~> Shot Through The Heart <~ (Open)

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Target practice. That's where she needed to go next. Rae was good, true enough. But, good enough to win the Games? Not likely. Larae stepped up to the table and spoke with the trainer, who was none-too-friendly or patient. This didn't bother Larae, though. She wanted to get done as quickly as possible, anyway. There was an array of weapons here, just like many other stations – knives, arrows, anything that could be used to target accurately. Instinct told Larae to go for the knives, but she needed to broaden her horizons so she reached for the bow and arrows. This wasn’t the first time she’d handled a bow, but it was obvious she was not experienced, due to the fact that she fumbled with the arrow as she tried to nock it to the bowstring.

Trembling hands were never good for this sort of thing, but Larae’s arm muscles were tight, contracted to the point where she felt as though her entire body would lock up. Lowering the bow once more, Rae loosened her muscles as best she could. ”Hit the target,” the trainer’s gruff voice said, clearly becoming more impatient by the minute. Taking a deep breath, Larae lifted the bow once more. Her muscles were still taught, but much better. She pulled back on the string, sending the arrow whizzing through the air, toward her intended target.

It didn’t make it. The arrow lost velocity nearly ¾ of the way there and just dropped. What had she done wrong? No time to dwell on it, try again. Before she could raise the longbow again, though, the trainer stopped her. This time, she was given a crossbow. A bit easier to handle, more amateur in style she believed, but it felt right in Rae’s hands. She loaded an arrow in the crossbow and let it fly. The arrow made a ‘fwip’ sound as it was released from the bowstring. It flew across the room with deadly accuracy…toward the blade dummies. It struck the top of the head of the dummy, between where the eyes would be, but Larae wasn’t happy with it. Her aim, she felt, had been truer than that. She should have struck the target in front of her.

The trainer saw what she had done, but said nothing in the way of compliments or even critique. Instead, Larae was given several more arrows with which to practice. These arrows were no truer to her target than the first, but at least they struck the intended target, albeit nowhere near a bulls-eye. It was obvious that arrows were not her forte, but Larae was confident that she had shined well enough at the Blades station that her misfortune here would make little difference.

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LYRICS BY Enigma
SONG Silence Must Be Heard