Jake Brennan

Now, now was the time.

George suddenly lifted the revolver up into view.

He aimed it straight at Pina's head and he asked the question the de-doodle and the old man were screaming in his ear.

Do you think your God is going to save you now?

And before Pina could answer, George closed his eyes and squeezed the trigger.

A gunshot echoed through the creek bed and then everything went silent.

When George opened his eyes, he saw smoke rising from a bullet hole in Peanut's car just an inch below the window.

D-Doodle and the old man screamed at him to fire again.

George pulled back the hammer and lined up his shot.

He held the gun on Peanut for a long moment, while Peanut just stared back at him without moving.

Finally, George lowered the gun.

He said, Well, Peanut, I guess God answered the call.

And then George drove off into the darkness with smoke still curling around the bullet hole in Peanut Montgomery's car.

Peanut visited the district attorney immediately after the shooting.

But after learning that George could get 15 years in jail for attempted murder, he decided not to press charges.

Despite almost murdering his friend, George Jones did not slow down on his drug and alcohol consumption.

The demonic voices of Gee Doodle and the old man demanded more, more cocaine, more whiskey, more control.

Within a year, George's weight had plummeted to less than 100 pounds.

He declared bankruptcy and was reduced to living in a car parked in an alley in downtown Nashville, where he went days without eating solid food, arguing with the voices in his head.

He was near death when Peanut finally convinced the judge to have George committed.