The Sheriff and The Archer

Chapter Eighteen: Secrets That Are Lethal

If there's one thing that is true in this world, it's that - "You suck!" I laughed at him for the thousandth time.

"I'm a beginner!" Sheriff retorted. He closed his left eye, aimed, and missed the tree by about three feet to the left. Carl groaned and pulled out another arrow.

"You suck... but after time and a lot of practice you may be a kinda great. Eventually if you'd like to use a bow more often - not just because they're better than guns and knives, but because they're more efficient - then we can find you one."

He pulled back the string and let go, only to find he shot four feet from the target. He closed his eyes for a second before reaching for another arrow.

"No," I said, putting my hand on the bow and lowering it. "It's going to get dark. We have to go back." I started to walk towards the arrows so he did too. We retrieved everything I had left and went on our way.

While tracking the footprints we made a few hours ago I noticed Carl's footsteps were about a twigs length from mine. Like he didn't want to ruin my tracks. I didn't know why he did it and it perplexed me. Instead of asking him I squinted at the tracks and saw that he mainly stood on the balls of his feet as he followed me. Maybe he was trying to make less sound... it was so quirky, but cute. Suddenly, I remembered something.

"Carl, why did you follow me?" I tore a leaf from it's branch and picked it apart slowly, staring at the ground to keep tracking us so we could get back to the group.

"Uh... there are a few reasons." He quickened his pace so he was a step ahead of me. I matched him.

"And what are they?" I looked up to my right so I could see his face. All he did was look to his right so I couldn't see him. Tired of this, I grabbed his left shoulder and yanked him back so I could look into his eyes. "Why did you follow me?"

He sighed and blinked a few times before he incoherently mumbled something.

"What?" I straightened the bow on my back.

"I just -" he made an agitated moan and threw his head back "- I was just worried about you. You know? All alone in the forest and I don't want you to get hurt and -"

"- and you want to protect me. I can take care of myself, Sheriff." He nodded.

"It's just that if you get hurt I'll go out of my mind..."

I could've added to that, but alternatively I just softly pointed out to him that, "When I almost killed you I felt the same way."

He looked at me for a second like he didn't believe me. After I had a fucking mental breakdown I think he should really believe me. He rubbed he face for a second and looked at me from behind his famous sheriff's hat. His blue eyes changed "I just want to protect you so you live for a really long tim-"

I leaned in and kissed him before he could finish his sentence. He didn't need to protect me, but the fact that he wanted to was amazing and incredibly rare. Why he would want to protect me was beyond my level of understanding, but I knew that I felt the same way. I wanted to make sure he lived. I was going to help keep his mother's wish that he was going to beat this world.

Because if anyone was going to make it, I was going to guarantee that it would be Sheriff. He was needed by people. He had a family, friends, a baby sister to find. I didn't really have anything to live for. If I died Carl would get over it. He didn't really need me. He liked me, but could go on without me there. I didn't do much anyways.

I was just an archer.

Just a girl with a horrible past and secrets that are lethal. I was just Jade Olivia Walters.

Another chapter in the bag! It's been taking me so long to write these chapters. I used to write like two in a day, but now I'm writing one in the span of three days :/ maybe it's because I'm I. school now.