Chapter Three
By Sunday my mind was still reeling. I had no idea what to think. Maybe the blood bag didn't come from Clarke. Maybe some random hobo dropped it and it's just a coincidence. But why would a hobo have a blood bag? And how would they get a blood bag out of storage? A person would need access to their vault of blood or whatever. Clarke would have access. Or at least that would make sense? Her mother works there so I'm sure she could figure out some of way to get it. But… why? Is she sick? But sick people don't carry blood bags around. I… I just don't know what to think.
Clarke is the last person on Earth who'd give me answers so I had to find out on my own somehow. Maybe Raven will know. The Reyes family have been on these lands for eons. Nothing goes on in this town without them knowing about it and I mean nothing. I tried to steal a pack of gum at the local gas station and Raven's dad told Marcus the very next day. I still have no idea how the hell he knew about it.
I'll try to get some answers from Raven on Wednesday night. She and her friends are having a bonfire up in the mountains to celebrate the start of Spring break. I'll bring Miller along. He seems like he'd be up for it.
…
A kaleidoscope of oranges and reds stretched across the sky as the sun dipped below the horizon. Normally I'd be sprawled out shirtless on my favorite beach chair to watch the sunset, but it's Sitka. That means I'll be wrapped in my black under armor, grey hoodie and long Levi jeans. Luckily I have the bonfire to keep me warm.
"I didn't know you knew the Reyeses." Miller remarked as he hiked along side me up the mountain's trail.
"My dad's been pretty tight with them my whole life. I basically grew up with them."
"Ah, you mean Raven?" Miller shot a teasing smile at me. He had beautiful pearly whites.
"Dude, stop," I laughed and nudged his shoulder. "Raven… I don't know. Raven's a friend! Did I pull her hair and play rough as a kid? Yeah maybe, but that's a little boy's crush. I grew out of it."
"Hmm. I see."
"Ay, man. Get that grin off your face. She'll probably be my best man in the future. It's nothing like that."
"Alright, alright man! Don't get all defensive. If that's what you need to tell yourself to sleep at night, go right ahe-"
I wrapped my arms around Miller's shoulders and playfully punched him in the arm.
"I'm gonna whoop your ass!"
Miller continued to crack up while he covered up his face.
"Hey! Hey! Watch the money maker, man!"
I pushed him away and joined him in laughter. Miller and I were growing so close these past couple weeks that I almost felt comfortable to tell him anything. I even thought about telling him about Clarke. But for now it'd be my secret. I want her to be able to trust me.
"Well, well, well. Look what the wolf dragged in." Raven sauntered over to us.
"I believe you mean 'cat'," I pompously added.
"Not in these parts." She said with a raised eyebrow.
I was a little confused by that, but I figured there's a lot of wolves in the mountains and continued smiling.
"So who's your friend?"
"This is Miller. He's a bit of a dick but don't mind him."
"Ohhhh haha. So that's how you're gonna play this?"
"Did you expect anything else?"
Miller took Raven's hand and gently pecked it.
"Charmed m'lady."
"Okay, Bellamy was wrong. You're definitely not a dick..." Raven began.
"See?" asked Miller.
"You're more of a total creep."
His mouth fell agape and Raven and I doubled over in hysterics. That was Raven's gift, perfectly timed jokes.
"C'mon, man. I'm just joshing. Come check out the pit. We're about to get the party started."
Just as Raven turned to lead us to the fire pit, Miller socked me in the arm. It actually hurt a little bit. We whispered back and forth some half kidding-half serious threats as we followed Raven. I love this guy.
…
A couple hours passed and the place was littered with red cups, the music was blaring and the bonfire's flames were dancing through the night air. There's was a crowd of about 50 people. I was huddled with a few other party-goers near the edge of the forest just taking it all in. It's not that I wasn't having a good time. I really was. But big crowds really aren't my thing. I was perfectly content just talking to these few girls with a cup in hand.
"So have you thought about who you're going to prom with?" A girl named Jenna who's slightly tipsy asked.
"Uh-"
I saw Raven pass by in the corner of my eye. I still needed answers about Clarke and the Griffins so this was the perfect opening to slip away.
"Actually," I continued. "I really have to take care of something but I'll be back and I'll answer that question. Promise."
I quickly sneaked away before Tipsy Jenna could stop me. Raven was just a few yards over.
"Hey, Raven."
"Heyyy, Blake. What's going on?"
"Nothing really. Great party though."
"Thank you, thank you. I do know how to to throw quite a shindig, huh?"
"You do. I will say that."
We smiled. There was a tiny gap between the people huddled and dancing around the fire. It made a glare across Raven's deeply tanned skin and plaid top. She looked especially pretty tonight.
"So what's up?"
"I had a question."
"About?"
"The Griffins."
Raven's neck jerked backward and she scowled at me.
"The Griffins? As in the weirdo family Griffins?"
Before I knew it I was scowling back at Raven.
"Weirdo? How so?"
"Dude, just look at them. They look like government built robots. Their eyes aren't even normal colors."
"You're not seriously calling an entire family weirdos because of their eyes..."
Eyes that are quite gorgeous if you ask me.
"No, it's not just the eyes. Listen, from what I know, nothing but trouble comes from that family."
I fixed my jaw. Sure, I've only spoken to Clarke twice but I felt defensive of her. Barely anyone knew her or even tried to get to know her. No one knows anything about her or what she's been through. Judging Clarke based on nothing was unfair. It made my heart pound, but I had to contain my anger.
"Bellamy… chill. Why do you seem so frustrated?"
I forced a half smile.
"C'mon, I am chill. Just confused. No one seems to know much about them and they keep to themselves."
"Like I said. Weirdos."
"So what's up with their blood bank? Was there a robbery there or anything like that?"
"No? Nothing like that. Why?"
"I found a blood bag on the side route 55. It belonged to the Sitka donation center."
"Oh yeah?" Raven looked over at the bonfire seemingly uninterested.
"Yeah… so what can you tell me?"
"Look, it's probably nothing. Maybe it fell off the transport vehicle. I don't know. Just steer clear of the Griffins."
"But it was-"
"Bellamy Blake?" A deep, manly voice called out.
"Lincoln Sigo?" I almost didn't recognize him. Lincoln was one of the older kids that hung around town when I was growing up. He had grown maybe 4 inches, his arms were covered in tribal tattoos and his muscles were the size of the hulk's. He's certainly not the man he used to be.
"I thought I heard you were back in town."
"Yeah, man. It's meeee-aahhhh!"
Lincoln came over to hug me and I guess he's so large that he didn't realize he was squeezing the life out of me. He slapped my back a couple times with his bear claws, which was supposed to be endearing but I think one of my shoulder blades just cracked in half.
"Jeez, you got tall. Looking lean, too." Lincoln commented as he finally released my body.
I was panting air back into my lungs.
"Yeah, I… could say the same… about you too."
"Ay, you guys up for a mountain run?" Lincoln asked.
"What's that?"
"Just wait and see."
"Our boy Bellamy can handle the heat but I don't think he can stand the cold." Raven dared as she threw her arm around Lincoln's shoulder.. Her reverse psychology always worked on me.
"Hey, I can handle anything. I'm in. Miller, you in?!"
Miller came trotting over.
"In for what?"
"I don't know. Just follow their lead."
"Uh… okay!" He shrugged.
Lincoln and a few other guys started taking off their hoodies and shirts. My eyes opened wide. I was a little uneasy but I followed suit anyways. Miller did too. Next was the shoes… and the pants. Eventually I was in my black briefs and freezing my nips off. I clenched my jaw so my teeth wouldn't chatter.
"Jesus! Fuck! It's so fucking cold! What the hell?!" Miller screamed while wrapping his arms around himself and shivering like a chihuahua.
"Get a grip, man!" Unlike Miller over there, I stood tall and strong like a superhero with my fists on my hips. It was numbingly cold, but I could bear it. "Raven, ya coming?"
"Nah. I've got my eyes on a girl back there. Can't leave now."
"You sly dog." I teased.
"Yeah, whatever. Watch out for the low branches."
"Huh?"
"Come on, let's go!" yelled Lincoln while escaping into the woods. "Let's go!"
The few guys and the girl who came with Lincoln followed him, screaming into the night.
"YOWWWW!"
"WOOOOOO!"
"AAAAAEEE!"
I quickly trailed behind them. Whatever we were doing, I didn't wanna lose. As for Miller… well… he's trying his best.
The trees were whizzing past me and the harsh wind was pounding against my face. My watering eyes blurred my vision and made it almost impossible to see and it was already pitch dark outside. But I kept running and leaping through the forest down the mountain. Yes, I was terrified… but I was alive and the rush was like a hit of cocaine. The freezing cold air pierced my skin like jagged ice picks yet it hurt good. I wanted more. I reveled in it.
"AAAAOOOOOOOOO!" I bellowed into the sky.
"YAH YAH YAH!"
"WOOOOAHHH!"
"YAAHOOOO!"
They echoed back to me. I didn't know them, but we were brothers and sisters tonight. Free spirits completely letting go of everything they know and exposing themselves to the dangers of the night. Not a care in the world. At least not until the unthinkable happened.
My high was abruptly halted when a branch caught my ankle while in midair. My momentum caused me to flip upside down. Nothing else was clear after that. It's funny how they call this a black out because everything went white. It's like I fell into an ocean of fluorescent light and I was drowning in it. Peaceful, yes, but unending. I thought I'd never wake up.
Icicles cupped the sides of my face. I tried blinking away the whiteness that still clouded my eyes to see what was freezing my cheeks.
"Bellamy! Bellamy!" An angelic voice called to me. She gently shook my head side to side to bring me back to Earth.
I blinked away the last of my blurred vision and I finally saw her.
"Bellamy, hey, wake up. There you are. Come on."
"Clarke?"
"Yes, it's me. Wake up, you're hurt."
She lifted the back of my head as I lied flat and I saw the blood spewing like a faucet from my calf. Another branch must have gashed my leg on the way down. A huge, unsightly wound was opened up.
"O-o-oh my god… Oh my god, Clarke. My leg, Clarke! My leg! I need help!" I cried. I writhed in terrible pain and clenched at my knee cap. "Clarke, my leg! It won't stop! It won't stop!" I gritted.
"Shhhh! Bellamy, shhh. Look at me. Hey, look at me." Clarke cupped my face again and softly stroked my cheeks with her icy thumbs. And she looked me in the eyes with as tender of a face as I've ever seen on her. She wasn't a hard cut statue any longer. She was Clarke, a beautifully worried girl who wanted to save my life.
"You're going to be okay. I promise."
I nodded weakly as my eyelids began to weigh down. I was losing so much blood that I started to fade a little.
"But you must do what I say, alright?" She urged.
I nodded again. She mirrored me.
Clarke sat back on her heels, lifted her wrist to her mouth and sunk her teeth into it. Blood began to seep out and drip onto the ground. Then she pulled her wrist away which exposed her bloodstained teeth. Her canines jutted out like… like a tiger's… like a snake's maybe. I was weakening and possibly hallucinating, but I know what I saw. Ignoring my sudden bewilderment, she lifted the back of my head and placed her bleeding wrist by the edge of my bottom lip.
"Drink." Clarke commanded. "Now. Drink!"
Wide-eyed, I glanced back and forth between her wrist and her reddish eyes. What was I to do? Drink her blood? I should be revolted, but the more I gazed at Clarke the more I trusted her. I knew I would be alright if I did what she said. So I grabbed the back of her hand and covered the bite marks with my lips. The blood gushed into my mouth so I had to swallow quickly. It was bittersweet, a stabbing succulence. It was like salt around the rim of a sour margarita. Like picking a brightly colored rose by its thorns and nicking your thumb.
After a few swallows, I didn't feel so faint anymore. I felt refreshed like I just woke up from a deep afternoon nap. I pulled Clarke's wrist away from my mouth. Wondering what the hell just happened, I glimpsed down at my right leg and it was completely healed. Not a single scratch. Even the scar I had on my shin since I was a kid was gone. I frantically sat up on my butt and felt at my leg. But there was nothing at all. The only thing left that made me sure that it actually happened was my bloodstained skin and the puddle of fresh blood on the soil next to me. Clarke had risen to her feet.
"Bellamy?" She asked with a shake in her voice. "I'm sorry, I- I couldn't let anything happen to you."
I looked around, mouth still ajar, then I got to my feet and stood in the patch of moonlight with Clarke. Swallowing hard, I desperately searched for the right words to say. I was in complete shock, but I wanted her to know it was okay. Whatever she did, whatever she is, it's okay.
"What… what was that… what did you do?"
Clarke started to back away.
"Bellamy, please… stay back."
"Clarke, it's okay."
"It's not okay!" She cried. "You have to stay back."
"Okay, okay." I pleaded. "I'm right here. Just don't leave."
"You know, the least you could do is be careful. It's hard enough to keep my distance and seeing you hurt doesn't help at all."
"So don't." I moved forward. "Don't keep your distance. Let me in."
"I can't. I have to protect you and that means staying away."
"But you don't mean that. You're here and you were following me and guess what? You saved my life. You saved me."
"Stop. I'm not what you think I am."
"So tell me what you are."
We paused. Clarke's eyebrows turned up and she gave me a helpless look as she cocked her head to the side like a sad puppy. I returned the same look.
"If I tell you, everything will change. I can't protect you from everything but I can protect you from this."
I lifted the back of my hand to stroke her pale cheek.
"Clarke, I-"
"Looks like Bellamy couldn't even make it to the bottom of the mountain!" I heard Miller call out in the distance. I turned my head towards his voice. "And he called me the wimp!"
I turned back and once again Clarke left me without a goodbye as my hand dangled in the air. I threw my arms up then let them drop and slap against my thighs. Then I looked up to the sky and scolded myself.
"I have got to stop falling for that."
