Drive In Tales Summer 2015 | Page 18

police station and answer questions. She got up keeping the pistol behind her and sidled around her mother and into the house. She dashed into her parent's bedroom, found the box of bullets in her Dad's sock drawer. After removing two bullets, she returned the box to the drawer. In the bathroom, she used a Q-tip to punch out the spent shells into the toilet and then inserted fresh bullets in the empty chambers.

Before restoring the pistol to the holster, she sniffed the barrel. The smell of burned gunpowder stung deep inside her nose and made her eyes water. After sloshing the pistol back and forth in the toilet a few times, she flushed and watched to make sure the shells departed. Holding the pistol by its waffled grip, she dried off the gun with a hand towel, making sure to rub out her fingerprints, then used her Mom's hair dryer to finish the job.

She stuck her head out the bathroom door. Her Mom was still outside. After replacing the gun in the holster and restoring the chair she went outside to stand by her Mom.

"What's happened, Mommy dear?"

"Oh, the firemen had to use a hydrant on the next street over and in the meantime sparks flew from Mrs. Diefendorfer’s roof onto Mr. Schigellowicz’ roof. He tried to put it out with his garden hose, but the stream from his hose wouldn’t reach the roof. It looks like it's going to burn down as well." She shook her head gravely.What's happened, Mommy dear?"

"Oh, the firemen had to use a hydrant on the next street over and in the meantime sparks flew from Mrs. Diefendorfer’s roof onto Mr. Schigellowicz’ roof. He tried to put it out with his

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