Surviving All Out War (BOOK FIVE IN THE SURVIVING THE WALKING DEAD SERIES)

Breathe

~BEGIN FLASHBACK~

      THUNK! I quietly scolded myself as my arrow embedded into the wal, completely missing my target. I grabbed another arrow from my quiver and took aim. THUNK! "Goddamn it."

     "You missed." I turned around and looked at the man standing behind me for a brief moment and turned back to my target.

     "I can see that, Morgan." I grumbled and grabbed another arrow.

     "I could help you, if you'd like."

     "I don't need help." THUNK!

     "I say you do."

     "Well, I don't, Morgan. I don't need help from anyone, not you, not Rick, no one."

     "Asking for help doesn't make you weak."

     "I'M NOT WEAK!" I snarled.

     "I never said you were." I walked over to the wall and yanked my arrows out of the wall and took my place back in front of the target. "Not having the ability to do something isn't a sign of weakness-"

     "I'm not stupid, either! I'm not weak, I'm not stupid, I'm not inexperienced!"

     "And that's why you can't shoot. It's not just because you've only got one eye, it's because you're angry."

     "You're fuckin' right, I am! I was the best fuckin' shot in all of Alexandria, and now look at me! I couldn't shoot Godzilla if he was two feet in front of me!"

     "Can I show you something?"

     "Ya don't know shit about archery."

     "No, but a man taught me everything I needed to know, things you could use at a time like this."

     "If I let ya show me whatever it is ya want to show me, will ya leave me alone?"

     "Maybe." Morgan smiled. I let out a sigh and held out my bow, but he didn't take it. "I don't need your bow, just your mind."

     "What kind of funky mushrooms have you been eatin'?"

     "It sounds silly, I know, but you got to trust me."

     "I don't know ya. Ya wandered into Alexandria only a few nights ago."

     "Alongside your friend and husband. They trusted me enough to bring me back, you can trust me."

     "Trust is a very hard thing to earn from me, Morgan. We've lost people before ya showed up, some people I cared about, and some I didn't give a rats ass if they died or not."

     "All life is precious, Michaela."

     "Not theirs. My biological father, I trusted 'em before I even knew he was my dad, and he tried to rape me, tried to kill me. I've ran into groups that would scare ya white, Morgan, so excuse me for not rollin' our the welcome wagon every time Alexandria opens the gates for new people."

     "Can I show you now?"  I didn't respond. "Take aim." I rolled my eyes and took aim at the target. THWACK!

     "GAH!" I exclaimed as I doubled over in pain. "WHAT THE FUCK, MORGAN?"

     "Concentrate."

     "I WAS CONCENTRATIN', ASSHOLE!"

     "Yes, you were, but not on your target. You were concentrated on your anger, your frustration. Using your emotions to shoot won't help."