Chapter 8: Enter: “Kim"

America:

Grizzies Sponsored Archery Competition.

"Contestants to the shooting line." A generic voice blared over the intercoms. The announcer's voice picked back up, " It's the final round folks. We are down to a 2 contestants for the youth league, here at the "Grizzies Washington Archery Range" the winner of this contest, will take home the golden arrow trophy and earn the right to shot in the adult league for even more awards and prestige. Shooting in the right line, she has been here before the reigning youth league Champion! The 'Ice Princess' her gaze pierces through our hearts and her arrows would too it's Kimberly Hoyt.

In the left line, another familar face will this finally be his year? A straight shooter with a unique connection to his bow, Jonathan Woodley. Can Mr. Woodly finally fine tune his way to the top or will the instinctive Kimberly take up her 'crown' once more. We will found after this short message."

Jonathan Woodley

I narrowed my eyes, this would be my year I had made the necessary change to beat the ' Ice Princess.' She was called a prodigy, and maybe she was. But I was a prodigy in my own right, a real genius. I had created a interface, for my bow and uploaded it to the interwebs. It would walk me through the whole shooting process correcting my errors. I had gone through thousands of virtual shots with it each time getting closer and closer to perfection. Often my errors would be simple and minor, a misaligned or to tight of grip. Sometimes I would anticipate and jump, others I would would shot to fast and not properly aim. Through all the practices and micro adjustments I know I was essentially perfect there was no way I could mess up and even if I did the interface would catch me in time to reactify my mistakes. I connected to the interwebs, specifically connecting to ' Felicia', Felicia was my bow, I named her to deepen my connection with her I also hoped to, sell the interface when I was older and had developed it more. But for now I would be content with crushing Kim for the first time. I could still remember my first defeat, she had looked me dead in the eyes with a cold demeanor, shook my hand and told me I was a good shot worthy of calling her ' Kim' . I suppose she was trying to be nice. But something didn't feel right about it. This year when I finally crush her, I would make her call me " Sir Woodley." I could see it now her standing her usual serious express replaced with a teary face as she sniffled," Make sure to crush the adults like you crushed me Sir Woodley." I had spent the year preparing with Felicia. Kimberly may be hailed as the archery prodigy. But I knew I was an archery prodigy, and a genius the combination would put me over the top. Even if the adults beat me in the more advanced league it would be great to defeat Kim and showcase what Felicia and I could really do.

Kimberly Matthew Hoyt

I had decided to shoot first, I was the top seed in the tournament and having advanced this far. I had earned the right to pick the shooting order. I chose to shot first. I always do this , albeit most in my position chose to shot second so they can see what they have to beat. I don't prescribe to that logic of thinking because it allows my focus to be tainted. If I shot 2nd and noticed my opponent only shot an 8 then mentally I would subconsciously think that all need is a 8 or better. This line of thought is weak and allows for mistakes easier. It I shot first all I have to my do, is do what I always do. Smack that center dot in the middle repetition after repetition. I looked at Jonathan. He seemed confident this time, almost too confident. Right before the announcer called for me to step to the shooting line to take my first shot. I noticed Jonathan go online. My curiosity got the better of me and I too went online to see if I could probe his thoughts. I worried briefly that this might affect my focus. But no, I was focused. I calmly stepped to the line stared a hole through the center dot and before the audience knew what happened I put an arrow hole through it to.

Jonathan Woodley.

I stepped up to the line pulled back just as I had thousands of times in the last year in VR. Felicia instantly transmitted that all my checkpoints were right. my form was right I looked down the arrow at the target my grip was right, I released. It landed in the yellow an 8. I shook my head, what had I done wrong? I had confirmed with Felicia everything was right with the bow. I had handled the weapon perfectly so why did I misfire?

I watched as Kim stepped up to the line to take her next shot. She stared the target down for a second then drew back and shot. She shot the instinctive style so it almost seemed like she wouldn't aim. She would pick her spot then draw back, hit her checkpoints, and release. Her cheek would get slightly compressed against the string just for a second then she would fire. Usually instinct shooters didn't make me nervous. Because no matter how hard they prepared when they draw back and fired they would usually be a little off resulting in lots of 7s and 8s during competitions. Yet somehow this chick always seemed to punch the ten.

Of course she wasn't perfect. Sometimes she would hit an 8 or 9. She was human after all and only 13. I was 17 turning 18. I had become known as an archery prodigy because I won when I was 10, then again when I was 12 and again the very next year. I had become the favorite to win the youth league. Then she stepped into the scene at age 9, I was 13 and she had won every year since. When she first entered the scene she shot differently. She would take her time and hold for long calculated shoots as she got older she switched to this instinctive style. It seemed like a pretty hard core flex to me. Like she was saying, “my instincts for the sport are better than all your preparation and calculations.” The style infuriated me, this time I would bring her back down to earth. If she wasn't going to bring her "A" game she wasn't going to beat me. With Felicia's power on my side I was always on my ' A' game.

I centered myself on the line, my heart accelerated. I drew back slowly. Felicia quickly told me that my grip was wrong. I tried to adjust while drawing but couldn't quite seem to get it right. In a competition I couldn't rescind my draw the judges would count it as an attempt Felicia, quickly gathered that my current grip would make me shoot to the right so I compensated for my mistake and aimed more to the left then usual. I breathed out and released my arrow smacked into the yellow a little right of the red "10" it seemed I hadn't compensated enough. I gritted my teeth and stepped back from the line. I was too good to be making these mistakes. Felicia had caught it so it seemed I was spared from a worse score. Kim stepped up to the line and her cold stare resulted in another 10 upon her release. I knew I was in trouble. She hadn't missed yet and I was 3pts down. My hands began to shake and my heart began to beat faster than normal. Felicia pointed these things out to me not that I needed her I too, I could tell on my own. What was wrong with me? How did it come to this? What about Felicia? Was my genius creation dysfunctional? Was all of my preparation pointless? As things stood I would be beaten again by a younger chick who didn't even seem to be trying.

Kimberly Hoyt Matthew

At the prompt I stepped up to the line and shot the exact same way I had shot for my other 4 shots. 5 '10s' is a perfect round. Jonathan didn't even get a chance to shoot his final shot. I had won 50-37. Obviously it would have looked closer if he had been allowed his last shot. But either way this was my most sound victory in a while.

As we shook hands, and posed for pictures. I started up a conversation, " Well done Sir Woodley, another podium finish in your last year in the youth league. I don't think anyone will ever challenge me as much as you have." He looked shocked but quickly recovered, I would hope he was older then me after all. " Thanks Kim, I suppose I can take some consolation in that. Though honestly I don't know how much solace I can take, despite my consistent challenging of you I never could beat you." I nudged his elbow as I laughed, " You got close in my first 2 years we tied after the first five shot and had to go to shoot outs." He shrugged, " A loss is a loss." My smile slipped for a second. I was never really sure what to say in these situations. As we neared the podium I was surprised to see my grandfather. I thought he was participating in the adult league, I figured he would be preparing like the others. It seemed being the owner of the company that was sponsoring the contest gave him other responsibilities.