Teeny Tiny Stories

Shotgun

"Do you like hunting?" Dustin asked, pulling a chair to where he was standing and using it to reach into the top shelves of the closet.

Lunari tilted her head, emphasizing her curiosity. "Hunting? What do you plan to hunt?"

Dustin shrugged. "Deer mainly. It's dear season."

He grunted as he stepped off the chair and set a long case of some sort on the kitchen table. Opening it, he pulled out something resembling a long stick. Even though she'd never seen it's specific kind before, Lunari immediately knew what it was. Her adrenaline spiked and she quickly backed away from the thing.
Dustin noticed her actions and paused what he was doing. Looking at her, he gauged by the way her pupils dilated and her feline ears laid back flat against her head that she was afraid.

Confused he asked, "Are you scared of guns?"

Lunari glanced back and forth between the boy and the weapon in his hands. "Why...why do you have that?"

Further confused, Dustin looked down at the gun. "My shotgun? It was a christmas gift from my pa, why?" He asked, turning his attention back to her.

Lunari furrowed her eyebrows. "A smaller one was used to attempt harm on me when I first entered your world, and many a time afterward. I do not understand why you would have such a thing in your possession?"

"Why not?" Dustin asked.

Calming down, Lunari took a step towards it. "Is it like your animal companion? Some are bad, and some are good?"

Dustin laughed, startling the feline girl. "Sorry 'bout that." He chuckled,
"It's just...a gun ain't good or bad, it's a gun."

He began to explain, setting the shotgun down. "See if my gun sits here on the table, it ain't gonna get up and shoot somebody, or just fire when it wants. It's an inanimate object, it doesn't work like that. It hasn't got a mind of its own." He tapped his forehead, emphasizing his point.
"It's the person holdin' the gun that chooses how it's used."

Lunari relaxed slightly, thinking about it. Finally she shook her head, "I understand, but I still do not like them."

Dustin shrugged, "Understandable. I assumed it was the same reason why you didn't like Chief when you first settled here."

Hearing his name spoken, the German Shepherd walked into the room and stood between the two of them.
Lunari tensed but remained where she was.
Bending down, Dustin rubbed the dog's back.
Holding several small dusty boxes, Dustin's father walked inside and set the boxes on the table. 

"We should really keep these somewhere closer to the gun, instead of all the way out in the shed." He said, swiping dust off his jeans. 

Dustin nodded, "I'll be sure to keep that in mind when we go to put them up."