Gunshot is a noir micro-flash fiction piece by Robert Bates about Russian Roulette and is written in a dialogue-based format.
He pulled the trigger. Click.
I smiled. Tears went down his face.
“Give it to me.” I said.
“I WON’T!” He shouted.
“You have to.”
They watched us.
“JUST KILL ME INSTEAD!”
They shook their heads.
“THERE MUST BE SOMETHING I CAN DO!??!?!”
They shook their heads.
“Give it to me.”
He sobbed.
Then slid the pistol. I picked it up.
My son will live. That’s all that matters.
I put it to my head.
“THERE HAS TO BE ANOTHER WAY!!!”
They shook their heads.
“It’s not your fault. Please don’t look.”
“WAI-“
I pulled the trigger. Click.
They smiled.
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If you’ve enjoyed Gunshot by Robert Bates, you can visit our free digital archive of flash fiction here. Additionally, premium short fiction published by Mystery Tribune on a quarterly basis is available digitally here. For online archive of short fiction (longer pieces) on Mystery Tribune website, you can visit here.
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Note: Russian roulette is a potentially deadly game of chance in which a player places a single round in a revolver, spins the cylinder, places the muzzle against the head or body (the opponent or themselves), and pulls the trigger. If the loaded chamber aligns with the barrel, the weapon will fire, killing or severely injuring the player.
Russian refers to the supposed country of origin, and roulette to the element of risk-taking and the spinning of the revolver’s cylinder, similar to a roulette wheel.
