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- Story Listed as: Fiction For Adults
- Theme: Family & Friends
- Subject: Courage / Heroism
- Published: 12/13/2024
The fight
Born 1945, M, from Farmersburg, United States.jpeg)
Emptying the garbage from the kitchen of the restaurant, Johnny felt the hardening all the way down to his soul. Why the argument started, he wasn’t sure. He stood on the far side of the bin watching the exchange. The shadows of the streetlamp concealing him.
The girl, only 18 or 19, cringed against the wall of the building next door. Her trim figure made her look like a little more than a child. The guy had a linebacker’s build. Johnny weighed a little more than a hundred and fifty.
“I don’t want to be with you anymore, Barry. Every time we go out, you hurt me.” She said tearfully. Barry slapped her with his open palm. To Johnny, it sounded like a pistol shot.
“Please don’t hurt me.” The girl pleaded, her hands covering her face. Trapped by an unwanted relationship, she saw no escape.
Barry laughed. “Gail, you’ll be my girlfriend as long as I want you to be.” Pulling her hands down, he slapped the girl again. Two red spots appeared on Gail’s cheeks.
A hard shield covered Johnny’s heart. He had no feelings, no fear. He knew what he was going to do. Johnny must stop this. His muscles knotted up. The memory of his father beating his mother when he was 10 years old overwhelmed him. He tried to stop his father back then and ended up bouncing off the wall. Not this time. Not now.
His face fixed, he grabbed Barry’s arm. Spinning him around, Johnny gave him a blow full in the mouth. Barry fell backward onto the littered ground. Surprised someone would interfere, he staggered to his feet. Johnny could smell alcohol on the man’s breath.
“You stay out of my private business.” Barry slurred, his mouth bloody.
“You leave her alone. Or you’ll get what you deserve,” Johnny said, ready for a fight. He saw Barry’s fist coming a mile away. Barry swung at him, missing by inches. He popped the guy again, flattening his nose. Johnny danced away. The wall of the restaurant to his back.
“Now you made me mad,” Barry roared. He came at Johnny full bore. Stepping aside, Johnny chopped the guy in the throat. Barry hit the wall of the restaurant and crumpled to the ground.
For most guys, that would be the end of the fight? Gail coward in the corner, her eyes leaking tears. Berry struggled for breath. On his knees, he held his throat with both hands.
“Are you done?” Johnny asked, bouncing on the balls of his feet. He learned the hard way most of these men never gave up until they were beat and he meant really beat. Getting to his feet slower this time, Berry gathered himself. Johnny sighed. It would take more to put this guy down. Berry came at Johnny again. Head lowered; he thought this would give him an advantage. All it did was blind him to what Johnny was doing. This time Johnny toed Berry in the stomach with his boot. He felt his toe sink into the guy’s abdomen. For good measure, Johnny kicked Berry in the butt. This propelled the guy into the wall. He fell to the ground, moaning. Believing Barry was out of it, Johnny turned his attention to Gail. She smiled at him, then her face changed. “Look out." She shouted. Johnny saw the shadow. He leaned sideways. Barry shot by him a discarded chair from the restaurant raised over his head. Barry crashed into the wall.
Ok, enough of this playing around. Time to finish this. Getting to his feet, swaying, Barry turned around. Johnny faced him with a slight smile. Barry confronted him, his fists raised in the air.
“I’m gonna beat your head in.” Barry said, his face flaming red.
“Come on, big boy. Let’s see what you got,” Johnny said. His hands at his side. Barry came at him like a freight train. Johnny waited until the last second, then ducked. He brought his fist up to the point of Barry’s chin. For a few seconds, he thought he had broken his hand. Barry stared at him, confused, then dropped like a rock. Johnny flexed his hand. Nothing seemed broken.
Taking a wet cloth, Johnny wiped Barry’s face until he opened his eyes. Johnny smiled at Barry, his voice like iron. “You hit her or any other woman one more time. I won’t stop until they pick you up with a shovel. Do you understand me?”
Barry nodded. johnny padded Barry on the shoulder. Then, taking Gail by the hand, he led her into the restaurant and called the police. After a couple of days in jail, Berry never bothered Gail again.
The fight(Darrell Case)
Emptying the garbage from the kitchen of the restaurant, Johnny felt the hardening all the way down to his soul. Why the argument started, he wasn’t sure. He stood on the far side of the bin watching the exchange. The shadows of the streetlamp concealing him.
The girl, only 18 or 19, cringed against the wall of the building next door. Her trim figure made her look like a little more than a child. The guy had a linebacker’s build. Johnny weighed a little more than a hundred and fifty.
“I don’t want to be with you anymore, Barry. Every time we go out, you hurt me.” She said tearfully. Barry slapped her with his open palm. To Johnny, it sounded like a pistol shot.
“Please don’t hurt me.” The girl pleaded, her hands covering her face. Trapped by an unwanted relationship, she saw no escape.
Barry laughed. “Gail, you’ll be my girlfriend as long as I want you to be.” Pulling her hands down, he slapped the girl again. Two red spots appeared on Gail’s cheeks.
A hard shield covered Johnny’s heart. He had no feelings, no fear. He knew what he was going to do. Johnny must stop this. His muscles knotted up. The memory of his father beating his mother when he was 10 years old overwhelmed him. He tried to stop his father back then and ended up bouncing off the wall. Not this time. Not now.
His face fixed, he grabbed Barry’s arm. Spinning him around, Johnny gave him a blow full in the mouth. Barry fell backward onto the littered ground. Surprised someone would interfere, he staggered to his feet. Johnny could smell alcohol on the man’s breath.
“You stay out of my private business.” Barry slurred, his mouth bloody.
“You leave her alone. Or you’ll get what you deserve,” Johnny said, ready for a fight. He saw Barry’s fist coming a mile away. Barry swung at him, missing by inches. He popped the guy again, flattening his nose. Johnny danced away. The wall of the restaurant to his back.
“Now you made me mad,” Barry roared. He came at Johnny full bore. Stepping aside, Johnny chopped the guy in the throat. Barry hit the wall of the restaurant and crumpled to the ground.
For most guys, that would be the end of the fight? Gail coward in the corner, her eyes leaking tears. Berry struggled for breath. On his knees, he held his throat with both hands.
“Are you done?” Johnny asked, bouncing on the balls of his feet. He learned the hard way most of these men never gave up until they were beat and he meant really beat. Getting to his feet slower this time, Berry gathered himself. Johnny sighed. It would take more to put this guy down. Berry came at Johnny again. Head lowered; he thought this would give him an advantage. All it did was blind him to what Johnny was doing. This time Johnny toed Berry in the stomach with his boot. He felt his toe sink into the guy’s abdomen. For good measure, Johnny kicked Berry in the butt. This propelled the guy into the wall. He fell to the ground, moaning. Believing Barry was out of it, Johnny turned his attention to Gail. She smiled at him, then her face changed. “Look out." She shouted. Johnny saw the shadow. He leaned sideways. Barry shot by him a discarded chair from the restaurant raised over his head. Barry crashed into the wall.
Ok, enough of this playing around. Time to finish this. Getting to his feet, swaying, Barry turned around. Johnny faced him with a slight smile. Barry confronted him, his fists raised in the air.
“I’m gonna beat your head in.” Barry said, his face flaming red.
“Come on, big boy. Let’s see what you got,” Johnny said. His hands at his side. Barry came at him like a freight train. Johnny waited until the last second, then ducked. He brought his fist up to the point of Barry’s chin. For a few seconds, he thought he had broken his hand. Barry stared at him, confused, then dropped like a rock. Johnny flexed his hand. Nothing seemed broken.
Taking a wet cloth, Johnny wiped Barry’s face until he opened his eyes. Johnny smiled at Barry, his voice like iron. “You hit her or any other woman one more time. I won’t stop until they pick you up with a shovel. Do you understand me?”
Barry nodded. johnny padded Barry on the shoulder. Then, taking Gail by the hand, he led her into the restaurant and called the police. After a couple of days in jail, Berry never bothered Gail again.
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Denise Arnault
12/13/2024So many in need and so few rescuers. Violence is not always the answer, but sometimes it is. Just leaving the relationship is not nerely as easy as people make out.
ReplyHelp Us Understand What's Happening
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Darrell Case
12/13/2024Denise
Thank you. Sometimes you just have to stand up for that which is right.
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