The 100 Walking Away Chapter 4 A place to sleep
When the doors opened to the bunker for the first time in over 4 years, everyone held their breath.
Bellamy watched the crowd pushing their way forward, over a thousand people scampering to get out. Everyone was anxious to see the sunlight again and to breathe fresh air... His secret hideaway was too close to the exit to get to through the crowd; instead he sunk back into the shadows and made his way to the dorm room he sometimes used. He was in no hurry. He could wait. He didn't have anywhere to go.
He found his bunk and sat to wait for the crowd to clear. Monty and Harper rushed in to grab gear and Harper came over to him.
"You're coming, aren't you?" she asked "Marcus wants our people to meet outside the city."
He didn't look up "Yea," he nodded.
"It will be a fresh start for everyone now," Monty said as he stepped closer.
Bellamy thought of all Monty had lost. He had been a good friend. "I'll wait for it to clear," he said his eye's meeting Monty's. Then he laid back and covered his eyes trying to drown out the noise of the crowd in the hall. He heard Monty and Harper leave and he settled back. He knew it would take some time for everyone to go.
Bellamy woke, unsure how long he had dozed off, but it was long enough for the Bunker to be empty. He grabbed his gear, and left. The basement of the temple, held memories he wished to forget. He tried to push the memories away. He walked out into the sunlight that stung his eyes. He heard Luna talking in the square, and then kept going.
Murphy said something, but he couldn't bear to listen or couldn't bring himself to hang around. He needed to be alone. He marched towards the outskirts of Polis and into the forest. As he went, he thought of the first day on Earth almost 7 years ago. They were all so naïve and young. He thought of Finn and Jasper. Those thoughts took him to Clarke and he shook it off. He thought the time in the bunker was going to be filled with hope, but she ruined that. Mankind had to start over and rebuild. People had already started. Murphy and Emori of all people were taking the first step.
Bellamy spent the first night in the dark. He didn't need a fire, so he could easily see the stars in the sky. This is what he needed. This would be his fresh start.
He woke to a golden sky as the sun peaked over the mountains. He felt empty. He had traveled a good distance and had almost reached Trishanakru territory. He knew their Clan had not survived primfaya, so he thought no one would be anywhere around there. He kept walking and wouldn't stop.
It was eerie knowing how empty the world was now; knowing the only people left were those that had been in the bunker. Most of the people in the world knew each other, but not him. He didn't know very many. He stayed away from most as much as he could and that was a good thing. He didn't want to know people anymore. Most of them saw him as the enemy, and there weren't many that wouldn't put a knife in his back. He had a scar to prove it. He tried not to think of what might have been. His future would be a lonely one and he was fine with that. He preferred it.
Bellamy knew he would be hard pressed for food, so he started stocking up on protein packets weeks before. They would keep his body going as game would be scarce. Primfaya had killed nearly everything, but some things would survive and flourish, he just wasn't sure if he would find very much.
Things had changed from what he remembered. Things seemed greener. He was headed towards the west because he knew his people would go east, back to Arkadia. That had been their plan and he never discussed his, no one had asked.
The quiet made his mind wander and he hated that. He just kept going, stopping to sleep when he got tired. Finally he reached the remains of a cabin. It had some damage, but the heavy trees surrounding it had formed a sort of protection. He looked around for signs of anyone. He figured he wouldn't find anything, but it was his nature to still be cautious. He could tell the weather was changing. A cold front was coming and it looked like there could be rain. This place wasn't perfect, but it might keep him dry for the night.
The outside looked rough, and he circled the small building. Heavy logs made up the walls. There was fire damage on one side and most of the wall was missing, but the entire roof was intact. It was some type of rusty metal with sheets of moss growing in patches. Large pothos vines were growing up the walls and beginning to invade the inside.
Bellamy went in through the hole in the wall. Most of the floor was rotted near the missing wall. There was an old fireplace on the back wall, but it was full of the pothos vine and he wasn't sure what else might be living inside.
He unloaded his pack and began pulling the vines out of the fireplace. It was easier than he thought. Some lizards and a rat snake were all that he found living in it. He quickly gathered some wood before the rain came and soaked everything.
It took a while for him to get a fire going. Octavia would have teased him if she were here, he thought. When he finally had a fire in the fireplace, the warmth felt good. The rain was hitting the tin roof, and it made the air have a chill. He realized how unprepared he was. He had a Blanket and his jacket. He had a lot of protein packets, and he had water. He had a small water filter that Monty had designed. It was something they knew might come in handy when they got out, and they designed them for scout teams. Bellamy made sure to take one, nobody would miss it. He had a gun, and ammo, he wasn't sure what animals might have survived. Also he wasn't sure who may try to hunt him down if they knew he wasn't in Arkadia. But looking at the cabin, he realized he didn't have tools. He had his knife, and his hatchet, but that's it.
Bellamy sat by the fire and watched the rain as it slowly lulled him to sleep. He began to dream of his friends and the people he had loved and lost. His dreams were a nightmare to him, teasing his emotions with thoughts he couldn't control, waking him up teary eyed and exhausted. He hoped that being alone and away from everyone might help, but so far it was still the same. By morning the rain had stopped and the fire was just red embers. He wiped his face and drug himself to his feet.
Bellamy looked around and decided he may as well call this place home. All he needed to do was repair one wall, and that would be much easier than building a whole cabin. He took a long study of what he needed, pulled out his ax and got to work.
