Weekly Writing Challenge #3

Word Count Limit: 500 or Less

Actual Word Count: 410

Words to include: Covenant, Bodacious, Squeaky, Solemn, Brash

Every year around the middle of March, before it’d get too hot but after it’d done warmed up, our church would put on a tent revival. It took place on Mr. Slocumb’s land behind his service station out on route three sixteen. We’d bring in some of the most amazing musicians and evangelists from all over. This particular year we had a fella by the name of Reverend Arvin T. Sutter all the way from Arkansas. He didn’t have any musicians; he was a one man show with nothing but his Bible, his worn looking three piece suit and a Fender electric guitar.

Now let me tell ya’ll something, when Reverend Sutter would get up on that pulpit and start spitting hellfire and brimstone down on us we felt like the Ark of the Covenant had done opened up and God himself was speaking. He’d get to dancin’ and stutterin’ and the whole while be jumping around with his Bible in one hand and that Fender strapped around his neck. We didn’t understand half of what he was saying but we all knew he was making a bodacious racket.  Many souls were touched and many a sinner was saved under Reverend Sutter’s sermons that week.

On the last night of our tent revival Reverend Sutter stepped up on stage and started us out with an old hymn played beautifully on his guitar, I can’t recall if it was Amazing Grace or The Old Rugged cross but it don’t much matter, it was wonderful either way. He bent them strings and Lord have mercy it was squeaky clean.  After we’d finished singing and dried our eyes Reverend Sutter stepped behind the podium and in a solemn, quiet voice started to say something when way in the back came a voice “You brash worthless son of a bitch! Think you can screw my Scarlett out behind the tent revival in Tulsa and get away with it. Well Arvin Sutter I’ve done followed you all the way from Oklahoma and now you’re going to pay!” and with that the newcomer pulled out a revolver and shot Reverend Sutter right between his eyes. As Sutter fell that guitar went one way and the Bible went the other and he was dead before he hit the floor.

That’s been almost nine months ago and my wife Lynn is getting ready to have our first child, I wonder if he’ll grow up to be a preacher?