Chapter 8
later in the night.
Most of the hundred were sleep.
Clarke was in the dropship with with Monty and Jasper as Jasper continues to moan
"Go back to sleep!" a teen yelled.
"Can't he just die already?" Asked another teen.
"Hey don't listen to them. You're gonna make it through this." Clarke said as she brushes her hand through Jasper's hair. She turns to Monty.
"I'm gonna go get clean water. Keep am eye on him." Clarke tells him. Monty nods before Clarke walks out of the dropship and hears a scream.
"No, stop! Please, no!" Clarke runs over and sees a young girl curled up at the base of a tree just outside the dropship, her skin slick with sweat as she twitches in her sleep. Clarke kneels down and touches her shoulder gently, and the girl startles awake.
"Hey, it's okay. You're okay," Clarke says, running a soothing hand over the girl's braids. "You're Charlotte, right?" Clarke asks
She nods and takes a shaky breath. The girl can't be much older than twelve.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Clarke asks. Charlotte wipes her eyes, and Clarke notices that she too is without a wristband.
"There was a man on the Ark," Charlotte explains, "who lived down the hall from us. He was friends with my dad, and he would come to our quarters sometimes." Charlotte says. Clarke pulls her in close.
"He told me it was my fault, but I never asked him to touch me." Charlotte takes a deep, shaky breath. "He was eating lunch with us in the mess hall, and I just couldn't take it anymore. I just lost it, and I started hitting him and screaming. It didn't matter what I said after that; he was friends with one of the guardsmen, I ended up in lockup the next day."
"Oh, Charlotte," Clarke says, "it's not your fault. None of it is."
"That's why I let Bellamy take off my wristband." Charlotte rests her head on Clarke's shoulder. "If the Ark thinks we're all dead, they won't come down. He won't come down."
"You'll be safe down here, do you understand me?" Clarke assures her. "I promise. I'll keep you safe." Clarke looks up at the sky and points.
"You see that bright star up there?" Clarke asks.
"Yes." Charlotte says.
"That's the Ark orbiting above us. What happened up there, you know, the pain. Maybe we can move past that now. Maybe being on the ground is our second chance." Clarke says.
"Do you really believe that?" Charlotte asks. Clarke smiles.
"I'm trying to." She says.
Charlotte falls asleep eventually, but Clarke stays awake until sunrise. Jasper's screams are constant throughout the night.
The next day
Murphy and Bellamy were throwing knives and hatchets at a tree. Murphy throws a knife at the tree but it falls. They hear jasper moan.
"It's that kid. Keeps messing with my head". Murphy says.
"He's not gonna last much longer. Think of a better excuse." Bellamy says as he throws an hatchet into the tree.
"That's how it's done". He says.
We searched a half-mile in all directions. No sign of Trina or Pascal," Atom says as he walks towards Bellamy and Murphy.
"You visit your special tree while you were out there?" Murphy asks.
"Atom took his punishment, let it go." Bellamy says.
"We think it could be grounders." Atom says.
"Yeah, or they are in pound town, a lot of that going on around recently." Murphy says. They hear Jasper again.
"Look, people are already scared, and that... dying kid is not helping morale around here," Atom says.
"Morale will go up when I find them more food," Bellamy say.
"And what do we say about Trina and Pascal?" Atom says asks.
"Now? Nothing it's possible they're just lost. We'll keep an eye out for them when we go hunting later," Bellamy says.
"Lets go kill something". Murphy says.
"You're not going, I need you to stay here. If the grounders are circling, we can't leave this place unprotected". Bellamy tell him.
"Fine, somebody better tell goggle boy to shut up". Murphy says. Bellamy walks away. Murphy throws a knife at the tree.
At the dropship
"The grounders cauterized the wound. Saved his life," Clarke says.
"Saved his life so they could string him up for live bait," Finn says as he comes up.
"Garden of Eden this ain't," He says.
"This is infected. He could be septic," Clarke says.
"I thought the first aid kit would helped with that," Finn says.
"It didn't have much. I was able to clean the wound and give him more time, but we need more," Clarke says. Clarke looks at Monty.
"Any luck on contacting the Ark?" Clarke asks.
"No, I'm afraid not." Monty says.
"My mother would know what to do." Clarke says. Wells climbs up.
"How's he doing?" Wells asks.
"How does it look like he's doing Wells?" Clarke asks harshly.
"Hey, I'm just trying to help," Wells says.
Clarke stays quiet for a moment.
"Fine, you want to help? Hold him down," Clarke says. Wells and Finn hold him down. Clarke pulls out a knife and puts it in a fire.
"I'm not gonna like this, am i?" Monty asks. Clarke shakes her head.
Atom was sharpening his knife. Octavia walks over.
"You know, I could totally use a break. How about we go take a trip to the butterfly field?" Octavia asks leaning her chin on Atom's arm. Atom doesn't answer or look at her.
"Am I being to subtle? Atom." Octavia says. Atom says nothing. Suddenly, a realization comes on Octavia's face. She walks out.Octavia threw the flap to Bellamy's tent open and demanded, "What did you do to Atom?"
A second later Murphy walked out of the tent. Bellamy stands up.
"Atom's fine," Bellamy answered casually.
"Then why did he blow me off?" Octavia retorted, attempting to appear logical.
"Maybe he's just not interested?" Bellamy said flatly.
"You can't keep everyone away from me," Octavia said, her voice rising in volume and pitch.
"Atom had to learn," Bellamy returned. "Disobey me you pay the price. He paid the price. Now we're good."
"Now I'm paying the price," Octavia stated. "So, next time you decide to go on a power trip, leave me out of it" The conversation was broken as they hear Jasper scream. Octavia climbs up and sees Clarke.
"Stop it you're killing him!". Octavia exclaims.
"She's trying to save him". Finn says.
"She can't". Bellamy says as he climbs.
Wells get up and look at the man.
"Back off," Wells says.
"We didn't drag him miles through the woods just to let him die," Clarke says.
"Kid's a goner. If you can't see that, you're deluded. He's making people crazy," Bellamy says.
"Sorry if Jasper's an inconvenience to you, but this isn't the ark. Down here, every life matters," Clarke says.
"Take a look at him. He's a lost cause," Bellamy says. Octavia looks at him. Clarke looks at the teen.
"Octavia, I've been watching my mother heal people my whole life. If I say there's hope, there's hope," Clarke says.
"This isn't about hope. It's about guts. You don't have the guts to make the hard choices. I do. He's been like this for three days. If he's not better by tomorrow, I'll kill him myself," Bellamy says before he leaves.
"Power-hungry, self-serving jackass. He doesn't care about anyone but himself," Monty says.
"Yeah, Bellamy is all that. But he also happens to be right," Finn says. The teens looks at him.
Few minutes later.
Outside, Finn walks up to Clarke with something in her hand.
Clarke looks at Finn then back at the object in her hand.
"If you wanna if you wanna think Jasper's a lost cause go ahead". Clarke says.
"I hope I'm wrong". Finn says.
"What ever this stuff is, it's have to had antibiotics properties". Clarke explains.
Wells walks towards Clarke. "Let me take a look," Wells says. Finn looks at him. Clarke sighs before she hands it to Wells.
"Before you refuse, remember who aced botany in Earth skills," Wells says
"The grounders used it as a poultice. I'm thinking a tea might be even more effective. If we can figure out what it is," Clarke says.
"I know what it is. Seaweed, look see, no root structure". Wells says.
"Right. Well, then there must be a water source nearby," Clarke says.
"Yeah, it would have to have a slow current, lots of rocks. The water would probably be more red than green," Wells says.
"I know just the place," Finn says.
"All right. Let's go," Clarke says as she gets up.
"Hey, I know what this stuff looks like, do you"? Wells says. Clarke sighs.
Few minutes later, Clarke, Wells, and Finn Walk to find seaweed.
"You know, You should really rethink this whole hating me thing. Its not just grounders. We're surrounded by criminals. We need each other. We can be friends again." Wells says.
"You got my dad killed, not possible". Clarke says.
"This is earth Clarke, anything's possible". Wells says. They climb up a hill."I'd let it go". Finn tells Wells.
"Yeah? Well I've known Clarke her whole life better than you ever will, so I'll decide when to let it go". Wells says.
"I can tell you guys are close". Finn says.
They walk forwards when Finn steps on something metal. Clarke turns around.
"What is it?" asks. Finn moves the dirt and opens a car door.
"Huh, It's an automobile," Wells says.
"Come on, guys. This thing's been here for 300 years. All right? It can wait. Jasper can't," Clarke says. Finn shuts the door, and they move forward.
With the hunting group
Bellamy, Atom and other teens were hunting as they stop and sees a pig.
"Shh, she's mine". Bellamy says as he slowly crouches and hears a noise behind him. He turns around and throws his hatchet at a tree beside Charlotte. The pig runs away.
"Get it, get it"!! A teen shouts as he and the group of teens run after the pig. Bellamy and Atom walks over.
"Who the hell are you?" Bellamy asks.
"I'm Charlotte." She answers.
"I almost killed you." Bellamy says as he grabs his hatchet.
"Why aren't you back at camp?" Atom asks.
"Well, that guy, that was dying. I just couldn't listen anymore."
"There's grounders out here. It's too dangerous out here for a little girl." Bellamy says.
"I'm not little." Charlotte says. Bellamy smirks.
"Alright, then. But you can't hunt without a weapon." He says as he hands Charlotte a knife. She grabs it and looks at it.
"Ever killed someone before?" Bellamy ask. Charlotte shakes her head.
"Well, who knows? Maybe you're good at it." Bellamy says as he walks away. Atom follows.
With Clarke, Wells, and Finn
The group arrives at the body of water. "So what does this seaweed look like?" Clarke asks.
"Like that," Wells says as he points to a red mist in the water. "Hey, that thing that bit Octavia. How big was it?" Wells asks.
"Big. We could rig this into some kind of a net. Find something to lower it into the water," Finn says. Clarke walks into the water grabs the seaweed.
"Or we could just do that," Finn says. Clarke walks out the water as they hear birds. Birds come flying out of the woods. The birds come flying down right over them, making them duck. "Let's get out of here," Wells says. Clarke put the seaweed in Finn's bag. They then hear a loud horn.
"Grounders?" Clarke asks.
"It could be a war cry," Wells says.
"Or a warning," Finn says. They look behind them and see a giant fog coming towards them. "What the hell is that?" Finn asks.
"Run. Run!" Clarke exclaims. They start to run back into the woods. They run through the woods until they get back to the car. Finn opens the door as they all get in. Finn jumps in and shuts the door. "It's getting inside," Clarke says.
"Seal up any openings," Finn says as they cover the openings.
At the dropship
Monty and Octavia were sitting beside Jasper as they see the hundred getting inside the dropship. "What's going on?" Monty asks.
"Air got thick. Everybody's skin started burning," One of the hundred says.
"Monty, my brother, is out there," Octavia says.
"He'll be fine. We'll all be fine," Monty says.
With the hunting group
The group were running away from the giant fog. "Come on, there caves this way"!! Bellamy shouts as he grabs Charlotte's hand. Atom trips, getting caught in the fog, causing to blind him, and burns his skin.
The rest of the teens split up. Charlotte and Bellamy runs into the cave.
"Come on". Bellamy says. Charlotte walks in. Bellamy was about to walk in as he hears Atom scream.
"BELLAMY, BELLAMY"!!!! He screams out.
Bellamy starts to cough and gets in the cave.
In the car
Finn looks out the window. "It's still out there," Finn says.
"Look, we should just make a run for it. Jasper can't wait much longer," Clarke says.
"Us dying in a cloud of acid fog isn't going to help Jasper," Finn says. Finn opens the glove compartment. Finn grabs a bottle.
"Is that?" Clarke asks.
"Booze. Hooch. Rotgut," Finn says as he opens the bottle and takes a drink.
"Careful, Finn, it could be-," Clarke says.
"Whiskey, I think. Better than moonshine on Argo station." Finn says.
"Alcohol's toxic." Wells says.
"This is earth. Everything is toxic." Finn says as he takes another drink.
"Plus, it's a time-honored rite of passage." Finn says.
"We'll pass". Wells says. Clarke glares at him and grabs the bottle.
"Far be it for me to stand in the way of the tradition". Clarke says as she takes a drink.
They wait in the car for hours.
In the cave
Bellamy were waiting in the cave as Charlotte was sleeping. She starts to scream.
"No!" She screamed.
"Charlotte, wake up." Bellamy says. Charlotte wakes up and looks at Bellamy.
"I'm sorry." Charlotte says.
"It's alright, does it happen often?" Bellamy asks. Charlotte nods.
"What are you scared of?" Bellamy asks. Charlotte doesn't answer. "You know what? It doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is what you do about it." Bellamy says.
"But I'm asleep". Charlotte says.
"Fears are fears. Slay your demons when you are awake, They won't get you when you sleep."
"Yeah, but how?" Charlotte asks.
"You can't afford to be weak. Down here, weakness is death, fear is death. let me see the knife I gave you." Bellamy says. Charlotte hands him the knife. He grabs it.
"Now, when you are afraid, You hold on to this knife and you say 'screw you. I'm not afraid'." Bellamy says. He hands Charlotte back the knife. She grabs it and close her eyes.
"Screw you. I'm not afraid." She says before she opens her eyes. Bellamy smirks.
"Slay your demons kid. Then you'll be able to sleep." He says.
TO BE CONTINUED