I'm back people! Sorry I haven't updated in a while but you know school, homework, blah, blah. I may get chapters out sooner in the summer, but then again no guarantees. So I will now respond to your reviews:
loserthatscool: Thank you, I am glad someone sees behind my reasoning.
doomforzombies16: Yeah, thanks.
without further ado I bring you chapter four of Skinned.
Yet again I fall flat on my back after a hard kick in my stomach, which most likely would bruise, leaving me staring out at blue skies dotted with white clouds. Soon enough though my view is interrupted by Gerald's face.
"You fell, Do you know why?" He asks me this hand on hip and right when I'm about to open my mouth to speak he cuts me off. "Its all about speed and focus, your punches can be strong but face it if you can't dodge your pretty much useless." I sit up resting my head on my knees as I take a few deep breaths in and out. Training is what he called this, learning to fight would be another thing, its been going on for about a week at this point and my constant results were falling to the square of white wool below us. But really what could you expect? I never had the need or reason to fight with my fists and I was just supposed to learn so quickly?
"Get up already, your wasting time." He pulls me up by my arm until I'm on my own two feet before stepping back raising his fists as I took my stance. "Ready, go!" I go to punch him but he catches my fist in mid-air and instead flips me to the ground again, this time I land on my stomach.
"Get up your opponents not gonna go easy on you." Taking a deep breath I get onto my feet feeling little shaky at this point from the punching. The second I'm standing I feel a punch to my stomach knocking the wind out of me and a swift kick to my ankles sending me forward to fall face first. Instantly I sit up panting heavily and watch as Gerald just looks down at me. "Were done for now, at sunset we train again." I groan slightly in protest but his stare shuts me up.
"Alright, I will. I'm sorry that I'm not doing good but its a lot to learn in such a short period of time, I promise though that I will try my best." But my words fell upon deaf ears, he had already walked away.
~{}~
At lunch I sit by myself in one of the tables picking at a piece of bread, it was edible but had gone a little hard and it took me a while to break off a piece without dropping anything. I look out to were the others who were stuck here were by the tables with more light, mine was in the shadow of the building.
I crinkle my nose to stop myself from crying when I notice the two girls sitting at the top of an oak tree, they were both laughing happily with each other plucking out the red fruit intertwined in the leaves and branches. They reminded me so much of the friends that were still at home I older what they were doing right now, did they miss me? Were they feeling lonely without me? What about my parents, were they searching for me? Sighing I drop the subject completely not wanting to make myself feel any worse about whats going on.
"Strange she sits here all by herself and wonders about her friends when theres much more pressing situations at hand. How odd but what can I expect when the ones she now lives with act like sitting ducks just waiting for the shoot in the head to knock them dead." I turn slowly to stare at the tall figure leaning against one of the wooden walls, the shadow from the house blocking me from seeing what he really looks like. "Strange indeed, and what a laugh it is to see her eyes stare at me like that with such curiosity painted in their brown depths what a shame it would be if the world lost such a treasured flower like herself when just her eyes hold such a story with great details."
"What are you talking about?" I turn completely to stare at this person who was confusing me with what he said.
"Ah, Rosie my dear how do you expect to survive when you don't get what I'm saying and ask such silly questions?"
"Its not 'Rosie' its Row. R-O-W. But really who are you and how do you know my name?" It raises a hand about to speak when another voice shuts it up.
"Who the heck are you talking to?" I turn away from the stranger to see yet another stranger but this one was female. She stared at me dully with green eyes.
"Well he's right there…" I turn to point at the first stranger when I realize he's gone. "Well was there." I turn back to her as she drops down in the seat across from me.
"Your one of those crazies aren't you?" She searches through her bag until she finds a melon slice and bites into it staring at me while she chews. "Don't give me that look this is my table, I'm just letting you sit here." I go to respond to what she told me in the best way possible but what slips out is:
"What gives you the right to say this is your table?"
"What gives me the right? What gives you the right?" She hisses between her teeth and places her hands firmly onto the table. "I made this table a week after I got here, read the sign behind you what does it say?" I stare right back at her before turning to read the sign out loud.
"This table is property of Fae Locke." I say this as bored as I can manage before turning back to her.
"Exactly. Now new kid I recommend you stay out of my way or things won't end well." I don't even bother listening to the rest I stand glaring at her.
"I'm leaving now, enjoy your table." I walk away before she can say anything else. I don't bother looking back and when I pass the chicken pen I drop my bread in there watching as the feathered things fell upon it with greed.
"Gerald what are you doing?" I pause hearing his name and duck behind a tree when I see Jason walking over to his twin.
"Whats it look like I'm doing." He replies before stabbing his sword into the wood and dragging it downward to form a slanted 'L'.
"Carving a name into a tree won't bring her back." Gerald ignores him and stabs it back into the trees trunk to form a shaky 'C' and a line down the middle of that to make an 'E'. "Gerald please listen-" Before Jason can finish Gerald had stabbed the sword into the ground by his brothers foot as he stood to stare him down.
"Explain it Jason, why does life just want to laugh in my face bringing that girl here?" Were they talking about me?
"Gerald you can't blame her for ending up here, you can't blame her for what happened to-"
"Don't even say it!" Gerald jabs a finger into Jason's chest staring him down. "Don't you dare say it Jason." With that he storms off leaving his brother just standing there alone.
"I know your there Rose." Peaking out from behind my tree, Jason motions me to come closer. "How much of that did you here?"
"Most of it." He sighs loudly pinching the bridge of his nose and points me back to were Gerald. "Go follow him before your late for training." Nodding I run away from the scene.
~{}~
"Focus, Row, focus!" His punches are slower than before and he gives me time to dodge them. "Good, keep going." He speeds up a bit and the first few I move out of the way just in time but the fourth hits me in the face sending me falling onto my butt. I bite down on my lip before licking them feeling the sticky liquid there, reaching up I touch right below my nose to feel the warm fluid bringing it down for me to see some of my hand painted red.
"Pay attention!" He gets upset when he hits me, its like he's disappointed or something who knows. "Get up, I'm not going easy on you anymore." The second I'm standing he doesn't even warn me just knocks me right off my feet. Once, twice, eight times I hit the ground. At this point a small crowd has formed around us.
"Rose get up, were not stopping until you get this." I stand and the crowds already whispering.
"He's beating the crap out of her…" Someone from the crowd whispers and I look up at Gerald to see he's getting annoyed with all the comments his face is already turning a little red.
"Go." Before I can react he hits me in the shoulder and kicks me in the stomach I clutch at the area, the wind being knocked out of me when suddenly a second kick gets me sending me falling onto my back from the force.
"This is the ninth time you've fallen down Row, are you even trying!" He's standing in front of me now screaming.
"I'm trying its just hard to keep up!"
"Hard to keep up? What the hell do you think this is? Don't you get it? You make a mistake with me you get a bruise, you make a mistake out there well then your screwed. There are no do-overs out there, make a mistake your dead nobody is gonna care weather you live or die Camille!" Instantly he shuts up realizing what he just called me, he turns away not even bothering to look at me. "We are done for today." He disappears into the crowd without another word and now all eyes are on me.
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