Flame ➸ John Murphy

5

Walking around camp, West looked for something to do. No one in the camp had opened up to her even a little. All except Octavia, but she was preoccupied with helping Jasper. West had thought about going into the drop ship, but she didn't think there would be any way for her to help.

Eventually, the ginger moved herself to the woods surrounding the camp. Her eyes moved around the forest as she looked for an animal. For her entire life she had hoped to see a real bird. Not just a picture of one.

Giving up on the side of the camp she was on, West moved on to the other. On this side, she found John Murphy throwing a knife at a tree. Walking beside him, she went to sit on a log a few feet away from the boy.

Blue eyes started out at the trees while she listened to the thud of Johns knife hitting the tree before falling to the ground. That was the only peaceful sound in the camp as Jasper couldn't stop moaning in pain.

"Can he shut up!" John groaned while grabbing his knife from the ground.

"He was stabbed in the chest," West scoffed. "He's in pain."

John looked at the girl he hadn't even realized had taken a seat near him. Walking back to his spot, he held his knife out in front of him. One of his eyes squinted closed as he aimed the knife. Taking a breath, he threw the knife. As it left his hand a loud moan came from the drop ship. John groaned as his knife completely missed the tree.

"That's why he needs to shut up," John spat. "I need to concentrate."

"Or maybe you're just bad." West shrugged while she went back to looking at the trees.

"Are you just here to annoy me?" He asked as his arms crossed over his chest.

"No. I came here to look for birds."

John let out a humorless chuckled before grabbing his knife from the forest floor. West looked up towards the top of a large tree. Not seeing anything, she frowned. Giving up on her quest for birds, she looked over at Murphy. His knife was raised once more before he threw it. All the while Jaspers moans echoed through the camp.

The knife hit the outside of the target he seemed to have carved before clattering to the dirt. West tried to hold in her laugh, but a small noise escaped her.

"If you think it's so funny why don't you try?" Murphy glared while picking up the knife.

West jumped up from the log and walked to the boy. Holding out her hand, she patiently waited for him to hand over the weapon. With raise eyebrows, Murphy placed the hilt of the blade into her palm.

As Wests fingers curled around the weapon she began to remember the last time she held a knife. A sick feeling spread over her causing her to stop moving. The girl closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she tried to forget.

"Are you going to stand there all day or throw the knife?" Murphy asked obviously annoyed.

Turning her head, West saw John casually leaning against a nearby tree. His arms were crossed as his foot tapped against the grass. Facing the tree once more West held the knife in front of her. She aimed for the tree, letting one of her eyes squint closed. With power, she steppped forward and threw the knife.

The blade flew through the air before engraving itself into the bark of the tree. West smiled as she mentally praised herself.

"You're supposed to get it in the target." Murphy spoke up.

"At least I got it in the tree," West smirked. "Unlike someone else I know."

West headed towards the tree as John grumbled behind her. Her hand wrapped around the handle of the knife before tugging it out of the tree. The force from the pull caused her to fall backwards when the knife finally was pulled out. She could hear John chuckled as she stood up.