No Rain

It had not rained in a few months. The once green grass was dying. I think the heat was partially responsible for the way things turned out. Not that it lessens it.

I have been the Sheriff of our little town for ten years now, and it is a tough job on occasion. This was one of those occasions.

I pulled up in front of my Great Uncle Lee’s place and honked. I got out and put on my hat. Missy, Uncle Lee’s old dog, came out to visit me before he did.

“Uncle Lee, I need to talk with you. It’s your niece, AnneMarie.” I leaned up against my car and waited.

The old man stepped into the doorway looking as disheveled as always. He had his rifle held pointing down to the ground.

“I ain’t got nothing to say to you, AnneMarie. So, you just go on.” Uncle Lee used his other hand to brace himself against the doorframe.

“I’m sorry, but you can’t be shooting out the windows in people’s cars.” I stood with my hands on my hips trying to show my authority.

“I told him to get off my property, but he just kept on.”

“Did you feel threatened by him?”

“No, he was just dumb as a box of rocks ignoring me and my gun.” He held his gun up to show me.

“I made a deal to keep you out of jail. If you will pay for the windshield and give up your guns, then everything will be forgiven.”

Uncle Lee marched out onto the porch. “Like hell I will give up my guns. Might as well let them hooligans just come up and take everything I own right now if I did that. I ain’t giving up no guns.”

“Well, then, we need to go to town and talk to the Judge. You go put that rifle away, and we’ll go catch him at the diner before he leaves.” I walked around my car and opened the passenger door.

The sweat had my uniform soaked. I wanted to get back in my car into the air conditioning, and I did not want to wrestle my 90-year-old uncle into the car.

He had walked back into his house. I took a deep breath and tried to patiently wait for him.
I heard a text come in on my phone, so I took a quick peek.

“everything ok?”

“so far. I’ll call you if I need you.” I replied to my deputy.


Uncle Lee and I sat down at Judge Decano’s table.

“I hear that you are going to make this difficult.” Judge Decano put down his fork a bit forcefully.

“Bill, I can’t be giving up no guns.”

“Then you will go to jail and lose your guns. Damnit, Lee.” Judge Decano shook his head. “Take him to jail.”

Uncle Lee hung his head.


After I got Uncle Lee settled, I went back out to his place, picked up Missy and took her out to my sister’s. She was not too happy, but the kids were. Someone needed to take care of her while this mess got sorted out.

I sat in my car and watched the dark clouds pile up in the west. The rain looked too far off to be making itself useful to us. I wished for a good ole thunderstorm to wash away some of the heat and my worries.


Prompt: ▼

Make the title of your static item No Rain and include the following line somewhere in your story or poem, bolded -

The once green grass was dying.

Choose NATURE as one of your genres.

Word count: 571