Moonshine Hearbreak

1928 Claxton, GA

The air was damp and the thick trees surrounding the barn was dense and barely let any moonlight in. It was a dreary night, and it didn’t look like things were going to change anytime soon. Daniel Walters checked his pocket watch. It was already half past 2 in the morning. His buyers were running late. He crossed over the hay strewn floor and settled onto an old hay bale and propped his feet up. The barn that housed his still and moonshine was old and crumbling. It was all that remained of the plantation that had once dwelled on these lands. Ole Sherman had burned most of the plantations down around these parts on his march to the sea. The Yankee bastard!

Daniel tipped his fedora down over his eyes and thought back to earlier in the week. His girl’s lovely face flashed in his mind. Josie Carmichael had only been his sweetheart for a few months, but he was crazy about her. Her pretty blonde hair was shoulder length, and she had a smile that lit up a room. She looked like an angel but damn if that woman didn’t have a dangerous temper. Daniel had brought her out to the barn to show her his pride and joy, ole Betsy, his still. The heart and soul of his business. He had just bought some new copper pipes to go on her and whoa did that set off Josie. She had stomped her foot about him wasting money on Betsy when he could have bought her an engagement ring. Her eyes had lit up and her whole face came to life when she was angry. He smiled and thought if she had only known then what he was planning.

Daniel touched the front of his vest making sure he could still feel the ring from the jewelers resting inside his pocket. After his buyers left tonight, he would catch a few hours of sleep and then he was planning on taking Josie for a ride in his brand-new Ford Model A. He had just picked it up that previous morning on his way to the jewelers. Thanks to the prohibition, business had boomed, and he was pretty well off now. In a year or two he would be able to afford to buy Josie a brand-new home to raise their family. His house he had now was perfect for just the two of them, but he knew she would want kids, what woman didn’t? Once the kids came along, he might would even go into a legitimate profession. But tonight, was not the night he would start walking the ole straight and narrow.

He heard a car out in the distance, that had to be his clients. They were coming all the way from Savannah to stock their speakeasy with his prime moonshine. Daniel stood up and stretched out the kinks in his neck. He had 50 cases of his shine waiting on them. Each case held 4 gallons and each gallon was worth six dollars. He had put in a lot of hours filling this order and if all went well, they would be back for more. Maybe he would be able to get Josie that house sooner rather than later! The headlights from the old truck appeared through the woods and the truck parked in front of the barn. Out stepped a large man from behind the wheel. His colt pistol glistened from under his jacket. Daniel could see the tommy gun laying on the seat. Another man came from around the passenger side of the truck. He was slightly smaller than the first man but still intimidating. Daniel stepped forward with his hand out “Robert, John, nice to see you fellas again.” He drawled. The larger gentleman, Robert grasped Daniel’s hand and shook it. “You too, the boss sends his thanks and if your shine lives up to it’s reputation then we’ll be back.”

Daniel grinned and picked up a bottle lying next to the crates. He held it out for Robert and John to try. Robert took a swig and handed the bottle to John. “Damn man, its strong but goes down smooth!” John smacked his lips and handed the bottle back to Daniel. He set it back down on the hay bale. “I got the best shine east of New Orleans! You boys will be back for more!” Robert laughed and pulled out a wad of cash and counted out twelve hundred dollars and passed it over to Daniel. Daniel pocketed the money and picked up a crate and walked out the barn to the bed of the truck. Carefully he pushed it all the way to the front of the truck bed. Robert and John followed behind him and slowly they began filling the truck. With all the noise that they were making, they didn’t hear the footsteps in the brush nor see the shadows of the people positioning themselves around the opening of the barn.

Suddenly Daniel stopped, crate balanced on the edge of the truck bed. Something had caught his attention. A voice rang out from the woods. “This is the Evan’s County Sheriff! Drop your weapons and come on out.” Out from the shadows stepped the sheriff and several deputies. Some were holding shotguns, and some were holding .38s but all were aimed at Daniel, Robert, and John. Daniel froze, the coppers had caught up with him and he was going to jail! Moonshining was illegal and this particular sheriff had made it his life’s mission to eradicate all illegal booze. Afterall down here in the bible belt, booze was the Devil’s way of controlling you! John leapt from the front of the barn to the open truck door and made an attempt to grab the tommy gun. The deputies took aim and began firing. John spun around from the truck, blood pouring from a hole in his side. Daniel dropped and rolled beneath the truck. Robert had pulled his pistol from his jacket and was returning fire. The sounds of breaking bottles broke Daniel’s heart and moonshine began to run in rivers out the bed of the truck. He rolled to edge of the truck and prepared to make a dash for the barn.

Daniel wasn’t ready to die, he could see John slumped against the outer wall of the barn. His clothes stained in blood. His chest wasn’t moving. Robert motioned to Daniel and then opened fire again giving Daniel a chance to make it to the barn. Daniel leapt up but wasn’t quick enough. A bullet caught him in his stomach, and another slammed into his shoulder. He hit the ground hard. He rolled over to his back and watched as Robert fell, a fresh bullet hole between his eyes. The pain was terrible, and he tried to slow the blood with his hands. But with each pump of his heart, more blood gushed over his fingers. The sheriff called for a cease fire and the deputies dropped their weapons. He looked over and out from behind a tree stepped out a tall, lithe figure in heels. She wrapped herself around the sheriff and they walked to him. Daniel was so busy trying to see what she was holding in her hand that he failed to notice who the woman was until she was nearly upon him.

Josie looked down at him, her arm wrapped around the sheriff’s bicep. She held out her left hand. A huge diamond sparkled on her ring finger. Daniel stared in disbelief. The sheriff grinned “Since you weren’t gonna make an honest woman outta her Walters, I thought I ought to. And with this here reward money we’ll be able to get that house Josie wanted!” Josie grinned and clutched his arm tighter. Daniel felt his heart grip and his pain increased “I thought you loved me, Josie?” he asked quietly. “I did but I wasn’t waiting on you forever Daniel. You loved that still more than me. Was it worth dying for?” Daniel moved his bloody hand up to the top of his vest and reached inside. He pulled the diamond ring out that he had bought nearly a day ago. Josie gasped when she seen the ring and tears welled in her eyes. Daniel felt a tear slip down his face “I loved you more than any woman I had ever known Josie. But you couldn’t just give me time….” His voice trailed off and his hand hit the ground. The ring tumbled out of his hand and his life’s blood ran over it, mingling with the spilled moonshine, staining the diamond a pinkish tint. Daniel Walters was no more.

He was buried beneath an old oak tree beside his ma and pa. He may have been shot but in truth, he had died from a broken heart. Once a year, a lone figure is seen, dressed in all black kneeling at his grave. No flowers are left at his headstone, instead there’s always a bottle of moonshine left. The finest this side east of New Orleans…