Silent Fog

Chapter 7 - Glimpse

"You acted so weird yesterday," said Mirela as they walked down the hall to the training area.

"What do you mean?" Clara asked when they entered in a vast open space that served as a training area.

"You better stay quiet than being an eye-catcher like you did yesterday at lunch with João. Otherwise, they'll soon realize that you're not from here or any other cell."

The sun had vanished behind a few clouds, and now a light breeze was stirring some loose strands from Clara's braid. The place was full of people and in the background, some guys were punching and kicking each other. There were people shooting and others using equipment that seemed rusty, to do exercises unknown to Clara. Instinctively and involuntarily, as she followed Mirela in her long and determined strides, she sought Daniel in the middle of people who were already there, but she did not find him. Perhaps he would be in a meeting with Gaspar or somewhere else with his girlfriend.

"Nana told me to take it easy on you because of your head, so today we're just going to practice shooting, okay?" Mirela headed forward to position the target and returning to where Clara was, taking one weapon from the nearby bench. "You already shot, right?" And seeing the expression of doubt on the girl's face, she whispered a curse before standing next to her and sounding impatient. "Feet shoulder width apart. Left foot in front of right, right elbow straight and left slightly flexed... see?"

She handed the gun to Clara who held it and positioned it as Mirela had taught. She aimed at the target and fired one, two, three times. She hoped to hit the center like the others practicing there too but ended not even close. Her aim wasn't terrible, but it was far from the great results of the others.

"Oh, man, I think we have a lot of work to do here." Mirela sighed and pressed her lips to a thin line.

Clara also sighed disappointed, band a little humiliated. She was trying to fit this new life, but she always felt like a fish out of water, always skating on thin ice and hating herself for being paralyzed towards the only person who could light up her gapping memory. Those black eyes were haunting her. Every time she thought of them - and their owner - a wave of heat and cold, happiness and anguish seemed to involve herself and that took her concentration away from the simplest things.

She even tried to shoot a bit more with the gun, trying to clear Mirela's frowning and although she had a slight improvement, it would not be enough.

After over two hours of that Chinese torture, Mirela announced that it was already late and that they should return to the dormitory and take a bath for dinner. Clara agreed relieved.

Both went to the women's dressing room to bathe. Everything was rustic, and the showers were made of huge cans coupled to smaller showers with a faucet used to turn the water on and off. But after an afternoon trying to improve her aim, Clara did not even care about the water's temperature and the fact that it was a brown water, like a river after the flood.

"Mirela, you said you had gone after me because Nana asked you, but she came only two years ago with Daniel. Why do you respect her so much?" Clara asked as she wrapped herself in the towel and left the cabin next to Mirela.

The other girl also turned off the shower and took the towel hanging over the door, wrapped herself with it and left.

"About one year ago, I have had a very serious infection. Dr. Rezende and all the other nurses said I wouldn't survive, but Nana took me out of the ward and put me in her room. She took care of me as her daughter, she spent several nights awake..." Mirela was slight smiling "I think she must have used up all her herbal knowledge and so... Against all diagnoses, I survived. I believe I'm here for her stubbornness." she adjusted her wet hair in a knot behind the head after dressing. "That's why I owe her everything and I do anything for Nana."