My brother Dean and I watched every western we could get our hands on that summer. VHS tapes we'd beg mom to buy us from garage sales. Other ones we'd rent after biking to Videorama to get seven oldies for seven dollars.

I knew my dad didn't want me to go into his study, once I had glimpsed it in there when my dad was cleaning it and I wanted so badly to hold it.

Gleaming, bright silver with a white handle that shimmered in the light a revolver, like in every cowboy's holster.

I faked being asleep and sat up waiting to hear everyone else go to sleep. Then I hopped down from the top bunk and woke Dean up, who had been fast asleep on the bottom bunk. I knew he'd be so impressed. We crept into my dad's office down the hall. I stood on a chair and pulled the polished oak jewellery box down from the shelf. I hefted the gun out and smiled at the awestruck look on Dean's face.

It felt so good in my hand. We both held it and whispered about how heavy it felt. I thought I heard a sound coming from my parents room so I grabbed it back from Dean and picked up the box we had taken it out of. I crouched over the box for an extra second listening for my parents as Dean headed hastily for the door. I didn't hear a sound so I decided for one more game.

I stood with gun in my hand hanging down with the barrel pointed at the floor. I started to count backwards 'Threeee...'

Dean turned back around to face me. He smiled and held his hands out to his sides. Poised three inches away from his hips.

'Twoooo...'

His fingers wiggled, ready to pull his imaginary gun from its holster like it was high noon.

I stood with my my feet wide apart and my knees bowed out.

'One...'

We both narrowed our eyes. Both barely containing our laughter.

'Draw'

Hi!

Thanks for contacting me. This is an auto-response. So don't reply to it, or maybe do and I'll get a whole bunch of messages from people when I come back, that might be cool. I will be out of contact for the next 12 months, but I look forward to replying to your message, or messages, when I return. I found the daily distractions of civilization a little too, well, distracting so I am headed to a cabin in the forest to be by myself and write. Since I hate nature and the forest I feel like it will be the perfect place to really buckle down and get some words down on the page. I am very easily distracted so I thought maybe if I removed all the fun distractions and left only the boring nature-y ones I'd actually work. So that was my logic.

I promise I haven't been kidnapped and this is the kidnapper writing this message. I'm just too cowardly and lazy to have this conversation/ fight with everyone in my life. Although if I was a kidnapper I'd probably say that too so you're just going to have to trust me and not come looking for me while I unravel myself from society. But wouldn't that make an interesting story? A kidnapper who keeps messaging with all their victims friends? How long would it take anyone to notice? Maybe I've got something there. Or maybe it's been done a million times before. I should Google that. Anyway, I'm getting distracted.

I should go back and edit this auto-text into something more coherent, but I feel like this gives you the most honest version of why I need to get in my car and hope it gets me all the way to the cabin. Maybe I'll come back all mellow and zen and we can have a good laugh about this. Or maybe I'll be too famous because I'll have a hit novel on bookshelves and I won't want to talk to any of you anymore. Haha Or maybe I'll just be really into hiking and the woods and nature! Wouldn't that be weird? See you in a year! I'll be fine.

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