Borderland (1079 hits)
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Rating: 1.96 on 38 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by Jack McCallum (View user info) at 2005-08-21 17:13:51 EDT
I was painting my bathroom (just call me Mr. Exciting) and I guess the fumes were getting to me because this story popped into my head, so I smoked a few cigs, swigged some Mountain Dew, and wrote it all down.
Borderland
Lem sat on the back porch sipping a beer and looking out over what he called' the garden.' Once upon a time that garden had been the tail end of a big farm. Times changed. Money got scarce. Lem's kids left for the city and he regretfully sold off parcels of his daddy's land, hating to admit that he couldn't work it all by himself anymore.
He heard heavy workboots clomp up the front steps and through the house as a deep voice rumbled greetings to Maggie.
The screen door opened and Chuck eased himself into the chair beside Lem, leaning the rifle he was carrying against the porch railing.
The door opened again. Maggie had a damp dishtowel draped over one shoulder. "Can I get you two a couple of beers?"
"That would be just fine, Maggie," Chuck said.
Chuck patted his buddy on the shoulder. "Thanks, hon."
The door eased shut.
"You're a lucky man," Chuck mumbled.
Lem gave a silent nod. Sally had died three years back and he still didn't know how to talk to his old friend about it. Instead he and Maggie had Chuck over almost every other night for dinner, and helped him out with his little heard of dairy cows. Chuck in turn helped them harvest and sell fruit and vegetables.
"Quiet night?"
Lem gave Chuck a shrug and said, "We'll see."
What did remain of the farm was a fertile patch a few acres across. On the ass end of the 'garden' was a road. And a creek. And the border.
A green light was illuminated on a grubby console beside Lem.
"Better hold off on those beers and stay put," Lem called inside.
"Okay, Maggie replied."
Lem swiveled the cheap LCD display towards him and looked at the screen. The unit was dusty and scratched, but it still worked fine.
"Got two coming through," Lem said.
He reached forward and grabbed his own rifle, flipping off the safety and getting to his feet. Chuck did the same.
They stepped off the porch and walked to the edge of the wide lawn. On the other side of a gravel path was the garden.
The snap and crunch of stalks being broken and leaves being stepped on carried far in the night air.
Lem shouldered his rifle and sighted on movement.
Far to his right a young man broke through the wall of green and stepped onto the gravel path. He was unshaven, long hair, grimy clothes.
Lem kept his eye on his own approaching target, letting his buddy take care of the other.
Chuck sighted in and pulled the trigger just as the man pleaded in a heavy accent.
The load took out the man's breastbone, part of his spine, and everything in between.
Lem knew it was going to be a long night, what with having to hose things down and dig a hole and all.
Leaves rustled and parted and a young woman darted across the gravel road carrying a brown bag.
Lem fired,
She spun and went down, dropping the bag.
Lem and Chuck walked over to her.
One arm was hanging on by gristle alone. She scrabbled at the gravel and started begging, same heavy accent as the man.
Lem wondered whether he should use another bullet or just let her bleed out when her cries for help increased in volume. He shifted the rifle in his grip and fired.
"Shit, look at this," Chuck said.
He was prodding the bag the young woman had dropped.
"Hell, I hate this," Chuck said.
Sounds were coming from the bag.
"Me too, old friend." Lem squatted and opened the bag a little more. "But if we don't protect what little we have we'll be over-run. We can't keep letting them tear up our land. I won't have anything to sell and you won't be able to feed your livestock. The country is full of sympathizers, the government won't do squat, and the whole economy has already gone bust thanks to all these illegals hopping the border. We got no choice."
"Yeah, I know," Chuck said.
Lem stood up. He and Chuck looked down at the newborn wrapped in a blue blanket, tucked safely in the bag.
The baby gurgled and waved a tiny fist in the air.
"Hell," Lem said.
He upended his rifle and slammed the butt down into the bag.
The men went back to the porch.
Lem checked the LCD screen. All quiet, no green lights.
Maggie came out onto the porch, holding two sweating brown bottles. "I thought maybe you could use those beers now, before you clean things up."
The men were silent, as they always were after such grim work, and Maggie slipped back inside.
Chuck picked at the label on the bottle. "Where do you think they were from, with those accents?"
Lem shrugged. "Who knows? South of the border all sounds the same to me."
Chuck nodded, pulled a package of Export A's from his shirt pocket, and lit up.
Lem took a long pull from his Molson Canadian, belched, and said, "What do you want tonight, shovel, or hose?"
User Reviews
Submitted by rad1101 (user info) at 2005-10-19 03:51:32 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
There are a solid four pages of +2 streaks with 30 or more reviews. That is stupid. I am weeding it all out by giving every one of them a +1; that way posts that have 1.99 with 200+ reviews gets best ever.
Submitted by joedaddy (user info) at 2005-08-24 02:35:59 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
As promised
Submitted by joedaddy (user info) at 2005-08-24 02:35:24 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by Jack_McCallum (user info) at 2005-08-23 12:43:28 (#)
Ranking: -2
Fuck this, fuck you two, and fuck consolation rounds. Enough already.
Fuck it. I'm not even gonna vote, despite my burning curiousity to see if everyone else is as pissed about this waste of space as I am.
******
A very wise move at that post, and another great story on Your post.
Worthy of a double deuce, neighbor.
Submitted by JonnyX (user info) at 2005-08-22 19:49:42 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I'm sure they were still Mexicans that got killed in the story, LA is completely full now as it is...
Submitted by bob (user info) at 2005-08-22 16:27:56 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by Id (user info) at 2005-08-21 18:50:39 (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by thecaes (user info) at 2005-08-21 18:21:06 (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by zakalwe (user info) at 2005-08-21 17:25:15 (#)
Ranking: 2
I have to say, it's a relief to see your name on the front page amid all the shit.
*********************
Ay-fucking-men
*********************
I third the motion.
____________
fourthed
Submitted by jack11058 (user info) at 2005-08-22 14:07:17 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
i'm guessing alabama.
well done. i'd buy a book of your short stories any day.
Submitted by ozzy (user info) at 2005-08-22 11:49:41 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Top shelf.
Submitted by indoninja (user info) at 2005-08-22 09:46:35 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by MyNameIsTim (user info) at 2005-08-21 23:00:14 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
your'e good.
Submitted by horse87 (user info) at 2005-08-21 22:48:04 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Nice one....
Submitted by LadyPlural (user info) at 2005-08-21 20:01:16 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Me likey.
Submitted by Soley_Trinity (user info) at 2005-08-21 19:53:01 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Divinity (user info) at 2005-08-21 19:51:58 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Mountain Dew +2.
Submitted by DonovanMD (user info) at 2005-08-21 19:27:31 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Awesome shit Jack.
Its nice to see, you know, real writing on this website for a change. Instead of all the drama and bullshit.
Submitted by Id (user info) at 2005-08-21 18:50:39 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by thecaes (user info) at 2005-08-21 18:21:06 (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by zakalwe (user info) at 2005-08-21 17:25:15 (#)
Ranking: 2
I have to say, it's a relief to see your name on the front page amid all the shit.
*********************
Ay-fucking-men
*********************
I third the motion.
Submitted by thecaes (user info) at 2005-08-21 18:21:06 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by zakalwe (user info) at 2005-08-21 17:25:15 (#)
Ranking: 2
I have to say, it's a relief to see your name on the front page amid all the shit.
*********************
Ay-fucking-men
Submitted by Crystle (user info) at 2005-08-21 18:17:56 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
thanks jack
This is what I'll miss about Uber when the crap forces me to leave. After this weekend, I might just not bother waiting, though.
Submitted by GaidinCanuck (user info) at 2005-08-21 18:05:09 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I liked it.
(And I have no idea what everyone is talking about with regards to the genitalia, but then, I'm at work and can't click those links.)
Submitted by PokeyPecker (user info) at 2005-08-21 17:52:31 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
organs!!!!
Submitted by PokeyPecker (user info) at 2005-08-21 17:52:19 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
reproductive
Submitted by PokeyPecker (user info) at 2005-08-21 17:52:08 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
someone's
Submitted by PokeyPecker (user info) at 2005-08-21 17:51:54 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
about
Submitted by PokeyPecker (user info) at 2005-08-21 17:51:42 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
posts
Submitted by PokeyPecker (user info) at 2005-08-21 17:51:23 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
off of
Submitted by PokeyPecker (user info) at 2005-08-21 17:51:10 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
mind
Submitted by PokeyPecker (user info) at 2005-08-21 17:50:59 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
my
Submitted by PokeyPecker (user info) at 2005-08-21 17:50:19 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
get
Submitted by PokeyPecker (user info) at 2005-08-21 17:50:05 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
to
Submitted by PokeyPecker (user info) at 2005-08-21 17:49:55 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
want
Submitted by PokeyPecker (user info) at 2005-08-21 17:49:44 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I
Submitted by PokeyPecker (user info) at 2005-08-21 17:49:31 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by badassmofo (user info) at 2005-08-21 17:43:17 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I guess I'd head for the Ozarks if 'the shit' went down.
Submitted by ArtificialInsanity (user info) at 2005-08-21 17:28:32 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Nice.
Submitted by Stin (user info) at 2005-08-21 17:28:06 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
+2, Mr Exciting, for posting something that's NOT a picture of Urbanes gynae bits that's actually worth the read.
Thank the Lord.
Submitted by kaos-king (user info) at 2005-08-21 17:28:04 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
A perfect little tale
Submitted by zakalwe (user info) at 2005-08-21 17:25:15 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I have to say, it's a relief to see your name on the front page amid all the shit.
Submitted by PokeyPecker (user info) at 2005-08-21 17:24:42 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
You know how those guy went inside John Malkovich's head in the movie, "Being John Malkovich"?
I wouldn't want to visit inside your head, brother.
Submitted by Spuds002 (user info) at 2005-08-21 17:18:42 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
strange story, but i liked it for some reason.