As the sky people made their journey from Camp Jaha to Mt. Weather, Grey lingered behind, chilled more by her thoughts than the blizzard appearing around her. She was tailed only by Bellamy and Miller, who gave themselves the job of defending their group from the back.
Grey could barely see the people ahead of her since she had been walking so slowly, her only source of comfort was from Bellamy and Miller's ever present chatter behind her.
She was too busy trying to find the warmest position for her hands to realize that the guys had slipped away, following a trail of carven trees.
"Bellamy?" she called through the wind.
"Shit," Grey muttered as she followed their footprints past the verses of her favorite poem, until she saw them standing with their backs to her and gaze towards the Camp they were supposed to leave behind.
"You dumbasses!" she screamed at them, Bellamy turned to face her with a look of surprise, "We have to get back to the group!"
"Did you see this?" Bellamy gestured towards the carven words, "Who do you think wrote it?" He asked to know one in particular as he went back to staring at the tree.
"Shakespeare," Grey groaned, pulling him back in the direction of the woods.
"I knew it was a sonnet!" Miller commented, following Bellamy obediently.
The blizzard had worsened in the time Grey spent chasing Bellamy and Miller, and now the snow was slanted from the harsh wind that pierced through Grey's clothes and into her bones.
The snow had fallen so quickly that the footprints of the Sky People were now covered in soft white sheets, leaving the three stragglers lonely of direction, and for Grey, hope.
"You have a compass?" Bellamy asked, staring out into the woods with his mouth agape.
Grey shook her head, defeated, while Bellamy and Miller shared a look of mutual worry.
"Just keep walking," Bellamy patted Grey's shoulder before stepping ahead of her, "And no matter what, don't stop."
X
X
X
Thank you, thank you, thank you, was all Murphy could think as he stood, for the first time in months, towards a leaking faucet, letting hot water shower over his closed eyes and parted lips.
He couldn't help feeling grateful as he rubbed soap through his hair and every inch of his body, letting the warm water defrost his skin. It was like he'd been in a block of ice for hundreds of years and he had just been melted free.
To whom he was thankful was less straightforward, probably the universe, or whatever omniscient presence allowed the asshole and murderer too make it this far in life.
Showers were five minutes, maximum, but it was more than enough for Murphy, who'd been bathing with a dirty towel and a bucket for the past three months.
He pulled on a fresh pair of pants, one of many he was able to snag for being one of the first people to arrive at the Mountain. Murphy had seen some of it, in the few hours he'd been there. His favorite place was a warehouse he snuck into, full of old artwork and painting. Everything about the dusty room made him think of Grey, which made even the most colorful paintings seem melancholy.
Everyone was sent to shower before getting their room assignments, and Murphy couldn't help but find it odd that he hadn't seen Bellamy enforcing rules or ordering people around. In fact, he hadn't seen Bellamy at all.
Before Murphy could even put on his shirt and leather jacket, Kane walked into the showers, meeting Murphy's eyes with a look of concern.
"Sorry to disturb you John," he said cordially.
"It's fine," he said sarcastically while putting on his shirt, "There's nothing disturbing about watching people change."
Kane exhaled and looked around to make sure that no one was eavesdropping.
"This is serious John," Kane continued, "We are worried that some people didn't make it."
"And this has to do with me because?"
"Because one of them is Grey," Kane said, looking defeated, "We've had the doors open for an extra three hours."
Murphy inhaled sharply and dropped his jacket back down on the bench to look up at Kane.
"Who else is missing?" He muttered.
"Bellamy and Nathan Miller," Kane obsreved the concerned look in Murphy's eye and continued, "What I need to know is the last time you saw any of them, or if you know where they are."
"Last I saw them was when I left, they were standing by the fence," Murphy shrugged, trying not to appear as worried as he felt, "I know they were in the last group to leave because I was too, until… well…"
Murphy cringed and grabbed the rest of his things, eager to exit the conversation.
"Thanks for your help, John." Kane said. Murphy nodded towards the ground, making sure not to meet Kane's eyes as he walked away.
X
X
X
Grey lost track of the hours. She lost track of her toes, then her fingers, then her hands, until they weren't there at all. Through the high winter blizzard they had turned into numb, meaningless extension of her body.
Her only remaining connection to time was the occasional reassurement from Bellamy, and the number that appeared in her mind after every step.
507… 836… 1018… 2020…
All she wanted to do was collapse, but she knew just as well as the guys what would happen if she did. The only thing keeping her going was the thought of warmth, being wrapped in bedcovers with her head pressed into Murphy's neck.
Then she remembered the look on his face when she denied him, and told him that he wasn't good enough for her. She could still hear the echo of her voice saying his name.
"John."
It was a relief to feel the long held tears rolling down her cheeks, even through the wind and snow, John Murphy had managed to keep Grey going, keep her warm, even if it was only in her mind.
But Miller brought her back to reality.
"What did she just say?" He shivered with his arms folded as tightly against his chest as possible.
"I think she said John," Bellamy shivered too, and turned to see Grey, red faced and lost behind a swell of tears, "Hey," he said wrapping a comforting arm around her, "You'll see him again, I promise."
Grey nodded and leaned into his shoulder, "But what if I don't?" she said bitterly, "What if the last time I get to see him was when we got in that fight? I didn't even say goodbye."
"Shh," Bellamy pulled her closer, "Were going to make it, you'll see John again."
"Just to make sure I'm not going crazy," Miller added, wrapping his arm around Grey's free shoulder, "Were not talking about John Murphy are we?"
"Yeah we are," Bellamy replied with a laugh, "Have you seen him with her? It's like a raging asshole turned into a puppy dog."
"You got to be kidding me," Miller laughed, and Grey did too, probably a little too hard, which seemed to prove how crazy they felt after walking for so long, "I've seen them together, but I thought they were just friends, I mean it is Murphy."
"We are just friends, I mean-" Grey stuttered, wiping her eyes, "I'm not really sure."
"Is that why you fought?" Bellamy asked. Grey took in his sullen appearance, the pale skin, and frozen bits of snow in his shadow of a beard. But he glow in his eyes was as lively as ever.
"Let's not get into that," Grey glared at Bellamy, hoping they would get off the topic.
"Come on," Bellamy implored, "Murphy's failed romance wouldn't be the worst thing to hear about right now, it's actually kind of entertaining."
"I second that," Miller said dryly, "Please distract us with stories about your psychopath boyfriend while we walk towards our untimely, and cold, deaths."
"Alright," Grey sighed, "I'll begin by saying that Murphy, is in fact, not a psycho. Yeah, he's a bit… disagreeable, but most of the time he's being sarcastic. It's just a defense mechanism to push people away so no one can hurt him-"
"Hurt him?" Miller exclaimed coldly, "Murphy's the one who hurts people!"
"Yeah well he's an orphan who was hung by his friends for a crime he didn't commit," Grey snapped back, "I'd be pretty upset too, if I got betrayed, tortured and shunned by my own people."
Bellamy looked down, as if feeling guilty, but Miller's expression only hardened.
"But you guys want to know why we fought," Grey nudged Bell, trying to lighten the mood.
"Basically, Murphy has romantic feelings for me and… I don't know if I feel the same way."
"I know he's not a psycho but I really don't think Murphy can have romantic feelings," Miller observed.
"He's changing," Grey continued after a moment, "And I'm just trying to help him. I might have a lot of people down here, but not Murphy. I'm all he has." Grey suddenly felt lethargic, barely able to stand, but she leaned more into Miller and pressed on.
"I just wish he was beside me right now, god I'm such an idiot, I miss him so much." Grey groaned, pressing her forehead into Miller's shoulder. He looked down at her, almost sympathetically.
"I think that's the only thing getting us through this," Miller shivered, "The people we miss. The people waiting for us."
It felt like hours had passed when Bellamy finally spoke.
"Well I think we figured it out," he said through chattering teeth, "Grey loves Murphy."
Grey groaned, and raised her snow covered eyebrows at Bellamy.
"Don't deny it sunshine," he smirked.
"I wish I was fucking sunshine," Grey chattered, rubbing her arms even though she could barely feel them anymore.
And I wish it wasn't true. Grey thought as they trudged on, memories of her first encounter with the forest filling her head.
She thought it was enchanting, beautiful even. It reminded her of fairytales and stories she used to read to her sister. She thought the Earth would be some idyllic world, far better than the Ark.
Now, with the cold piercing her chest, Grey understood how naïve she had been. Life was harsh, no matter what terrain. Suddenly Grey lost track of everything, her arms, her legs, all frozen with the same sharp pain that invaded her chest.
The last thing she remembered-before waking to see fluorescent lights flickering above her head- was staring up at the blank white sky, and smiling.
X
X
X
This update was supposed to be so much longer, but I had to cut it down a lot. Sorry it took so long, but the next one will be up soon. As always, thanks for reading and leaving feedback!
