Bow To The King, Celie

Bullseyes

Chapter 5

I hadn't opened my eyes yet, but I was awake. It was probably daytime, and I could feel the light coming in.

"Is this girl alive? Is she breathing at all?" Someone hastily whispered above my head. I pretended to be asleep, not quite ready to face the confrontation that was bound to happen.

"Zip it, Nate. Can't you see she is sleeping?" came another voice, scolding the first guy, who was called Nate, apparently. His voice was lower than Nater's, rougher and raspier.

"But why does she look like.... that?" Nate inquired, genuinely curious. I don't know how he looks but I can still picture his face contorted with repulsive expression and lines etched on his forehead. "Do you think if the wind blew harder than it normally does on the hill, would she fly away?"

This time the one with the deeper voice didn't respond, and there was a moment of silence but then I heard a sharp smack, followed by a whimper.

"OUCH! Whyyyyy?" Nate protested.

"Get off her head, Nate." The man ordered, and Nate obeyed him.

I had to wake up now, or else they would've actually assumed that I was dead. I shifted in the bed and made some noise. "Look, she is waking up," one of them said.

I opened my mouth as wide as I could and faked a yawn before slowly opening my eyes. As the darkness withered away, and the light restored my vision, I could see two tall, handsome men standing at the end of the bed. Their arms were crossed in front of their chests as they looked at me with curiosity.

"Who are you?" Oh, so this is Nate. I recognized him from the voice. "I'm the new girl," I replied, remembering the cover story that Baris had prepared for me in case I was questioned, which was exactly what was happening now.

"Hmm," The guy who hadn't said anything until now nodded in my direction. "Then I guess Baris has told you everything that you need to know. Get up and get ready. They serve breakfast only once, and if you miss it, you miss it." He finished and in no time was at his side of the room.

On the other hand, the goofy-looking dude remained where he was standing before and declared, "We are your seniors. Do as we say, and we'll be cool." He had lowered his voice to sound threatening, but it came off more like a villain from Cartoon Network.

"Yes, sir," I mumbled, trying my best to show respect. I couldn't help but find his attempt at being threatening rather amusing.

After some hesitation, I inquired with caution, "What's your name?" I pointed toward the other guy who was busy folding his blankets.

"Him? He's Gabriel. Looks tough but he isn't, believe me. I, on the other hand, am totally tough," Nate boasted as he introduced Gabriel, clearly trying to make himself sound like the tougher one.

"I am capable of introducing myself. You didn't have to-" Before Gabriel could complete his sentence, Nate cut him off. "Oh, I'm sorry." He said sadly, pretending to be genuinely hurt, and made a pouty face. But just like that, he perked up after a few seconds and declared, "Okay, let's go. I'm starving," and off he went. At Nate's stupidity, Gabriel rolled his eyes so far back that for a moment I thought his eyes might disappear into the back of his head forever.

Nevertheless, I did what I was told to do, got dressed in a nice T-shirt and loose jeans from the closet.

The room where all the men gathered for breakfast was spacious and well-lit, with large windows that allowed natural light to stream in, giving the place a warm ambiance. Everyone chatted away while I ate in silence. Afterward, we were taken to various training locations where we were briefed on our activities for the next few months.