Falling

Chapter Two

"So when exactly am I getting my earphones back?"

"What earphones?"

"You know, the ones of the Apple variety, white, apparently ear shaped, have a break in the cord about halfway up, those earphones. You borrowed them when we were up North 'cause your's went through the wash."

"When I get new ones."

"Seriously? It's been over a year!"

"Tough luck."

"God I hate you."

"Yeah, yeah hate you too." Owen murmured to Sarah as they held their bows over their backs walking over to their coach. Amelia gave them a smile they feared. Whenever she gave them that look pain ensued. Amelia looked over the eight of her archers, their eyes wishing they were still asleep, their limbs exhausted from shooting for five hours already. She then announced the three letters that chilled Sarah's blood.

"S-P-T" Severe physical torture as they called it, was on the agenda to finish the session. Half an hour in pain was not what the doctor ordered, the doctor doesn't consider this medication under any circumstances.

The eight of them move into a circle around Amelia with their bows. Sarah reaches into her quiver and grabs out her finger sling, aka shoelace, and finger tab.

Vic, with a tired grin, walks over the table with the fletching jig sitting on it, to set up music to play. After some discussion it is decided that the distraction playlist is perfect.

Immediately a marching band song comes on and with grins Ana, Vic and Sarah begin prancing around using their stabilisers as batons.

Amelia begins counting down and the group comes up into full draw holding it. As the seconds drag on Sarah begins to feel herself shake despite her best intentions.

"And down." Amelia says with a smile, the first of thirty repeats of holding at full draw. They relish in their short break as the song changes. Sarah grins as Friends on the Other Side from Disney's the Princess and the Frog comes on:

'I can read your future, change it round some too, I look deep into your heart and soul, make your wildest dreams come true'

Sarah begins to sing along until she comes into load. She flicks her eyes to Owen but he's completely focused. She waits for her coach to release them, when she comes down she begins to theatrically sing along. The others laugh at her and when she looks at Owen she sees him mouthing the lyrics as she sings.

#

Sarah felt her heart rate rise dramatically. She waited for laughter. She waited for Owen to relinquish her, she waited for him to turn her around and smirk at her. She waited for the punchline of the awful joke. It was after all Owen's style at archery trainings, not late at night in the park far from his house.

His hands smelt like cigarette smoke. Her mind whirring back to self defence trainings in her early high school years, she throws her foot backwards but he kicks her foot. She struggles but he tightens a hand around her neck. She elbows him in the gut, but he moves around before her blow lands.

She cringes as his breath hits the back of her neck. She imagines a rancid, rabid creature is breathing down on her and her heart rate rises again. He drives her knee down into the underfoot tree roots.

Pain rips through her leg. Her knee throbs and she can feel her racing pulse in the area. The cry is muffled by his hand. She tries to bite him but her lips are held tightly together. Her eyes widen as her face is thrust down into the dirt.