Bad Papa (standard:horror, 1200 words)
Author: hvysmker	Added: Dec 21 2003	Views/Reads: 3628/2349	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
A little girl helps support her family during WWII

I followed him for blocks, keeping to the shadows.  It was after two
a.m. and most of the town was sleeping in the cool autumn night.  The 
man was clearly drunk, and also clearly a draft dodger.  He was well 
dressed for the weather, with a heavy overcoat, which would make it a 
little difficult.  My little .22  didn't have a whole lot of 
penetration. 

The drunk stepped into an alley and unbuttoned his pants.  I walked
quickly to the alley and behind him.  He looked over in sudden alarm, 
as I smiled at him,  and then returned to his business. 

“Ged outa' here, kid, yur too yung fer me” 

He was not afraid of a little kid like me.  A big mistake, which he
realized as the first bullet entered his head.  Three more followed, a 
series of small cracks violating the still of the night.  I couldn't 
see his face as he slowly folded, causing me to dodge a thin stream as 
he fell. 

“Darn it.”  I muttered as I tried to roll him over, Mama said it was bad
to cuss.  I didn't want to spoil the coat.  I could get a few bucks 
from Sammy for it.  He shivered and clutched at my arm as I shoved him 
onto his side, still pumping in reflex.  Luckily it was going downhill, 
away from him. 

While he was still dying, I searched for his wallet.  It had about a
hundred dollars in it.  Enough for tonight.  It would pay a few months 
rent, and I could go home early tonight. 

To make sure he was dead, I kicked him in the nuts, He didn't respond. 
I struggled and removed his coat, watch and other valuables.  I would 
take them to Sammy in the morning.  Nobody bothered me as I returned 
home with my burden and stashed it in the empty garage. 

******** 

I was only ten years old when WWII started.  My father was one of the
first men who joined from our town.  He lied and said he was single.  
It left my Mother with four kids and no income.  She couldn't even get 
an allotment from the government. 

Mama tried but, not even knowing the name Papa joined with, couldn't get
the Government to believe her.  There was no welfare in those days and 
she didn't have any close relatives.  Just her parents thousands of 
mile away.  She had to settle for a waitress job, which didn't pay 
much. 

Without Papa around, she started hitting the bottle pretty good, and
soon lost interest in us kids.  On my own, I just kind of drifted out 
of school   At first she tried to make me go but, since I was around a 
lot and could take part of the load off her, soon relented. 

Since she was drinking up the money almost as fast as she made it, I
decided to help.  There wasn't much a ten year old could do to make 
money in the forties.  Papa did leave some things behind, the little 
pistol for instance.  I suppose he got a bigger gun in the Army.  I had 
dreams of shoving it up his butt. 

********** 

“Mama, Janie's get'in in the ice box again” 

Mama was nodding in her chair, shoes off and a drink beside her.  She
had finished a twelve hour shift and, between exhaustion and a few 
drinks, was out of it. 

I put down baby Ruth and headed for the kitchen.  The four year old
Janie was standing in the open ice box door, trying to chip off a chunk 
of ice with the ice pick.  Afraid she would hit her hand with it, I 
took it away and chipped her a chunk. 

My brother Peter, eight, was standing there watching us. 

“You know, you can help out a little around here,” I told him, “Mama and
me can't do it all by ourselves.” 


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