He sighed, picked me up and began to walk in the forest again. It took about five minutes for him to finally set me down and place his hands over my eyes. He summoned Animosity and set me in the saddle, blindfolding me in the process.
"No cheating." He growled.
"Okay."
We walked for another three minutes and then we stopped. Strife picked me up off of the horse and set me on my feet again.
"Hold out your hands." He demanded.
"Okay." I mumbled, reluctantly putting my hands out.
Strife placed something cold and metallic in my palms and then turned me slightly.
"Open your eyes."
My eyes snapped open as I looked at what he had placed in my hands. It was a beautifully crafted pistol.
"It's one of the best guns around. It automatically reloads when you hold here." Strife said, showing me.
"What is this for?" I asked.
"You need to train. Once we reach the Charred Council and they see that you are Nephilim, they will put you through a test. If you survive you join the horsemen. If not, you die.
"Let's train… now!" I demanded.
"Alright, lesson one; any weapon made like that pistol, Terror, is fueled by hatred. So, any person in life, any awkward moment, even the tiniest things you hate, will fuel Terror. Try." Strife said.
*Most hated moment.* I thought to myself.
I held Terror, aiming at the targets across the field and prepared for whatever terrible memory was about to appear.
XXX
"Emo, fag, failure!"
The taunts echoed down the hallway, teachers and students alike. Pointing out that, yet again, I had failed at being human. Last night had been the talent show; my friends had perfected being normal, but I hadn't. Three didn't participate and one sang a normal song. I had sung Knives and Pens by Black Veil Brides, the acoustic version, and then right before that I had sung Alone Together by Fall Out Boy. In this school we were required to do two different routines with our talent.
"Hey emo, yo fag. Great performance last night." One of the popular girls sneered.
The halls now cleared, it was the end of the day on a Friday. When I didn't stop and acknowledge her, she shoved me against the lockers and snarled in my face.
'Why don't you try being 'normal' for once faggot?" She cackled.
"because, what is normal? Normal's a setting on a washing machine and no one wants to be that, you know except for whores like you." I growled the last words in her fake face.
She hit me with a closed fist across the face; the pain felt good. As my gums began to bleed, I smiled bloodily in her face and spit into her perfect blonde hair. At the exact moment her 'friends' appeared and they all beat me to a bloody pulp. After they left, I dragged myself to my feet and limped home, only to find my parents fighting for the first time ever. I locked myself in my room, fixed my wounds from earlier and for the first time, cut. It made me feel like I could leave it all behind.
XXX
I snapped out of it to find that I had killed the center of each target. Strife whistled slowly and smiled.
"That's my girl."
I chuckled awkwardly and held the gun tightly.
"I'm going to go talk to the others about training your friends, stay here."
I nodded and let out a shaky breath as soon as he was out of sight. The memories echoed, causing me to lose it. I looked down at the gun in my hands, *It's one of the best guns around. It automatically reloads. When you hold…* Strifes voice echoed in my ears. I slowly lifted the gun to my head. The cold metal pressed against my temple and I felt a couple of tears run down my face.
"Wait!" Strifes voice called across the clearing.
I hesitated for a split second.
"What are you doing?" He asked as he walked towards me.
"I give up."
"Why? Your sisters are right back there Alice and Grim and two more that they found; Daire and Raven. You don't think they'll miss you? They love you more than anything. From what I observed , they rely on you more than you think." He grabbed the gun and threw it as far as he could, and I let him.
"Why, Veil?" Strife questioned.
