Hollow Veins

Chapter Eight; There's Nothing Wrong With Giving An Angry Person A Gun.. Right?

Jaden's grayish blue eyes pierced her. "What?" Alice demanded. He shrugged. Jaden leaned back and winced. "You ok?" He gave a quick nod. He mimed something hitting his chest and she remembered the gas station. Jaden signed, "I'm never opening a door again." Alice laughed, "Don't you like jumpscares?" He narrowed his eyes and gave a sharp shake of the head. She leaned forward and whispered, "Prince can be a guinea pig for the doors." Jaden smirked and motioned, falling over. He looked over Alice's shoulder and frowned. She looked, too. Outside the cave, Prince was talking to Ren, who was retying her boot lace. His sentences were a bit too fast. Alice thought. It was hard to catch his words.Ren laughed and pushed her hair back. Jaden expression was tight as he opened his backpack. He pulled his computer out. Eager to change the subject, Alice spoke up, "Without internet, how's that work?" Jaden looked up and motioned beside him. Taking the cue, she sat next to him. Jaden gestured at the section of the screen. He held up a black box. A part was glowing blue. Alice focused on the screen. Connected, read a pop-up, high power system, connection strength: 100% This message was followed by a series of details. She looked at the box again, "So like a hotspot?" Jaden signed, "Advanced." He didn't seem in the mood to talk... well, interact with her, so she stood. Remembering her promise to Ren, Alice regretfully approached Jasper. He'd laid out some supplies and was organizing, in a corner of the cave. He looked up, "Yeah?" "Uh well, um..." Suddenly remembering how he'd stayed behind with her, back at the town, she went a little red, "...Uh, thanks... for staying... you know, behind... with me." "Well if they'd caught up... and if you were alone... you could've gotten hurt." There was an awkward pause in which Jasper went scarlet himself. Alice cleared her throat, "Um yeah. So anyways... I was thinking that not all of us know how to fire a gun, and Ren was asking... If we're not going any farther today..." "You wanna teach them how?" "Yeah." He scratched his head, "I think that'd be a good idea, just we can't make too loud of a noise and we can't waste ammo. So not actually fire, just give them the general idea." Alice nodded, "Yeah..." She turned and walked away.

"So, how many of you know how to fire a gun?" Prince blinked, "You just cock and shoot, yes?" Ari laughed in his face, "It's not that simple. There's formation, stances to keep people on their feet. And if you hold it wrong it'll throw off your aim." " Well I thought that went without saying." Jasper cleared his throat, "Guys, stop." Ari folded her arms and Prince gave a very full shrug. Jasper had them all in a line in front of the cave entrance. He handed each person a pistol except Alice, "Alice I know you can shoot so can you correct the others?" She nodded and she and Jasper adjusted the group. Aaron could shoot pretty decently but he was a little out of practice. Jaden had apparently known for years. Ari and Jasper had started bickering about the correct way to hold it. Alice walked over to them to break it up, "Sorry Prince but Ari's right." Prince cursed. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Ren's grip was off. Before she could correct it, Jaden grabbed her wrist gently and adjusted it, "Oh, uh thanks." Her face reddened, as she looked up at him. He nodded and let go. Jasper was helping Aaron. He was clenching his teeth. Jasper, seeing this moved away. He shrugged and started on teaching how to load them. And soon they were all packing away the guns and heading back to the cave.