie looked as if his story was entirely plausible. “Well, I’d say you need to talk to Kirk before too long. That sounds a lot like his reports. We’ve all seen him in action and it looks like magic. To hear him tell it, he casually stuck a knife in a wax statue.”
“Just a minute later, I tried to shoot the guy untying the boat and I missed the entire boat.”
“Again, talk to Kirk. He has some kind of natural talent that he treats like a wayward child. I get the sense that he has spent his entire life trying to control it.”
“It would be nice to understand what happened. I still feel like someone else did it. I was just an observer.”
“Well, Mr. Shelton... I am sure glad that you were there to observe. Thank you for bringing Bill back in one piece.”
Terry blushed, looked down like a small boy and mumbled, “You’re welcome.”
Aggie got up and took Terry’s bowl to the sink. She came back with a bottle of the Teeny Town local beer, and set it in front of the young man. While he was suffering from embarrassment, she decided to up the ante. “Sally’s on watch, down at post twelve, by the middle lake. There’s still plenty of daylight if you’re up to a walk.”
Terry looked up, mentally switching from the embarrassment of Aggie’s focus to a more calculating version of himself. “I can take the walk, but I think I need a full night’s sleep before I face Sally again. She’s hard work.”
“Smart man. Let me set up the guest room for you. No matter what my precious daughter says, you are always welcome in our home. Thank you again.” Aggie gave him a long look, before she turned and left the kitchen.
Terry sat quietly, sipping his beer, wondering what was happening to him.
Chapter 6 – 2
A persistent wooden knocking pulled Terry out of a restless dream. The fog cleared from his mind, and he watched the translucent beams of sunlight hovering in the room. The knocking resumed, and realizing what had interrupted his dream, he felt a brief surge of irritation. Curiosity took the lead and he followed the sound down the hall. He identified the source as Bill and Aggie’s room, and tapped quietly on the door.
“Get in here!” Bill’s muffled voice called.
Terry opened the door and found Bill still in bed, beating the plank floor with the impromptu cane Kirk had given him.
“Morning, Bill.”
“Hey Terry, I hate to ask, but I gotta go something fierce.”
Terry cocked his head to the side. “You want me to hold it for you?”
“No, Smartass. Help me get out of this bed. My leg hurts bad.”
“Well, you did push it pretty hard yesterday.”
“Shut up before I whip it out and let fly. I’m pretty sure I can hit you from here.”
“Ok Bill. Take it easy.”
Terry stepped to the bed and leaned over so that Bill could wrap his good arm around Terry’s neck. Terry laced his own fingers behind Bill’s back and stood up straight, bringing Bill along for the ride.
“Ok, thanks. I can handle it from here.”
“I’ll stay close, just in case,” Terry said, handing Bill his cane and waiting for the older man to shift his weight onto it.
“Better yet, why don’t you see if you can scare up some aspirin and a cup of tea?”
“Yes, sir.” Terry knew that he was giving Bill the space to hobble around unseen. The man had a healthy, or possibly unhealthy, dose of pride.
By the time he returned with Bill’s painkillers and tea, Bill had returned to the edge of the bed and was experimenting
Terry shrugged. It sounded completely ridiculous to say it out loud.
Aggie looked as if his story was entirely plausible. “Well, I’d say you need to talk to Kirk before too long. That sounds a lot like his reports. We’ve all seen him in action and it looks like magic. To hear him tell it, he casually stuck a knife in a wax statue.”
“Just a minute later, I tried to shoot the guy untying the boat and I missed the entire boat.”
“Again, talk to Kirk. He has some kind of natural talent that he treats like a wayward child. I get the sense that he has spent his entire life trying to control it.”
“It would be nice to understand what happened. I still feel like someone else did it. I was just an observer.”
“Well, Mr. Shelton... I am sure glad that you were there to observe. Thank you for bringing Bill back in one piece.”
Terry blushed, looked down like a small boy and mumbled, “You’re welcome.”
Aggie got up and took Terry’s bowl to the sink. She came back with a bottle of the Teeny Town local beer, and set it in front of the young man. While he was suffering from embarrassment, she decided to up the ante. “Sally’s on watch, down at post twelve, by the middle lake. There’s still plenty of daylight if you’re up to a walk.”
Terry looked up, mentally switching from the embarrassment of Aggie’s focus to a more calculating version of himself. “I can take the walk, but I think I need a full night’s sleep before I face Sally again. She’s hard work.”
“Smart man. Let me set up the guest room for you. No matter what my precious daughter says, you are always welcome in our home. Thank you again.” Aggie gave him a long look, before she turned and left the kitchen.
Terry sat quietly, sipping his beer, wondering what was happening to him.
Chapter 6 – 2
A persistent wooden knocking pulled Terry out of a restless dream. The fog cleared from his mind, and he watched the translucent beams of sunlight hovering in the room. The knocking resumed, and realizing what had interrupted his dream, he felt a brief surge of irritation. Curiosity took the lead and he followed the sound down the hall. He identified the source as Bill and Aggie’s room, and tapped quietly on the door.
“Get in here!” Bill’s muffled voice called.
Terry opened the door and found Bill still in bed, beating the plank floor with the impromptu cane Kirk had given him.
“Morning, Bill.”
“Hey Terry, I hate to ask, but I gotta go something fierce.”
Terry cocked his head to the side. “You want me to hold it for you?”
“No, Smartass. Help me get out of this bed. My leg hurts bad.”
“Well, you did push it pretty hard yesterday.”
“Shut up before I whip it out and let fly. I’m pretty sure I can hit you from here.”
“Ok Bill. Take it easy.”
Terry stepped to the bed and leaned over so that Bill could wrap his good arm around Terry’s neck. Terry laced his own fingers behind Bill’s back and stood up straight, bringing Bill along for the ride.
“Ok, thanks. I can handle it from here.”
“I’ll stay close, just in case,” Terry said, handing Bill his cane and waiting for the older man to shift his weight onto it.
“Better yet, why don’t you see if you can scare up some aspirin and a cup of tea?”
“Yes, sir.” Terry knew that he was giving Bill the space to hobble around unseen. The man had a healthy, or possibly unhealthy, dose of pride.
By the time he returned with Bill’s painkillers and tea, Bill had returned to the edge of the bed and was experimenting
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