The word of the week is STRIKE for the six-sentence story prompt by girlontheedge. This week we will see the story of Conrad, an ex-con with really bad luck, who agreed to take his cousin to the corner store, and has come to seriously regret this decision. It’s one of those, people see what they want kind of situations, and while I believe most of the “I was just there” defences are crap, some of them are probably on the level…
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Conrad was standing in line at a seven-eleven, trying desperately not to break down in tears as his cousin held a gun to the cashier’s head, demanding all the money in the till.
He had no idea that this was what Joey had in mind when asking him for a ride, and since Joey had been the only one in his family to give him a shot after his second stint in prison, he hadn’t really been in a place to say no.
He wouldn’t have said no if he could though, his cousin was a good guy, clean cut, working class, and he was letting Conrad sleep on his couch until he got a job that paid enough to get a place on his own.
Of all the people in Conrad’s family, Joey was the last person he would have suspected to pull this kind of shit, but now he was here and there was a gun, and the sounds of sirens in the distance.
If it had been after his first arrest he would have been trying to talk Joey down, after all, murder in the commission of felony fell on all participants, and while he was not participating, Conrad had been around the block a few times now, he knew there wasn’t a snowballs chance in hell people would believe that he was just an innocent bystander.
It didn’t matter if Joey got away, or if he killed everyone here, this would be counted at Conrad’s third strike, he would be in for life, so he stood clutching a bag of chips and a chocolate bar, closed his eyes, and waited for it all to be over.
Anne McSommers' Writing Nook 
I love the emotions of the story.
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Thanks
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It is too bad Joey didn’t think of what his actions would do to Conrad.
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Not sure if he cared. Point of interest, Conrad doesn’t say why he was in prison the first two times.
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some folks never think of the consequences… good job.
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Very well done! Poor Conrad. He may have made it this time.
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Maybe, but we will never know
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Tough to feel sympathy for a repeat offender. Now we know why Joey was willing to take him in.
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That’s why I enjoyed writing it. Trying to make that guy be a sympathetic character. I would like to point out though, no one noticed that he just glossed over what he was in prison for the first two times…
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It’s so sad for Conrad, it sounds like he was really hoping to go straight.
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Oh gosh, scary and painful…and so well written!
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Thank you
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Welcome.
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A new beginning brought to a sudden end. Well done
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Yep, sometimes you just have bad luck…and bad family
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Sad tale. Some guys just can’t catch a break.
And with family like Joey…
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I know, sometimes life kicks you in the teeth…
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I like the previous responses and nothing really to add ….. except I am reminded of something I read somewhere but don’t know why it came to mind:
“There’s No Such Thing as Free Will
But we’re better off believing in it anyway.”
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