War and Peas

The summer of 67 was shaping up to be a hot one. Though few of the boys had more

than ten years of experience with seasons, but they were sure it was the hottest summer in the

history of their small town.

Jesus, Im sweating like a whore in church, Pea Shay mumbled, bringing up the rear as

the boys marched across the old iron railroad bridge. The Nation river running fifty feet below,

not caring one lick how hot any of them were, was the only respite from the August heat before

they made it to the trees about a mile ahead.

Kiss your mother with that mouth Pea? Gordy Howard shouted from the front of the

line. He smirked to himself as he carefully stepped from one tie to the next. He could see the

water below the wood and metal. The height brought his lips back to neutral.

Zip Barkley grabbed at the opening first. Shes too tired from kissing me to care what

came out of Peas mouth!

The group laughed, save for Pea who was too shaken to speak and too slow to think of a

comeback. He just held on to his .22 a little tighter. He had to tell his mother the boys were going

to the dump to shoot rats to get it out of the house, and he was glad he had it now.

All the boys had the same kit on them: a .22 or a BB Gun, enough ammunition for a good

afternoon, and something to eat. Buck Bailey, being slightly older, had had the minerals to steal a

little whiskey from his father. Things were shaping up to be a good afternoon.

Hey Gordy, called up Fuzzy Campbell can we pick up the pace a bit. I seen someone

fall off this bridge before, and I don't wanna see me fall too!
 Hoss Hutt, the bigger half of the Hutt brothers, chuckled at that. How you gonna see

yourself fall Fuzz?

Ill give him a shove and we can ask after he hits the water. That was the other half of

the Hutt brothers, Dingwall.

Fuzzy kept his eyes straight forward and kept putting one foot in front of the other. If he

could have seen himself, he would have seen he turned a little green.

* * *

Buck tried his best to hide the shiver that passed through him as he forced the whiskey

down, and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. It was time to start their war game; they

would see how close they could come to each other with their .22s and BB guns and scare each

other, without being too dangerous. Alright boys, Ill just split yous up and we can get goin. He

looked around the group. Zip, Gordy, yous two with me, and Hoss, Dingwall, yous two take

care of Pea and Fuzz this time.

Pea and Fuzzy? What the hell Buck, thats horse shit! Hoss always got stuck with the

short end of the stick ever sense he took Bucks ex-sweetheart out driving.

Well Hoss, jabbed Zip, You gotta stick the best with the dick you got.

Once yous are all are past the tree line, fire once to let us know yous are good to start.

Buck sat down and tried to have another swig of whiskey, but spluttered this time.

Buck doesn't think much of us to give us the high-ground eh? Pea mused as the band of

misfits hustled toward the woods.

Why should he? replied Fuzzy.

 Us little guys will get our turn eventually. Pea vaulted over a log large enough to hide

his small frame, but clipped his toe and went chest first into a pile of bear scat. He hated berries

at the best of times.

Smooth as ever Pea. Hoss hustled around the side of the same log and crouched low.

Look, I dont expect you or Fuzz to hit much, but keep mostly behind this log and see if yous

can give us some cover fire.

Fuzzy and Pea crouched real low and Hoss ran over to the east of the ridge to join up

with his brother. Fuzzy flinched as they heard that familiar thwack of a .22 bullet hitting a nearby

tree. War had been declared, and the quiet afternoon air got a lot less relaxing. Pea carefully

peeked over the log.

Buck was behind a large rock a little ways east down the tracks, fully in cover. Pea

scanned west, and saw Gordy about 25 yards north behind a log trying to push up the hill.

Another 30 yards to the west was Zip; always the clown, he was popping in and out of cover like

a groundhog, trying to draw fire.

Pea remember Zips quip at his mother, and knew this was his time. He heard Zip fire,

hide, and an instant later a BB from one of the Hoss boys - they had their .22s taken away after

shooting their kid sisters dolls - ricocheted off Zips bolder. Again, and again, plunking off the

rock. And Hoss thought I couldn't hit shit Pea thought to himself.

So Pea pushed himself up to the log. His left arm over the side, elbow pointing right at

Zip, and his left hand back onto the wood. He lay his rifle into the crook of his arm, and rested its

stock into his right shoulder. He pushed the safety through, rested his finger on the trigger, and

waited. Zip popped up, shot twice and hid again. Pea waited as his target chambered another
round. Pea exhaled. Ill show Zip he thought. Hell shit his pants. In the calm between breaths,

Zip started to stand, and Pea squeezed the trigger gently. The quiet crack of a rimfire cartridge

firing, and a moment later the wet thunk of something pushing through flesh.

I got him! cried Pea, ecstatic. Zip fell back. Oh fuck I got him.

The boys took a moment to notice, but all started to run as soon as Zip started shouting.

They rounded the rock.

One of yous shot me!

Yea we see that Zip.

Jesus, who shot me?!

It was Pea, Fuzzy mumbled right before he fainted. He never did well with blood.

There was a moment of silence and the boys realized Pea was suddenly, although only

temporarily, cooler than them all. And then they remembered Zip.

Someone get an ambulance! Buck pressed on the wound on the upper right of Zips

chest.

And how you think its going to get to us, along the tracks?

They all looked toward the bridge.

* * *

It was a long four miles back to town. This time Pea was taking point across the bridge,

and this time they were all running. Except for Fuzzy, who was thrown over Bucks shoulder. Zip

was running behind Pea with a finger over the bullet hole in his shoulder, and Hoss was running

behind Zip with a finger over the exit wound. They were quite a sight as they turned the corner
onto 9th Street - holding rifles, covered in blood, sweat, and a little of Fuzzs vomit - and ran up

the steps and into Doc Justices waiting room. It was late, so Doc was having a smoke and

reading the paper, waiting to close up for the day when the boys tumbled in.

Guns by the door boys, and tell me what happened. He sat Zip down on one of the

chairs. Take your shirt off.

We was just out shooting Ground hogs and it ricketcheed straight into him! offered

Dingwall.

Yep, Ive seen bullets ricochet straight quite a few times, Doc mused. He wiped the

almost dry blood off Zips front and back, and put a bandaid over each of the holes. A clean .22

wound was barely big enough for a single stitch, and boys this age healed quick anyway. Lucky

it went through straight and clean. Id stay in cover when the groundhogs are shooting back at

you next time. He Cuffed Zip on the side of the head.

The boys headed for the door, Pea still at the head of the line. He reached for his .22.

You boys leave those guns here, get your fathers to come pick em up in the morning.

Doc sat back down behind the desk. And remember who the sharp-shooters are next time you

pick teams.

Pea was sporting a wide grin right up until Zip hit him in the stomach. He threw-up,

Fuzzy fainted again, and they all laughed.

Nice shot, Zip whispered as he helped Pea back to his feet.