Training Mishaps

RO

I was the one in charged with the teenage girls while Benz, Tyrone and the rest of the founders were mentoring the young men and the adults. There's a special place in my heart to these young girls that's why when I was asked about what I'd like to focus on, I chose them.

"Line up, girls!"

We utilized the forest for making targets out of hay and animal skin as well as running lapses for running and hunting training. At least, it was one of the best things about the forest. Due to its wide areas, we separated the training camps.

Today, there are at least fifteen girls under my command. I shift the weapons I teach every week. Spears, lances, arrows and now, I decided to teach them how to aim with a gun. It was the most cliché, yet my favorite weapon. One thing I like about the gun is that it is convenient to use and that proximity does not matter as long as you have a good aim.

"Jess, prepare the targets." – I instructed Jess, one of the senior trainees we have.

"How many targets do I have to prepare, Ro?"

"Five."

She gave me a nod and jogged towards the woods, at least 30 meters away from us. There, we have a small cabin where the weapons and the targets in the shape of a man, with a red paint on target parts of the body were placed. While waiting for Jess, I distributed the guns. Another advantage of our group is that we have various men who are skilled in making weapons as well as risk their lives to go into different places to get weapons from those who already met their demise. Half of the weapons we use and train with now belongs to the dead.

Jess came back and two other girls helped her with setting up the targets on the board, ten meters from the lined up trainees. From here, the five targets looked small but resembled the real size of a man. The patches of red on the chest, the lower legs, the center of the forehead and the throat was still visible though with the brightness of the red color paint. Everything was set and the girls were lined up in rows.

So, what else are we waiting for?

"First row, please step forward."

Ten girls did, all of them the senior trainees ages 15-20 years old. We train them using age brackets. That was also the basis of how they were told to lined up.

"Raise your guns… switch off the safety mode."

Successive clicks of the gun are heard from the training grounds. I walked towards them, just a pace behind the 5th and 6th girl. I looked at either side, checking the way they hold the guns.

"You! The one with the ponytail…"

I approached the girl I just called the attention of and helped her with the correct hand position of the gun. As soon as I reached her hand, I realized she was shaking.

"What's wrong? You're shaking…"

"Ro, I… I think I can't do this."

I frowned. What she said made me wonder. She's one of the senior trainees. I also know she's one of the best trainees we have, especially with archery. Last week, she gained a perfect score with the aim of her bow and arrows. I remembered her name was Chloe. Her name was on the top charts of the trainees' record.

"Why? You did great in your previous training sessions."

She lowered her hand and dropped the gun gently. I picked it up and made sure the safety switch was back off.

"It isn't the training… it's the gun. I almost got shot by an Aenelus before Benz found and rescued me. It's…"

I didn't let her finish anymore. Instead, I held her closer for a hug. She was still shaking so I looked at Jess and motioned for her to come closer. She did and I told her to bring the girl back to the sanctuary. She can skip the training today.

"Don't worry about this, Chloe. You can focus on other training sessions. You don't need to train with guns if that makes you uncomfortable." – I whispered. Something of an assurance just so she would know it's okay.

I couldn't blame her anyway. The child was struggling with her own demons too. I guess everyone of us here was. Our own traumas, our own demons to slay.

The training resumed, with each row having ten bullets to shoot on the targets. Each time a batch finishes, I go closer to the targets to check their hits. On the folder I was holding was their scores, and so far, none has a bad record. Everyone was either performing in constant boosts, the others showing noticeable improvement from the last.

"Second to the last row, prepare!"

I shouted. Everyone took their positions, wore their ear muffs and their eye protectors.

"In 3…2… 1… shoot!"

Successive gunshots flared and some of the birds flew out of the forest. I looked at the direction it came from. It was from Benz's training camp. They must be hunting as we speak.

As it turned out, it was more than that.

"Clear the way! Clear! Make way! Dorotha!"

I turned as soon as I heard my name. Going to my direction were two men assisting another man to walk. Both of them have scars on their faces and the man between them couldn't walk well. When they got closer, it was when I noticed the cause of the man's limping. There was a blue bullet buried on his upper thigh. I recognized that bullet as one that does not belong to us. It's from the Aenelus soldiers.

"What happened?" – I asked and knelt in front of the man. The two were given glasses of water. They drank before one of them spoke.

"We went to the countryside to get foods from the abandoned farms. We were seen by the Aenelus soldiers. We fought… we did our best to fight them off. We managed to kill them but…. But one got away."

One got away. Oh God.

"You mean, one of them has ran back to the Aenelus?"

They looked at the ground. I took that as a yes. Oh no. That would put the sanctuary at risk. Our identity, our secret place, our people may be put at risk. This is what I had been afraid of.