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CRIES IN THE DARK

Buddy Walker woke with a start. He lay still, not sure what had awakened him, in that half awake, half asleep state where you're not sure what's real and what's not. Then he heard his father's loud complaining voice coming from the kitchen.
"Dammitt, git your ass in here and make me something to eat"
"If you'd been here at supper you wouldn't be hungry." He heard his mother say followed by the sound of a slap and the crash of dishes hitting the floor.

Buddy slid his legs over the edge of the bed and pulled on his jeans, then felt his way to the dresser where he opened the top drawer and felt inside it until he located the shotgun shells. Double ought buckshot shells, six of them that he'd bought earlier in the week to go deer hunting with. He dropped four of them into his pockets then slid his hand along till he found the shotgun leaning against the wall by the closet. His fingers found the lever and opened the breech into which he dropped the two remaining shells. In the kitchen, he heard his mother begging his father not to hit her again then the sound of another slap and more breaking dishes.
Buddy opened the door and stepped into the hallway. As he passed his sisters room, he could see her sitting up on her bed. Susie was ten and he knew she was scared. His dad came home every weekend drunk, spoiling for a fight and beat his mother. His brothers shared his room and he knew they were awake too, hiding under the covers, scared to move.
Two steps into the living room Buddy passed the wood heater and turned left in to the kitchen. His father had his back to him and was holding his mother by the arm. As he drew back his hand to strike her again Buddy pushed the double barrels of the shotgun against the back of his head.
"You hit my Momma again and I'll kill you."
The effect of the cold metal and the words stopped his father in mid move.
"WhWhat?" His father stammered.
"I said, if you hit my Momma again, I'll kill you."
Very slowly, his father released his mother's arm and turned to face Buddy. At first there was fear on his face then as he realized it was a Buddy he became belligerent.
"Boy, don't make me whip your ass tonight."
"Momma, move away from him." Buddy said, stepping back two steps and dropping the shotgun to waist level.
Buddy's mother moved around his father and stepped behind Buddy. His father took a step forward then stopped, some sanity returning through the drunken haze in his mind.
"You gonna shoot me? Go aheadshootyou ain't

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