Every day. Alma did this same thing each and every day. At the same time, the same hollowgast clambered its way up onto the island, approaching the waiting headmistress. Alma would wait until the very second, and then fire her crossbow, an arrow sinking into the monster's forehead. It would collapse backwards onto the drawn out body outline, made in the previous times when Alma had done this.

Sometimes you'd catch yourself watching her do it. You were always quiet when you did, so not as to put her off. You weren't really sure why. Maybe just for the distraction from the mundane repetition of the same day over and over; you had to find something different to occupy the recurring time. Or maybe it was witnessing the precision, not only of her shot, but of her timing. Down to the last second. And her target was invisible. Even if Alma did do it everyday, it was still impressive.

Despite these years of practice, though, the process was heavily reliant on that single second to go right. Otherwise things could change very quickly. And that was exactly what happened today. You'd stopped to watch Alma take out the hollowgast again, expecting nothing less than the perfection with which she usually acted. But something had been different. For just a second, just that crucial second, Alma's focus had shifted. Only momentarily. But the moment was all that was needed to change things.

The hollowgast grabbed Alma, with what felt like its slender arm wrapping around her waist. Alma's eyes widened, and she had to cling onto her crossbow just to keep hold of it. The monster thrashed her one way, and then the other, slamming her down against the ground; seemingly trying to weaken her resistance before it harvested her eyes. Alma bit back the urge to cry out with the pain of the impact. She was lifted again into the air, the hold steadier and less frantic this time. The hollowgast was getting ready to harvest.

It was this knowledge and quick-thinking that got her out of it alive. Alma fired the crossbow then, angled just in front and above her. The arrow met its target, sinking into flesh as the hollowgast shrieked, letting go of Alma. Both fell to the ground: the hollowgast lifeless, and the headmistress shocked and wounded, but alive.