The Last Few Embers

Chapter Seven

I race down the hallway right into the training room.

I shove past the group and walk right up to my Aunt.

"What the hell are you doing?" I snap.

Looking confused, Gala pulls me to the side.

"What are you talking about?" She questions.

"Why aren't you concerned about people's injuries?"

"Eldrid."

I turn to see Arnim.

"Just a moment, Arnim." I say before turning back around. "Well?"

Gala bites the inside of her cheek and walks away.

"Hey!" I step forward, but my cousin stops me.

"Hello, Group Seven." Gala adjusts her black dress suit. "We are beginning serious training today, so be prepared. We are splitting you into two teams. The idea of this exercise is to build teamwork skills."

A guy walks over and passes her a paper.

"First team is; Eldrid, Kayleigh, Jorge, Jenna, and Hamish. The other is; Tom, Eli, Ashleigh, Helena, and Arnim. The objective is to protect your teammates. Each person will be given a gun and a shield. You have to protect your teammates from getting shot."

"Eli?" I ask Jenna. "But he's-"

"He claims that even injured people have to train." She says. "According to Gala, he can join if he wants to. So he's coming."

We follow Gala to a huge room that's set up with obstacles to hide behind.

As we walk through the door each member gets handed a gun and shield. The shields look like SWAT shields, and the guns are small and black.

I wonder what we're using for fake bullets.

Each team gets on a separate side and we huddle up.

"Let's pair up." Hamish suggests. "Me, Jenna and Jorge, and Eldrid and Kayleigh. Ok?"

Everyone nods and hides behind a huge tire pile, waiting for the whistle. As soon as it goes off, we book it in different directions.

I hear a gunshot and it's so loud.

Kayleigh covers her ears, dropping her shield.

I pick it up an hand it to her.

"Don't lose this," I say. "You'll need it." We hear three more gunshots and I peek my head up to see Eli on the other side. I aim my gun at him and fire.

A shield blocks whatever fired from hiring him, and I can see the dent in the shield from here.

I frown and look at my gun.

Opening the barrel, I gasp.

Bullets.

Real bullets.

Fucking hell-

"Guys!" I shout out. "Stop firing! It isn't training! They're real-"

I stop as a loud gunshot echoes and something wet is on me.

I feel cold and sick.

Slowly I look beside me.

"Kayleigh!" Ashleigh screeches and runs across the training room.

She holds her bloodied sister's head in her hands and sobs.

"Kayleigh, Kayleigh, no..."

I ignore the blood sprayed on my body and lean weakly against an obstacle.