[swdr]

--> An Encounter At Wal-Mart

It was a balmy Sunday morning several years ago, and Little Darling had been saving her dollars and cents for a GameBoy. [...]

Inside the mega-store, she waited patiently as an employee summoned a manager and the manager found the keys to the locked case of video toys. [...]

Time was short as we made our way to the front of the store. [...]

I became vaguely aware of two scruffy young men behind us as I stopped to look for traffic in preparation of entering the parking lot. [...]

I saw our vehicle and began to approach it, but I wanted to be certain. I walked past, and cut between two unoccupied SUVs [...]

I spun and drew my pistol from it's holster, keeping it at low ready, facing off the other young man who was quickly approaching me from behind. [...]

He sized up the man with the gun, a little girl behind him. [...]

Then "God damned mother ****er......." he snarled as he sauntered away. [...]

I turned to the rear, shoving Little Darling to the side. Nobody was there. I pivoted back around, my gun still at low ready. Nobody. I waited between the SUVs. Within seconds, a mother with her child in tow strolled past. I took my daughter's sack, as well as her her little hand, and used my remote to unlock my Jeep's doors two vehicles away. [...]

I opened my cell phone and struggled to call the police. My fingers were still suffering from the loss of fine motor skills. [...]