Author's Note:

Chapter 4, as promised!

Chapter 4

They continued walking together in silence, the steady rhythm of their thudding boots accompanying the sweet melody of chirping birds and waltzing leaves. Emily turned her attention back towards the nature around her, attempting to take every inch of every tree in and engrave it in her memories forever. The beauty of it all was just too much for her not to look at. In fact, she was so concentrated on watching her surroundings that she bumped into a quite distracted Jasper. She muttered a 'sorry' before looking at the object of his staring: Octavia.

She had slipped off her pants and was preparing to jump into what seemed like a river. The flow of thousands of liters of water clashing against the rocks continued up and down as far as the eye could reach. She had never seen this much liquid in the same area, only accessing rationed water to quiet the constant thirst sitting at the bottom of her throat.

The brunette looked behind her with a flirty smile, probably directed towards Finn, although Jasper was about to drool over it, and jumped. Emily franticly ran to the edge of the boulder. Why did she jump? She'll drown!

"We can't swim!" Monty said, concerned. They were all on the edge, cautiously watching her as she rose.

"No, but we can stand." Her mischievous grin spread around the group as they all started to undress.

Jasper's fearful voice broke the relaxed ambiance, "Octavia, get out of the water!" Clarke repeated the order as the poor brunette turned to spot a shape speeding towards her through the water. Suddenly, she was pulled under the surface, screaming, by what seemed like a giant snake. She struggled to stay above the water, being dragged around like a rag doll.

"Octavia," Emily screamed. Sure, she disliked the girl, but no one deserves to die like this. "Just hang on!" She said worryingly, gazing at her surroundings trying to find a solution. Thank God, Clarke was there.

"If we distract it, it might let her go." She headed towards rocks on the edge of the boulder, pushing one of them into the water with all her strength. "Help me."

Soon they were all on it, and it rolled into the river. The long eel instantaneously slithered to the new object in its territory and paid no attention to its victim for a minute.

"Octavia get to the shore!" She looked exhausted, panting and heaving air into her water-filled lungs; she wasn't going to make it.

"Hurry Octavia, you can do it!" Emily shouted desperately; anguish covering her words while she tried to stop tears from falling. She wouldn't be responsible for another death. About to jump in the water after her, she was stopped with a splash. Jasper had apparently had the same idea.

Tension crisped the warm air, as they struggled in the water, barely staying afloat.

"It's coming back, it's headed right for you guys."

With a lot of effort, the brave boy pulled them both out of harm's way. Emily released a breath she didn't know she was holding and almost laughed out of relief. Octavia's bloody leg lied safely on the rock, and she leaned in to leave a kiss on Jasper's cheek.

"Note to self. Next time, save the girl." Monty's comment relieved the tension as the group giggled shakily and all started to loosen up.

About an hour after the giant snake involved incident, the teenagers spotted the setting sun and decided to camp next to the river for the night, a little far away from its shore, though; just to be safe. Before settling into her cozy corner against a bulky trunk, Emily decided to try and be nice.

"Hey," she smiled and crossed to Octavia, who grinned back at her with all her teeth. "I'm glad you're okay."

"So am I," she joked but her face expressed gratefulness so sincere it warmed Emily's heart. Nodding, she returned to her make-shift bed and laid down, falling asleep faster than she expected.

"Mom?" she saw a limping figure lumber towards her from the shadows of her room on the Ark. "Is that you?" She recognized her deformed mother's face covered in blood and yet she could still identify the pure disappointment in her harmed eyes.

"You really think you deserve to live? After what you've done? You're a murderer, Emily, you killed me! Your own mother. And now you think you get to be happy? Enjoy life while I'm dead because of you!"

"Mom, I'm sorry." she sobbed, her vision blurry and her limbs numb. "I'm so sorry."

Suddenly, her mother wasn't limping anymore. She raced to her daughter, a dangerous look in her eyes, her face twisted in an evil smile. Then, Emily woke up.

Always the same three dreams. This one, the one with her mother, sweet and gentle, before she turned to moonshine, and the one with her father. Every night she didn't know which one she would get, which one would scare her half to death or make her heart cry in agony and sorrow.

Feeling a reassuring hand on her shoulder, Emily swung her head, identifying a worried Monty in the obscure twilight. "Hey, don't cry, it's over, you were just dreaming."

"No!" she whimpered, still shaken, "she was right, I don't deserve it. I don't deserve to live anymore. How could I even think that for one second?" Closing her eyes, her hiccups splitting her breaths, she sniffled and sighed.

"Look. Whatever you did, everyone deserves to live. No matter how guilty you feel, you have to keep going, you have to survive and eventually thrive. Because that's what life is; when it knocks you down, you get back up, and you don't dare for one second even think you don't deserve to live. You do. Always."

Emily looked up through strands of light chestnut hair, surprised by the sincerity of his words and the strength in his voice, pushing her to keep going and move forward. She took control of her emotions and thought, that's not her, she would want me to live, she loves me, she can forgive me.

"What if I don't know how to forgive myself, for what I've done?" her murmur broke the lasting silence.

"You learn how." And that was all she needed. Her small, gentle head nodded swiftly but surely, the light of his word shining through her nightmarish black. He's right, she thought, I do deserve it, I deserve it… She kept humming those words in her head until they were nothing but a sigh drowning in her sleep.

Waking up the next morning, Emily was sure of two things; she was going to survive and live, because she deserved it, and she had her first ever friend, Monty Green. Those two thoughts elicited a smile from her lips and strength she didn't know she had. He greeted her with a grin and a nod when she opened her eyes, so she went over to him and said a small "Thank you," barely above a whisper.

He simply bowed his head and replied, "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone." He paused. "Feel better?"

"Yeah, thanks to you." When he was about to humbly join the others, she grabbed his arm, staring into the dark pools of his eyes and declared, "I'm going to live Monty." That sentence seemed to lift his heart and create a new light in his irises. They both stepped in sync towards the vines the others had assembled to go across the deadly river. No way they were making that mistake again.

Finn looked ready to go, but held back by what seemed like fear. Huh, maybe spacewalker isn't so brave after all. Clarke was thinking the exact same thing, "You wanted to go first, now quit stalling."

"Mount Weather awaits," he replied his voice filled with excitement but his stance not budging.

"Just hang on till the apogee and you'll be fine," chimed in Jasper, eager to get his turn.

Pretending to look confused, Finn asked, "The apogee, like the Indians, right?" Emily couldn't help but roll her eyes at such a response.

"Apogee, not apache," answered the goofball with goggles bouncing on his curls.

"He knows. Today Finn," Clarke demanded, the tiniest hint of laughter in her voice.

"Aye aye captain! See you on the other side!" Leaning back, he prepared to make the jump. They all gazed up at him expectantly, awaiting his grand leap.

"Wait!" all eyes turned to a shy, but determined Jasper. "Let me. I can do it." Emily noticed the sideways glance he sneaked towards Octavia. Of course, he's doing this to impress her. She couldn't help a small smile from forming on her lips.

"I knew there was a badass in there somewhere!"

A hesitant Goggle Boy was gathering the courage to jump over a giant snake infested river hanging on to a vine. "Hey, it's okay to be afraid, Jasper. The trick is not fighting it."

Nodding his head quickly, he smirked and repeated, "See you on the other side!" Then, he was swinging over the waters, shouting out and being applauded, until he landed with a thud on the opposite shore.

Shouts of joy and congratulation erupted from all around Emily, and she let out a loud, "Yeah Jasper, you did it!" A decrepit sign with the words Mount Weather inscribed, was held by his triumphant arms as yells and laughter continued to be voiced by the group of teenagers.

It felt as if a weight had been lifted off her chest, and for the first time in a while, Emily felt something she didn't fully recognize at first. She felt happy. A wide smile radiated on her face as she kept cheering alongside the others.

A stick-like object abruptly appeared out of nowhere from behind her, whizzing through the air, and before she could identify what it was or where it had come from, she was staring at a pale Jasper, his own eyes fixed on the spear impaled right through his chest. He stumbled, feet numb and legs weak, until he collapsed on the ground.

"Jasper!" they all yelled, more out of shock than fear. Realizing this might not be the only weapon heading their way, the teenagers ran for cover, hiding behind a boulder near the river's edge. Emily's hand brushed the rock she rushed for cover. She suddenly felt a burning pain shot in her left arm, but kept running to shelter.

Once she was the safest she could be in such a situation, she noticed she felt tingling streams drip down her limb. She tried to brush the liquid away, before looking to see smeared blood over her slashed skin, showing raw flesh. She ignored the other's wide eyes staring at her and then gazing fearfully at the trees, as she blinked her stinging eyes shut.

"We are not alone."

Author's note:

Ooooooohhh suspense!

Unfortunately, I'm still in the writing process for the next chapter, so you'll have to wait a couple days…