The next in the series to make you think about things up front. Each of you will answer differently and you will all be right, or maybe wrong. It isn’t a sure thing with definitive Yes/No answers. There are no rights and wrongs only something to consider and plan for.
It is after an event, things are settling down and it has been a while since you have had any real intruders. Your property was always well protected though and you had traps as well as alarms set all over the place. Signs warning of the consequences of trespass were displayed all over your land. Over the last few years you have removed the traps and relied on the alarms. Otherwise you just keep yourself to yourself and trade with the village as necessary. You even give your time to help treat people although you are not a doctor and you regularly supply surplus food for free to the village. Of course most of them think you are a nutter but you don’t care.
Lately though some locals from the village have been up stealing your chickens and your produce. By the time you get out they are gone, with at least one chicken or some other items. The village denies it is them and you cannot prove it so you have set up a trap that will pepper them with harmless rock salt. Hurts like hell but you can’t lose your chickens any more and this will ID them.
You hear a shotgun go off close by but you don’t think anything of it as nowadays shotgun blasts are common at this time as the surrounding fields are full of rabbits and pigeons. After five minutes the village alarm goes off, there must be trouble as it hasn’t gone off for a while so you pick up your weapons and first aid kit and hurry out the door to help.
As you get near your front gate you find that one of the children from the village has been shot by the trap you had put on the gate. It was designed to fire rock salt at the intruders legs but this was a child and the rock salt had shot her in the stomach instead. Although the shell was hand loaded with a small powder load intended to hurt rather than kill she was clearly dead and was just lying there clutching some flowers in her hand. They were the flowers you had planted and maintained in a shrine in memory of your wife and daughter who had died soon after the event at the hand of a looter. You can see the father of the child looking at his child. He hasn’t seen you yet.
What are you going to do now?
Why was the kid out and about? Seems the father was close enough to be there in no time at all. Where was his brain at? You cannot be held responsible for such an ACCIDENT.
All you can do is say that children were not your intent but it is a warning to stay away and keep their hands off of your property.
They have decided to misuse and abuse your friendship.
It is your choice to share and they have chosen to steal.
Return to full battle ready, rearm your security and stand your ground.
I have thought about this a great deal and have actually dreamed about it. During the day I’ve also thought about it and have not been able to deal with it in my mind. However, after reading Helens reply, I think that is a very good post and I am thinking that that would be the way to go. I do not think however, that I would not feel very bad about the childs death. It would haunt me for a very long time. I do think that in a survival situation, parents should be more resposible and keep children with them all of the time. Kenneth Eames.
Shoot the father for being irresponsible and drive the point home that nobody’s messing with my property.
Commandershepard,
Welcome. An interesting solution.