Here we are again … I'm embarking on a new journey of a fanfiction story. This time, we're going with a post-apocalyptic vibe. I recently watched The 100 on Netflix. I'd been intrigued to write a story based off that show/series of novels. I decided to write it for NaNoWriMo. I'm starting almost halfway through the month, but I'm determined to, at least, get something going.
In regard to how many chapters, update schedule and all that jazz, I'm not certain, but I'm hoping to get a big chunk written in the next fifteen days.
Up next, will be Edward … and some dissatisfaction among the one hundred from the drop ship. What will happen? We'll also hear from Carlisle, as well.
Chapter Four: On the Ground …
Edward
My eyes were so dry. I rubbed at them as I tried to stay awake. It was nearly dawn. The camp was covered in a soft lavender glow. Birds were chirping happily, making my head throb. It made me yearn for the steady, mechanical thrum of the Ark. I almost missed the too cool temperature, stale air, and grey bulkheads against the blanket of velvety space and twinkling starlight.
Almost …
I took another leisurely stroll around the drop ship. Emmett, Mike, and Tyler were on patrol with me. Emmett tried to get Jasper to join us, but he was barely coherent. He obviously killed too many brain cells with his weed. We left him inside after telling him to keep an eye out for Jacob and his cronies, the group who had taken the first patrol shift.
By the time the sun had crested over the horizon, most of the people in the camp had gotten up. Most were eager to eat something, but Rose, Bella and a few others had commandeered the rations we'd been provided. We had enough for everyone to have two meals per day for a week. We obviously needed to supplement the rations with stuff we found on the ground, including fruit, fish, and anything else we could get.
Our biggest issue was not having weaponry. I gave my bowie knife to Bella. I also had my side arm, but only two clips of about thirty bullets. The powers that be on the Ark, they explained that they couldn't spare any extra weapons. We needed more guns and ammunition, which was obviously not a choice, or we needed to create rudimentary weapons. We couldn't exactly talk a deer to death. From my conversations with my parents and Bella's mother, there were weapons in Mount Weather, along with a few other locations. However, we still needed to ascertain our landing coordinates. We were in North America. I'd seen a sign leaning against a tree that said Washington, D.C., but I didn't know how far that was compared to Mount Weather.
We had several maps in with our supplies, but I couldn't figure out where we were on the map. Emmett was strong at orienteering, as was Bella. Emmett was far more interested in flirting with Rosalie yesterday and Bella was too loopy from the medication she was injected with prior to departure. Since she hadn't eaten much while she was in the prison, her body reacted harshly to the sedative. Hopefully, Bella and Emmett could pinpoint our exact location and the distance to Mount Weather.
Alice walked over to me, twisting her long brown hair up. "It's so bright," she whined. "It was never this bright on the Ark." She looked down at the cuff on her arm. "This thing is also too tight."
"It's giving information to the Ark," I explained. "It's tight to make sure the readings are accurate."
"Why should we give the Ark information? They threw us away," Jacob snarled, tugging on his shirt. "I took mine off last night."
"Oooh, can you take mine off?" Alice asked.
"No, Alice," I said. I looked at Jacob and he never had on a cuff. They left four distinct scars on the underside of your wrist. Jacob's wrists were free of those scars. Gently, I guided a pouting Alice away from Jacob. "Alice, we need to leave the cuffs on. The Ark is dying. We were sent down here to give them six more months and to see if the ground was habitable. You're not feeling sick, are you?"
"I'm hungry, but I'm not feeling sick," Alice answered, wrinkling her nose. "Can't we eat?"
"We have to make it last. We have no weaponry to hunt. So, we have to leave the encampment to go to Mount Weather to get supplies, namely weapons and anything else we can gather from there," I explained.
Alice rolled her eyes, shrugging my hold off her. "Can I go with you? To Mount Weather?"
"We'll see," I answered vaguely.
Within the hour, everyone was up, including Bella and Rosalie. They distributed the first meal of the day, along with water. People were complaining about needing more food and we knew we had to go on that scouting mission. Emmett and Bella were sitting outside, and they figured out our location, about twenty miles away from Mount Weather. With the uncertain terrain, it would take at least a week to walk there and back with the supplies.
"Who are you to take control?" Jacob asked, glowering at us. A group of people were standing behind him. They were all still wearing their cuffs. "You're not the chancellor. We don't need anyone telling us what to do."
"If you don't, you'll be dead," Bella argued. "We're doing this because it worked on the Ark."
"We're not on the Ark, Isabella," Jacob smirked. "We're on the motherfucking ground. There are no rules. Your daddy has no say in what we do down here. We should be able to eat whenever we want, whatever we want. We shouldn't have to answer to them." He picked up a girl's hand and scowled at the cuff. "We shouldn't have to give them proof that the ground is safe."
"But, is it?" Rose asked. "We survived our first night. We didn't move farther than a couple of miles. Are there other people down here? What about animals? What about the radiation? So far no one is sick, but that could change."
"We get sick, we get sick," Jacob shrugged. "It's our choice. Not yours. Not hers. Not anyone's …"
"Look, Jacob," Bella said coldly, "You can hate the ways of the Ark all you want, but it works. We've got a certain number of supplies, no weaponry and one hundr … no, ninety-eight people to feed. We lost two. We're planning on going to Mount Weather to gather supplies. Hopefully, they'll be medical supplies, weapons, and anything else we might need."
"And, let me guess. You want me to come with you," Jacob sneered.
"Better to keep an eye on you," I said, arching a brow.
"Why is that?" Jacob laughed humorlessly. "What did I do to cause you to 'keep an eye on me'?"
"You're not one of the hundred sent down from the prison," I answered. "You never wore a cuff. You stowed away on the drop ship."
"I was in the prison," Jacob argued, shrugging nonchalantly. "I took off the cuff." He shook his head. "I'll go with you on your excursion, if only to get a lay of the land. I want some of my people to join us."
"No more than two," Bella snapped, folding up the map. "Rose, come with me." She caught my eye and nodding toward the drop ship. We went inside. "Rose, I need you to stay here with Jasper, Tyler, and Mike and some of the stronger guys. You need to maintain order. With Jacob with us, it should be a little more doable. I don't trust him."
"Me, neither," Rose huffed. "So, who are you going to take besides Jacob and his two cronies? And, what about Emmett? Is he coming with you?"
"He's better at reading the maps than I am. Hell, he was the one who figured out where we are. Now, Edward, if you don't mind," Bella said, giving me a smile.
"I was planning on it. I also want my sister with us, too," I requested. "I …"
"I get it," Bella nodded. "So, you, me, Alice … who else do you suggest?"
"Eric Yorkie," Rose suggested. "He was the one who found those berries. Also, Austin Marks and Liam Decker. They're big and strong."
"They were training to be on the security team before they were busted for bootlegged liquor," I said.
"Let's get them and we'll leave within the hour?" Bella said. "Did you find some bags or something to carry all of this shit back with us?"
"There are backpacks and some jackets in the same hold where I found the medical supplies," I answered.
"I'll get the bags," Rose nodded. "Bells, you make a list of the stuff we need. I'll also pack some rations for you and the expedition. I'll also try to contact the Ark. The radio was damaged, but I think I can salvage it." She hugged Bella, going up to the second level of the drop ship.
Bella shook her head, looking out the door of the drop ship. "We should get the rest of our group together. I want to leave soon." She huffed out a breath. "Are we sure that we want to bring Jacob? He's going to be trouble."
"I'd rather have trouble with us than spreading his trouble to the rest of the camp," I said. "And, if something happens to him while we're out, going to Mount Weather, I won't lose any sleep." Bella looked at me with narrowed eyes. "I'm telling you the truth, princess."
Her eyes narrowed further. "Seriously, Cullen? Don't call me that."
"Apologies," I smirked. Bella rolled her eyes, walking past me and slugging my arm. "Hey, I need to be at my best, princess, and you hitting me …"
"Oh, stop," Bella snorted. "You outweigh me by a hundred pounds and have more muscles than God. You'll be fine." She gave me a wry look. "Let's assemble our team and get going. I wasted most of my time yesterday sleeping. I want to see our new home."
When we had our motley crew, we left the drop ship and walked toward Mount Weather. Emmett and Bella were our navigators. Tyler, who went in place of Liam, who had sprained his ankle the day previous, along with Austin, Jacob, Paul and Quil were our protection, along with me. Alice and Lauren rounded our group, were our experts on technology. We weren't sure what was waiting for us at Mount Weather.
About three hours into our journey, we came to a river. Alice grinned eagerly. "I've never seen this much water in one place," she said. She began to kick off her boots.
"Alice, it might not be safe," Bella warned.
"I'm all sorts of gross," Alice said, shirking her pants and her jacket. I blinked away from her, not wanting to see more of my sister that I needed to see.
"She's got the right idea," Jacob purred as he licked his lips. He looked at my sister like she was his next meal. "You need help, pretty girl?"
Alice looked back at him, wrinkling her nose. "I think I'll be fine. Besides, I've got a boyfriend," she replied, diving into the river and squealing when she broke the surface. "It's a touch cold, but perfect!"
"She may have a boyfriend, but she's fucking hot. I want a piece of that," Paul hissed as he threw off his shirt and pants, jumping into the water, followed by Jacob and Quil.
"They're all idiots," Bella snapped. "And, Paul is fucking gross. He's …" She shook her head, walking to fill up her water bottle after she tested the water for any residual radiation. When she was pleased with the results, she took a hesitant sip. "A little gritty, but it tastes good."
"They both are," I agreed, crouching down, and filling up my own water bottle. "I don't like how they're …"
There was a loud, terrified scream. Bella and I looked over to where Alice, Jacob, Paul and now Lauren were swimming. Paul was being dragged through the water. We ran back to the shore. "Get out of the water!" Bella ordered. "There's something …"
Jacob made quick work of exiting the water, not waiting for Alice or Lauren. He looked back at his friend as he was dragged underneath, with blood tainting the water. Lauren was a stronger swimmer, panting as she crawled onto the rocks.
My sister, however, was struggling. "Edward! I can't get out of the water. It's too deep!" she screamed hysterically. "EDWARD!"
I looked at Bella, tossing off my jacket and shoes. I handed Bella my side arm. "Don't let anyone touch this," I said to her. "Please?" She nodded; terror etched in her eyes. My sister's scream pierced the air. I didn't even think. I jumped into the water and swam to her. However, she was caught by whatever had devoured Paul. I wrapped my arm around her waist, kicking the monster in its nose. It released my sister's leg, and I swam us back to the shore. Bella was waiting for us, her medical kit out and at the ready. "Nice of you to help, Jacob," I snapped.
"Swan told us to get out of the water," Jacob scoffed, rolling his eyes. "I got out of the water."
Bella shot him a scowl as she began tending to Alice's injury. She had a deep laceration to her outer thigh and some scrapes on her elbows, knees, and chin. "I need to suture this lac," Bella explained. She looked around. "I was hoping to get farther, but we can set up camp here."
"On the bank of a river that has a monster?" Alice whimpered.
"We can set up camp in the cover of the trees," I explained, lifting my sister up into my arms. Our group found a campground. Tyler, Emmett, and Jacob set up the camp. We had three tents. Bella commandeered one to help Alice. My sister was whimpering in pain, and I wanted to be in there to assuage my sister's hurt and fear.
"I'm hungry," Jacob grumbled, sitting on a fallen tree. "Why don't you try and kill that monster, Cullen? He could be dinner."
"After he ate your friend?" I asked, pulling on a dry shirt and began gathering shit for a fire. "Nice concern for Paul, Jacob."
"Whatever," Jacob spat. "I need something to eat."
I reached into my pack, chucking his 'dinner' to him. "Here are your rations for tonight," I sneered.
He looked at it, his nose wrinkled. "Is this all?" he scoffed. "I need more."
"If you need more, find something," I offered. "Just avoid plants with three leaves. That's poison ivy. I heard it itches like a bitch."
"I'd hunt for something, but not like I can do anything without a knife, a gun or anything else," Jacob huffed, shooting a glower at me while he opened up his ration pack.
"This is why we're going to Mount Weather," I said, getting up from the log. I picked up my pack and walked to the tent where Bella was tending to my sister. I crouched down, opening the flap to the tent. "Is everything okay?"
"You can come in," Bella said.
I crawled in and saw my sister was asleep. "What happened?"
"I didn't have any numbing agent," Bella explained. She was wrapping Alice's thigh with some gauze. "She kind of passed out. She should be fine in an hour or so."
"Will there be any permanent damage?" I asked, sitting next to Bella.
"She'll have a scar, but the cut wasn't deep enough to reach the muscle," Bella explained. She blinked over my shoulder. "Jacob is really pushing my buttons. Your buttons, as well. Should you be in here?"
"Emmett was out there and from the look of disgust he had on his face when Jacob bitched about the food indicates he hates Jacob just as much as we do," I frowned. "And, Quil was shocked at how dismissive he was about Paul's untimely demise, thanks to the creature in the water. How are we going to cross the water? That thing is still in there."
Bella sighed, inching past me and out of the tent. I followed her. Emmett and Tyler had a fire going. I also noticed that there were a pile of dead rabbits next to Emmett. "How did you manage to kill the rabbits?" Bella asked.
Emmett picked up something behind his spot. It was a makeshift spear. The weapon was stained with blood from the kills. "I used some sharpened debris from the drop ship and made some of these. However, I can't skin them since I don't have a knife. The piece I used to create the spear is too dull to …"
Bella gently elbowed me, sliding my bowie knife to me. "I can take care of it. I still have my knife from when I was on the security team," I said.
"It's probably smart that you keep that to yourself," Emmett said, blinking to where Jacob was pouting. "Look, I made some poor choices that landed me in jail."
"What happened?" Lauren asked. "I'd heard rumors."
"I worked in maintenance and engineering. I was training to become a space walker to help with exterior repairs for the Ark. Anyway, there was a fight one night while I was on shift. One of the guys thought I stole something from his toolbox. I didn't. It was our supervisor who'd taken it. He'd borrowed it. Anyway, the guy attacked me, and I tried to reason with him. Long story short, while we were fighting, he landed on a piece of equipment and it severed his brain stem, killing him instantly," Emmett trailed off. "I tried to explain it to the security guards that it was an accident. Hell, my supervisor said that the dead guy started it, but I was thrown into detention since I wasn't of age. I just turned twenty-one … yesterday. Fuck, I would have been floated if it weren't for the drop ship."
"Happy birthday," Bella said. "I'm sorry that …"
"Don't apologize. I met Rosalie because of that fight," Emmett shrugged. "I don't think she trusts me, or she believes the rumors that circulated around the detention center." He watched me as I skinned the rabbits. Bella and Lauren set up a makeshift spit to cook our meal. "The worst was that I murdered the guy out of cold blood because he stole from me. It was an accident. I pushed him away. He tripped over some equipment and landed with a drill at the base of his skull."
"I remember when you were brought in," Tyler said. "I worked on second shift. I was also training to be a space walker, but I'm obviously younger and had just started my training. I was going in and they told me that I had the night off because of some accident."
"Yep, that was me," Emmett said blandly. "I was almost the first underage execution. Vice Chancellor Volturi was really gunning for me, but it was Chancellor Swan stopped my execution. He read the report from my supervisor, and he tried to get my record expunged, but he couldn't. I still fought back."
Bella's face flashed angrily. She got up and walked away. I heard a broken sob, making my heart lurch.
"Was it something I said?" Emmett asked, blinking to me.
"Not you, Emmett," I sighed, handing the knife to Emmett. "Can you finish this? I'm going to check on her."
"Uhhhh, I'll try," Emmett laughed nervously.
"I'll handle it," Lauren said, walking over to where I was seated, and she made quick work of skinning the rabbits. "You get to cook these bad boys."
I walked quickly toward Bella and found her on the edge of the river, curled up on a stone. She was crying, making her entire body shake with her sobs. "Bella?" I called. She looked up at me and her expression shattered my heart. I moved to sit next to her. "I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault that your father bent over backwards to help everyone else, but he was fucking ready to float me," Bella whispered. "Me! His own fucking daughter! What did I do to deserve that? I was trying to help people. Angela's daughter … she lives in constant pain. I got arrested by you and my dad was adamant on not showing favoritism. He was going to float me. He didn't care. He never cared." She looked at me, fire burning in her eyes. "And, it's you that put me in that position. You could have walked away. You could have turned and walked away, none the wiser." She pushed me off the rock with a scream. "YOU gave me proof that my dad didn't care about me." She flew at me, causing me to fall onto my back. Her legs were straddling my waist, pushing me into the rocks. She began hitting me, screaming brokenly.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," I murmured, taking her hands, and holding them to my chest. I knew I'd be bruised, but she needed to do this. She collapsed against me with her ear pressed above my chest. "I should have turned the other cheek." I sat up, cradling her trembling body against mine. "I should have. Just like your father should have been a father and not the chancellor." I brushed her tears away. "I wish could go back in time …"
"I'm sorry for losing my shit," she whispered. "Just hearing how my dad helped Emmett really cut to the quick. He did more for Emmett than he did for me. The whole drop ship thing was all you and my mom … my dad …" She looked up at me, tears welling in her eyes. "When will I not hate him?"
"It'll take time, princess," I murmured, capturing another tear with my thumb. She leaned into my touch, which kind of surprised me. She'd just been hitting me with surprising force. But, then, I realized she hadn't had any sort of human companionship or contact for months. She whimpered, sliding her arms around my neck and she clung to me. I held her closely. "I'm sorry."
"Stop apologizing," she chided, pulling back. "I'm the one who's a mess."
"A mess that I caused," I huffed.
Her hands pooched my face and she glowered at me. "After today, no more of this. From either of us. I made the choice to help Angela and I got caught. You were doing your job and as much as I hate my father, he was doing his. I just need to get over this." She frowned, looking at how we were positioned. "I'm sorry for trying to beat the crap out of you, and for … this." She went to move, but I held her on my lap. "Edward …"
"I like you here," I said, giving her a crooked grin. Her eyes widened and a blush spread over her creamy skin. "Bella … I like you. Period." I trailed my fingers down her cheek. "But, I know you still hate me."
"I don't hate you," she sighed. "I …" Leaning forward, she pressed her forehead to mine, "I need time to acclimate to all of these changes." Her fingers found my hair and she idly played with the curls above my collar. "Please?"
I nodded, hugging her to me. "Are you okay? Be honest?"
"I will be," she murmured, kissing my cheek. She got up and offered me her hand. I took it and stood up, twining my fingers with hers. "Edward …"
"You spent three months without human contact," I offered. "Admit you need this?"
She bit her lip, but nodded slowly. Her grip on my hand tightened as we walked back to the campsite. When we got back, the rabbits had been skinned and were cooking over the fire. There was a pot on top of the fire. The scent of a savory stew filled our camp making my stomach growl loudly. "Hungry, Edward?"
"I've been so focused on everyone else that I didn't really … I had a protein bar," I chuckled. "This smells delicious."
"I'm happy that I grabbed some seasoning before we left the drop ship," Lauren chuckled. She grinned at us. "My mom worked in the kitchen. She passed along her secrets to me when I was at home."
"We're glad you did," Tyler said, eyeing the pot and the rabbits that were being cooked on the spit next to the pot. "But, you didn't work in the kitchen?"
"I got my father's mind for technology. He worked in the command center," Lauren explained. "He's probably monitoring everything as we speak. He was in charge of third shift and has worked very closely with the Chancellor. I was working my way to be in the command center." Her eyes grew distant, and she frowned. "I was with a friend. We're underage. We were at a party, and someone complained about the noise. Security came and they were going to write us off with a warning until they realized that illegal alcohol was being served, along with some other prohibited substances. I was put into detention and when I was going to be released, I was going to be forced to work in waste extraction. My dreams of working in the command center were thrown away, even though I'm smarter than half of those hacks."
"What happened to the rest of the people at the party?" Tyler asked.
"Floated," Lauren answered blandly, stirring the stew. "I lost my best friend and my boyfriend that day. My best friend was floated, and my boyfriend didn't want to deal with the stigma of having a girlfriend who'd been in detention." She shook her head. "In a way, I'm glad we're down here. Hopefully, things won't be as extreme when it comes to punishment. Are things going to be rainbows and butterflies all the time? Probably not, but the punishment should match the crime. Not every offense should be a death sentence."
"This, being on the ground, is a new chance for us," Bella murmured. Blinking to Jacob, who was scowling at us, she continued, "All of us. Now, we should enjoy this wonderful meal that Lauren has made for us."
"It's not done yet, but thank you," Lauren grinned.
"We appreciate your help," Bella responded. "But, we should get to bed early. I would like to keep going at first light."
An hour later, my sister came out of the tent and the meal was ready to go. We divided up the meal, devouring it until the sun dipped below the horizon. Tyler and Lauren were flirting, claiming one of the tents. Emmett said he'd stay outside. Jacob was already snoring, leaning against a fallen tree. Quil went into the second tent with Austin. Bella said she wanted to check Alice's stitches and injuries, so they ducked back into their tent.
Alice came back out, sitting down next to me. "Are you okay, Alice?" I asked. "Your leg?"
"It hurts like a bitch, but Bella did amazing work in stitching me up," she replied. "She's not her father, that's for sure."
"She hates him," I whispered. "For what he did or rather, what he didn't do for her. Anyway, she's trying to move past it. As am I … it'll take time."
"I know you're tired, Edward," Alice said. "I'll take first watch with Emmett. You go get some sleep." She gestured to the tent with a smirk. "Sleep well, big brother."
I got up and walked to the tent. "Bella? Can I come in?" I asked. I heard a quiet yes. I unzipped the tent, crawling inside. Bella was curled on her side, hugging her pack. "You okay?" I lay down next to her.
"I'm afraid," she muttered. "On the Ark, we knew what to expect. Down here? I don't know what's going to happen. That thing in the river? It killed Paul. It scarred your sister. We need to cross that river to get to Mount Weather."
"We'll figure it out, Bella. We won't lose anyone else," I murmured, tucking an errant curl behind her ear. Bella sniffled, moving to snuggle against me. I slipped my arms around her trembling body. "You're not alone anymore."
"Thank you," she said. "Neither are you." She looked up at me, trailing her fingertips along my jaw. She gave me a small smile before burrowing closer to my side.
I kept my breathing steady and soon she was down for the count. Once she was asleep, I allowed my eyes to drift closed. I was exhausted and hopefully, I'd be able to get some sleep, curled around Bella.
A/N: I wanted to add more, but this seemed like a good stopping point. So, what I had, I started the next chapter. But, things are growing between these two. Bella is still coming to grips with her time in the prison and her father's black and white take of her crime. Now, we may bounce back and forth between Bella and Edward. We'll also hear more from what's going on up in the Ark.
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