Born That Way by Johanna Harness
By Johanna Harness
Claire awoke to the sound of arguing, not unusual if it had been Sarah’s raised voice, but it was Lincoln’s this time.
“I don’t need a gun!” he yelled.
Claire edged to the top of the stairs and looked down, surprised to see Miriam Beaker pushing a rifle toward her foster dad.
“You damn well do,” said Miriam. “If you don’t, word gets around. You’ll be the only one in the community without one and that’s not good.”
In The New West, sheriffs like Miriam kept the peace. Community pressure forced her into the position and she’d stay there unless the community turned against her or, more likely, until she ended up with a United Cities bullet in her skull. It wasn’t a job people rushed to fill.
“Take the gun,” she ordered Lincoln.
He put palms flat up in front of him, refusing. His voice broke when he answered: “I don’t know how to use a gun. I’d just get hurt or hurt someone. I shouldn’t have it.”
Miriam took a step back. “You what?”
“How do people learn these things?” asked Lincoln.
“Learn?” asked Miriam. “You don’t learn. You just grow up with a gun in your hands.”
“So making it to adulthood is the test?” he asked.
Miriam chuckled. “You’re at a bigger risk being killed because people know you’re not armed,” she said. “You have Claire. . .”
Lincoln interrupted: “Don’t do that. Don’t make me feel guilty about her safety.”
The sheriff scowled at him. “Let me finish. What I was going to say is that you have Claire who can protect you. She’s a good shot. But she won’t always be around.”
Lincoln’s shoulders slumped in. He replied softly. “I can’t take the gun if I don’t know how to use it.”
“Fine,” answered Miriam. “There’s a band playing at the old dance hall this Saturday. Bring Sarah and Claire, have some fun and then I’ll sneak you out for some target practice. You can’t be seen learning to shoot and this’ll be perfect. Everyone will be at the dance.”
Lincoln looked at his feet and didn’t answer.
“What?” asked Miriam. “What now?”
“I can’t dance,” said Lincoln.
“You what?”
“When do you people learn these things?”
“The dancin’ and the shootin’?” asked Miriam.
“Yeah.”
Miriam scratched her chin. “Same time we learn to cuss, I reckon. We’re just born that way.”
Last November, while other NaNoWriMo writers were writing proper novels, Johanna wrote short stories from the past of her young adult hero, Claire Morgane. Many of these stories are available on The Claire Morgane Website. Claire Morgane Almost Saves The World is represented by The Carolyn Swayze Literary Agency and is currently out on sub.
Claire awoke to the sound of arguing, not unusual if it had been Sarah’s raised voice, but it was Lincoln’s this time.
“I don’t need a gun!” he yelled.
Claire edged to the top of the stairs and looked down, surprised to see Miriam Beaker pushing a rifle toward her foster dad.
“You damn well do,” said Miriam. “If you don’t, word gets around. You’ll be the only one in the community without one and that’s not good.”
In The New West, sheriffs like Miriam kept the peace. Community pressure forced her into the position and she’d stay there unless the community turned against her or, more likely, until she ended up with a United Cities bullet in her skull. It wasn’t a job people rushed to fill.
“Take the gun,” she ordered Lincoln.
He put palms flat up in front of him, refusing. His voice broke when he answered: “I don’t know how to use a gun. I’d just get hurt or hurt someone. I shouldn’t have it.”
Miriam took a step back. “You what?”
“How do people learn these things?” asked Lincoln.
“Learn?” asked Miriam. “You don’t learn. You just grow up with a gun in your hands.”
“So making it to adulthood is the test?” he asked.
Miriam chuckled. “You’re at a bigger risk being killed because people know you’re not armed,” she said. “You have Claire. . .”
Lincoln interrupted: “Don’t do that. Don’t make me feel guilty about her safety.”
The sheriff scowled at him. “Let me finish. What I was going to say is that you have Claire who can protect you. She’s a good shot. But she won’t always be around.”
Lincoln’s shoulders slumped in. He replied softly. “I can’t take the gun if I don’t know how to use it.”
“Fine,” answered Miriam. “There’s a band playing at the old dance hall this Saturday. Bring Sarah and Claire, have some fun and then I’ll sneak you out for some target practice. You can’t be seen learning to shoot and this’ll be perfect. Everyone will be at the dance.”
Lincoln looked at his feet and didn’t answer.
“What?” asked Miriam. “What now?”
“I can’t dance,” said Lincoln.
“You what?”
“When do you people learn these things?”
“The dancin’ and the shootin’?” asked Miriam.
“Yeah.”
Miriam scratched her chin. “Same time we learn to cuss, I reckon. We’re just born that way.”
* * * * *
Last November, while other NaNoWriMo writers were writing proper novels, Johanna wrote short stories from the past of her young adult hero, Claire Morgane. Many of these stories are available on The Claire Morgane Website. Claire Morgane Almost Saves The World is represented by The Carolyn Swayze Literary Agency and is currently out on sub.
