Butter

Chapter 35

The whole room stared in awe. Ken dropped the arrow off the ground. It's clatter louder than expected. His face turned red, because we all were staring. "Sorry," I whispered. I turned around and picked up my bow off the ground. It felt abnormally heavy. I then walked over to the stairs and climbed them silently. I could sense their eyes following me. I felt like a dangerous weapon, one that had almost killed their friend. One that shouldn't be on the battle field. Maybe it wasn't the Wither they should worry about. Maybe it was me.

I went to the bathroom and rummaged around in the cabinet. I found a long roll of sheep wool and wrapped it around my shoulder. The deadly shoulder. Next I trudged to my room. I slammed the door open with my shoe and walked in. The sun was fully set now and every thing was covered in an eerie glow. I went over to my dresser as slipped off my tight fitting clothes. So much for being a leader. I willed my brain to think of the positives. Maybe Ken's sharp reflexes were helpful. I threw my dirty clothes to the floor and set my bow down on my desk. The moon light struck it at an angle created a distorted shadow. I went over to my bed. The blankets tangled within each other. I slid into the cocoon of warmth. I let out a deep sigh, my eyes lids drooping. I obeyed my brain and closed my eyes. Sleep washed over me like a wave. I felt light as a feather. No shoulder injury.

I awoke the next morning with a dull ache in my shoulder. My bow still sat on my desk, unmoved. I kicked the blankets off, suddenly. I squinted my eyes and hobbled out of bed. The sun shone through my windows. I pulled out a pair of shorts and loose t-shirt. I then grabbed my hair and yanked it into a pony tail, ignoring the knots in it. I rubbed my eyes and walked out the door. No one was awake yet, I checked the time by the sun's position. It was about 8 in the morning. The marble floors sparkled in the light, making everything feel a bit friendlier. 5 days left until the battle, I reminded myself. I placed my hands on the rough wood fence surrounding the courtyard. The server was a beautiful sight in the morning. Every line was softer and more gentle, creating a relaxing feeling. I then realized I had forgotten my bow and ran back into my room. The second I pushed the door, I could tell something was not right. I bolted directly to my bow, standing with my back against the desk. I knocked an arrow in fear. My hand shook from the pain in my shoulder. A chilling air passed next to me. I released the bow strings and the arrow thudded into the floor. Slowly my eyes could make out a shadow in the bright morning light. I pulled out another arrow and knocked it. The black whispy cloud swam through the air, casting a silhouette of the Wither. Fear tore through me and I gripped the bow tighter. While doing this the arrow sat askew and when I fired, shot in the entirely wrong direction. I loosened my grip and knocked another arrow. The Wither picked up speed, swooping in between my bed posts and dirty clothes. I knocked another arrow, so I had two on top of each other. Carefully I pulled back the bow string, my shoulder beginning to scream in pain. My fingers were turning white from holding for so long. Finally with a good aim, I released. The arrow soared through the air and impaled the almost opaque shadow. The black cloud tumbled to the ground, the two arrows deeply imbedded in its chest. The sound of the creature falling shook the house. I moved my hand instantly to my shoulder, dropping my bow to the ground with a clatter. The shadow twitched unnaturally on the ground. I squinted my eyes and at the top of my vision was a glowing blue line with the word "Wither" over top. The blue line was almost gone. I knew what I had to do. I picked up my bow and knocked a final arrow. I was gonna save us from the Wither. I allowed the arrow to sail through the air. It hit the Wither in the head and the blue line above me dwindled downward until it disappeared.