Before the Birds

Tom's parents want to teach him the value of life. They present him with a bill for his upbringing, to be paid beginning on his 18th birthday. Tom accepts the bill and takes it with him on his walk around the neighborhood. That's when he's confronted with a shotgun-toting neighbor afraid of burglars. With his very existence hanging in the balance, Tom gets a true lesson in the value of life. (short story)