TWDG\\II-South State

SEVEN

AJ
I wake up to a crisp, cold feeling across my cheeks. I whimper, and sit up. Everybody else was sleeping. I looked up at the open window of the cell, which revealed a blue sky. I frowned, and rubbed my eyes. I sat up, and looked down at Clementine, who was sleeping peacefully. I had been warm okay last night, since her breath was on my face, but I rolled over through the night, only receiving a cold breeze. I hugged my knees to my chest, and tried warming my hands and arms by breathing on them. They only washed with the warmth before I inhaled again. I sighed with frustration.
...
I jumped as a door open, and Ash entered. She held the key in her hands.
Everybody else was still sleeping.
"Oh look." She laughed when she saw me. It wasn't a genuine laugh, it was tortured and cold. "It's Mr. Hot head."
I took my toll on breathing like Clementine had said, and I looked the other direction. Ash nudged Ethan with her foot, and he jerked awake, he took cradling his freezing arms as he stood up.
"Come on." She grabbed my arm, and led both Ethan and I up as she shut the door. I looked back to find Clementine waking up too. "Jerome wants both you kids on the perimeter, shooting stray walkers and what not."
Ethan gritted his teeth at me, and we emerged outside. It was freezing.
The sky was now a plain grey, with thunder rolling. Our own breath was visible in the air as Ash dragged us to the edge.
"Can you let us go?" Ethan asked frustratingly. "We can both walk."
Ash laughed.
"Last time I did that, this idiot attacked me." She replied, and shook her head.
"Jerome spoke to him, it won't happen again." Ethan said. Ash scoffed. "Stupid cunt." Ethan muttered underneath his breath. Ash threw him forward, and Ethan hit the dirt. He turned over on he back, and scooted a pace back from Ash. Ash didn't hesitate to throw me down too.
"Listen, I'm sick of being stuck with you assholes, okay? I didn't deserve any of this shit!" Ash sighed, and blinked away something in her eye. Was it a tear? No. A person like Ash had too many cruel emotions in her shell to inhabit genuine ones.
Ethan looked at me, guilty that he had provoked her.
"So...just get the fuck up, okay?" Ash said, her brow furrowed as we stood up. I half expected her to take grab of my arm again, which was already starting to bruise from her grasp, but she just took a gun out of her pocket,and gestured us to walk in front. Ethan smiled, getting what he wanted, and started walking in front. I followed, and we walked past some old gardens on the edge of the perimeter, the walls holding an outpost, with two men enforced on top. They caught sight of us, and I immediately saw one giggling.
We walked the stairs up the side of the wall, the wind catching our clothes as we did. We came face to face with these two man, one who had a darker skin than the other laughed in our face.
"I thought we were shooting walkers, not kids." He laughed, and flicked Ethan's cheek. He winced and stepped back a little.
"We're not shooting kids, dumbass." The other said, and squinted at me. "We're teaching them to shoot."
"I already know how to--" Ethan began, but was cut off.
"With a rifle, you tard." Ash laughed, and left. One of the men sighed, and scratched the back of his neck.
"So, uh, my name is Ivan." He laughed. "That's my sister, the slut that walked away. This's Query."
"Hi." Query gruffed, and bent down at a container, and retrieved two rifles. He set one down in Ethan's arms, and one in mine. It was heavy, the thing dragging my arms in its grasp. "Okay, so left or right handed?"
"Right." I answered, and Ethan also replied with right.
"So." Ivan said, and turned in the direction if outside the walls. Trees and trees were stacked in a long, winding forest ahead, no clearance I could see at the point I was standing in. "Set the rifle underneath your right armpit."
I did that, and held it like Query taught us.
Soon, I was adjusting the sight, and when I was ready, I clicked the sight in.
"Okay, now, at anything, shoot." Ivan said, and stepped to the side. I took a deep breath, and shot it off.
The gun itself took machinery out of its motion, and kicked me back on bum, a painful jerk spreading through my tailbone.
The men roared with laughter, and Ethan looked at me from his Aim, and pulled a sad face. I nodded at him,wanting the embarrassment off me for the moment.
"Shoot." I said, and I stood up, and wiped the dirt off my arse. My heart was racing, I really thought I was gonna die or something. The shot from the rifle vibrated in my hands and arms, like pins and needles.
Ethan took a deep breath, and shot the gun off. Ethan had more control in his footing, and instead of flying backward like I did, he dropped the rifle, setting off another gunshot. He jumped, and Query yelled, and snatched the rifle from the ground.
"Ya bunch of idiots!" He screamed. "No fuckin' control at all, you lot! Coulda shot one of us, ya bastards!"
"They're just learning!" Ivan yelled back. "Fuckin' he'll, Query. Remember the first time you tried shooting? You blew Wynn's goddamn finger off."
Query looked at Ivan straight in the eyes.
"Don't fucking talk about Wynn." He said, and he took one hostile glare at us, and left the outpost. Ivan sighed.
"Sorry bout' that. Query's just an old goat." Ivan managed a smile. "He's right about one thing though. You guys can't shoot for shit."
Ethan rolled his eyes.
"Anyway, I guess I need to teach y'all how to shoot properly, without getting knocked on your backside." Ivan handed the rifle back to Ethan, and we faced back at the outpost again. I carried the rifle from my right armpit again, and pointed it out to the forest.
"Spread yer legs." Ivan demanded, and we did, but not too much. "Okay, now with your left hand, hold the grip of the rifle so if doesn't flap you back in the face."
I did so, and Ivan told us to shoot.
I squeezed the trigger, and the gun shot off, making me jump in anticipation, but I still held it securely in my hands as well as staying still.
"With more practice, you'll be able to shoot one of these without standing like an absolute retard." He laughed, and with his comment, Ethan and I straightened up again.
Ivan sighed. He then picked up his walkie talkie and dialled over several stations.
"Jerome? Yes, I've got em'. Yea. What do I do now? Practice?" Ivan laughed, and out the walkie talkie back on his holester. "Well, I guess ya'll just need to practice."