* * *
The shotgun was uncomfortable in his hands . He ' d had it for years now , bought it back just after he and Enid had been wed . He ' d wanted to make her feel safe , because who knew what could happen to a farmer and his wife way out here in the country . After the purchase though , he ' d put it away in the bottom of his dresser and there it had stayed . Until tonight that was . The weapon had needed some cleaning , and it had taken quite some time to remember where he ' d put the buckshot , but now that Ern had the weapon ready to use , he realized he didn ' t know how to hold it properly . Secretly , he had hoped that he wouldn ' t have to .
Ern had set himself up with a chair at his bedroom window , the gun resting across his lap , and the air through the house felt still . The half-moon outside illuminated the crops before him . If anybody came tonight , he ' d be able to spot them even if they were on the other side of the cornfield .
Ern ' s bed was just behind him . From his wedding day picture sitting on his nightstand , Ern felt his wife ' s stare boring holes into his back . She never would have approved of this , Ern thought . She would have begged him to put the gun away and get some rest , telling him that he had a long day of work ahead of him tomorrow . Ern would say that he ' d be fine , and Enid would change tactics , commanding him to come to bed , and he ' d have no choice but to listen . But Enid wasn ' t here , and Ern didn ' t sleep much in the bed now anyways . Enid had occupied it
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