(Author: Nightwing27th)

Something's not right. Why did I let Bellamy's words get to me like that? I can't explain it. I feel like the scared little girl I was when escaping from the Grounders. My protective wall is down and I don't know why. I walked ten feet away from the cave and leaned against it. "Wait, don't go anywhere," Jade called to me as she jogged to my side, "That's not… it was the…" She was franticly trying to get the words out.

"Okay calm down." I told her, "What are you trying to say?"

"The leaves you two took have a side effect that both of you are experiencing," she explained, "It reveals your strongest trait. And Bellamy… well, you know." The leaves. Of course it was the leaves. I know I've never taken them before and I doubt that Bellamy has. "How long does it last?"

"About four hours… it depends on the individual," she said that last part as if she expected me to hit her. But I didn't and instead shied away from her, before I could stop myself. I'm sure she already guessed that I'm not the tough girl I want everyone to think I am, but if she hasn't then she knows now. "Did you just…? Are you afraid of me?"

"Yes, no. No, no I'm not" she gave me a weird look, "Okay, I'm leaving. And when this blows over I'll be back." I need to go sit a couple hundred feet of the ground and try to shake this off. I started to walk away and then turned back, "And I'm not ever even looking at those leaves again."

"Okay, wait." Jade ran up ahead of me and stopped me in my tracks, "If you're afraid of me, then someone needs to go with you-"

"I'll be fine, Jade." I stepped around her and then yelled, "I'll know if you're following me, so don't even try." Leaving with an injury and while experiencing side effects from some pain killer, might be stupid for anyone else except me. Besides, I already knew that fear was my most dominate trait; if I put it away once on my own, then I can do it again. But the question remains: where do I go from here? I used to go to the hundred camp, whenever I needed to get away. And right now climbing a tree isn't really a good idea, but I keep walking anyway until I think I'm far away enough. Then I sit down at the base of a tree, leaning my back against it. I'm not planning on being gone more than a few hours, so this should be fine.

I closed my eyes and took a few deep breathes as I tried to calm down. I only opened my eyes because of the sharp stabbing pain in my arm. This means the drug has probably worn off, which is both good and bad. It also means I fell asleep out in the open where anyone could've found me. Thankfully no one did… or have I spoken too soon? I feel eyes on me and I don't think its Jade coming to check up on me. Next thing I know, a small canister is rolling toward me. As it stops it begins to release a red colored gas. I quickly got to my feet and started running. The Mountain Men have found me. How on all of earth did they find me? But as I'm running, I'm only thinking about how to get away without getting shot again. Just as trees are being chipped all around me, I realize that's a big possibility. I also realize that I really have no idea where I am. I run until I can't anymore, until a river blocks my only escape route.

So far, the only good thing about this is that this river doesn't have those water snakes in it. Something slams into my back and enters the water with me. I feel hands on my shoulders, pushing me under. The freezing cold water mixed with the adrenaline pumping through my veins, is making it a lot easier for me to fight back. I clamped my hands around his wrists on my shoulders and then pulled my legs up around his head. I squeezed his head with my legs as I pulled him over my head, hearing a crack as I did so. He floated down to the bottom as I swam to the top. I came up gasping for air and spitting out water. All of this action has caused my wound to reopen, reminding me to take it easy on that arm. I reached the rocky shore as two boots stood in front of me. Before I can see who it is, something grabs my collar and pulls me to my feet. Then the man puts his hand around my throat and slams my back against a boulder. He holds me in place, smiling. I can tell he's the kind of person that would enjoy feeling the life of his victims disappear; and to be honest, he doesn't even need to use his whole hand. For this guy, two fingers would suffice.

I hear another man yell something and then this guy lets me go. I fall to my knees, coughing the whole time as I try to re inflate my crushed wind pipe. I stay there, on my hands and knees, coughing as I listen to the man that held me getting yelled at. Something about how they were supposed to trank not kill me. The coughing stops and my breaths even, as I slowly lean against the rock. Now sitting, I finally have a chance to take in my surroundings. There are a total of eight men surrounding me; four with their guns pointed at me, the man who strangled me is still being yelled at by my dad, and the other two men are hanging around my dad probably waiting to see how things play out. Except they're not men, but boys who look about sixteen. I wonder if they were ready for battle at eight, like I was. The yelling stopped and then General Jacobsen walked over to me, standing a few feet away.

"Sorry about that," he said, "I can guarantee it won't happen again." He reached his hand down, expecting me to grab it.

"So, we're friends now?" It was all I could get out before I started coughing again. He took his hand back as he gave me a sympathetic look. "You know, I would've looked for you sooner had I known you were alive."

"Is that a statement or a question?" I glared at him, "And how is getting an army to hunt me down and bring me to you by force qualified as looking for me?" His eyes never left mine.

"Had I known-"

"Save it. How much did Anya tell you, anyway?" He crouched down in front of me. His men looked at me more cautiously now. "Enough."

"So, she didn't tell you that she killed my mom? I'm not surprised that Anya left that part out." He looked a little shocked. "I know, right? So why is it that you want me, anyway?"

"Because, Yachara, you're my daughter-" Before he could finish, the man who strangled me, pushed Jacobsen out of the way and then held up his gun and fired at me.