Fiction? This actually happened in my neighborhood years ago!
Close Call
(a practice-run on the inverted pyramid style and direct lead)
Experience proves itself worthy for one Cropfine man today after a close encounter with a bomb at his home. It all started when retired veteran Mark Weldon stepped outside to check his mail on Rabbit Foot road in Cropfine, about five miles south of Tell City. Earning his experience in the Navy, and having fought in two wars, Weldon can naturally sense right off when something is wrong. However on this day it wasn’t until the last second that he gained this practice-given acumen, realizing, just as he started to reach into his mailbox, that someone had placed a hot bomb in it!
Within an hour authorities were gathered around the residence, scrutinizing from a safe distance the hazard implanted inside Weldon’s mailbox. They affirmed it was a tap-activated bomb, designed to detonate when touched. From the looks of it it appeared to have been constructed using everyday devises in someone’s basement. Evidently some local prankster’s idea of fun.
Shortly after the arrival of the police, the bomb squad arrived, bringing with them a secret weapon---a marvel of modern ingenuity.
By remote control, the squad was able to direct a special robot designed for detonating bombs in the direction of the mailbox, where it stopped a couple feet away from its opening. The gathering crowd watched in amazement as the robot maneuvered a steel rod into the opening of the mailbox. The plan was to tap the bomb so that it would explode, ridding the area of just another danger squad members everywhere confront almost every day while performing their respect-worthy duties.
When contact was made between the rod and the bomb, all that remained of the mailbox was a wooden stub.
When Mark Weldon was asked to mention something on the matter, he replied: “I’m just glad it wasn’t my hand.”
An investigation is underway to discern who is responsible for the bomb attack.
end
Copyright 2006 by C.S. Harmon. All Rights Reserved.
Hard to imagine that something like this could happen in America...you know growing up our school days were often interrupted because bored or ignorant people would call in a bomb threat, everyone would exit the building and students and faculty were placed on the lawn of the school...always wondered why they felt that this area was safe, afterall it was only a couple of hundred feet from the building, anyway the authorities would frantically search the building which in turn always divulged nothing, just another prank or sick hoax. As technology advanced the calls slowly quit coming in, for fear of being recognized or traced, thank goodness Mark took the incident seriuosly, just imagine had our school not taken the bomb threats serious...well one never knows. Great write, makes one stop and think.
Merry Christmas and God Bless,
keep writing,
Joyce Bowling
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