GUN IN MY HAND

CHAPTER 24: ADULT MATTERS

'I was five and he was six

We rode on horses made of sticks

He wore black and I wore white

He would always win the fight'

"Bang bang!" I watched the stain of deep red spread quickly as I kept my fingers on the trigger, aiming the fresh water at the red shirt.

"It's not fair! It's the police that always wins, not the criminals!" Spencer pouted, already coming back to life and sitting up.

"Maybe because they aren't good criminals." I shrugged, showing him proudly my gap-toothed grin, and like always, his matched mine quickly, with just newer front teeth.

It always came first to him: the birthdays, the Tooth Fairy...

"I want the rematch!" He was already checking the load of his water gun, making sure he had enough to shoot my dry pink dress.

"Grandpa says there's no second chance with a gun."

And everyone knew Grandpa was always right.

"But what are we gonna play then?"

My lips pulled to the side as I tried to calculate since how long we'd been here. From the sun peeking through the tall weeping willows, it must have still been early. Mom had said two hours. We'd played ball, hide-and-seek, fed the ducks, and now, we were playing cops and robbers. We definitely had more time.

"Okay, let's do the rematch!"

"I'm the sheriff and you, the criminal?"

"Always!" I gave him back the shiny tiara, which my mom had surely not offered me for this purpose. But it was more fun to try to steal it and avoid the water shots than just wear it and wait for a prince charming like Daisy and her girlfriends did.

"You close your eyes and count to ten."

I nodded, glimpsing his narrowed brown eyes before it became plain black.

"One... Two... Three..." I chanted, my fingers following the numbers impatiently, and I may have sped up towards the end.

"Eight, nine, ten!"

It was only fair because Spencer had taller legs, and after all, criminals broke the rules.

I reopened my eyes and started running before they could even adjust, following my instincts, and I only slowed down when I arrived at a larger path.

Always look for dangers...I squinted my eyes like the cowboys in those movies, pointing my weapon in front of me as I slowly turned around.

My flounced skirt and the bow in my red curls didn't even make me weaken my stance, and the green surroundings were turning into a desert around me. There were the same bushes, just a little bit denser, and the trees would stand as tall canyons. As for the sandy pathway under my feet, it was perfect.

I just had to find the bank, and when I arrived at the lilac bushes – cactus – it was easy. There were distant sounds from the residents around the sandbox, but I headed for the opposite way.

I knew my favorite sheriff, and we liked it better in this shadowy part because there were a lot of hiding spots and... the green hut.

The big shed was standing proudly, and for me, the branches falling above the door were forming the word 'BANK'.