When My Train Pulls In

Here’s a little story that I did for Chuck Wendig’s terribleminds.com Flash Fiction Challenge. You can find it here along with some other great stories.

Most big decisions, really, come down to just one man.
Usually, that man is yourself.
Or, if you’re lucky- maybe God will make the choice for ya.

But I have a feeling God ain’t listening to a man like me.

See, when you’ve run like I have. When you’ve killed. Lied. Just plain ol’ sinned. God turns his back. Wouldn’t you?

And then you end up here. Drinking your last whiskey, wondering if your horse has enough brains in his head to just go on and get out of here.
The money by your feet feels like a ball and chain. The cigarette between your fingers feels like a rope of leather.
And the aching in your side just burns, burns, burns.

It’s a moment like this. A moment with that big decision hanging over your like Grandfather Death. The moment when you wait for your train to pull in and take you away, or just go on down the path by yourself.

Me? I’ve always been a loner. Spent my money on drink and pussy.
Can’t say I ain’t never been happy, but I don’t need to share my happiness. I have all I need.

And what do I have? Well…I’ve got three bullets, a bleeding stomach, a bottle of whiskey and one hundred fucking thousand dollars.

That’s a lot of money. And here I sit with it, drinking and waiting for my train. Waiting for the law, waiting for Death. Whichever one of those bastards gets to me first.

So, I’m going to have a drink to you, then a drink to me, and a drink to the big decisions in life- and, fuck it, here’s a drink to you God. My trains pulling in, I’m gonna be seeing you soon.

And I still have three bullets left.