The Target

The energy was released. Transferred. Until it stopped and left as sound and heat. The arrow left the bow and hit the target in the middle. Bullseye. Three years ago, she’d have people behind her and next to her, cheering her on so she would get another good shot. But not anymore. No one was there. No one was her cheerleader. Unless it was on a FaceTime call, a Skype, a WhatsApp or Facebook, Instagram or Snapchat or whatever else was around, no one would applaud her. With everyone superglued to their screens, their iPads, Samsung Galaxy’s, laptops and TVs, there was no way anyone would spend the day doing archery. Last year, maybe. But not this year. She hated technology. To get her anger with society out, she would go to the archery range and shoot her arrows as far as they would go. Everytime, she would hit the bullseye. Even the people who had been following her career since it started were gone. Vanished. Disappeared. Eaten by the world of their screen. She loaded her bow, red, the colour of her dominating emotion. Red, the colour of anger and frustration. Not wasting a second, she fired and once again, hit the target.

‘Well done, Echo.’ She didn’t turn around. No one had called her that in ages. And there was only one person who ever did.

‘No one calls me that, except for…’ the boy cut her off.

‘That’s right. Ace. I knew you’d be here, you always were the different one.’

‘What do you want, Ace?’ He sighed. She still hadn’t turned around. She loaded her next arrow and shot it. Bullseye. She didn’t want to look at him. He left, he didn’t deserve her glance. She picked up her arrow.

‘I want you.’ She stopped. He said that last time. There was a pause, while she thought about her answer.

‘You had your chance.’

‘I know, and I’m sorry. But she wasn’t worth it. All she wanted from me was the selfies. You wanted a good time.’ She stopped listening and fired the next arrow.

‘Stop shooting and listen to me, Willow.’ That made her stop. Willow. Ace never called her Willow. ‘Remember that day, in the mountains. The day we met. I asked your name, you said Willow. And I told you that I wouldn’t call you that, instead, it would be Echo.’

‘Yeah, because my name echoed when I said it.’

‘Let’s go back.’

‘I’d rather watch TV while downloading Netflix, Disney+, Stan, Amazon Prime and playing Among Us on an iPad and Minecraft on a Phone.’

‘Well, that’s saying something. I’ve never seen you so much as touch an electronic device.’ She heard the familiar sound of his footprints. 

‘Ace, leave me alone.’ She was still yet to turn around. ‘Why are you here?’

‘Because I know you still love me.’ That was it. She stomped to her target and pulled each arrow out, one by one, slamming them down on the ground until all of them were in a messy heap. She picked them up and shoved them in their bag with so much force, it was a mystery how they didn’t snap into tiny little pieces. She picked up her bow and arrows and stomped off. She took a bike there, as her parents would never buy her a car. They didn’t approve of her ‘regressive hobby’. They thought that she should be inside at all times with her screens that she didn’t want. As she was leaving the field, Ace grabbed her right shoulder, the same way he did before. ‘Stop.’

‘Did you break up with Brooklyn or something?’

‘Yes. And you can call her Brooke, you know. Brooklyn is too long.’

‘It’s an extra two letters. Plus, she stole my boyfriend, I’ll be as rude to her as I want.’

‘Turn around, Willow.’ Hesitantly, she did what he asked. His dirty blond hair had grown out, it was sitting under his chin. His eyes were still ocean blue with the emerald green in the centre and outside ring. He still didn’t have a single freckle over his slightly tanned, smooth face. He still had full lips and in that moment, she was reminded why all the girls liked him. And why he chose her.

‘Please, Ace. Go away. And don’t call me Willow. It’s not right.’

‘Sorry, Echo. But I’m not leaving until you admit it.’ Echo knew she still loved him. She still wanted him. But she didn’t want to give Ace the satisfaction of knowing he was right. 

‘What a way you have with the ladies.’ She paused for a short moment, questioning her next move. Not bothering to take her equipment off her shoulders, she moved her hands up quickly to Ace’s head and pulled him towards her. In the month that he was gone, she had managed to forget what his lips felt like. She kissed his bottom lip and bit down on it ever so slightly. ‘Will you leave me alone now?’

‘Go away, Cassandra!’ I yelled at my sister, sitting bolt upright.

‘Look at this, Jazi! Little Willow and her ‘Ace of spades’ back at it again!’ Cassandra said into her phone, flipping it around so we saw her friend, Jazmine on FaceTime.

‘Go away, Cassandra!’ I yelled again.

‘Ignore her, Echo,’ Ace said, pushing me back onto the bed. He tried to lean over to me, but I refused, pushing him away.

‘Go away, Cassandra!’ I repeated for the third time.

‘You’re just giving her the attention she wants, don’t let her get to you.’ Cassandra walked off, talking to Jazmine. I then let Ace come to me. We started kissing again until I heard footsteps and laughter. Ashton and Cassandra.

‘Honestly, silly girl. As if he really wants you. Brooke comes before you,’ Ashton said.

‘Listen to your brother, Willow,’ Cassandra said, rudely.

‘Who’s Brooke?’ I asked. No answer. ‘Ace?’

‘She’s his girlfriend. His other one.’

‘Other one?’

‘We don’t want you, he doesn’t want you, our parents don’t want you. No one wants you. Do everyone a favour and go kill yourself.’

‘Why would you say something like that?’

‘No, I won’t. I’m not going to leave you alone until you forgive me.’

‘Forget about it.’ She tried to walk away from him.

‘Why?’

‘You were among those who told me to kill myself.’

‘I didn’t mean that.’

‘Why did you say it.’

‘Look, I get it, there isn’t an excuse. But please, just forgive me for everything.’

‘Get away from me.’ He let go of Echo’s arm and walked away. She put her bow and arrows down and sat on the chair near her firing line. She put her feet on the chair and buried her face in her hands.

‘You’re just giving her the attention she wants!’

‘His other girlfriend.’

‘No one wants you.’

‘Go kill yourself!’

‘Honestly, you silly girl!’

‘GO AWAY, CASSANDRA!’

Her sister’s voice wouldn’t leave her head. It would never leave her. Words that were spoken a month earlier still burnt like newly lit fire, still stung like a bee, still cut as deep as a knife, still pierced like an arrow pierces a target. The archer shoots his arrow and cuts through the paper. The paper can’t help where the arrow hits. The centre, its beating heart, the outer ring, the arm. Those words hit the centre. Hit her beating heart. And only the archers, the people who surrounded her were able to stop the shower of the arrows. They said that sticks and stones can break bones but words won’t hurt. When will they realise that they do? Echo wished someone would be with her, secretly, she wanted it to be Ace. Her warm tears came down her cheeks and she couldn’t contain it anymore. Sound escaped her mouth and she knew she was showing her hidden vulnerability. Footsteps came towards her, but she didn’t care. She wanted someone to hold her hands and say they loved her. The person sat down and put their arm around her.

‘It’s okay, Echo. You’re not alone. You never will be.’ It was Ace. So, he really did care after all. He wasn’t lying.