Out Of Time

Shooting

"Wake up, Miss Burke," Arthur said to Sam. "Wake up."

Sam rolled over in her sleep and brushed away at Arthur. "Mmm, just five more minutes, Mom..." she mumbled.

Arthur laughed and yanked on her leg making Sam yelp herself awake. "Time to go shootin', Miss Burke."

Sam rubbed her eyes and stared at Arthur with wide but barely alert eyes. "What time is it?"

"Seven A.M." Arthur held out a cup of coffee to her. "Come on, have a drink."

Sam grabbed the mug, smelled the smoke rising from it and smiled with her eyes shut. "Oh, Lord have mercy, that smells so good..."

Arthur chuckled and sat up straight. "I take it you'll be needing breakfast, too?"

"It wouldn't hurt," she said, taking a sip of coffee.

"Well come on then, lazy bones. Get up."

Sam grumbled and slowly got out of her little makeshift tent, standing up and cracking her neck. Arthur heard it and a shiver went down his spine. "Jesus, woman."

Sam laughed at him and took another sip. "Thanks for the coffee."

"You're welcome, now go get your breakfast before it's all gone."

Sam rushed towards Mr. Pearson's pot and Arthur watched her spoon up a bowl of stew. He smiled as he took a drink of his own coffee and chuckled as she sat herself down at a table with some of the girls. They immediately started chattering and laughing away and Arthur turned away to go get their horses ready. Once he had done that, Sam walked over and was ready to go. She and Arthur mounted up and headed out of camp.

"So where are we going?" Sam inquired lightly.

"There's a tree to the east with a bunch of bottles hangin' from it. We can start there."

"A tree with bottles, huh? Shouldn't I start with bottles that aren't moving?

"Oh, there's plenty of those too."

It didn't take long for the two to make it to the tree. Arthur watched as Sam stared wide eyed at the display of bottles hanging from the branches. "It's actually pretty, you know."

"I suppose it is." They both dismounted and Arthur held out his repeater. "So, should we get started?"

"Yes." Sam took the gun confidently and held it in her arms to examine it. "Oh boy, I hope this won't be too hard."

"Ah, you'll do fine as long as you know what you're doin'."

"Well," Sam held the gun up and aimed at one of the bottles on the boulder, "I really don't know what I'm doing."

Arthur inched up behind her. "Alright, just put your hand here, on the frame there," he said as Sam did as she was told, "to hold it up, put the butt in the meat of your shoulder, not the bone. Okay?"

Arthur studied her as she followed his directions. "Okay."

"Good, now, put your other hand by the trigger here, put your finger on the trigger...yeah, like that, good. Now aim down the sights, take your time, and-"

Sam pulled the trigger and stumbled without hitting a bottle. "God dammit!"

Arthur belted out with laughter. "I wasn't done yet. Try again, you silly woman."

Sam scowled playfully at him before resuming her former position. "Okay."

"Now don't shoot yet. Just...hold steady...and firm." He pointed at a red bottle. "Just focus on that one...breathe slowly, and always pull the trigger on empty lungs. Don't snatch at the trigger."