Plink!

The Pepsi can tumbled into the sand, and slowly rolled into the river. The thirteen-year-old boy stood lazily, pellet gun perched in the crook of his arm. The hot summer sun continued to brown his topless chest. Summer vacation boredom had set in. He turned his back on the bobbing can, and slowly trudged towards the cottage. A small smile came to his lips as he thought of the fresh raspberry tarts waiting in the cabin.

His eye caught a small motion far to his left. A sparrow hopped along the ground, searching for food. Without thinking, the boy raised his gun, and fired towards the bird. He had played this game before with soda cans. Like the cowboys of old, he would walk nonchalantly, then suddenly twist, aim, and fire. He always missed.

The sparrow chirped loudly, spun in circles around one of its wings, and then frantically dragged itself towards the nearest trees. The boy's stomach tightened in fear. Swallowing hard, he ran towards the bird. It lay beneath the branches of a pine tree, its tiny body pumping with each breath. A red, meaty wound stained its lower abdomen. Its eye stared at the boy.

The boy knew what he had to do. He cocked the gun, and placed the barrel next to the sparrow's head. He shut his eyes and fired. The bird was still. A tear dripped onto the gun barrel. The gun slipped out of the boy's hands as he walked away, trembling.

© 2002 Jean Grandbois

Jean Grandbois is the author of Mental Distortions, a novel set in Tibet. Mr. Grandbois lives in Montreal, Canada. He writes software by day, and prose by night.