The Horseshoe

Al always liked the horseshoe.

It hung in the shed in a sort of pride of place that you always noticed when you walked in. Her father had said it had belonged to one of the huge horses that had pulled the delivery lorries when the family had a brewery. She found it amusing that grandfather had muade a great deal from his brewery and then in a fit of zeal had sold the lot, going on to train, and become, an Anglican priest.

So there the enormous horseshoe remained as a symbol of what the family had once had.

Al stood outside today and was waiting for her father to return from the village, it was a not a visit either would be welcoming.

She had met Louise when she was working at a homeless shelter years ago. Initially they were just friends but Al, who was genereally a loner, really found some connection with her and they moved in together, backpacked around the Black sea and, as Louise would say in her beautifully clipped Home Counties accent, 'they became one'

It all seemed to happen in a few weeks to both of them, Al liked that. She remembered her childhood here in the village and somehow the days were just too long. For many the endless days may have been a blessing but Al liked things to keep moving, keep changing and to her keep being interesting.

She recognised the sound of the Citreon Diane approaching. How did her father keep that thing going? Not quite classic car status now but given the time father must have spent on it it must be near that level.

Al ran into the shed and took the horseshoe down, she was tall enough to reach it with a little effort, though it was not easy with the gloves she was wearing.. My God, it was heavy, far heavier than she'd ever recalled, this could be an offensive weapon in the right hands.

Father parked the car and got out with difficulty. He'd put on weight these few years thought Al, it made him seem more of a bully.

They approached each other and he smiled as he saw the horseshoe, he was still half smiling as the thrown object hit him fully between the eyes and sent him to the dust. Al picked it up and swung it another twice to finish the job. She tought for a moment of putting it back but decided the murder weapon was best not kept with her. Sometimes she felt, it reminded her of just too much.