STORY INFO
image

The Bullet that Esther Stopped

Content

II shot papa square in the heart but he didn’t die. That damn bible he carried with him saved his life. I was considerable lucky that papa had his axe at hand, and that he kept it sharp. I picked it up. It was a heavy thing, so I swung with all my might and put it right through his head. Seein’ his brains made me throw up. I moved away so it wouldn’t get on papa. That would be disrespectful.Papa was a big man. I couldn’t bury him like that, so I started choppin’ off his arms and legs ...

Outstanding reviews

Hey! Congrats man!R
Thank you very much, Russell. Coming from a quality author like you, that means a lot. Cheers!
CONGRATULATIONS DEL !!! Long overdue. So pleased that you are getting the recognition that you deserve.I'm wrapping up the school year (you know how that goes) and I'm over the moon to see your name at the top this week. Reading the story on my lunch hour. YAYYAYYAY
Thank you so very much, Deidra. Coming from one of the best authors I know, this means a lot.I have you - and others - to thank for my writing progress. I'm blessed to have mentors like you to help me along as I struggle to improve. Winning one of these contests feels terrific because the competition is so stiff. Again, thank you, my friend. Praise from Deidra is worth noting. Cheers!
Thank you so very much, Deidra. Coming from one of the best authors I know, this means a lot.I have you - and others - to thank for my writing progress. I'm blessed to have mentors like you to help me along as I struggle to improve. Winning one of these contests feels terrific because the competition is so stiff. Again, thank you, my friend. Praise from Deidra is worth noting. Cheers!
Thank you so very much, Deidra. Coming from one of the best authors I know, this means a lot.I have you - and others - to thank for my writing progress. I'm blessed to have mentors like you to help me along as I struggle to improve. Winning one of these contests feels terrific because the competition is so stiff. Again, thank you, my friend. Praise from Deidra is worth noting. Cheers!
Funnily enough in my stories on here I am usually trying to do the opposite and not make the setting seem too 'unfamiliar'. Off to check out your story now, I don't see much on here set in NZ!
LOL. Didn't pick New Zealand here, though one of my stories was recognized as a story set in NZ, without stating it. In fact, my stories based loosely on real life are set in New Zealand. Had to mention.
LOL. Didn't pick New Zealand here, though one of my stories was recognized as a story set in NZ, without stating it. In fact, my stories based loosely on real life are set in New Zealand. Had to mention.
LOL. Didn't pick New Zealand here, though one of my stories was recognized as a story set in NZ, without stating it. In fact, my stories based loosely on real life are set in New Zealand. Had to mention.
Woo Del! Congratulations! The Contest that Esther Won :)
Thank you, my friend. LOL Yes, Esther came through for me. Cheers!
Loved reading about the hidden meanings. However, though I can imagine a Bible being carried near someone's heart, I cannot think of a reason to carry any other type of book. It had to be a Bible.
Truth. Good call, Kaitlyn.
Huh. I missed this. (Kept thinking about the minutiae of Esther -- a unique book in many ways -- and missed the big picture). What a gorgeous analysis of theme. Bravo.
Huh. I missed this. (Kept thinking about the minutiae of Esther -- a unique book in many ways -- and missed the big picture). What a gorgeous analysis of theme. Bravo.
Huh. I missed this. (Kept thinking about the minutiae of Esther -- a unique book in many ways -- and missed the big picture). What a gorgeous analysis of theme. Bravo.
:)
:)
:)
What if you could get hookers on cocaine? Like a contact high.... Hmmm..
Hookers and "contact" are a given. Contact high from cocaine? Not so much. LOLCheers, my friend!
Hookers and "contact" are a given. Contact high from cocaine? Not so much. LOLCheers, my friend!
Hookers and "contact" are a given. Contact high from cocaine? Not so much. LOLCheers, my friend!
Hookers and "contact" are a given. Contact high from cocaine? Not so much. LOLCheers, my friend!
Thanks so much for the praise, Lily. I'm so pleased that you liked it so much.Generational poverty during the Depression was real, and it spawned a whole set of new social ills. The patriarchal mindset back then didn't help matters any, either. People, especially young people, did desperate things to escape such a life. Esther is just one of many stories like this that are true.I'm glad the tale resonated with a deeper meaning, my friend. But you're a great analyzer of tales, so there's that. Cheers!
Aww, thanks Del. Sometimes much of what I read goes over my head. I am just glad when I get something correct. LOL. LF6
The book of Esther. A lot hinges on a good education. A good education for these two girls was knowing how to work the system to get rid of a terrible and dangerous man. This story is about ..'Corntex' too, growing up poor, Esther had no one to turn to to get out her situation except a shotgun and an axe. If she had more resources more awareness of her options maybe she could have chosen a -less violent solution. Good one!
Thank you for the comments, Marty. I really appreciate this.Yes, education was Esther's way out, and the lack of education drove her to desperate measures. That, I think, was the crux of the tale. And the Book of Esther. Again, thank you, my friend. Cheers!
Thank you for the comments, Marty. I really appreciate this.Yes, education was Esther's way out, and the lack of education drove her to desperate measures. That, I think, was the crux of the tale. And the Book of Esther. Again, thank you, my friend. Cheers!
Thank you for the comments, Marty. I really appreciate this.Yes, education was Esther's way out, and the lack of education drove her to desperate measures. That, I think, was the crux of the tale. And the Book of Esther. Again, thank you, my friend. Cheers!
Thank you for the comments, Marty. I really appreciate this.Yes, education was Esther's way out, and the lack of education drove her to desperate measures. That, I think, was the crux of the tale. And the Book of Esther. Again, thank you, my friend. Cheers!
Thank you for the comments, Marty. I really appreciate this.Yes, education was Esther's way out, and the lack of education drove her to desperate measures. That, I think, was the crux of the tale. And the Book of Esther. Again, thank you, my friend. Cheers!
Interesting. Are they really African-American if there’s no textual base for that? Congratulations on the win!
Not necessarily. It was written without regard to race.Thanks for the congrats, my friend. Cheers!
Not necessarily. It was written without regard to race.Thanks for the congrats, my friend. Cheers!
Thanks so much, Kaitlyn, for the praise and the kind words.Yes, education is a way out of generational poverty and its attendant ills. Big message there, but not surprising, considering I'm an ex-teacher. We teachers tend to believe in the power of education. LOL As you say, it's not all nurture.I think Esther's mother, though hidden in the tale, is the real hero. She wanted more for her daughter than what she had, so she made sure Esther got an education. The power of love prevails in the second part.Again, thank you, my friend. Cheers!
Hi.Prob ably should just clap and delete notes. Clap clap
Don't delete the notes! They're gold, my friend. We need more commenters like you to show us what resonates and what doesn't. Your comments are a prime example of what this site needs.
Generational poverty, it’s not just about material wealth but also education. Without access to education, choices may be limited. You have demonstrated this so beautifully with this story, well done.
Generational poverty, it’s not just about material wealth but also education. Without access to education, choices may be limited. You have demonstrated this so beautifully with this story, well done.
Congratulations on the win! Well done and well deserved!
Thank you, Michelle. I am truly humbled.
Holy shit is this good! Damn. Telling the same story from different viewpoints, different tenses, diction, etc is no easy task. Doing all of them well is even harder. You took the reader on quite the emotional roller coaster - as well as the characters. Today's age being what it is, I felt like I was binging different episodes of the same show. (That may be a weird compliment, but a valid one, nonetheless.)
Thank you very much for the praise and the comments, Steve. I appreciate this.As a former teacher/golf coach, I can appreciate your limited time to write, and I applaud you for writing anything at all, especially with four daughters to raise. Only a teacher can handle such a daunting feat, my friend. Again, thank you for the review, my friend. Cheers from Texas!
This is wonderful! Congratulations on the win! What an amazing take on the prompt.My favorite phrase in this piece is Fireflies came out of hiding, their pinpricks of light giving the large front lawn a magical appearance. As if fairies were in attendance. As if a miracle had been bestowed.Just beautiful!
Thank you very much for the praise and the congrats, Jody. I truly appreciate them.You know, you're the only one who pointed out that particular paragraph as something beautiful. I also thought that it was the best descriptive paragraph I've written in quite some time. I grew up in the Texas panhandle, so we didn't have fireflies. My grandmother did, though, and those summer evenings at her house stayed with me. I owe all of that writing to her, I believe.Again, thank you, my friend. Cheers!
I have been fascinated by lightening bugs (as we western PA people call them) since I was a little girl. They are magical and it was just lovely to see them appreciated in print! That the rest of your story was awesome was the full deal!! That is so lovely that you owe your writing to your grandma!!
I have been fascinated by lightening bugs (as we western PA people call them) since I was a little girl. They are magical and it was just lovely to see them appreciated in print! That the rest of your story was awesome was the full deal!! That is so lovely that you owe your writing to your grandma!!
I have been fascinated by lightening bugs (as we western PA people call them) since I was a little girl. They are magical and it was just lovely to see them appreciated in print! That the rest of your story was awesome was the full deal!! That is so lovely that you owe your writing to your grandma!!
I have been fascinated by lightening bugs (as we western PA people call them) since I was a little girl. They are magical and it was just lovely to see them appreciated in print! That the rest of your story was awesome was the full deal!! That is so lovely that you owe your writing to your grandma!!
I have been fascinated by lightening bugs (as we western PA people call them) since I was a little girl. They are magical and it was just lovely to see them appreciated in print! That the rest of your story was awesome was the full deal!! That is so lovely that you owe your writing to your grandma!!
I have been fascinated by lightening bugs (as we western PA people call them) since I was a little girl. They are magical and it was just lovely to see them appreciated in print! That the rest of your story was awesome was the full deal!! That is so lovely that you owe your writing to your grandma!!
I have been fascinated by lightening bugs (as we western PA people call them) since I was a little girl. They are magical and it was just lovely to see them appreciated in print! That the rest of your story was awesome was the full deal!! That is so lovely that you owe your writing to your grandma!!
Quick, snappy dialogue and an engaging plot that clips along. As a reader, I felt immersed in the conflict and setting. The bullet stopping at the Book of Esther is so clever, and the fact that fate hinges upon education speaks to me as a teacher. Congratulations!
Thank you very much, Éan, for the praise. I really appreciate it.As a former teacher, I also appreciate the power of education. It's the answer to many of the world's ills, generational poverty among them. Fun fact: the Book of Esther never mentions God. Again, thank you, my friend. Cheers!

TOP Story

Local Tongue

419 Reads
Chapter 1 15 hours ago

01

Black Christmas

412 Reads
Chapter 1 1 hour ago

02

Over These Still Rising Waters

410 Reads
Chapter 1 5 hours ago

03

Life Line

339 Reads
Chapter 1 1 day ago

04

The Consortium Library

252 Reads
Chapter 1 17 hours ago

05

On the Job Training

234 Reads
Chapter 1 1 day ago

06

In Hell

223 Reads
Chapter 1 4 hours ago

07

The Clock Strikes Glick

222 Reads
Chapter 1 1 day ago

08