Hey all! Sorry it's been so long. I will definitely finish this story, I promise. Life was rough this year, as I'm sure it was for many of you. Anyway, let's get back to some of our favorite people…
Chapter 23
With the threat of starvation beaten back, and Jari feeling better by the day, it wasn't long before the kids were getting bored. Sitting in a dark cave only held so many things for them to do.
"Please, please, please!" Thom begged, doing a little dance around Clarke. Madi followed his example, even though she had no idea what she danced for.
"I don't know, Thom. With Jari-"
"He's fine! He's doing a lot better! Right Jari?"
Jari smiled, and for once, it seemed real. "Getting much better."
"See? See? I'm bored." Thom drew out the last word forever, before dramatically falling to the ground and sprawling out in front of the fire.
"We can go. But just for a few minutes. We'll take a look outside, and then we'll come back, where it's warm."
"Yes!" Thom threw a fist into the air and jumped to his feet, then flew over to help Jari stand. Jari waved him off and stood by himself, making Clarke's heart jump with happiness.
How did kids heal so quickly? If only she still healed that fast. It would have come in handy a few times.
They made their way down the tunnel, Thom dancing ahead and then running back, before taking off again.
"Thom! Don't get so far ahead!" She didn't say why out loud.
"We haven't seen any new signs, or heard from it in days, Clarke. It's gone. Probably dead."
The beast had been quiet. That didn't mean it was dead. And all it would take for a kid Thom's age to get killed was one small swipe.
"You're paranoid from all of the things you've seen. Let him go. Let him be a child."
"You've seen the same things I've seen. You're in my head."
"Yes. But I didn't feel them."
Clarke sighs, closing her eyes for a second. "You're right. Who would have ever thought I'd be the controlling type mother, after everything I went through with mine."
"Your mother loves you."
That statement needed to be ignored. Thinking about her mom right now wouldn't be good. For anyone. Least of all her, wondering if she was still alive or not. She blinked back tears to see Thom's impatient face, waiting for her answer. Not being able to see Alie, she probably looked crazy to him. "Go on. But if you see anything, anything at all that moves, you get back to me right away."
He scrambled off, with Jari limping to keep up.
"See, look at you, letting them go a bit," Alie said.
"Ha. That's what he's supposed to think. Watch how fast I can go to keep up. They aren't going anywhere without me. Without us."
Rushing to catch up, Clarke nearly ran into Thom when he stopped to look over his shoulder suspiciously. She looked around, pretending not to notice, acting all casual.
He narrowed his eyes.
She grinned at him.
He grinned back, then ran out of the cave into the sunlight.
Beautiful, wonderful, sunlight. The days had begun to blur together for her. "Alie, how long until it's safe for everyone to come out of the bunker?"
"We're down to fifty-two days, Clarke."
Fifty-two days. Fifty-two days and she could see her mom again. Bellamy. Find out how Roan fared. And introduce them all to the kids. Raven would love them. Probably.
The boys threw snowballs at each other while Madi waddled around, falling into every bank of snow she could find, often enough that it couldn't be accidental. The laugh that came with it warmed Clarke's heart almost to bursting. They were going to be okay. Things were going so well. Spring was almost here. The days were getting longer, the nights not quite as cold. If they could just hold on a short time more, they'd be headed home before she knew it.
Home. Polis. An odd thought. If home was where the heart was, than hers was torn in half.
She let the kids play for over an hour, and then they all collected wood together and stacked it near the cave entrance, until Jari's lips started to go white and Madi's cheeks bright red.
Laughing their way back to their cavern, it wasn't until they were nearly stumbling into it that Alie noticed something.
"The fire is out, Clarke. You banked it well. It should still be burning."
"Everyone, quiet."
The kids instantly obeyed. One advantage to all of the danger. The kids knew everyone's lives depended on obeying.
Clarke inched forward, holding the torch in her hand high.
The room was a mess. The bowls she'd carefully carved were strewn across the room. The fur blankets, shredded. Their water supply tipped over and seeping into the ground and the fire pit pulled apart.
"Clarke. The food."
Suddenly desperate, Clarke rushed over to where the food was stored. Gone. All of it. Every last piece of meat she'd smoked, taken.
"Kids. Stay behind me. Don't move."
Jari grabbed Madi's hand and pulled her behind him, Thom flanking her on the other side.
"Is it still here?" Clarke asked Alie quietly.
"I don't sense anything that makes me think it is. It came for the food, and it's gone."
Just to be sure, Clarke moved over and restacked the firewood lying all over, and relit it with her torch, keeping an eye on the far tunnel entrance.
The kids were uncharacteristically silent.
The room brightened, and Clarke moved toward the tunnel.
Madi whimpered, picking up on the tension in the room.
"It's alright, honey. Just a second."
The little girl pulled at Jari, trying to follow Clarke, but Thom grabbed her other hand and the boys held her tightly in place while she struggled.
Hand trembling, Clarke started down the tunnel, holding the torch low enough to follow a set of wet prints.
"It must be living out in the snow," Alie said. "To leave prints like this. And the tunnel must have an entrance closer to our haven than we thought, or it wouldn't have tracked the snow this far."
Closer? Anywhere in the world was too close, let alone closer.
"We can't stay here. We're out of things for it to eat. It's going to be after us next."
"I agree. But we have to have some supplies to take with us until we find another place to shelter. The beast should be satisfied for a day or two. We need to get more meat prepared, then leave, as soon as we can."
All of the work, gone. All of their security, gone. Gone in such a short time. The feelings of joy, the lightness of the weight of the world being lifted from her shoulders, gone. Even with Alie's assurances that the beast would leave them alone for a bit weren't worth much. There would be no sleeping tonight.