Ghosts of War | CoD - MW

Chapter 36.

<< Kimberly stared at the shotgun, feeling uncertain. She gave Price a scared look, but the smile on his face calmed her down.
-"Take it. For starters, I want you to feel the weight of it," Price said, settling down on his knees.

Kimberly grabbed the shotgun, holding it the way Price had previously done. She looked awkward, the shotgun too big for her grip.
-"Line the end with your shoulder. Hold one hand here, and the other one there," Price said, guiding her small hands with his. "How does it feel?"

-"It's very heavy," Kimberly said, holding firmly onto the shotgun.
-"You'll get used to its weight with time. Now, study the barrel," Price said, pointing to the end of the shotgun. "You want to follow it with your body wherever it goes, not just your eyes. You'll want to keep her steady and aim with this part."

Kimberly listened to Price, staring at the scope at the end of the barrel.
-"Okay, then what?" Kimberly asked, feeling her arms getting tired.
-"It's important that you remember the kickback. Once you pull the trigger, the shotgun will kick back against your shoulder. So keep it firmly against your shoulder and hold it tightly with your hands," Price said, taking in the sight of Kimberly.

He didn't expect Bruce to hand her over to him on her 7th birthday, but here she was, under his watch. He felt bad that he had not gotten time to arrange for a cake or a gift, so he had agreed to let her try out the guns. She had always wanted to try the firearms he worked with. She looked up to him in a way no one else had, so he felt responsibility for her.

-"I want you to aim at the target that I've put up. It's going to be annoying in the beginning, because no matter how well you aim, the bullet's either going to hit above or underneath. That's just in the beginning," Price said, walking up behind Kimberly. He used his body to hold the girl steady, aware that she would get pushed back by the shotgun.

-"And then I pull the trigger?" Kimberly asked nervously, aiming for the poster on the tree.
-"Yes. Whenever you're ready," Price said, smiling for himself.

There was a second of silence as Kimberly aimed in and focused. She then pulled the trigger, feeling the shotgun push against her shoulder. She was prepared to fall on her back, but she felt a firm body behind her. She turned her head around and looked up at Price, seeing a warm smile on his face.

She turned back to the target, seeing that she had hit the chest. She had aimed in on the head, but as Price said to her, the bullet would either hit under or over.
-"You're a natural talent, Kimberly. You did better than I did my first time firing a weapon," Price said, laughing.
-"You're just saying that so I don't feel bad," Kimberly said, letting the barrel fall down towards the ground.

-"No, I'm not. I would never lie to you, kiddo. Take a look at the tree behind your target. See that shot? It was my first bullet," Price said, pointing at the tree. He could see Kimberly smile widely as she spotted the bullet hole in the tree.
-"I did better than you? Wow!" Kimberly said happily, feeling proud of herself. "This is the best birthday ever! Thank you, uncle Price!"

The girl turned around as she still held onto the shotgun, accidentally pulling the trigger. The bullet hit the ground, but the kickback made it fly out of her grip, hitting her wrist painfully.

The girl cried out as she grabbed her wrist, looking horrified. Her smile had disappeared, and Price could only see fear in her eyes. She wasn't scared because it hurt, but because she thought Price would get angry. Her father would have punched the shit out of her if he had seen that.
-"I-I-I'm so sorry! I-I didn't mean to!" Kimberly said, stumbling back.

Price raised his arms into the air as he laughed, but he could see Kimberly flinching. He then realised that she had expected him to hit her. He let out a sigh as he settled down on his knees, giving the girl a smile.