ON THE RUN

Author: Favour Onwunli
Date of Creation: 19th September 2025

“Life is made to be enjoyed,” the man said with a satisfied sigh. He was reclining in his favorite chair outside, enjoying the warmth of the sun, basking in another lazy day free from work or responsibility. It was an idyllic afternoon, and his thoughts drifted back to the deal he had just clinched at the office, with a little money on the side that the boss would never know about. He smiled to himself, thinking of how he would cash the check, slip his cut into another account, and enjoy the freedom of secret money.

“Just a few thousand bucks, what will I do with money like that?” he wondered aloud. Maybe a trip to the Maldives. He had heard it was beautiful this time of year.
Perhaps he’d take Angela, the woman from the bar, or maybe Sapphire, who surely knew how to have a good time. “That woman is a real tigress,” smugly, he grinned, leaning forward to pick up his drink, a dirty martini, already tasting the good life that lay ahead. Then he heard it, a sharp whistle slicing past his ear, followed by a thud. At first, he thought it was a fly and turned lazily, but his eyes widened as he saw that the recliner right beside his head had been punctured by a clean bullet hole.

On the base of the bullet was etched clearly, ‘MINISTRY.’ For a moment, his heart froze. He sat up quickly, scanning the yard, but no one was close enough to see. Before he could process it, another shot rang out. The glass in his hand shattered, spraying shards across the sand, and he staggered back in shock. His voice cracked as he cried out, “Who’s there?” He looked for the bullet and found it buried in the metal base of the recliner next to his. This one read ‘SOBRIETY.’ This shooter is after my life!

His hands darted for the jacket slung over his chair, and in his fear, he pulled it over his body as if thin fabric could shield him from death. Two more shots sang past his ear, slamming into the trees with deadly precision. Now he was very afraid. “No! Please don’t hurt me!” One shot had ripped off half the tree trunk, the other was wedged in deep. Shaking, he stepped closer to investigate and there he saw it. ‘PURITY’ Instinct took over and he bolted, running without thought of where he was going. “But you know the women are gorgeous,” he cried out as he ran, “how am I supposed to keep away!”

Another shot slammed into the dirt just behind his heel and he almost stumbled. There was no time to stop, he kept running. Up ahead, his bunker, SELF, came into view, bringing safety at last. Here he retreated whenever the shooter came for him. This wasn’t the first time, just last month on his way to his multi-million job, a bullet grazed past him by inches as he stepped out of his newest car. That one had been ‘CONTENTMENT.’ “I am getting sick of this,” he yelled as he lunged for the bunker door, diving inside at the last possible second, and slammed it shut. “You’re never gonna get me in here!” His voice cracked into a crazed, panicked shout as he locked the door of SELF, “You might as well give up on me!” The metal clanged under gunfire, bullets raining down until just as suddenly as it began, the shooting stopped.

Far away in the orchard, hidden in the trees hundreds of meters away, the sniper exhaled sharply and sat up. “Too bad, I will never give up on you.” With practiced ease, he pulled off his black mask, revealing long hair brushing his shoulders and a kindly weathered face. His friends called him The Carpenter. His eyes were kind but his lips were set in a grim line. “Still running away, are we?”

He worked quickly, packing his gear with efficient movements, then slinging the heavy bag over his shoulder. The Carpenter turned without hesitation, boots crunching faintly as he made his way to the meeting point. He stepped through the doorway, dropped his bag silently, and announced, “I am back.” Turning left down the wide corridor, he entered the ornate hall where a small crowd was gathered. Without counting, He knew they were exactly 99 in number.

A woman stepped forward and asked quietly, “Our target, were you able to get him this time?” “Not yet,” The Carpenter replied. “He ran into SELF again. But we’ll get him soon, he can’t run from us forever.” The 99 nodded, murmuring in low voices, though it hadn’t come today, they knew it was only a matter of time. The Carpenter stood among them, his group of friends and followers. Then his gaze shifted, directly toward you as you read this. It is both a threat and a promise; one day, the hunt will end.
And when it does, you will take the shot.

Sizzling Sunday: 19th October 2025

Sizzling Sunday 164