The Hostages Down The Lane
“Man with a gun.”
“He has hostages.”
“A female and three children.”
“Shots fired.”
Radio crackles.
“10-4. I’m en route.”
Old house
On a farm.
Dirt lane
Half-mile long.
Yelling
Cursing
Glass, breaking.
Thumps
Bangs
A scream.
Kids, crying
Teenager, peeking outside.
BOOM!
Shotgun blast
Window, up
Child pulled to safety.
Sirens
Howling
Backup, on the way.
A look inside
Woman and two small children
Huddled together
In a corner.
BOOM!
Hole in door.
Man at window
Tall
Muscular
Wild-eyed.
No shirt
Sweating
Nervous.
Sees police car
BOOM!
Out on porch
Shotgun
Barefoot
Dirty jeans.
Yelling
Cursing
“Go away”
“I’ll kill them!”
“All of them”
Doesn’t see me
Aims at police car.
Boom!
Run
Tackle
Secure gun
Handcuff.
Children, crying
Woman, crying
“Daddy!”
“Please don’t take him away!”
“He’s my husband”
“I love him”
“He’ll be okay”
“Just too much alcohol”
“That’s all”
“Please, let him go”
“Leave him alone!”
“He wouldn’t hurt us”
Hair tangled.
“I promise”
Lip bleeding.
“He would never hurt us”
“Please…”
Bruised cheek
More tears.
“He means well”
“A lot on his mind”
He’s a good father
And wonderful husband.
“It was my fault”
“Please, let him go…”
“Don’t hurt him!”
Bruises on arms.
Black eye.
“Please…”
“We need him”
“I…love him…”
*Farmhouse photo by Sunday Kaminski
