World of Darkness World of Darkness: Attrition - School Supplies [Complete]

[William Rose]

Afternoon, August 15th

I stand on the sidewalk looking up at the sign over the store. “Jimmy’s Firearms” it reads. I sigh, it’s not like I was against guns or even inexperienced with them but it had been years since I had held or fired one; it was before my dad had died. I shake it off and walk in; the door is like a house door, no auto close mechanism so I gotta stop and turn around to close the door. The guy behind the counter gets a good chance to look me over as I do. With the door shut I walk to the counter, watching him watching me. He’d taken a quick once over and was now checking me out, probably wondering if I was going to rob him or something.

In return I look him over. I’d expected a younger man and a guy obviously ex-military but instead this guy looks like somebody’s uncle. He’s wiry thin and his head is balding and grey. I look to his hands, one is palm down on the counter, and the fingers partially spread. Long slender fingers that look nimble meant for working with small parts. The other hand is below the counter and I know he’s got a gun down there and his finger is right by the trigger, not on it but next to it and ready. I appraise the situation and note that where the gun is pointed would normally produce a gut shot and make the would-be robber bleed out painfully and probably quickly. I note that unfortunately for me it would likely blow my balls off and I can’t imagine anything more painful than getting shot in the nut sack.

I clear my throat and smile. “Hi, I’d like to purchase a gun. Two actually, a pistol for range shooting and a shotgun for skeet.”

He doesn’t move, not so much as a blink of an eye and for a moment I think he means to just stare at me until I leave. Then he gives a wan smile of his own. “You ever fire a gun before? You got a permit?”

“My daddy and I used to go out all the time and I don’t need a permit to own. I’m not gonna carry them around I just want to get back into it.”

He looked at me and then removed his hand from under the counter, a good sign, and pulled a catalog over toward us. “Target shooting, eh? Revolver or semi? You know what kind of shotgun you want?”

Things went easier after that. He clearly was interested in making a sale as soon as he decided I was legit and not interested in robbing him. I ended up buying a .44 caliber revolver by Smith & Wesson and a break open double barreled shotgun. Twelve gage so it’d have one hell of a kick but I’m a big guy and I can handle it. I can’t pick up the guns for another week but that’s not problem, I’ve plenty of other stuff to worry about in the meantime. As I leave the store I look down at my list to remind me what’s next.

[William Rose]

"Toys -b- We" read the sign over the store. I shake my head at the more or less blatant trademark infringement and walk in ducking my head through the door as I usually do. Wandering down the aisles, my sneakers squeak on the tile floor, until I find what I'm looking for; the high-end water guns. Not your run of the mill trigger pump type or even hand pump with a trigger valve type. These are built with higher grade plastic or metal bodies and the valves were often metal as well. Some used compressed gas to charge the gun, others battery powered pumped provided the pressure. Either way they are expensive but well worth it if you wanted consistent performance and reliable quality.

I grab a small pistol and a larger one looking like an SMG or a small assault rifle. These'll do the trick, at least for now. Nodding I head back to the register. The woman behind the counter gives me a look, something like "aren't you a bit old for quirt guns?". I smile and mumble something about my kid brother's birthday, I don't have a kid brother but she doesn't know that, nor does she care. I pay in cash and immediately lament the dwindling number of bills in my wallet as I think about how my account is going to look very similar after the charge for the real guns was deducted.

The lady just shook her head and stuffed the toys into a bag. I accept my thirty seven cents of change with an inward wince and left staring at the receipt and wondering what kind of person charges $29.95 for a water gun. Sighing I stuffed the receipt into the bag and withdrew my list. What's next?

[William Rose]

Whole Foods. I shake my head as I walk up to the store. I understand the whole organic craze, and I even agree with it to a degree but this place makes the farmer's markets and such back home seem downright bargain basement. Still no other grocer in the area has organic garlic and I'm not taking an chances. A quick walk through the produce department and I pay and exit $10 poorer and ten full bulbs of garlic richer. Mentally I not to myself that I should've asked Adrian about this tidbit but I'm not even sure if I can fully trust him yet. He is a vampire, he's only off my list so long as he makes himself useful.

I leave and start walking down the street. The wagon is still in the shop and will be for another week but at least its repairable and not overly expensive. I cross the next few blocks quickly, being tall means that even taking the same number of steps per minute as a normal person you can easily outpace them because of your longer stride.

In fifteen minutes I'm standing inside the local Ace hardware and reading the packages of the various road flares. I'm looking for the ones that will be easiest to start and burn hottest. Clyde, my chemistry tutor from Freshman year, and an all around decent guy himself, told me to look for magnesium flares. I find what I want and grab a dozen and a small gasoline container which nets me an odd look from that cashier as well. I'm four for four today though the owner of the gun shop doesn't really count, he must look at everybody that way.

Finally I head back to the dorm by way of the local gas station. A fill up of a gallon costs me nearly five bucks and I damn near choke on it, this'll get expensive is I need to use a lot of the stuff. Maybe I should ask Adrian how effective the shotgun will be. I've got to talk to him soon about that putrid slug from the other night. I guess I'll give him a call, set something up for next week maybe. By then the car should be fixed... and then the hunting starts.