A dry mouth tugged at my consciousness and I slowly began to stir from the heaviness of sleep. Daylight seeped through the parachutes, which made a fleeting effort to block it out and I found that there was something refreshing about waking up to the natural rays, rather than the constant artificial lighting of the Ark.

Stretching out my limbs, I was surprised at how warm I felt after sleeping in wet underwear and when I was unable to extend my limbs fully, I realised that something was constricting me.

Turning my head slightly to investigate, I discovered that Murphy had shuffled as close to me as possible whilst we slept and had his arm wrapped comfortably around my waist. My eyes widened in shock, causing my cheeks to flush bright pink as I registered his bare chest against my back and my mind raced as I attempted to figure out how I could extract myself without waking him.

Following some incredibly cautious movements, I managed to slip out from under the thin covers and reach my clothes, whilst he still remained deeply snoozing. I slipped on my trousers, making every effort to create as little noise as possible, then my boots and gulped as I nervously untangled my outer layers from the framework of the shelter.

One wrong move could send the entire structure tumbling down and then not only would Murphy catch me sneaking out, but he'd receive a very wet awakening.

A wave of relief washed over me as I narrowly avoided this outcome and discovered that both my jacket and jumper were almost completely drenched still. I tucked them under my arm and delicately climbed out of the tent.

Stepping outside, I was immediately basked in glorious sunshine and it was clear that yesterday's storm had allowed the air to return to it's previous warmth.

Now that the rain had stopped, I found somewhere to hang my extra layers to dry and took advantage of the quietness of camp. It seemed that everyone had finally run out of energy from their initial celebrations and I enjoyed the peace of the surrounding nature with more appreciation whilst alone.

Deciding to make the most of the time, I began checking the area around our territory for any signs of damage from the storm and found myself worrying for the group that had not returned, hoping that they had managed to find some shelter too.

I wandered over to the tarp that I had set up to find it filled with water, but unfortunately, most of the containers that we'd hurried to place had been blown over before they could be of any use. However, I remembered being taught that water would evaporate faster in hot temperature and busied myself with emptying what we had into the containers, sealing them with a fabric cover and tying them in place.

"You look busy."

A voice announced with amusement and I struggled not to spill any of the precious fluid as I startled in response. I'd been so heavily focused on my task that I completely failed to notice Bellamy's approach and wished that I'd had enough warning to escape before he spoke to me.

As we made eye contact, he smiled confidently and I realised that he was shirtless moments before he slipped on the t-shirt that he'd been carrying. I couldn't help feeling that this display of his body was somewhat purposeful, though I was unsure exactly whose benefit it was for, as I felt little more than discomfort in response.

Feeling awkward, I quickly returned my attention to storing the rain water so that I could avoid meeting his eyes again and in my peripheral vision, I saw him carefully lean against a tree to study me.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." He apologised, the charisma in his voice causing me to stiffen rather than relax and I could tell that he fully expected to be able to charm me, just as he had everyone else.

Since Cian, I was consistently guarded against people with this attitude and decided that from now on that I would remain quiet around Bellamy. I knew from my previous experiences that anything I said could be weaponized against me and hoped that if I were simply silent, he would be discouraged from attempting to speak to me again.

"We haven't actually met yet. I'm Bellamy." He clarified with a smile, his posture revealing that he was expecting a response and I felt myself becoming stressed by his gaze.

"Okay. Not the talkative type, huh?" He commented, seeming only more interested in me, rather than annoyed by my attitude and I was distressed that he seemed so determined to interact with me.

"I like your ink." He complimented, pointing at the tattoos that were actually on display for once and I shrugged awkwardly, feeling exposed without my jumper to hide behind. "It's surprising to see so much artwork on someone so timid."

At this point, I truly couldn't imagine what he could want from me and despite my best efforts to make it clear that I was preoccupied, he observed me as if I were a mystery that he was excited to unravel.

He chuckled slightly to himself, shaking his head as he considered his next tactic and I wished that anyone else would interrupt so that I could escape.

"You seem like you're still trying to figure out if you trust me." He announced, a curious expression crossing his features as I risked peeking up at him, only to immediately regret it and return my attention to the task at hand.

"I guess that's fair enough. Spend enough time locked up and you'll stop being friendly. Wish my sister had inherited the same trait." He rambled with an amused lilt to his voice and I busied myself with counting up the containers to calculate how long this would last.

"You know, most of your inmate friends have embraced their freedom. They're having fun and here you are, being logical." He analysed, smirking slightly at my attempts to focus and I glanced at him with irritation.

There was no denying that Bellamy and Murphy had at least one thing in common; they were both exceptionally talented at being a distraction. Having decided that I was tired of listening to his small talk, I began to gather up as many of the containers as I could carry to take to the dropship for safekeeping and once I was standing, Bellamy seized his opportunity to move into my space.

"Maybe you should try cutting loose." He suggested, posturing himself in a way that he must have believed was alluring and I simply stared back at him with a baffled expression.

"You never know. You might enjoy yourself." He drawled, biting his lip as his eyes roamed my body and I grimaced as it finally struck me what he was trying to initiate.

My feet couldn't carry me quickly enough as I rushed away, hardly able to comprehend the idea that this behaviour would be attractive to anyone. Bellamy absolutely intimidated me and though I was sure that played a large part in why his charm was ineffective on me, I also knew that his similarity to Cian was my biggest criticism. Whenever he spoke, I could sense that it was only motivated by his desire to obtain something and I had no intention of ever being manipulated in that manner again.

I carefully stored some of the water out of sight for emergency rations, before leaving other containers around for people to help themselves when they realised that they still had basic needs, despite their newfound freedom.

Though it was ridiculous to consider, I worried that leaving the remaining containers unguarded near the tarp would result in sabotage and reluctantly began to make my way back toward it, hoping desperately that Bellamy had moved on in my absence.

As I neared, I found that the area was empty and sighed in relief as I kneeled down to gather the jars into my arms.

"Don't take it personally." Mbege announced in a hushed manner from between the trees and though I was startled, I carefully ensured that I didn't make any noise that might attract attention to me. "She's basically mute."

"Murphy seems to think otherwise." Bellamy answered frustratedly, his tone revealing just how offended he was that I'd dared to deny him and I rolled my eyes at his arrogance. "Apparently she's valuable." He repeated in confusion and I found myself wishing that Murphy had never defended me, as he seemed to have only stoked Bellamy's interest.

"Man, trust me. You don't want to go down that rabbit hole. Murphy's been totally lost to her since they met." Mbege groaned, clearly feeling as if he'd been abandoned as a result of our new friendship. "I've been trying to figure it out for months. I don't know what he could want from a silent chick. Believe me, you won't gain anything but lost time with that one."

Feeling as if I'd already heard more than enough, I took the opportunity to creep away before they noticed that I was eavesdropping. A shiver ran down my spine at the way that Bellamy seemed to want to claim me because of my possible value and I couldn't help wondering how Murphy viewed me by comparison.

Most of the camp was still sleeping as I snuck between them to place jars of water around and knew that this would allow me to avoid unnecessary conversations later, when they realised that they were thirsty.

I stepped into a room at the back of the dropship in a dazed state, deeply involved in my own self reflection and didn't notice that it was already occupied by a couple of naked teenagers until far too late.

The unfamiliar pair were pressed up against the wall, clearly lost in the moment of passion as they didn't even seem to notice my presence and I cursed under my breath as I stumbled back out with a deep blush on my cheeks. I dumped the last container of water on the nearest surface and rushed back outside, continuing to walk toward the woods until I felt that I was far enough away from our sordid camp to catch my breath.

Climbing my way onto a nearby boulder, I sat with my head in my hands and allowed myself a chance to recover from what I'd just seen. It felt like everyone in this camp was entirely focused on sex and nothing else, whilst I was worried about remaining alive. I'd never felt so completely alone, even after my time in a cell and my heart longed to return to the simple days that my dad and I would spend reading books and sketching.

"Morning, Sunshine."

A familiar voice called from behind and although I raised my head, I didn't turn to face him.

Murphy approached me at a relaxed pace, pausing to take an indulgent stretch in the sunshine and then clambered onto the boulder beside me, shuffling to get comfortable.

"You skipped out on me pretty early. I woke up all cold and alone." He remarked in a playful tone and out of the corner of my eye, I could feel him surveying me. "Was it something I said?" He asked cheekily, clearly amused with himself and I released a long sigh.

"I just wanted a chance to enjoy the morning." I answered quietly, fiddling with my wristband thoughtfully and he tilted his head at me in confusion.

"And that's why you're hiding all the way out here, by yourself?" He interrogated, thinning his eyes at me and I found myself staring out into the trees, reflecting on my emotions. "You're one of those morning people, aren't you? Get up and start the day as soon as possible. Can't say that I'm surprised."

"I'm out here because everywhere else is occupied with people fucking." I breathed bitterly, allowing some of my frustration to show and fiddling with my hands.

It wasn't uncommon for me to feel out of place amongst people, especially those my age, but it was especially profound without the structure of the Ark. Despite having rather lax views on intimacy amongst our people, I had always been careful about the idea of trusting someone enough and couldn't imagine indulging in the same behaviour as my peers.

Every comment made about me refraining only furthered the feeling that there was something wrong with me and I was tired of feeling that I was the one with the issue, when in my mind it was obvious that there should be other concerns on their minds. I made a small, frustrated sound as I considered this and Murphy raised his brows in surprise at my blunt wording.

"Well, if that's the problem, you should have just said so! If you can't beat them, might as well join them. I happen to know a little tent that's available-" Murphy teased confidently, but I flashed him an unimpressed glare that stopped him in his tracks.

"Not the type to just hook up, huh?" He suggested with a smirk and I huffed quietly. "That suits you." He remarked in satisfaction, as if especially pleased that he had learned something new about me and I rolled my eyes at him.

A few moments of silence passed between us and my gaze gradually roamed up to the sky, wishing that I could catch a glimpse of our home. My heart felt conflicted between the freedom that landing here had granted and my connection to my father. No matter how hard I tried to focus on the present, my thoughts continually drifted to him and I couldn't help wondering whether he was safe.

"What do you think is happening up there, now that we're on the ground?" I asked wistfully as I stared up at the sky and at my question, Murphy slowly looked up too, his gaze far more aggressive than mine.

"I don't know. Probably planning how they're going to come down and take over." He muttered, squirming with annoyance, before his gaze fell on my wristband and he sighed as if preparing himself for something difficult.

"I'm not going to let Bellamy force you to take your wristband off, but you need to really think about whether you want the Ark to bring their bullshit here. I mean, we're talking about the same people who locked you up and starved you." He appealed, his expression growing dark even at the thought of this and I had to admit that this point got under my skin.

"I know. I'm not doing it for them though." I clarified and he tilted his head curiously. "If they know that we're alive, then maybe they'll send my old man down?" I suggested, revealing my hope with a nervousness fluttering in my stomach and he scoffed at me in disbelief.

"You and I both know that it won't be people like us that come down here, Cassie." He declared, his hatred for the Ark filling his voice with venom and I fiddled with my clothes to occupy my anxious mind. "It'll be guards and council members. Later on, workers." He theorised and though I knew that this was a realistic view, it still felt disheartening.

"You said that your dad is sick, right? Do you really think that they will even bother sending down people that they consider a drain on resources? You know that's how they'll choose." He questioned, tearing apart the fantasy reunion that I still hoped for and I stared at him with watery eyes, knowing that he was likely correct.

"The safest thing for your dad is for the Ark to believe that we're dying. The only way for that to happen is if we all take off our wristbands." He added convincingly and I fidgeted on the spot, feeling pressured by his insight. "Take some time to think about it. You need to decide who you trust to put you first, the Ark or me."

"You realise that the way you're doing it won't look like radiation, right?" I remarked, addressing the immediate flaw in their plan that I was shocked they hadn't noticed and he furrowed his brows at me.

"By now, they know that the atmosphere wasn't bad enough for us to die on impact. If we were actually dying from prolonged exposure, we wouldn't just drop dead without warning. They would see spikes in our vitals. Breathing difficulties, fever, increased heart rate. There would be visual representations of our symptoms." I explained, considering the signs that Abby and the medical team would be monitoring for and he seemed interested by my opinion.

"Murphy!"

The camp appeared to be coming to life behind us as someone called out to him and I turned to spot Mbege and Bellamy searching for him in the distance. He glanced back with disinterest, before sighing and I quickly got to my feet.

"I'm gonna make myself scarce before I get caught up with them." I hissed, catching a quick glimpse of Murphy's confusion before I parted from him and navigated around the edge of the camp to ensure that I re-entered at a quieter point.

The familiar chaos had returned now that everyone was rested and as private spaces became difficult to find, people had taken to making out in the grass. I shuffled past them with disgust as I grabbed some water from one of my stash points and set out in search of Wells.

Despite my reluctance to befriend him, I worried for his safety amongst the others and wanted to ensure that he was given equal access to supplies without their interference. Though I couldn't watch him at all times, I suspected that they were likely making his life difficult out of sight and knew that I could at least help in ways that wouldn't draw attention.

After traumatising myself by checking the whole of camp with no success, I headed further out into the trees and eventually found him in a secluded clearing. As I approached, I realised that he was digging and my gaze fell on two rolled up bodies that I assumed were the boys who died in the landing.

Wells jumped as he heard my footsteps and only relaxed when he recognised me. I held out the water with a shy smile and he took it with an appreciative nod. Noticing that he had a second shovel, I silently picked it up and got to work on a grave for the second body to save him from the strain of doing both alone.

"You don't have to help me." He remarked once he'd finished taking a swig of the water and I simply continued digging.

After a few moments of rest, Wells returned to the grave that he had already begun digging and we worked in silence. Though it was hard work, I was glad to be able to lay these boys to rest and found myself feeling appreciative that Wells was with us, even if only so that I knew I would be buried if anything happened to me.

It was a morbid thought, but I couldn't help being doubtful whether anyone other than Murphy would care if I died and I was unsure if he could put aside his reckless nature to care for me.

Wells and I were kept busy for a while with burying our fallen inmates and once done, I assisted to mark their graves as best we could. As we laid out markers, I realised that I didn't even know their names and the fear struck me that under current circumstances, I would likely also be nameless to most.

I remained lost in my thoughts as we strolled back to camp and only pulled myself back to reality when I was almost knocked off my feet by a group of boys barrelling past, resulting in Wells catching me before I could hit the ground. Things were even more chaotic than when we'd last been here and I stared around in disbelief, whilst he moved on in search of somewhere to store the supplies from the bodies.

In the background, I overheard Atom causing trouble as he and Wells argued about the distribution of the items and I turned with a feeling of dread as Bellamy's voice broke them up.

"You still don't get it. Do you, Chancellor?" He suggested, strolling out of the dropship shirtless, just as he had approached me earlier.

The curtains parted behind him as a girl followed, wearing a skimpy top that revealed her flat stomach and strutting with a smug confidence, as if she had just been blessed with a rare treat. She paused beside Bellamy to make a show of kissing him, before strolling off pouting and I cringed at this ridiculous display. Though there had already been a problem with revealing outfits in lockup, people seemed to only be growing more shameless by the day here.

"This is home now." Bellamy announced with satisfaction, sneaking a brief look in my direction as if he were silently reminding me that I could have been her and I couldn't hide an expression of disgust in response.

"Your fathers rules no longer apply." He detailed, as he strode over to Wells to grab a shirt and Wells moved to challenge him without hesitation, when Atom pushed him back, playing the role of bodyguard for our apparent new leader.

"Atom. Hold up." Bellamy instructed, turning back to face Wells with a taunting attitude. "You want it back? Take it." He offered, prompting Wells to stare intensely at him, until I caught his eye and shook my head.

Though I could completely understand Wells' desire to hit him, I urged him not to surrender to Bellamy's new way of life and he turned to throw the clothing to the ground. People instantly swarmed around the items like a pack of vultures and Wells shared a disbelieving look with me.

"Is this what you want? Chaos?" Wells queried, staring at Bellamy with exasperation, but it was already abundantly clear that his words would never reach him.

"What's wrong with a little chaos?" He drawled, before winking in my direction and I was about to storm off when a frantic scream carried from the woods.

The boys put their argument aside to follow the sound and I hid at the back of the group to investigate. Most of the camp seemed to be interested in whatever had caused the commotion, but I noticed that no one was in any particular hurry as they strolled over, leaving me feeling impatient.

"Bellamy!" Murphy's voice called as we emerged into a clearing and found him holding a girl's arms behind her head as he dangled her over the campfire. "Check it out. We want the Ark to think that the ground is killing us, right? Figured it'll look better if we suffer a little bit first."

I froze to the spot as I watched Murphy efficiently explaining his reasoning for literally torturing someone and covered my mouth in shock. My earlier advice about the effects of radiation replayed in my mind and I was horrified as I witnessed the fear in the girls eyes, whilst Mbege simply stood beside them as if this were a perfectly reasonable situation.

Before I could think of what to do, Wells rushed forward to push Murphy away from her and she fell with a yelp, scolding herself on the fire as she tried to catch herself. My body moved without my consideration and I hurried to help her to a standing position, guiding her away from the rising conflict between the boys.

I took her hands in mine, turning them over to examine the damage whilst she whimpered and managed to identify several small burns across her palms and fingertips that were obviously causing her pain.

A loud crunch sounded from behind her and I glanced over her shoulder to realise that Murphy had instigated a fist fight with Wells, who seemed equally content to participate in resolving their conflict. Knowing that I wouldn't be able to stop it, I decided to focus on my strengths rather than getting mixed up in this situation. The girl beside me was clearly still in shock about what had just happened to her, so I placed a hand on her arm and led her back toward camp with a calm attitude.

Once she was settled on a nearby log, I dampened a cloth in cold water and used it to cool her hands, before doing the same to her face to help her to relax. Her hands shook wildly as I worked and I returned the cloth to her fingertips, holding it with just enough pressure that I was able to both treat her and provide some comfort.

It was impossible not to notice how pretty she was. Her curly brown hair perfectly framed her features, most notably of all her large brown eyes that matched my own. She wore the same outfit as most of us, combat trousers, boots, a tank top and a navy blue jacket, with her hair tied back in a loose braid.

Though I would expect most people in her state to wear a terrified expression, she seemed exceptionally calm and I suspected that like many of us, life on the Ark had taught her to manage pain. She seemed almost numb to it, as if her shock was caused by the surprise of her rescue, rather than the fact that she was attacked in the first place. Even her skin still remained a warm shade of tawny brown, with orange-red undertones that filled her cheeks, instead of turning pale as I would have expected.

"Sorry. I-I can't hold still." She stuttered in a small voice as she battled to cease shaking and I smiled sympathetically at her. "Must be the adrenaline." She excused in a hurry and I nodded in agreement, hoping to reassure her that this was a perfectly normal reaction.

"Just hold that on there." I instructed as I got to my feet and wandered into the nearby grass.

The sounds of the fight were ongoing, with raised voices in the distance, but I tried to ignore it as I directed my way back to a plant that I had noticed the day before when foraging for supplies. The prickly spires of the aloe stood out in the long grass and though it took some significant effort to tear a piece off without a blade to cut it, I managed to dislodge a piece that was already slightly damaged.

My patient was still shaking when I crouched down in front of her again and I made sure that I was particularly delicate with her when I moved the cloth to one side.

"This will reduce the risk of infections and help it to heal faster." I explained quietly as I released some oil from the leaves and tenderly applied it to her burns, keeping my focus on the fact that I was helping her, rather than my anxiety over talking to a stranger.

"I remember you, you know." She muttered, studying me with an interested expression and I shot my head up to face her with confusion. "You treated me before. In medical." She explained carefully and I cleared my throat as I moved away from her.

"You need to keep the area clean and apply the gel three times a day until it heals. It grows over there." I ordered coldly, standing to tidy away my supplies and leaving her without any explanation.

Her familiarity unnerved me. It was a direct threat to my plan to go unnoticed here and after my encounter with Bellamy this morning, I began to wonder what I was doing wrong. It had been easy to be invisible in lockup, but without the structure of the Ark, I could no longer predict people as I always had before.

In this new world, I couldn't be sure of my place.