I Promise (Wattys 2016)

Depression and Shotguns

The shot rang out and Charlie's body slumped to the ground. James couldn't get the sound out of his head. He knew he would have to work again, but he didn't think he could. He was shaking all over and his brain was fuzzy. Jamie looked as if he was in the same state. 

What am I going to tell Amy? James thought. What is Victoria going to think of me? Will she think that I could have done something to prevent it and leave me? 

"Get back to work!" A guard shouted, shoving James. James fell down into the mud. "Now get up, or else you'll join him!"

"Come on, James." Jamie said, helping his friend up. James couldn't make sense of anything. Jamie seemed more aware of his surroundings, more sure of himself. Jamie glared daggers at the guard who had shoved James, but didn't say a word.

James got back to work, but he didn't even know what he was doing. He was just aimlessly sort of walking around. Jamie would call him back to where he needed to be, the guards would hit him, and one guard even shot the ground at his feet to scare him. Nothing could get James to work properly. He felt like he had failed as a friend. He needed to send another letter to Victoria. He would have to ask Adalric for that when he felt better. After dinner (which James didn't even taste), he went back to his room and got out some spare paper from when he had written Victoria that other letter and the pencil he still had. He needed to write his wife a letter, and maybe even get a response. 

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Victoria woke up the morning after she hired Dwight. Bailey wasn't next to her, which was odd. Victoria sat up and noticed that he was at the door, his hackles up. She got up and went over to him. He was growling softly at the door. 

"Hey, what's wrong?" She asked, rubbing his back soothingly. 

There was suddenly a clatter downstairs. Victoria had to stifle a scream of fear. She knew that there was someone in her house. She was sure of it. She tried to remain calm and remember what James had told her to do if someone got in while he was gone.

"I keep a shotgun under the bed." James said, kneeling down and retrieving his gun.

"How come I didn't know about this?" Victoria asked.

"It never came up." James said. "I bought it right after we got engaged, so I could protect you."

"Alright..." Victoria said. 

"Do you know how to fire one?" James asked.

"Yes, my father taught me when I was nineteen." Victoria said.

"Alright. Well, I only want you to use this as a last resort." James said. "If someone gets in the house, take this out and try to scare them. If they don't leave or they try to hurt you, shoot them." 

Victoria went under the bed and got the shotgun out. She was shaking. Who had gotten into her house, and why would they be robbing her? She didn't have anything! Ever since James had left, she had been scrambling to make ends meet, that was why she had needed to get Dwight to help her. Victoria cautiously opened the door. Bailey ran to the top of the stairs, growling. Once Victoria made it to him, he raced down the stairs. Victoria followed him, worried of who she was going to find. Victoria looked around the living room. No one was there. She went into the kitchen, expecting to find someone with a gun of their own, ready to shoot her. What she found instead was something that she never would have predicted.

Dwight was in her kitchen, eating an apple, looking like he had done nothing out of the ordinary. Victoria sighed in relief and lowered the gun. Then she glared at Dwight.