Darkness in the Sunlight
Chapter Seven
Murphy's Law | Part 2
I stared at Octavia as she showed Bellamy and I the knife. "One of us killed Wells? It wasn't the grounders?"
"It seems that way." Clarke said as she examined the knife. She looked so angry; I had never seen her so angry.
"This knife was made from metal from the drop ship." Clarke finally said as we all looked up at her.
I moved closer to Octavia whom just looked up at me and smiled.
"Who else knows about this?" Bellamy asked crossing his arms over his chest. "No one. We brought it straight here." Octavia said looking over at her brother, her face much calmer than it had been.
"There's more than one murder in this camp." Bellamy began to explain. "This isn't news. We need to keep it quiet."
"Bellamy's right," I told Clarke as softly as I could. "We can't have everyone going crazy."
Bellamy sighed again; "You don't even know whose knife that is."
Her face changed she had a cocky look on her face as she commented to him, "Oh really?" She asked as she held the knife up for him to see it.
"J.M." She said showing the initials. "John Murphy." I stared at her a moment before shaking my head. "No way. There's no way he did this." I told her firmly.
"Oh really?" Clarke said looking at me, "Do I sense a love triangle?" She snarled. Great. Bellamy looked at me, his face full of worry.
"No- I know he wouldn't kill Wells." I looked at Bellamy who had a thoughtful expression on his face.
"He almost did before!" Clarke yelled at me, causing me to glare at her.
"You can't just accuse someone without knowing for sure." I snarled back.
"The people have a right to know." She said storming out of the tent. "She has no real proof Bellamy, that knife could have ended up there for any number of reasons. Remember him saying he lost his knife a few days ago… there's a logical explanation for this!" I begged him to reason with this.
We all followed Clarke out of the tent as she ran up to Murphy pushing him hard in the chest, "You son of a bitch!" She yelled at him, I went to stop her but Bellamy put his arm out and stopped me. I looked at him, "She needs to see where her actions lead her." He said to me. "She's going to get him killed!" I snarled at Bellamy, catching him off guard.
"Whoa, What's your problem?" Murphy said to her.
"Recognize this?" She asked him holding up the blade. I tried to move but Bellamy was still holding me against his body.
"It's my knife, where'd you find it?" He asked her.
"Where you dropped it after you killed Wells." Clarke said. The whole camp went silent, she had gone to the point of no return. My eyes darted to Murphy whose eyes where on me. I felt tears fall down my face, why was she doing this?
"Where I what?" He said harshly. I knew it, I knew he didn't do it. Just the tone of his voice, I knew he hadn't. Why wouldn't anyone listen to me?!
"The grounders killed Wells not me." Murphy said his eyes still on me.
"I know what you did," Clarke spat at him. "And you're gonna pay for It."
"Really?" He said his voice cold as he stared at her. "Bellamy, you really believe this crap?" He asked, "Tasha?" He questioned me next.
I pulled out of Bellamy's arms enough that I could move closer to him and Clarke. "Bellamy, he didn't do it!" I looked back at him, my eyes pleading. Bellamy stared at me, before looking back at Murphy and Clarke. Why wouldn't he believe me?
"You threatened to kill him, we all heard you." Clarke continued.
"Why aren't you saying anything?!" I asked. Still no answer he just looked to the ground.
"You hated Wells." She spat to him.
"Plenty of people hated Wells." Murphy said.
My hands balled into fists at my sides. Why was I the only one standing up for Murphy? Bellamy grabbed my arm, causing me to stare at him. "Do something!"
"His father was the Chancellor that locked us all up, even killed most of our parents." Murphy continued his eyes back on me.
"Yeah, but you're the only one who got in a knife fight with him." Clarke yelled over him.
"Yea, I didn't kill him then, either." Murphy said to her calmly. I was surprised he was this calm, I was raging beside Bellamy. If I got close enough to Clarke I would probably strangle her.
"Come on. This is ridiculous." He said looking around at the large mob that had formed around them, "I don't have to answer to you." He spat at Clarke "I don't have to answer to anyone." He had no one defending him.
He started to walk away as Bellamy now spoke up, "Come again?" he asked Murphy.
"Tasha, you know I didn't do this." He asked as he looked over at me. I looked back at him, nodding my head slowly.
"Don't make this about her." Bellamy growled, pushing me behind him defensively. "Bell-"
"She can speak for herself." Murphy was making this worse on himself by aggravating Bellamy. "You won't even listen to your own girlfriend."
"She's close to you, obviously-"
"-SHE IS STANDING RIGHT HERE-"
"She was a hell of a lot closer to me when I was fucking her."
"Murphy!"
"What?"
Bellamy's voice was full of shock, but mostly anger. I felt his gaze turn to me, and I couldn't find it in me to look back. Everything went silent as I just stared down at the ground. "Tasha?" Bellamy asked between the gasps and whispers.
"Bellamy, look, I'm telling you, man." Murphy started to say as Bellamy pushed me behind him keeping me as far away from Murphy as possible. "I didn't do this." I peeked at Murphy from Bellamy's shoulder, his eyes where pleading, begging him to believe him. Murphy had crossed a line with Bellamy...
"They found his fingers on the ground with your knife." Bellamy said to him in an attempted hushed tone.
"That doesn't mean it was him." I managed to say, my voice quieter than before.
Bellamy's eyes snapped to mine. "Stop defending him!"
I could feel tears sting my eyes once more. There was no way Bellamy would side with me now.
"Is this the kind of society that we want?" Clarke called to the crowd, "you say there should be no rules." She continued to say, "Does that mean that we can kill each other, without – without punishment?" She asked.
"I already told you. I didn't kill anyone." Murphy said again.
"I say we float him."
Clarke was silent for what felt like a decade. "No, that's not what meant" She tried reasoning, but Bellamy was right; she had to know what her rash actions would bring her.
"Why not? He deserves to float." The boy had said, he had every right to be angry, but that didn't mean killing Murphy was okay. I was angry at Murphy for acting like I was still with him...
"It's justice." The boy had said continued.
"Murdering someone?! That's justice?!" I asked as I stepped towards him.
"Revenge isn't justice!" Clarke said, trying to calm the growing crowd of antagonizers and back me up.
"It's justice. Float him!" The kid yelled into the crowed.
The crowed began to chant, 'float him'. I looked over at Clarke with a glare. "This is YOUR fault, princess." I shook my head at her, looking over at Murphy who looked so terrified. Clarke did this... Anything that happened to Murphy was completely her fault. Clarke was so stupid. I knew for a fact Wells wouldn't have wanted this. This wasn't justice, it was just stupidity on her part. She was no better than Murphy and she knew it.
Murphy turned around attempting to make a run for it when someone tripped him, he instantly fell to the ground as the group of guy around him started to kick him. "No! Get off him!" Clarke yelled.
The crowed had continued to chant and beat Murphy while he was on the ground. Kicking him in the stomach, the back, eventually I couldn't see him anymore. I looked at Bellamy, then to Octavia. Bellamy looked at me with a scared, but upset look while Octavia just looked plain scared.
"Are you not going to do anything?" I asked Bellamy who had his arms folded across his chest. "It's out of my control, Tasha."
"Well I'm not gonna let him die because of her." I told him as I ran towards the large group surrounding Murphy.
"Tasha- fuck!" I heard Bellamy say as he trailed after me. I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw Murphy being tied up with a rope around his neck.
"Hey-" Bellamy grabbed my arm, but his grip tightened when he stared at Murphy's body.
"You have to do something, Bell!" I yelled over the crowd, looking him straight in the eyes. "They'll listen to you!" Clarke yelled, staring at him with big, frightened eyes.
"Do you love him?"
I stared at Bellamy. "What-"
"Do you love him?" Bellamy's voice sounded so low, so upset. I shook my head, glancing over at Murphy who was struggling against his restraints, staring back at me. "No, Bell! I love you! But I know he didn't do this!"
Bellamy looked up at Murphy who was strung up in the tree. "Bellamy! You should do it!" The kid who was still continuing to instigate the whole thing shouted at him.
"Bellamy, No!" I shouted to him. "Please!
"Bel – la –my!" The guy started to chant after. I couldn't believe this. Soon after, the rest of the group began chanting. Octavia was holding my hand and I couldn't help but let out a sob.
"Tasha…" Octavia said softly.
"Bellamy please…" I begged to him. Clarke looked over at me, such a scared girl for someone who brought this upon herself.
Murphy looked at me, his face full of defeat. Was no one going to help him? Was Bellamy not going to do anything? I looked at Murphy tears threatening to burst from my eyes.
"I saw you in the woods with Atom." Clarke yelled at Bellamy. "What if this was Octavia?! Or Tasha?!" She said to him again.
"I know you're not a killer." She continued saying.
"Bellamy..." I cried. I was practically begging him at this point. "Please!"
"Bellamy, don't do this. Don't …" Clarke begged him.
"Don't… Don't." She continued to beg him as he walked closer to where Murphy was.
Murphy was trying to beg for his life against the gag as he hung up there standing on the box. Murphy wouldn't move his eyes from me, and I had a feeling it was his way of saying he loved me. It made me so sad, maybe if I had acted differently- no, no this was Clarke's fault!
Bellamy kicked the box harshly from under Murphy, causing him to hang there in the air. I screamed out, causing Bellamy and Clarke to look in my direction. I fell to the ground, gasping as I stared at would he kill Murphy? "Bellamy don't stop this! This is madness!"
"No, Bellamy, no!" Clarke yelled pounding her hands against his chest.
"This is on you, princess!" He yelled angrily, "You should've kept your mouth shut and listened to me… this would have been completely avoided." He said to her.
"You should've listened to me!" I screamed at him as I shook against Octavia's grip.
"What the hell are you doing?" I heard Finn yelled from behind us. I turned to watch him as he tried to push through the crowd.
"Cut him down! Charlotte, get out of here now!" He called to the young girl.
The same guy who instigated the entire thing pulled a knife on Finn, "Get out of my way."
"Stop! Ok?" I heard Charlotte's soft little voice yell through the crowd.
"Murphy didn't kill Wells!" She yelled as I stared over at her.
"I did!" She shouted angrily at the crowd of now completely shocked onlookers.
Finn instantly ran to Murphy's side and I followed quickly behind. I began to untie the gag in his mouth and used it to wipe away some of the blood and dirt from his face. Finn continued to untie the rest of the knots that where behind his back and around his arms. "I'm so sorry, John." I told him softly as tears continued to fall down my face. "It wasn't your fault." He whispered, his gaze moving to Bellamy and Charlotte.
"Tasha-"
"Get her out of here!" I screamed at Bellamy, who had a scared look on his face. "I'll be right there." I looked up at Finn, my eyes telling him to give us a moment. Finn nodded, patting my shoulder before leaving us.
"I know what you're going to want to do..." I said as I continued to wipe the blood off of his face. "But please, Murphy... Don't hurt her."
Murphy stared at me for a moment. "They were going to kill me."
"Murphy-"
"I didn't kill Wells, but they punished me for it anyways."
"Please-"
"I love you, Tasha." I blinked a few times as I let myself understand what he just said. "But she deserves to be punished."
I leaned down, kissing his forehead before standing up, walking as quickly as I could into the tent where Bellamy had taken Charlotte.
I could hear Murphy outside the tent, by now the entire remainder of the one-hundred were wanting the real justice for what had happened to Wells, and now Murphy.
"Bring out the girl, Bellamy!" Murphy yelled to us.
"Why Charlotte?" Bellamy said to the young girl whom was in my arms.
"I was just trying to slay my demons, like you told me to." She said causing his face to drop.
"What the hell is she talking about?" Clarke said.
"Don't snap at him, Clarke. You've done enough damage."
"So have you." She glared. "You slept with him."
I was about to reach for her throat when I heard Bellamy scoff. I turned my head so fast my hair hit Clarke's face. "Don't you fucking start! I slept with him before we got together, you idiot. Don't even act like you didn't screw around before we got together."
I turned to face Clarke, taking a deep breath. "This isn't about any of us, except Charlotte." I said as calmly as I could. "Sweetheart, that isn't what Bellamy meant."
"She just misunderstood me." Bellamy began to explain to Clarke, he placed a hand on my shoulder as he looked at Charlotte. It was comforting t"Charlotte, that is not what I meant." He told her.
"Bring the girl out now!" Murphy yelled again. I took another deep breath, turning to look at Bellamy who had a thoughtful expression on his face.
"Want me to go try calming him down?" I asked Bellamy whose face snapped up at me. "No." He said sternly.
"If you guys have any bright ideas, speak up." Bellamy said looking to Finn and Clarke. "Yeah, Clarke. Anything that won't end in an innocent person being murdered?" I snapped.
Both Finn and Clarke just stood there staring at the ground. Fuck, she really was being a little bitch. As much as I loved Clarke, at the moment I couldn't be further from her.
"Now you stay quiet?" Bellamy yelled at them.
"Those are your boys out there." Finn said harshly.
"This is not my fault." Bellamy shot back.
"If she had listened to Tasha and I in the first place, those idiots would still be building the wall." He snarled at them.
"You want to build a society, Princess?" Murphy yelled out to Clarke. "Let's build a society. Bring her out."
"Bellamy, let me talk to him…" I said again.
"That's a terrible idea." Finn said.
"Finn's right. He wants to year us apart... I won't let him have the satisfaction. " Bellamy said.
"No!" Charlottes voice cracked, "Please Bellamy… Tasha." She begged.
"I promise you, no one is going to hurt you." I told her, as Bellamy knelt down in front of her, "Charlotte, it's gonna be ok." He comforted her. "Just stay with them." He said motioning to Clarke and Finn.
"Tasha." Murphy's voice was soft and pained as he watched me step out of the tent with Bellamy.
"Well, well, well." Murphy began to say. "Look who decided to join us." I looked over at Murphy.
"Please stop this, Murphy."
"Dial it down and back off." Bellamy said to him, "Really?" He said he then turned to me. "This guy, nearly killed me… and now he wont let me have justice… your man." He said to me. I shook my head. I still couldn't believe Bellamy was the one who pushed the block away, narrowly killing John.
"Back off…" Bellamy said slowly. "Or what? What are you gonna do about me? Hang me?" Murphy asked.
"Murphy… please…"
"She used to beg my name like that, but in a different situation..." Murphy said smirking at Bellamy. I could tell Bellamy was about to hurt Murphy so I grabbed his arm, moving between the two. "That's enough."
"Not nearly." Murphy seethed.
"I was just giving the people what they wanted." Bellamy said choosing to ignore his comment about me, which was big of him,
"Yea. Yea, that's a good idea." Murphy smirked, "Why don't we do that right now?"
"So, who here wants to see the real murderer hung up?" Murphy asked. "All in favor?"
Less than ten people raised their hands. I knew this would set him off even more. "I see." Murphy began to say. "So it's ok to string me up for nothing, but when this little bitch confesses." He started to say.
"Murphy don't!" I yelled at him. He ignored me. "You all let her walk?" He yelled at the crowd, he then looked right at me. "You knew I wasn't guilty... and you wont let me near her?" He asked me.
"She's just a kid..." I told him.
"Cowards! All of you are Cowards!" He yelled at them. "And you!" He pointed at me. "Are blind."
"Hey, Murphy!" Bellamy said as he made his way over to him. "Murphy. It's over."
Murphy shrugged at him, "Whatever you say, boss."
Bellamy turned around and began to walk back towards me.
I saw Murphy bend down to the ground picking up a plank of wood. "Murphy?" I said slowly causing Bellamy to look at me confused. In one swift movement Murphy smacked Bellamy on the back of the head causing him to fall forward unconscious.
"Son of a bitch! Hey!" Octavia shouted.
"Murphy what the hell!" I yelled, running to Bellamy's side.
Murphy ignored me, pushing up the tent to reveal Charolotte wasn't in there and neither was Finn and Clarke. "Charlotte!" Murphy yelled.
A/N: Thank you for reading :3 remember to leave a review!
Java60072: Awe :3 I'm really glad you're enjoying the conflict! I hope you continue to :3 it is kind of like Romeo and Juliet lol. I'm so glad you love it I'll definitely update more if you review chapters :3 3
FizzWizz2011: I'm glad you think so! :3 I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
J0SlE : it's always good to have some tension in stories, hmm? :3 thank you!