Training. What did that entail? No one had taken the liberty to inform me of the trials I will soon endure, I just hope I pass and thus stay within the confines of this camp. What use is a suspicious girl who can't do anything useful?
Taking a deep breath, my nose wrinkled at the pungent odour the tube tunnel possessed, as well as the unwashed odour I and the people around me emitted.
"Don't worry. You'll get used to the smell." Jay said, startling me. The quiet boy stepped into my line of vision, waving his hand as an indication for me to follow him. Cautiously, I did. "We're going to training." He explained, making his way along the dim tunnels with ease. "Robyn is the best fighter. We use pellet guns for practice, as well as throwing knifes."
Briefly, he turned his head to look at me, probably curious for my reaction. I was unsure of what to think. Of course, any sort of freedom fighters were definitely going to need to use weapons, yet knowing I would have to use them was a daunting task. But I pushed my negative thoughts away. A pessimistic attitude was just going to get me killed. "Alright." Was all I said. Turning back around with slightly pursed lips, Jay continued strolling, with me following close behind.
Soon, we entered another section of tunnel that was more well lit; many torches and candles flickered by custom-made holders embedded in the wall. Along one side of the tunnel were boxes of supplies, supplies I guessed were ammunition, knifes and food. A dull thwack echoed from the other side and I averted my attention there, where Robyn was enthusiastically throwing knives with hypnotic precision, hitting the centre of the target every time. Impressed and horrified at her skill, I continued to observe, waiting patiently.
Jay cleared his throat, alerting Robyn to my presence.
Instantly, a sneery expression flaunted across her freckled features, making me fidget slightly under the intimidating stare. "Oh look. The whiney newbie has decided to try and use weapons. Let's see how long it takes before she starts crying." Her mean words stirred anger inside me.
They seemed to have the negative effect to the one she hoped they would have. Instead of frightening me witless, they heightened my sense of determination to prove her wrong.
"We'll see about that." I said with as much confidence as I could muster, stepping forward and extending my hand, wondering what weapon she would hand me first. Robyn smirked; Jay gave her a warning look.
Her icy demeanour melted slightly by the gaze her twin gave her, Robyn huffed and sauntered away, quickly returning with a small gun.
"This is a pellet gun, meaning it can't do much damage. However, it is specifically designed to match the weight and procedures of a normal gun, so the experience is the same. You load, aim, pull the trigger." Taking her own gun, Robyn demonstrated what to do in quick time, shooting expertly and hitting the centre of the target. "Is that simple enough for ya, Tempest?" She drawled, voice laced with disdainful venom.
Giving me one last malicious glance, she stepped back to stand beside her brother, watching.
My lip curled slightly. What did she have against me? Was she like that to all people, possibly except her brother?
Trying to shake these disruptive thoughts from my head, I hefted the gun up to a more comfortable position, the cold metal unfamiliar in my hands. I swallowed my apprehension: how hard could it be? Just load, aim, fire. I loaded. I aimed. I pulled the trigger. And hit the very edge of the board.
Muttering a mild profanity, I aimed again, aware of the faint snigger resonating behind me.
Clenching my jaw in hardly suppressed rage, I took my time with aligning the barrel of the gun with the target, constantly shifting my position in order to get the best aim. Once satisfied, I stayed still before applying pressure on the trigger. The pellet sailed across the room, embedding itself nearer the desired destination than my last shot. It wasn't perfect, but it was an improvement nonetheless.
No interruptions or input was spoken from the twins, so I decided to take another shot. I went through the same procedure as before: adjusting, being careful, aiming as well as I could, before once again pulling the trigger. This time it was more successful, landing even nearer to the centre. I found myself smiling, though I didn't particularly know why.
Yes - I had improved and shown Robyn I was a quick learner, yet this training could lead on to injuries, to death, to murder. Was I really that kind of person? I tried to answer my question but I couldn't.
I didn't know who I was anymore.
My smile slipped away like a leaf in a breeze, and I turned round to face the brother and sister.
"I have to say, that was better than expected." Robyn said. "However, are you really going to have that much time in the heat of conflict? You need to learn to fire quickly, and not faff with aiming too much. Sometimes you just have to keep shooting until one is on target. Although, you are a quick learner for a beginner. Try again."
Biting back a snide remark, I nodded and turned my attention back toward the gun, back toward the target. Back toward my future.
---------------------------
My fingers ached with the strain that had been put through, shoulders hurting from the unfamiliar weight of the gun. Sweat shined on my forehead and neck, yet I still wasn't sure whether I wanted to do this: continue the life of a fighter.
For the whole day now I had practised and practised shooting, with regular insults and input from Robyn. All the while Jay looked on, blinking steadily with his azure hues. Sighing, I leant heavily against the wall.
Smirking, Robyn approached me. "Tired, eh? This is nothing. Try roaming around the hostile streets for food. Try being shot at my multiple motorised machine guns. Try having to survive in the real world. Good luck. You're gonna need it. Training continues tomorrow and will be happening with the next few weeks - we'll be going on to knife throwing, then military tactics. After that, you and Chris will be going up, scavenging for food and supplies." She chuckled cruelly, before walking away, sauntering down the tunnel with the flickering torches casting her eerie silhouette around me.
Jay soon followed, nodding and not saying anything. Still trying to regain my breath, I felt tears prickle at my eyes. How was I going to cope?
How was I going to survive?
YOU ARE READING
Monotone | ✔️
Action"If we were so riveted in the spectrum of nature, why did we stand, petrified, as we became corrupted by idle technology, stupefied by glowing screens, stolen from life as we know it from enemies right under our noses? Why did we relent to this obvi...
