(Author: Nightwing27th)
"We have to jump!?" a few people in the crowed asked.
"Do it right and you just might survive it." That's what Bellamy told them. Even though he'd never done it before, we had him explain how to jump off the edge of a waterfall and live. And just as we thought, the group took it better from him. I had to jump off of one half this size, once. But like I said, it was half this size. Lincoln and Bellamy were the first two to jump. Once they jumped and then yelled up to us showing that they lived, we had people lining up to jump. It's amazing how these people are so willing to trust the guy that was such a jerk to them. Unfortunately, Anya is stuck with us. Even though it was my idea to bring her, I'm not happy with it. But it brought a smile to my face when I got to push her off the edge. And you can imagine how happy I was to here that she lived.
Alex and I didn't jump until everyone else had. The water was like ice; and the cool air didn't help. My teeth started to chatter as I swam to the edge, about twenty feet away from where I landed. People took off as much clothing as they could and then started jumping up and down, trying to get warm. I reached the edge to discover that dry land started a foot above the water. I was trying, and failing, to get up on land when Lincoln reached his hand down. I took hold of it with my left hand as Alex and Finn approached from my right. Once I was up on land, I thanked them and then scanned the crowed. "Has anyone seen my pack?" Before I jumped I tossed it down, beside the waterfall so it wouldn't get too wet.
"Here you go." A voice said from behind me. I turned around to see Bellamy handing me my pack. Man, this kid really wants to be on my good side. I nodded my thanks as I took it from him. "Now what's the plan?" That's a good question. What is the plan? We need to get back to the Ark and meet up with everyone else. But I don't know where I am. I've never been in these parts before. I searched the crowed until I found Lincoln, not too far away. I walked up to him as I shivered. "Please tell me you know how to get back." I made sure to keep my voice low; the last thing we need is everyone thinking we're lost.
"Yes, I do. We'll need to go around the waterfall and then climb back up the mountain." He said, "They're still following us, so we'll need to run. It shouldn't take us more than a couple of hours."
"Then let's go." The plan sounds good to me. As long as we avoid the soldiers, then I'm fine. I am tired and cold and sore and all I want is for this to be over. We ran for about a mile, then once we reached the hill we started walking. "Okay," I said as soon as I reached the top, "take five." Everyone sighed with relief and then collapsed onto the ground. After walking up that steep hill for the last hour, we need a lot more than five minutes. But getting to the other group right now should be our main priority. If we wait till it's light out, then the Mountain Men will be able to spot us more easily. I sat down next to Lincoln. "How much longer?"
"An hour, maybe two." His voice was laced with exhaustion; like everyone else's. My side was hurting a little in the places where I was shot. "You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm… tired, very tired." I replied as I stood. Someone yelled a two minute warning and I walked through the group. I wanted to make sure everyone was still breathing. But I really wanted to check on Bellamy. He was given MHP like I was; but not as long ago as I was. If I can still feel some pain, then I'm sure he can too. This makes me think of Adonis, also. He and Caleb disappeared just before we left. And I didn't see either one of them with the other group. I found Bellamy sitting on a log, an arm around his waist. "You alright?"
"Yeah, just…give me a minute." He replied. An awkward silence filled the gap between us. Someone yelled that it was time to go. Everyone started getting up, including Bellamy. Or at least, he tried.
"Okay, just hold on a second," I took off my pack and started riffling through it. I pulled out a syringe filled with neon blue liquid. "Hold out your arm."
"Where did you get that? I thought they couldn't find any in Mount Weather."
"Alex gave it to me, before we left." I replied, "Now, give it." I held out my hand. He hesitated and then placed his arm in my hand. I put the nettle in his arm and then pushed in the blue liquid. I chucked the syringe into the bushes as I stood up. I looked up at the group and they had already started walking. I found Alex's face and he gave me a questioning look. I waved him on, telling him to go. Then I looked back at Bellamy, who was standing now. "Better?"
"Yeah," he replied.
"Then come on," I started walking toward the others. I could hear him following me; but that wasn't all I heard. There's something out there. I stopped walking and turned around, staring into the sunrise.
"What is it?" Bellamy stood next to me. The look on my face concerned him. My hand slowly went to my back and latched onto the gun at my belt. There's a figure in the bushes twenty feet away. But I can't tell if it's human or not. My grip got tighter on the gun as I pulled it out. Then a red dot appeared in the bushes a second before that all too familiar sound filled me ears, followed by my arm feeling like it burst into flames. The bullet hitting my left arm caused me to fall. "Come on." Bellamy yanked me to my feet and then we ran to the others. The others heard what happened and already started running. It didn't take long to catch up to them. Now we have a new question, with no answer. How do we out run a group of highly trained Mount Weather soldiers? Your guess is as good as mine. But the answer simply is, we don't. I might be able to out run them, but everyone else is too tired as it is. A few more shots were fired; slamming into trees instead of us. I looked at the crowd; trying to do a head count. I think we have everyone but Anya. Figures; she's the only one dumb enough to run toward the guns. But, desperate times call for stupid dictions. "Make sure everyone gets back to the Ark," I told him, "I going to give them what they want."
"Don't be stupid, Yachara."
"I'm not being stupid." I glanced over my shoulder as I ran. "This is called putting someone else before yourself. Now, if I'm not back in forty-eight hours you can assume the worst." I looked again; they're getting closer. "And don't follow me." And with that, I stopped in my tracks. I could tell he didn't want to, but Bellamy continued running anyway. I did nothing but watch as the men got closer. They're only twenty feet away now. Although I'm standing here, all alone, they still feel the need to hide. Good; they've heard my reputation. This also means I was right; I am their target. They could care less about the escaped prisoners, because Jacobsen will kill them if I get away. I'd bet my life on it. Oh, wait… I think I just did that. So far I see ten guys in front of me, and more are approaching.
"Hello, Mountain Morons!" I love taunting them; just daring one of them to shoot me. It's moment like these that make my day. I glanced over my shoulder and just barely can see someone running away. Good, they're safe. "I see you brought your toys." Three red dots appeared on my shirt. "Love you, too." Then a man taller than everyone else, steps into view. The same man that yanked me out of the river and tired to strangle me, when the Mountain Men came looking for me last time. Big, tall, and ugly. Jacobsen really knows how to pick 'em. He looks just as happy as he did the last time I saw him. "Ah, well. It's about time you got here. Commander Jerk Face, why don't you show them how it's done."
"Shut up, you little brat!" His tag said 'Hawk' but my name's better. His gun was bigger than everyone else's. He held it up and was a second away from pulling the trigger, when I raised my hand gun and shot him in the shoulder. His gun dropped as I took off running to my left. Not only is the ground rocky, but fallen trees are everywhere. And to top it off, the ground slopes down; making it even harder to run. But this is a normal day for me; running away from crazies with guns. The trees that are still standing, won't be for much longer if those guys don't stop shooting them. How did they teach these guys to shoot? With their eyes closed? I jumped over a log and then slipped through a foot wide gap, between two trees. Coming out on the other side, I slipped and my knee slammed into a rock. I stood up as I felt something wet on my hand. I looked down to find my left arm covered in blood all the way down to my fingertips. A bullet grazing the tree next to me brought me back to reality. I turned around and fired three bullets up the hill, taking out at least two guys. Then I continued running.
I was almost to the bottom of the hill when another bullet grazed me. I stumbled foreword and tripped, tumbling down the hill. I slammed into rocks, logs, trees, and even a few blackberry bushes on my way down. The ground finally leveled out and I came to a stop. That last bullet grazed my left shoulder four inches above the other one. They're getting closer. I pointed my gun up the hill and emptied the clip. I sat up and quickly fumbled through my bag for another one. As I ejected the empty clip, a shadow appeared above me. And I knew exactly who it was. He grabbed me by the back of my shirt as I inserted the new clip. As soon as I saw his face I shot him in the arm. He knocked the gun out of my hands, causing it to land ten feet away. Okay, so maybe this time I bit off a little bit more than I could chew. But at least I admit when I'm wrong. I felt myself fly through the air and then slam into something hard. A tree; it had to be a tree. My side burned as the other soldiers finally caught up. A soldier held out a piece of rope to my friend.
"What's that for?" Hawk asked him.
"For taking her back…?" He immediately questioned his decision to open his mouth.
"What makes you think we're taking her back alive?" I think I'd kill myself if he was my boss. I took slow, small breaths as I rolled over onto my stomach. I pushed myself up onto my hands and knees, giving him the perfect chance to hurt me. His foot slammed into my side, lifting me off of the ground a few inches. He was going to do it again and then stopped. I saw him walk away as I coughed. A second later, the ringing from a gun filled my ears. I expected to be in more pain, but he didn't shoot me. Instead he shot the young soldier he was talking too.
"Anyone one else care about what Jacobsen said?" he asked them as he showed off his hand gun. I crawled over the nearest tree and used it to help me stand up. Every time I get beat up I think I've felt the most pain that I ever have; and then someone proves me wrong. I fumbled for my last knife. Right now my only chance is to stand; if I try to run he'll only shoot me… again. He put his gun away and then turned toward me. He walked up to me and grabbed the back of my head as I quickly shoved the knife into his stomach. He pulled it out and was about to do the same to me when I punched where I stabbed him. The knife in his hands grazed my stomach, leaving a five inch long cut that's about a quarter of an inch deep. He dropped the knife and then he drove his knee into my stomach. He kneed me one more time before punching my face as hard as he could, sending me to the ground. The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. Hawk wrapped his hand around my neck and then brought me up to eye level. Then he slammed me into a tree, his grip around my neck tightening.
"What are you going to do? Daddy can't save you this time." He hissed. I really hate it when people do that. Don't they know that it enrages me? I rounded up a big ball of bloody spit and shot it right in his face. I could almost see the steam coming out of his ears. He pulled his right arm back and then swung it forward, netting me go as his fist hit my face. I fell straight to the ground, landing on my injured arm. What am I doing? Why am I still acting like this is a game? Back when I was alone and had no family it was a game; and I didn't care if I lost. But now I have a family. I've got Alex and Adonis and Jade, of all people. But I can't win this battle. Had I handled it differently, maybe I could've won. Besides… I'm too old for this stuff. I rolled onto my stomach just to get off of my arm. Then I heard guns firing and men yelling orders. What is going on? I feel very light headed and my vision is starting to blur. But from what I can see, it looks like the Mountain Men have turned on each other. Everything's distorted and my hearing is fuzzy. Someone touches my arm and rolls me over. I can't make out a face, but it's a dark haired man, that I know. If he's saying something, I can't hear him. Then I feel him put one arm under my legs and the other around my back. I'm not the type to go off with strangers but I can't fight back. He picks me up and starts walking away from the battle. I probably know him since he hasn't killed me yet. I finally went limp after a few seconds and then watched as everything faded to black.