Secrets Untold. (Maggie x fem!reader)

Chapter 67: Shots Fired

Winter and I travelled along the highway and despite the trip being long, and me offering her a piggyback countless times, she insisted she walked herself. She told me;
"A walker won't stop walking cause I'm tired, so I won't stop either."

There weren't too many walkers on the highway at all, not that I was complaining. I suppose most were in the big cities and towns and the rest of them were just scattered remnants.

As we were walking down the highway, we come across a little herd that was slightly ahead of us. It looked like there were around ten of them. I thought about leaving them be and just going around, but they'd make great target practice for Winter.

I stopped walking and Winter stopped by my side. I bent down to her level and nodded towards the small herd.
"How about some target practice, Winnie?"
She looked to the herd, then to me.
"But that's a lot."
"Walkers travel in groups. You'll need to get used to fighting more than one at a time."
She thought for a moment.
"But what if I can't kill them all?"
I smiled and cupped her cheek.
"I won't let them get near you. I'll be right by your side."
She pulled her gun out of her little knitted bag, then nodded.

I stood behind her as she stepped forward and raised her gun up. It took her a few moments before she could decide which walker to shoot, but eventually, she decided on the one closest to us.

She nailed her first shot and the walker dropped dead, which made her look up to me, a huge grin on her face. I gave her a small smile and turned her head back round.
"Don't take your eyes of the target, little one."
She nodded and aimed her gun again.

The walkers were now making their way over to us, since the first shot attracted them. I noticed that it scared Winter a little, so I rested a hand on her shoulder and crouched down by her side.
"It's okay, I'm right here."

She shot at the next closest walker, but only shot it's ear off. Her arms began to shake, so I stroked her hair and whispered into her ear.
"Remember what I taught you."
I gently placed my hands on her elbows.
"Relax. Aim a little higher than the target..."
She did as I said and I continued.
"Watch them carefully.."
Her head began to sway in tune with the walkers movements.
"Wait for the right moment, then.."
I waited till two walkers lined themselves up closely to each other.
"Shoot."
She immediately pulled the trigger and nailed her shot, killing both walkers in one go.
"Well done, Winnie. Now, just repeat."
She nodded her head and aimed again.

As she continued to shoot, killing the walkers one by one, her hands slowly stopped shaking and her posture became more relaxed.

She aimed her gun to the next walker, but when she pulled the trigger, it didn't fire and she began to panic. She had killed most of the walkers and there were only two remaining, but they were really close and that's what scared her.

Winter continued to pull the trigger in a panic, but it wouldn't fire no matter how hard she tried. It only clicked. The magazine was empty.

I rested my hand on her gun and pushed it down.
"You've run out of bullets, Winnie."
She turned to me in a panic, her eyes glistening with worry.
"Don't worry, it happens sometimes. You won't always have a gun or ammo to shoot."
I took her gun from her hands and nodded to her bag.
"Did you bring your knife?"
She nodded and immediately began to rummage in her bag, spilling and throwing sweets out of it as she dug out her knife. Once she had found it, she shakily held it out to me.
I pulled out my own knife and nodded to the walkers.
"Stay there and watch closely."
She nodded and I walked up to the walkers.

I went to the closest one and sweeped it's feet out from under it, making it fall to the floor. Once it was on the ground, I stomped on it's back to keep it down, then shoved my knife into its skull.