The Hostages
“Man with a gun.”
“He has hostages.”
“A female and three children.”
“Shots fired.”
“10-4. I’m en route.”
Farmhouse
Yelling
Cursing
Glass breaking
Thumps
Bangs
A scream
Kids crying
One peeking outside
A teenager
BOOM!
Shotgun blast
Window up
Teen pulled to safety
Hide
Sirens
Far away
Backup coming
A look inside
Woman and two small children
Huddled together
Beside bed
BOOM!
Hole in door
Man at window
Tall
Muscular
Wild-eyed
No shirt
Sweating
Nervous
Sees police car
BOOM!
Out on porch
Shotgun
Barefoot
Dirty jeans
Yelling
Cursing
“Go away”
“I’ll kill them!”
“All of them”
Doesn’t see me
Eight feet away
Around corner
Aims at police car
Boom!
Run
Tackle
Secure gun
Handcuff
Children crying
Woman crying
“Daddy!”
“Please don’t take him away!”
“He’s my husband”
“I love him”
“He’ll be okay”
“Just too much alcohol”
“That’s all”
“Please, let him go”
“He wouldn’t hurt us”
Hair tangled
“I promise”
Lip bleeding
“He would never hurt us”
“Please…”
Bruised cheek
More tears
“He means well”
“A lot on his mind”
“It was my fault”
Bruises on arms
“Please…”
“We need him”
*Farmhouse photo by Sunday Kaminski
