Chapter 1.05
He finished, and handed us some kind of rifle each. I stared at the thing in amazement. I honestly didn’t know how anybody could trust me with a weapon like this; I could kill somebody. Then reality hit me. I would have to kill somebody.
And not just one person. Tens, hundreds possibly. Belle and I walked to the nearest group of dummies, and decided we’d start. I aimed the gun at one of the dummies’s torso, not being to particular about where the bullet lodged, as long as it was in the middle area, so it would do damage. I got the gun ready to fire, with Belle’s help, and looked into the looking glass aim thing, and concentrated on the middle of the dummy’s stomach. Then I pulled the trigger.
I had braced myself for a loud, forceful bang, but it didn’t come. So I let the trigger go, then pulled it again, squeezing it tighter this time. It still didn’t go. I let the rifle flop down so it pointed at the ground, and started hitting the barrel. It still didn’t fire. I opened my mouth to call out to the instructor, still slapping at the gun, when a loud bang broke the air around me. It gave me such a fright I dropped the gun. I looked around, embarrassed, and picked up the rifle, revealing a hole about a centimeter from my right boot. I sighed in relief, happy that I hadn’t shot myself in the foot, like I would have if luck wasn’t on my side. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Belle, desperately trying to hold her laughs in. She had both hands wrapped around her mouth, and was emitting snorting sounds. I mock glared at her and went on trying to shoot the dummies. I got my first one in the pelvic area after around six tries. I jumped up and down hooting, as everyone stared at me like I had problems. I stopped, and gave no one in particular a cheesy grin. A blonde boy, who looked around our age, tanned, and gave the impression that he frequently worked out, came up, and raised an eyebrow at the dummy.
“That looks painful.” He commented.
I found myself smiling.
“Watch out all enemy soldiers, Kate Harlesworth has a spectacularly crap aim.” I joked.
It was his turn to grin.
“I’m Austin. Patterson.”
“Kate Harlesworth. As you already know.”
Austin chuckled.
“See you ‘round, Kate Harlesworth.”
And with that, he strode off.
Belle hustled up to me excitedly.
“Who’s the hot guy?” She asked.
“Belle!” I protested.
“What?” Her eyes rounded, making her look innocent.
“Don’t say it that loud!” I grinned, and nudged her. We both burst into giggles.
“Well?” Belle raised her eyebrows at me.
“His name’s Austin. At least, that’s what he told me.”
“Do you two have a thing going on?”
“No! Belle we just met!” I elbowed her. “But I hope so.”
I said the last part quietly, but Belle seemed to have to trouble hearing me. She started excitedly going on about how she saw this other guy, and she liked him. She rambled on for a while, and in the end, the conversation had randomly changed into Belle ranting on about how she’d be forever alone. I pretended to listen, but my thoughts were off at some place else.
He finished, and handed us some kind of rifle each. I stared at the thing in amazement. I honestly didn’t know how anybody could trust me with a weapon like this; I could kill somebody. Then reality hit me. I would have to kill somebody.
And not just one person. Tens, hundreds possibly. Belle and I walked to the nearest group of dummies, and decided we’d start. I aimed the gun at one of the dummies’s torso, not being to particular about where the bullet lodged, as long as it was in the middle area, so it would do damage. I got the gun ready to fire, with Belle’s help, and looked into the looking glass aim thing, and concentrated on the middle of the dummy’s stomach. Then I pulled the trigger.
I had braced myself for a loud, forceful bang, but it didn’t come. So I let the trigger go, then pulled it again, squeezing it tighter this time. It still didn’t go. I let the rifle flop down so it pointed at the ground, and started hitting the barrel. It still didn’t fire. I opened my mouth to call out to the instructor, still slapping at the gun, when a loud bang broke the air around me. It gave me such a fright I dropped the gun. I looked around, embarrassed, and picked up the rifle, revealing a hole about a centimeter from my right boot. I sighed in relief, happy that I hadn’t shot myself in the foot, like I would have if luck wasn’t on my side. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Belle, desperately trying to hold her laughs in. She had both hands wrapped around her mouth, and was emitting snorting sounds. I mock glared at her and went on trying to shoot the dummies. I got my first one in the pelvic area after around six tries. I jumped up and down hooting, as everyone stared at me like I had problems. I stopped, and gave no one in particular a cheesy grin. A blonde boy, who looked around our age, tanned, and gave the impression that he frequently worked out, came up, and raised an eyebrow at the dummy.
“That looks painful.” He commented.
I found myself smiling.
“Watch out all enemy soldiers, Kate Harlesworth has a spectacularly crap aim.” I joked.
It was his turn to grin.
“I’m Austin. Patterson.”
“Kate Harlesworth. As you already know.”
Austin chuckled.
“See you ‘round, Kate Harlesworth.”
And with that, he strode off.
Belle hustled up to me excitedly.
“Who’s the hot guy?” She asked.
“Belle!” I protested.
“What?” Her eyes rounded, making her look innocent.
“Don’t say it that loud!” I grinned, and nudged her. We both burst into giggles.
“Well?” Belle raised her eyebrows at me.
“His name’s Austin. At least, that’s what he told me.”
“Do you two have a thing going on?”
“No! Belle we just met!” I elbowed her. “But I hope so.”
I said the last part quietly, but Belle seemed to have to trouble hearing me. She started excitedly going on about how she saw this other guy, and she liked him. She rambled on for a while, and in the end, the conversation had randomly changed into Belle ranting on about how she’d be forever alone. I pretended to listen, but my thoughts were off at some place else.
