All My Stories

To be human is to suffer at times. I have put together five stories that embrace this notion. The Bee Killer (PTSD), One Virus One Gift (Class Struggles), The Trip (Awaking) The Last Gargoyle (Reaction of an Idiot Savant) and The Rainbow Flag Allegiance (Sex based scorn). These stories can be found in The Stunned and Seething (Book of Shorts). These stories encapsulate hatred and the reactions to it. Let us consider the ramifications and appreciate an awareness for said struggles. 

People Shooter #4

           He quit listening and watched them slide Noah into the ambulance. It hurt to have everything end up

 like this. Noah shot? Shit happens, but really … Noah? Unreal. Was it all because Noah hated dogs?

 Maybe he got bit once or something. He had beaten on Courtney’s dog with a stick. Not like he had to.

 It was one of those obnoxious poodles. A little one. What they called a miniature. Truth was Noah was

 always thumpin’ on dogs. Maybe he hated ‘em for a reason. But no way this gave Courtney the right to

 toss shade on Noah, telling him he reeked and then smearing dog shit on his locker. Tonight she had

 something to worry about besides a mutt.

News Center 3 showed up and parked on the street in front of the school. McShuster watched his favorite news reporter, Robert Macaday, step out and adjust his tie. A girl was setting up a camera. McShuster would have loved all the excitement in a prior life, but not tonight; people getting shot changes things.

Everyone knew Noah could lose it in no time flat. Messing with him was mostly just supposed to be fun. But no, sometimes a guy reaches his boiling point. Who wants to look stupid? He made like being stupid was worse than no girlfriend. Everyone knew it. He picked up a nick name he didn’t know about. Or, at least Noah never let on about knowing. No-Ah girl for loser Noah.

The reporter waved and approached the squad. “Our team called the tip in. Shooting was going to … start during the game. Can I get a few words on record—” The reporter went mum after making eye contact with McShuster. “Reporters get shot. Is that the only shooter around here?” He spun and trotted to the van hollering to the camera lady. She grabbed a mic and raced Robert to the van before they spun off.

“I was on my way to work and it dawned on me. It’s like ‘I’d shoot up the school in a second,’ but you think saying that stuff is a big joke. Sometimes a storm blows in and you drenched because you didn’t see it in time.” McShuster looked at the growing crowd across the street. “Can we leave—”

“Ten four, three-fourteen. I have the perp in custody. Is the school cleared?” Officer Tracy asked.

“Can you check see how Noah’s doing?” McShuster asked. He couldn’t believe it. Noah was his shooting buddy. Why’d I shoot him? he wondered.

Officer Tracy put the mic up near her mouth but then lowered it. “You act alone here?”

“I what?” McShuster looked up.

             The scene is fluid and stress is present. This can cause mistakes.

 

Eau Claire Lady Book Lovers

Very excited to see the new library. Wonderful town or so I've been told. The Wigwam is where the best hamburger can be had I guess. I'm headed to Eau Claire from the Minneapolis/St Paul Airport. Lets make it memorable. I love book signings. Many thanks to my Agent.

Nothing is Free

Exception to every rule. People Shooter is free I tell ya! We're up to three installments of my latest and greatest story . . . People Shooter. Everything in this story is based on research. It isn't a knee jerk reaction to the horrors of gun violence in America. How its written is how it happens. So read away and leave a comment. Thanks go out to the Barone Literary Agency who has had my back. Now scroll down and read the first three installments.

Three dead in Old Minnesota

I wrote 'People Shooter' because it was cathartic. I find it hard to live with daily violence brought to you by the Second Amendment. I feel that the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall be established after conditions are met. European Countries do this quiet nicely. They sign out weapons for hunting. There has been violence in Europe, but not on the level found in the United States. This is a problem our elected leaders have no idea how to handle.

This is my point of view, on this problem and I stand by it. So please do share your thoughts but lets agree to disagree if need be. I get that rainy day feeling when I think of all the horrible acts of violence we have to endure day in and day out from a trigger being pulled.

Side bar here. If we have to appease some who desire the right to bear arms why does it stop with firearms? Our right to purchase dynamite ended in the sixties when explosives rocked the land of the brave during Viet Nam protests. So if you exercise your right to own a gun, why not put up a fuss for explosives?   

These three were shot to death the other day.

R.I.P.

   

Another day . . . Another Rejection!

 

Your comment on "Melania Trump’s Time As First Lady Was Allegedly Spent Discussing Prenup With Her Lawyers" violates the community guidelines and has been rejected

www.curt-rude.com Tue 27 Feb 2024 04:50:10 PM She seen it for what it is . . . long before many others did. If she didn't take care of herself and Barron who would?

People Shooter #3

 

“Please shut it!’ Officer Tracy glared at him in the rearview mirror shaking her head. “I’m going to read you your rights and tape what you have to say. Okay, McShuster?”

Someone pounded on the window. They both jumped. “Godammit. You just as well kill someone than scare them half to death,” Tracy growled while sliding open the window. An officer stood by the squad while glancing around the area.

“Sorry. Sorry,” the officer said while still surveying the scene.  Did he say anything about anyone helping him here? He a lone gunman or what?” Several other officers crowded in around the squad dressed up like soldiers, assault weapons held across their chests, the word “Police” printed on their black outfits.

“If I say something, can you loosen these?” McShuster leaned forward, exposing his cuffed hands.

“You good with that, Jill?” The officer asked.

She got out of the squad and started working a little key in the hole on the cuff. The handcuffs had worked a deep imprint into his wrist, she noticed, suppressing a grin. Yes sir … the little bastard got what he had coming.

“Yes, I’m here doing what I had to do. I’m what you’d call a lone gunman. Wait a minute, I don’t have a gun. I’m just here, I mean alone. How bad hurt is he?” McShuster nodded toward Noah. Everyone ignored him.

The SWAT officer lowered his voice. “Jill, is your daughter alright? Is she at the game?” Tracy told him Megan was okay; that she had ran her friend to the hospital with a broken arm.

“Good to hear. Hang in there, Jill. We got to clear the school.” The group spun from the squad and trotted into the north entrance.

After reading McShuster his rights and double checking her device, she exhaled. She didn’t want to hear it; when it got personal things got harder. Megan had been at the basketball game. She was okay but was crying after spotting her mom getting out of her squad, Megan had run up assuring Tracy she was okay but her friend was hurt. Not shot. Just hurt. She had fallen off a bleacher and a bone was sticking out of her arm. Megan was going to drive her but promised to drive carefully since ambulances were waiting to only transport gunshot victims. Courtney was not going to die. She needed a doctor though because it looked like it hurt. Bad.

“Where do I start here? This is Officer Tracy. I’m with James McShuster,” she continued with what sounded like legal gibberish to McShuster: times and dates and locations.

The officer here is clearly attempting to get the legal ball rolling. Her value system is confronting something she doesn't appreciate. I mean, it became personal when the reader discovers her daughter is at the game where a gun man had been on the loose. If you get to thinking the give and take like this would never happen, remember, I was a cop in a prior life. 

Another day . . . Another rejection!

 

Your comment on "$568 million of cocaine found hidden in bananas in record seizure" violates the community guidelines and has been rejected

www.curt-rude.com Fri 23 Feb 2024 06:58:31 PM It's all about supply and demand. People want to get high, but can't exercise that right, in a free society. So this void is filled by enterprising individuals who could also be called Capitalists. Losing some blow is just the cost of doing business. Don't worry, there'll be plenty of coke on the streets this weekend. Can you imagine partaking in a Banana Split today and being on the go until, say Monday?

People Shooter #2

“Ma’am, my hands really hurt. Officer Tracy … isn’t that your name?” McShuster asked.

“Handcuffs are necessary when someone brings a gun to school.” Officer Tracy held her hand, palm up, over the steering wheel. Then she leaned toward the passenger seat and picked up the wallet she had taken off him. “James McShuster. Is that you?”

“Yes.” He nodded his head, then lowered his voice. “Is that there Noah hurt? Did he get planted harder than me?” He started to lean forward before pain jolted him in a straight-up position.

“I don’t get,” Officer Tracy said shaking her head. “Why … more shootings? Can’t even send kids to a basketball game no more. Used to be unarmed people—men, women and children—were off limits,” Officer Tracy mumbled.

McShuster spoke up. “Violence and guns is what it’s about. Shooters on a mission to go viral or something. Be badass and blast their way onto the news. The whole deal. Pictures with names … in the news, ruined parents. You know that? This stuff here tonight was planned for a bad ending. You know. It was like a secret mission. The same as they do in the army. I mean we had code words. We put together target practice. It got serious in short order. I mean homemade targets with names on them of dicks from school. It was funny until it wasn’t. We make the gun deal with our hand and pulled an imaginary trigger with our pointer finger. That meant target practice after school. I mean no harm no crime. Don’t get me wrong here. I ain’t sayin’ guns is right or wrong. I’m just saying—”

So here's what's happening. A suspect has been apprehended near a school. I can attest to this being how these calls go down. Nobody knows what's happening and the adrenaline is driving behavior. Then anger creeps in.