Begins Stops Short

I.

Abe squints his eyes at the sunlight and lifts the baby rifle. "AIM," he says. "That's how Lou did it. It's ridiculous."

"What do you mean, 'that's how Lou did it?' " Em asks.

Abe, lowering the barrel of the BB gun, turns to her and says,
"He left his suicide note up as an away message."

He points the gun at the set of coors bottles and shatters the four of them with little hesitation.

"This means we need more beer," says Em. "Is he okay?"

"Dumbass broke his collarbone. He's a little shaken up. Other than that he'll live." He shrugs. "I got the phone call this morning, from his brother. Looks like they're sending him here for a few weeks. They said the fresh air 'n sun'd be good for him. I think they just want to get him away from his father, who said he'd kill him himself. Prick."

Em runs her hand across her sunburnt neck. The sweat has been cooling it all day. Abe shoots at the space in front of him, trying to knock the bits of glass that lay shattered on the crate.

"Why'd he try to kill himself for anyway?"

"They said he was unhappy."

"So?" Em stated.

"The kid's nuts. He had a breakdown or something. Happens to everyone." Abe pulls a can of pop from the cooler. It falls to the ground. Sand clumps around the moisture of the can top; Abe tries to dig it out, but he buries the grains further into the aluminum ridges. He tosses the can out into the dust. Em draws the pellet pistol from her pocket and cracks open the soda.

Abe continues, "He didn't really try. He jumped off his roof. One-story house-- the fuck was that gonna do? He got a concussion and broke his collarbone."

"I don't know what good it's going to do him, coming out here," she says. "It might just make him want to try it again. Fuck-king heat wants to make you kill yourself anyway christ."

She thinks in the moment, contemplates firing a few rounds into the sun. "What did his away message say anyway?"

"BRB. JK."

"How is that a suicide note?" She says, going into the house.

"I told you. The kid's fucking nuts." Abe jingles his keys. "Let's go to the Reagan's. I'm tired of Coke."