If at first you don't succeed. Try, try again. Well that's how the saying goes don't it?

The target was set. A row of aluminium tin cans waited for the inevitable blow from the bullet that would soon pierce into their cavities. I stood two metres away, a .45 Caliber in my shivering hand.

"Shoot all the cans," commanded Dad from behind me. "Don't miss."

Gulping nervously, I went to pull the trigger only to be stopped by Dad.

"No. No. No!" he barked.

I stopped in my tracks. Now what have I done? I thought. Dad was grouchy and by my guessing was that I had made him that way. Heck, ever since the fire that claimed the life of my Mom he had been that way. Bottles of Jack Daniels, bad diner food and crap rentals and motels don't help either. I lowered the gun as Dad marched over.

"Your doing it all wrong," he hissed. "How many times have I to remind you, you do not stand like that!"

After my inappropriate stance was corrected with a tug of the arms, a nudge to the back of my knees and a twist of my head, I was ready.

"Now pay attention and concentrate" Dad added with a harsh tone in his gruff voice.

Bullet after bullet was fired from the .45's barrel, the nine cans ripped apart and fell off the crumbling wall, flying backwards into the overgrown thorn bush. However, regardless on how hard I tried, tin can number ten refused to budge from it's spot. It was like the moment when you go to one of those lame sideshows at carnivals, you know the game when you have to knock down the tin cans with a ball of some sort by they never move. That's what it was like for me. As Dad examined my unskilful remains, he shook his head.

"You missed again," said Dad. He reassembled the cans once more. "From the top."

Later

"For Christ sake Chris!," shouted Dad furiously. "Now look what you've done!"

A large bottle of holy water had slipped out of my hands due to it's heavy weight, resulting in the content exploding all over the grimy carpet.

"I'm sorry" I murmured sheepishly. Shuffling towards the door I made a swift exit as I could feel tears pooling in my eyes.

I felt so ashamed. What was the point. Nothing was going right for me, which was normal, and now I felt so useless and pissed at myself. Why did I have to be so clumsy and stupid. Scolding was second nature to me. I was yelled at for every little detail. From wearing my baseball cap indoors to sitting on the arm of the chair, mispronouncing Latin, and even talking with my mouth full just as soon as somebody asked me a question. You name it. Everything I did was wrong and each time that happened, I felt an even bigger disappointment in the eyes of my Dad. I probably was. To put it simply, I was a jinx, a curse upon my family, a bad luck charm, causing misery and chaos wherever I went. Suddenly, on gazing sadly at the calendar that was pinned on the wall above my bedside table, I realised something. Today was the second of May, Sam and I's birthday. Not like my eleventh birthday had been commemorated in anyway. Suddenly I heard my cell phone beep. A text message had been received. Curious I investigated. The text read:

Happy Birthday Shadow. Missing you everyday. Sammy.

With tears in my eyes I replied with a simple statement:

Likewise Bigfoot.

Despair and isolation overwhelmed me at that point that I broke down. Hugging the cell phone close to my splintered heart, tears cascading down my freckled face. Rage caused me to frisbee my baseball cap across the room before I collapsed onto my lumpy pillow. Sobs wracked my skinny frame, shoulders convulsing with grief. Never in my life have I wanted to be held so bad. Just to be told that everything thing would be better in the morning. Never in my life have I wanted my brother so bad. But he was gone. Leaving me all alone. Crying myself to sleep seemed to sound pretty reasonable at the time. I did just that.

Alright folks listen up. I'm struggling with this part of my Chris series so I'm gonna need some help. Should my next one be:

Chris gets kidnapped by vampires?

Chris gets possessed by a demon?

Or Chris gets hurt?

PM me your thoughts on those ideas…or if you have any I'll be more than glad to hear them.

Once again I really need help with this side of the story…writer's block doesn't help.

Review please (I need feed back on these ones as I regard them as my weaker story)