I pulled back the bow string and aimed directly at the center of the target. The bright red circle seemed to call to me. As I prepared to fire, I went through the steps that my mentor, had taught me. Step One: Inhale. Step Two: Feel the air around me. Step Three: Exhale. Step Four: Fire.

The arrow soared through the air, leaving a brief whistling sound in its wake. It plunged through the target, almost completely exiting through the other side of it. All that could be seen of the arrow anymore was the fletching. I grinned at my work. I hadn’t been practicing archery for too long, but I seemed to be getting the hang of it.

I was so enthralled by my own performance that I barely heard the applause from behind me. I turned to see my mentor, Whitehand, who had a large smile on his face.

“You’re a natural.” Whitehand said.

“Well, I learned from the best.” I replied. His smile widened even more. I was ecstatic. Now that I had proved myself as a capable archer, Whitehand would have to let me go with his Merry Men for their next job!

“So…when’s my first mission?”

“Your first mission?”

“You know what I mean. Stealing from the rich and giving to the poor and all that.”

“David...you aren’t ready for that.” Whitehand spoke. Once the words left his mouth, time seemed to freeze for a few moments. It didn’t add up. I clearly was a capable marksman and could be a definite asset to the team for their next mission. So why couldn’t I go?

“What do you mean I’m not ready?”

“You have potential but missions like these take skills that I haven’t even mentioned to you yet.”

“I can do this!” I cried out. I loaded another arrow into my bow and fired it straight into the bullseye once again. Then I fired another. And another. And another.

“Enough, David! I’m not risking your life for this mission!”

“Whitehand, I understand that you’re doing this because you care, but I AM ready. Just let me go with you!”

“The answer is no.” He demanded. He turned around and exited the training room, leaving me to my thoughts.

The next day was the day of the big mission. Whitehand and his Merry Men headed to the cargo docks to steal a stash of money that had been transported. I couldn’t just sit around and wait for them to return. I grabbed my longbow and put my quiver on my back. Today was the day that I proved myself to them.

I hopped on my black motorcycle and sped down to the docks. There was no time to waste. I arrived quickly and saw that the Merry Men had already been locked in a fire fight with the police. Whitehand fired arrow after arrow, but the firepower of the police’s weaponry was too much. One by one, the Merry Men were injured by the bullets of their foes.

I couldn’t stand by any longer. I loaded an arrow and fired it directly into the chest of a police officer. Whitehand turned to me with his widened and this moment of hesitation cost him everything. The loud bang of the gun firing could be heard for miles. In an instant, Whitehand’s chest filled with crimson red.

I was in shock. I raced over to Whitehand but the bullets firing prevented me from reaching him. I took whatever chances I could get and fired arrow after arrow into the police. I wasn’t a fan of killing police officers, but my rage blinded me from Whitehand’s death. Every arrow I shot made direct contact with a member of the police force. I didn’t care about laws anymore. My mentor was dead, and I was furious.

I jumped out of cover and fired another arrow that plunged through the eye of a policemen. I reached for another arrow in my quiver just to realize that it was empty. I had no way to fight anymore. I heard another loud bang and looked down…seeing the blood fill up my green hoodie. I fell to the ground and looked at who shot me. A random police officer had pulled the trigger on my life. I reached for him but it was too late. My body fell to the ground, lifeless. It was all over.