Marksmanship

Expansion 20 - Finding Home

-Willow's POV-

Ruby and I sneak over the sleeping bodies, hearing loud and obnoxious snoring.

I whisper, "Are they all really this gross?"

Ruby said, "Yeah. They're men. What'd you expect?"

I chuckle. Eventually, the two of us made it to Striker's tent. We go to the entrance and wait to remove the curtain. I counted with my fingers, "3, 2, 1!"

The two of us opened each side of the curtain, finding Hiedrich inside, hands behind his back in that stupid black suit of his.

"Welcome, both of you." He pulled out two pistols and continued to shoot at the two of us.

Ruby and I go back out and keep out backs against the side of the tent, on a place we knew we wouldn't be shot at.

Two of us look at each other, panting. I look and see a bullet lodged in my arm, and one in hers too.

"What are we gonna do?!" cried Ruby.

I look around. "We fight back!" I turn to the entrance and shoot an arrow, quick as I could. The arrow continues flowing through the air, spinning and keeping its pace. Suddenly, it hit the tip of the pistol. Jackson moved the pistol and pointed it up, noticing the arrow inside one of them. He used his other one, ready to aim, but Ruby jumps in front and punches the pistol to the side.

"Lost all your offense and defense, dumb bitch. Now get the hell out of our forest," scorched Ruby.

Jackson chuckled, "Oh please..." His hands went out, as they told Ruby and I to look behind.

The two of us turn as two large man with large guns held Ruby's father by linking arms. He still looked weak and pale.

"PAPA!" cried Ruby, eyes watering. She turned around to Hiedrich. "Let him go!"

"Then you let this forest go..." spoke Hiedrich.

"You can't do this. Please... he's my papa..." cried Ruby.

Striker went over to the gun that Ruby punched out of his grip. He made a puppy face, looking to Ruby. "Oh how sweet... I understand exactly where you're coming from... I know the pain of losing someone... But if this is what it takes to kick you three the hell out of here- Then you'll have to experience the pain too."

Hiedrich pulled the trigger of the other gun. The bullet went straight to Diopside. Everything seemed to be in slow motion. I look the Diopside, only feeling horror.

-

-Ruby's POV-

The bullet reached my papa. The bullet was aimed, perfectly at his gem. The bullet pierced through the fragments, making only more of them. I was... I didn't know what to say.

My papa's body soon glowed a bright red as it faded into the shards, seeming as if it were absorbed by it. He was gone. And so was I. He was my spirit. He was my soul. He was my everything.

I look over at Striker, as he's pointing the gun at me. I couldn't do anything. I screamed, "NOOO!" Tears rushed down my face like rapids within the undiscovered wilderness. Pain increased within my body, as it began to pull on each of my organs.

We were defeated. We were powerless.

With Striker's gun still pointed at me, he said, "Get out of here or I might just shoot your bow friend too."

I continued to cry, looking back at my father's shards. Then, I glance at Willow. He shakes his head at me.

We really were powerless.