“What then, did you think I would just walk away? You were abusive and self-centered. I put up with you for years, years! before I just couldn’t take it any more. But no. I’m not a coward. I’m not a wimp. I don’t take a hit without swinging back. You should have seen that. You saw how I handled that, that, what was his name… Charles… Charlie! that Charlie guy.

And then you. You had to go and run off your fat mouth, talking to me as if I was some nothing, as if the last ten years of my life meant nothing to the company. As if you were some perfect, ideal man yourself. And you had to bring my wife into it. What the hell is wrong with you?”
He sighed.

“It doesn’t really matter anyway. I mean, it won’t in a few seconds. Because you’ll be dead and I’ll be happier knowing there’s less scum fouling up our earth. So goodbye Jim, maybe you’ll be a manager in hell, too.”

He cocked the gun, aimed, and fired.

PRUMF

The old revolver lurched back in his hand. The carved pumpkin exploded into small, sticky pieces. Birds in the surrounding trees took wing in a panic. A few seeds landed on his face.