Jack held his da’s old black revolver high in his hand, even with his face. His fingers barely reached the trigger. In time, it would be an easy squeeze, a proper squeeze for a proper Doherty, but for now, he would wipe its barrel across his face like a fillum gangster. The soot of coal and Sperrin spit clung to Jack’s face, becoming a freckle.
When he fired his first bullet, his da and his fair-haired sister, Grace gathered behind. The revolver backfired, blowing the tip of his right thumb off,reopening his da’s old black scarred chin and creating a red freckle on Grace’s cheek. Jack stumbled back against the wall, creating a crack in the red house door. He never felt more a proper Doherty.
fillum- Irish pronunciation for film Sperrin spit- gravel dirt from the Sperrin mountain range located in the upland region of Northern Ireland.
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