I landed on the be of plush moss I had planted below my windowsill in the garden.
In fact, I planted it there just so I could jump out an cover my tracks.
Because landing on a rose bush is t the most COVERT way of exiting.
My automail was equipped with shock absorbers, so jumping from high distances (to a point) didn't bother me.
I looked back to make sure no one noticed my absence, and ran silently to the street.
Going out this late at night always presented a issue.
Drunk men at the bars.
I had to pass by Darold's and Tom's Tavern, the biggest bars on this neighborhood of Rush Valley.
Mentally cursing my appearance, I ducked an weaves through the crowd, making my way to Thomas' house.
Once I lost the last guy, I ran quickly to the woods that lined his house.
Large, football-field type lights flossed his back hard, and Thomas had a bar full of pistols, rifles, you name it- lining the top, covering where the bottles of beer would normally be.
"Hey Keira." Thomas said, looking up from the shotgun he was cleaning. "I would say hi, but my hands are disgusting."
Paninya seemed to follow his gaze and see me, and walked over.
We hugged sister-like, and eventually she let to, noticing I had long let to of her.
"How are you? Any suitors today?"
A long groan proved her right.
"Ug! Any one new? They didn't do anything right?" Paninya asked, and we sat on the bar stools, loading magazines. I didn't know much about guns (nothing at all really) Thomas helped me.
Soon, Thomas had finished, and we donned earmuffs (Thomas used earplugs) and begun to fire off rounds into a paper target.
I flinched and jumped at every bullet, while Paninya begged Thomas to stop so she could try.
He did, and soon she was firing louder shots, completely missing the target (for the most part) and having a great time.
When Thomas' dad came out of the house and asked if I wanted anything to drink, I accepted and continued watching them.
They probably forgot I was there, while they looked at each other with login eyes, firing off weapons.
Paninya eventually got a hang of it, and soon she was shooting off pistols at larger targets, hitting the outside, and slowly getting better so that she hit the outer rings of the target.
They both looked over when I cheered when Paninya hit the bullseye.
"I forgot you were there Keira!" Thomas said, and Paninya hit his shoulder.
"Sorry Keira."
"NoNoNo- it's fine. I'm enjoying being quiet."
"Suitors driving you up the wall?"
"Yah." I said, grabbing my yellow bubbly drink and taking a sip.
"Wanna shoot off a magazine?" Thomas asked, waking and picking up a gun off the bar and held it out to me.
"No thanks." I said. For some reason, I dot dread and a burst of anxiety looking at the gun.
"I insist." Thomas said, bowing, and held the gun out to me.
"N-" I started, but Paninya ran over with a huge smile on her face and said
"C'mon!"
"Fine." I snapped angrily, and took the gun out from Thomas' hand quickly.
Both of them looked at me.
"Sorry! That came out meaner than I wanted!"
I would look like a jerk now if I didn't shoot now, so I walked for he shooting line and checked the gun.
Thomas offered to help, but I said I could do it myself.
After I finished, I flicked off the safety and and aimed, lining up the iron sights and held my breath to steady my shaking hands, and fired three shots, flinching away from the kick and recoil.
I fired again,not bothering to aim, then dropped it quickly, and stepped away from the hot gun.
"What are you doing Keira! You didn't even finish your magazine!" Paninya said, coming to see what I did.
Thomas didn't say anything, but I saw the exasperation on his face when he picked up the gun from the dirt.
"Hey! Keira! You did really well!" Thomas said. You hit one in the bullseye!" He said. "And one near the center!" He said, pulling the paper target off the tree.
My hands were shaking, and Paninya looked at me.
"Are you okay?"
"HOLY CRAP!" Thomas said, and we looked over, and my heart was pounding. "JESUS KEIRA!"
"What did she do?" Paninya said.
"COME HERE!"I walked over, hugging my shoulders. Paninya ran over.
"Look. You see the target! See how there are only TWO HOLES?"
"YESSSSS Thomas?" Paninya said, crossing her arms.
"LOOK AT THE TREE." He said. Three holes, overlapping each other, made marks in the tree.
Another hole was an half inch below it.
"Keira shot three bullets IN A ROW into the TOP OF EACHOTHER, no less! Keira, have you ever shot a gun before?!"
"N-No."
"That's awe-inspiring!" He said, shoving soiled gun back into my hand.
"Do it again."
"I REALLY-"
"Pleeeeesase Keira!" Paninya said, almost looking like a Japanese art girl with her eyes.
"One m-"
"YAH!" They said, and I walked back to the firing line.
I stopped my hands from shaking long enough to finish the magazine before dropping it, and pulling my hair.
I was having a PANIC ATTACK.
And I hand no idea WHY.
"HOLY-" I decided not to include the rest of his sentence because for every one English word, two cuss words came out. "SHE-Keria, were you a sniper or something?! Holy f-"
"All-all five-through the middle!" Paninya said in shock.
"I don't really-" know how I did it.
I sat down, not worrying about dirtying my pants as they picked up the loose sand.
I begun to rock back and forth, my eyes twitching and I felt sweat run down my back.
Thomas noticed my breakdown first. "K-Keira?"
"Oh my-Keria!" Paninya said, running over to me.
I was becoming short of breath.
"Paninya-does Keira have panic attacks often?"
"N-No!"
I let out a small shreik and backed away front the gun.
"Get that THING A-AWAY FROM ME!"
Thomas kicked the gun into the trees, and suddenly another voice joined me at my side.
"Thomas!"
It was Thomas' dad's voice. "Did she shoot herself?!"
"No-I think she is having a panic attack!"
"Keria!" Paninya said desperately. "What's wrong with you?!"
"Does she need CPR?!" His dad said.
"NO!" I gasped. And for some STRANGE AND GOD FORSAKEN REASON I SAID: "give me the damned gun."
Thomas started exclaiming reasons why I shodnt, but Paninya, knowing me, ran to get one.
I stood and grabbed it automatically, an raised it as Thomas and his dad ducked.
I fired the entire magazine at a target. I didn't have to look to know I had shot the bullseye every time. I lowered the gun and handed it to Thomas' dad.
"Thanks-I have to go now."
"WAIT! You can't just walk away from t-"
"Yes I can. And I am. See you at work Paninya."
And I ran out of the yard as fast as I could.