Short Story

Characters:

• Man
• Son
• Shooter
• Priest/Eulogy

Point of View:

Third Person Objective

Setting:

• Mall/City Shopping Center
• Modern times

Theme:

• The sensitivity of time
• Taking life for granted

Plot:

1. Opens with eulogy (italicized) of man, which is a recurring element of the story. Eulogy is given by unknown speaker, inaccurately praising him for being a "good man" and "great father".
2. Then the man is introduced with his son. He appears rude to sales clerks and strangers, while ignoring his 11-year old son, who continually asks to see the toy shop.
3. One of these strangers is a shooter from a doomsday cult, who is apprehensive about carrying out his deed.
4. The father has a quick spat with his son, when he bothers him on his electronic planner.
5. Shots are heard in the mall and soon after the fire alarm goes off. People are running away towards every exit. The man and son spot two masked shooters and hide in a electronic store.
6. When the shooter passes by, the man's cell phone rings. The man is shot and the boy throws himself over his father. The shooter notices, seeming to feel regret for his relentless attack.
7. The story finishes with the father apologizing to his son, who is sobbing uncontrollably, for being such a horrible father. The eulogy ends the story, claiming the man was, above all, a great father.