Day 190 - Arrow Story

Arrow Story

Matthew Ryan Fischer

The arrow struck the target and the target disappeared. No one had expected that to happen. There was no explosion. There were no explosives attached to the arrow. There was no obvious reason for what had happened. It just had. The target was there one moment and then a moment later, it and the arrow, were gone.

Walter and Shannon turned to each other and shared a frightened moment of silence. They looked at each other, then the bow in Shannon’s hand, then across the field to where the target formerly was, and then back to each other. They repeated the process. And then did it again. It was just too unbelievable. They stood in silence for a long time. Neither one registered just how long the silence was. But it was pretty long. It took a long time for the shock to wear off.

Walter was about to scream when Shannon reacted first and began to laugh, slowly at first and then hysterically. Walter stared at her, confused. Then, after a little bit, he joined in. It made the moment easier to handle. It made them both feel saner even though they had seen something insane. They laughed and laughed until they stopped.

“What… the Hell… was that?

“I don’t know,” replied Shannon. “But it was pretty awesome, right?”

“I was not going to say that. I was thinking of having my head examined.”

“Do you think it was the arrow? Like it was magic or something?”

“I don’t know.”

“There was no explosion, so I’m pretty sure it wasn’t a bomb or anything. Maybe it was a secret government weapon of some sort.”

“You seem WAY too fascinated by this.”

“I do? No I don’t. Why aren’t you?”

“Because that thing is scary. What we just saw? That is scary as shit!”

“You worry too much.”

“No. I don’t. We don’t even know what happened.”’

“Sure we do – the target disappeared.”

“We don’t know why.”

Shannon wasn’t listening to Walter anymore. She walked down the field to where the target had been.

“Wait! Where are you going?” Walter chased after her.

Shannon didn’t reply; she was too enthralled by the mystery of it all. She reached the former location of the target and began to look around. The target was definitely gone, but the grass on the ground was pressed down, leaving an outline of where it had once sat.

“Wicked.”

Shannon slowly reached out to touch the area of space of the former target. Walter gasped.

“Don’t—“

Shannon turned and laughed.

“Don’t worry silly. It’s under control.”

“It is?!? How do you know that?”

Shannon reached out and felt nothing. She drew her fingers back cautiously. She looked at her hand, but everything seemed fine. Bravely, she swung her arm through the air. Nothing happened that wasn’t supposed to happen. She laughed triumphantly.

“See?”

Walter still wasn’t convinced. So Shannon pushed him forward. Walter stumbled and fell his way through the space where the target had been.

“Shannon!” Walter screamed. “Don’t do that! I could have been hurt.”

“Don’t be such a Nancy.”

“Don’t call me that.”

“We’ll you’re being one.”

Walter stood up and approached Shannon.

“This isn’t funny—“

Walter stopped, thrown by the look on Shannon’s face.

“What? What is it?”

Shannon tried to signal by nodding her head. She was barely able to speak.

“Behind… behind you…”

Walter slowly turned.

There it was; the target was back in the space where it had been, only now, the arrow was stuck, hanging out of it.

“What the… how?”

Shannon looked at Walter with no answer. They both were silent again. But this time Walter broke the silence first, and it was with anger, not laughter.

“I was there! I was just there! You pushed me through it. What if it had reappeared just as you were throwing me into it? What then? Huh? I’d have a target sticking out of my belly.”

“Nothing happened. You’re fine.”

“Nothing! Nothing! You forgetting about the magical mystery target?”

“You always overreact.”

Shannon pushed past Walter and grabbed her arrow out of the target.

“What… what are you doing?”

“I’m going to shoot it again and see what happens.”

Shannon began to walk back down the field. Walter just stood there, flabbergasted.

Shannon turned to take aim.

“Get out of the way.”

“No.”

“Get out of the way.”

“Where did you say you got this arrow? Don’t you think we should investigate that?”

“I will. But I want to confirm what it does first. Now get out of the way.”

“I don’t think this is a good idea.”

“If you don’t get out of the way, I’ll hit you with it, and we’ll see where you disappear off to.”

Walter got out of the way.