Just in time for the holidays is a story I've wanted to write for a long time. This is based on the true story of my sister's death on December 24, 1983. Amid the scant details of what happened, I've written my "imagining" of what transpired that night.
My sister had left her husband, who looked exactly like a painting of the white Jesus Christ that so many of us know. My sister had one child already, a little girl, and she and he had a baby boy. On Christmas Eve, he had taken the kids to his family's home for a visit. Later, he drove his van to where my sister was staying, and they argued in the street. He wouldn't let her have the kids and she wouldn't go back to him. With the kids in the backseat of the van, he shot my sister in the street then turned the gun on himself. My sister bled to death. He shot across the back of his eyes, forever blinding himself, but he lived. Some time later, he called my mother.
To this day, I wonder if the last thing he saw is forever etched into his mind.
I've tried to write this story before, but the words were never right. So, I waited. Then, on December 7, 2010, the words played out in my head. I immediately opened a Word doc and started to type. Between interruptions, in two hours I pounded this out. I did a bit of editing a little later, and the next day edited some more. My daughter looked it over quickly as well. After that, I was pleased with it as it was and sent it to The Molotov Cocktail. The want and love dark, flash stories. They published it.
To me, I have immortalized my sister. I can do no more or less than that. Please click on this link http://themolotovcocktail.com/past-issues/vol-1-issue-19/merrychristmas/ and read my story "Merry Christmas" at The Molotov Cocktail.
Read it for her.
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