"Untitled" by Andy Arnold

Bathing in the river behind the house

bracing their jouncing globe breasts with crossed arms

Mamie eats supper at one end of the long plank table

the younger girls watch her

two men burst in like a storm through the screen door

“we just busted out of state prison”

in a flash of metal Mamie’s right hand stabs up from beneath the table

“I’m hit,” hollers cowboy with his hand high

“I’m sorry” says cowboy

“me too,” says minit man

the beam of light grows shorter as it is closed on the well

“you mean just jump in?”

double thumps and dry rattling

call the sheriff and tell him we got’em