Gun by Janel Raab

Hearing a crash and a bang, I froze cold in my tracks. I waited with only eerie silence in my ears. Nothing else was heard. Yet, I could still sense something watching me, so I waited. Finally a brown cat crept out of a trashcan. It turned and laid eyes upon me, and scurried away. I breathed again. Once more I picked up the trail of the king’s guards. I moved cat-like through the back alleyways of the twisted city. I was catching up to them. I was faster than them. Though they had a hard time navigating through the fog, but I could see perfectly. Within thirty seconds I would be able to touch them, and so it was. The two men I was chasing were both burly, yet not very bright. They thought they could get away with anything. My goal was to save the frightened boy they were planning to sell as a slave.

Oh, how foolish, I forgot to introduce myself. They call me Gun, the protector of the poor. I’m one of those people you would find on a wanted poster; loved by the people, despised by the government. I help anyone I can, except the corrupted king and his officials, which I’m trying to eliminate. This causes me to always be on the run and don’t often have time for meals. Also cause me to have no home or family, though I do have a few friends. But no matter what, I’ll always help people. Though I never went to school, and can’t read or write; I can fight! And you better say your prayers, if you’re my target, and I find you in some dark alley.

I didn’t rush at them. I had to plan my rescue carefully. It had to be quick and simple. With my eerie golden yellow eyes I spotted a metal pole that was lying next to an empty trashcan and picked it up. I felt its weight in my hand. It was rusty and bent, but it would work. I then took a different direction; I was going to cut them off. Stealth and speed were my specialties. I hid behind a cardboard box and waited. Though I am only five feet tall, the box wasn’t tall enough to give me full cover. My black hair could barely be seen over the top of the box. I didn’t wait long when I heard the men’s heavy footsteps approaching. They passed my box. They would see me plainly, if they turned around. So I whistled one sharp, calling note. Together the two men quickly turned and saw me, sitting against the box with the rusty metal pole in my hands. I was the same boy that they had a grapple with at the farmhouse earlier, and manage to escape from or so they thought.

It only took me seconds, to dash behind them and whacked them with the pipe. They went out like lights. With lightening speed I grabbed the unconscious boy that they were carrying. I laughed silently; my job was amusing. I splashed water, from my canteen, over the boy’s face. His eye lids fluttered. Once awake, he started asking questions. But I sat quiet. After he fell silent I began to explain that I saved him from the king’s official guards.

The small boy looked at me with sorrowful eyes. He was tired and hungry. He was probably only six and no bigger than a water barrel. He had sandy blond hair and deep blue eyes. He told me his name was Dan and that he had no family since the king’s guards had killed his parents for not paying their taxes. Just great, I now realized I had an orphan to care for!
I felt obligated to help this child since I had arrived at the farm too late to save his parents. I took him to the home of my friend, John, who gave him a meal. Seeing that Dan was content, John turned to me. He tried to clean me up, but I refused. I only had a long, shallow cut on my neck given to me by one of the guards when we had wrestled earlier. After our meal, I took Dan to the park and made him a bed of leaves at the base of my favorite tree, and I would rest above him in the tree’s limbs. However, I couldn’t stand the small boy’s crying so I ended up moving him up to my limb and I perched myself on a smaller one. I wasn’t complaining. Through the years, I have slept in all kind of places.

Once I slept in a hotel called “Jail”. However, the service wasn’t very pleasing to me. They actually locked you inside your room and there were bars on the window. Also, the food was fifth class. So, the next morning the guards awoke to find me gone; with an unconscious guard in my bed, a set of keys missing, and every room of an unjustly trialed peasant empty as my tip. It was one of my funnier stories.

Dan and I spent three days together! I could have never imagined what it was like to have a companion. I found it all to my liking; someone to talk to; someone to share a laugh with; someone who was just there when you need them. We spent much fun fishing in the Danube River, watching the wooden barges moving their trade up and down the river. He and I had great laughs together.

However, our time together was too short and it was a shock to all what happened next. It started when Dan and I decided to wander the streets of the market plaza. Noon found me with nothing to feed Dan and he was hungry. So, I targeted a bread stand. I told Dan exactly what to do. While I distracted the bread seller, he would steal the bread.

It would have been easy, except for one slight problem. As Dan reached for the bread, two guards approached. These were the same guards I had knocked out to save Dan’s life. Right away they recognized Dan and grabbed him by the wrist. Dan screamed and struggled. I was engaging the salesman, when I heard Dan’s cry. Immediately I tried to reach him, but all was in vain. This time I didn’t have the element of surprise.

I knocked down the guard who was holding Dan; however the second guard caught Dan before he ran away. I threw a punch at the second guard’s head, as he swung his foot to my gut. Unfortunately I received the full kick, and doubled over. It took me a few minutes to recover. Then I remember the small handgun hidden on my belt. Like lightening I pulled it out and took aim. However, before I could pull the trigger, I felt something smash against my head and everything went black.

When I awoke it was already night. I found that a crowd had mobbed the guards after I was knocked out. They were able to drag me away, but couldn’t save Dan. I was told that Dan had been taken to the king. Dan was immediately condemned to die by firing squad at sunrise. I only had a few hours to do something. I ran to John and quickly explained my plans. When I told him my plan, he shook his head at me. I had to agreed, it was a foolish plan, but it was the only thing I could come up with. I had no time, and I was going to save Dan no matter what the cost.

When we arrived near the Death Post, there was a crowd gathered around waiting to see the small boy’s execution. The guards dragged out the small form of a boy, and the king, himself, following right behind. I was nervous, but I had to do it; it was the only way to save this boy, who meant so much to me. The king started to give the order to kill the boy, when I shouted for him to wait. The king jumped at the sight of me. I told him that I had something very valuable to say. He reluctantly told me to speak.

I told him that I would take Dan’s place, if he promised to let Dan go. The king laughed, the trade was all in his favor. I was a large prize with a huge price on my head, and the boy was worthless. If he accepted my offer, he wouldn’t have to pay the bounty price for me, and I would still be dead. He asked if I was going to try to trick him, but I assured him by lying flat with my stomach on the ground. He ordered the guards to release Dan and chain me instead. Once free, Dan ran into John’s open arms. The guards chained me brutally, giving me a bloody lip and a cracked rib.

As they marched me to the post I shouted at Dan, “Friends help friends, through good and bad; even to the death. Thanks for being my friend!”

I was chained to the post, and the firing squad loaded their guns. I looked into Dan’s face and winked. John turned Dan away, and taking him by the hand, walked away. I smiled to myself, that boy was my only family. I was proud to take his place. I turned my head and saw that had sun broken over the horizon. Just as the first rays of light crept toward me, the triggers were pulled and the guns fired. I regret nothing.