All Comments on 'A Terrible Thing to Have to Do'

to read a story involving firearms where the writer actually seems to KNOW something about firearms. Alas, though, your story is too realistic in some ways, and horrifying. Glad in the end that the good guy won, and the bad guys lost!

The one and only flaw I could see in this is a tiny bit of stiffness to the dialogue and some minor punctuation issues. (I am a REAL nitpicker on these things; it doesn't take too many your/you're type issues to throw me completely out of a story.)

I also think it's worth a longer treatment than two pages.

This is, in my opinion, one of the best things about this site. Even though Lit is an erotic story site, you get really good, non-sexual stories as well. This one was moving and well done. The only thing I wish is that you'd been able to devote a little more time to the relationship between husband and wife. The guy really suffered and hung in there and he must have had a happy life before the home invasion, but at least one reader would have liked a little bit more light shed on that part of the story. But still very good.

Really an excellent story and writing!

bypassed this one. But seeing the author made me read it. Glad I did. Enjoyed it very much. Top score. Thank you.

Enjoyed this story. Keepm writing.

as usual it was well worth the time

for your hard work. Keep'em coming please.

woodmanone

It is amazing when that feeling can come back. Seeing it through a scope. Seeing the effects of the shot. No sound except for the weapon. It is eerie. Never leaves you. Never. Not so bad when in a fire fight or action. Later it is a bitch. Well done story. Thanks.

You made the hero appear so pitiful and bland, almost a loser. He only got the woman he loved and had semi-stalked throughout the years by luck...by losing his leg. He got lucky again after her marriage failed and he accepted being the second man in her life and raised another man's daughter as his own.

He showed his manhood when he refused to risk his family coming to more harm. When he gave his last efforts for them. He stood up and became a hero even though wounded badly. Most wounded men give up and quit fighting.

Some cops never get over killing someone. Most of us do not know what we will do in life or death situations until it occurs. Those of us in combat killed to prevent being killed and not because we wanted to. Yet some did. I was cop for over 30 years after my 6 years in the military and as a cop we were always instructed to train ourselves to think kill when our lives or the lives of others were threatened. Cops are taught to never quit fighting if you want to survive. If you didn't think you could kill than you shouldn't be a cop for long. Same with a Marine because you are a trained killer and brainwashed into taking orders in boot camp and ITR.

A study of the Civil War revealed that over half of the men in frontal charges made by both sides never fired their muskets. They just ran forward when ordered to. They were mostly civilians and they too did not want to kill anyone unless they had to protect themself at the end of their charge. About 50% of the men did all the killing, and that was usually when the other side broke and was running away.

Viet-Nam was about the same. Criss-crossing fields of fire were laid down to stop the enemy. Mostly to keep the combat from getting too personal and to brake the charge if attacked. Maybe 5% of men over there went out on kill missions at all, mostly sweeps. Sorry, just some interesting trivia about normal people killing someone. This was an interesting story for this section. I really liked it...

Gave a lot of real sensation to the experience - for the reader - which is hard to do.

Most people will never learn what they would actually do it that split second - those who do carry the burden with them either way.

He did what he had to and was willing to do more if it became the only choice - nothing easy about living with himself after that. IMHO I think it would be harder if he failed to follow through but no one could fault him some just cannot do it.

I learned early and hard that I am not willing to just let it happen even if I have to get on front to stop it. Somewhat stupid and counter survival - but again we all have to live with ourselves.

Thanks -

to the bitter end. TK U MLJ LV NV

Great story, but a gun enthusiast would probably have had better access to a loaded firearm, especially with no children in the household. Also the gun enthusiast would not have opened the door to the garage where the noise came from and with the added warning signal of the strange van in sight. His first step should have been a call to 911, obtain his defensive firearm, then a retreat, with his daughter, to the bedroom or other room with a locked door. This comment is just a realistic observation. However, since this story is fiction, a 'suspension of disbelief' is relevant'. Good tale. Thanks! Dan

I'm afraid I have nothing original 2 Say but' Me Too' !

yours is unloaded, theirs is loaded, you die

children are taught at an early age what firearms and what they can do, and they are taught hands off without parents. You dont keep an empty pisitol in a drawer without clip, magazine, or rounds there to use with it. Sorry that is unrealistic, so is opening the door and getting hit.

To me the bottom line is he saved his daughter and wasted the bad guys. Excellent.

For me the guy was a winner... But he will never sleep well again. The thought about the possibility of killing Samantha to save her is the most horrifying.

Good Guys 2

Bad Guys 0

....here endith the Sermon

....a brisk, a hot shower & a couple of ounces of something decent (80-100 proof) and I drop right off

Sonny seems like a wonderful man. It's so sad that he had to do what he had to do.

Wonderful story, magmaman. Well done!

A gun isn't any good unless it is loaded, every one in my house is loaded .

An unloaded gun is nothing more than a paperweight. Every gun in my house is fully loaded. And I could give Sonny a tough competition. And from the way this story is written, I know I have far fewer qualms about firing a fatal shot at a woman than Sonny did. Well-deserved 5-Star story.

She got EXACTLY what she deserved. No sympathy for a violent felon based on gender. That's bullshit "white knight" garbage.

Not saying killing is easy. Just that it shouldn't be any harder to punch an evil woman's ticket than an evil man's.

Good story, though.

The vision goes away. You continue to feel the rush of the adrenalin that coursed thru your system as you applied pressure, hoping that you didn't drag your finger on the trigger, pulling the shot off target. You remember many hings, but that look of "oh fuck" on the dead "thing's" face goes away. You always remember the RUSH

I also think about the "intrinsic" (not moral, not ethical) value of life. At the simplest level, we're all here to ensure the continuation of humanity. The simplest way is to procreate. But for those who can't or don't, then to me the question is, "Does the person pass having made humanity better?" Some make humanity a lot better (e.g. Alexander Fleming - discoverer of penicillin) while others have smaller, yet equally important contributions - providing for their loved ones and caring for/helping friends, family, and others). These two bad ones took (much) from society - so no loss there. But it's too bad they weren't able to contribute instead.

luv2read2

The story felt a bit disjointed, too much happened in too little space and I felt it could use a longer ending to come down from the excitement, the whole attack just felt too random which isn't that narratively satisfying.

Several parts could benefit from being fleshed out.

A club.

I never heard of a rifle with a muzzle velocity.

Every firearm has muzzle velocity. That’s the speed the bullet is moving when it exits the end of the barrel. Also called the muzzle. Good story. I agree with something someone else said though. An unloaded gun is not much more than a club. Maybe a hammer. In my opinion, carrying an unloaded gun is more dangerous than carrying a loaded one. If the bad guys see a gun, unloaded or not, they may just shoot first. And if your gun is not loaded, you’re screwed. Nope, only the guns in the safe are unloaded. The handguns I have for self defense stay loaded and readily available. Out of sight but still handy. And unless I’m in bed, one of them is in a holster, on my belt. Loaded. Paranoid? Maybe. But still alive.

Takes too long to rack the slide to chamber a round and you;re fucked(watch on Youtube trust me they have vids showing it in detail) good story in this case magma and a perfect example of why you SHOULD own a firearm to protect yourself.

Seeing that cunts face when he closes his eyes haunts him?

Hell it wkuld bring a sme to my lips. Daughter saved. Two assholes dead. Thanks to me. Yep. I would smiles and sleep the sleep of the just.

If you need protection get some armor. Guns are for offence. Armor is for defense. I understand why people say that gun are for protection, but it's a misnomer. Yes the guy in the story shot 2 people to defend 2 people. It was a offensive action. I commend his actions, but it was a terrible thing to have to do. Yes he will have nightmares, but he will suffer them gladly.

A good guy with weapon is better than a bad guy with a weapon,therefore a gun is protection. Don't tell me otherwise! I'm a gun owner and it is for protection!!!!!!!

Shug the fuvk up snowflake. A gun is for protection harssh language or please don't wong stop a scumbag from killing your loved ones . You're prob some snowflsje blm cuck who likes being shit on . Fucking idiot

He did what had to be done. Saved the taxpayers a lot of money.

No gun officianado would check on a problem with an unloaded weapon. Otherwise, a good story.

Dumb

If his diabetes is so bad he lost a leg his eyesight would be terrible as well

I struggled to find a purpose for the story and found none.