OVERKILL

By Enola Jones



"Oh, man, it's Matt Potter! The biggest hero of the entire west! The man of the hour! The--"

"Lizzie, if you do not cease your infernal prattling, I shall be forced to infest your coiffure with juvenile amphibians!'

The girl tied to the tree blinked at the boy – nearly vibrating with fury – who stood next to her brother, who was about to laugh himself into tears. "....huh?"

Matt shook his head and managed to get enough control of himself to gasp out, "You laid it on too thick, Lizzie! When Ezra gets irritated--"

"—the dictionary comes out," she finished. "I know. But what did he say?"

"If you don't shut up, he's gonna put tadpoles in your hair."

Her eyes snapped to Ezra and she glared, "I'm the damsel in distress, here! I think I have some call to rejoice when my hero comes to save me!"

Ezra rolled his eyes. "There is a fine line between rejoice and go into hyperbole – and you crossed it!"

"Okay, that does it!" She leaned forward, and the loose knots gave. Stomping out of the ropes, she stormed off, breathing invectives as she went.

"Good riddance," Ezra snarled. Then he rocked back on his heels. "So – what do you want to do now?"

Matt thought for a minute, then he grinned. "Let's patrol the boardwalk!"

Ezra's face lit up. He loved to pretend he had the same Regulator job as his father. "Let's do it!"

THE END




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