"Honey, what happened?"

"I lost, ma," I said, my eyes finding a crack in the floor to focus on.

"Oh," She whispered, beginning to cry.

"I'm sorry." I had no more words. Bile filled my throat as my body betrayed me.

The thunder cracked as it must. Ma's cry ceased.

The instigators came forward, prying my eyes open, forcing me to look at the wreck that was my ma.

They had been kind, in a way, I thought. A single clean bullet. In the shock of the moment, I nearly thanked the man hefting the rifle.

The men led me to the next game, where my father was shackled.