We followed the Grounder's map, and soon enough, left familiar woods to unknown ones. I had no idea where we were, and the more we walked, the more nervous I was. Finn was driving us at a relentless pace and we were all exhausted. Murphy was still suffering from the stab wound in his leg, and my thigh was throbbing. Even Bellamy was getting tired, but I knew he was too proud to admit it.

'Everyone, eyes peeled,' he said. 'We're in Grounder territory.'

'Everything is Grounder territory, all right?' Murphy snarled. 'I can't keep running. We don't even know if the guy Finn killed was telling the truth.'

Finn rounded back on Murphy, grabbing him roughly and pulling him forward.

'Keep moving,' he ordered.

'We can give 'em a minute,' Bellamy protested.

'No, we can't!' Finn snapped. 'You heard what that Grounder said: "They'll outlive their usefulness."

'I heard what he said when you had a gun to his head!'

'Look, you think I wanted to do that? He would've told his people we're coming. And by the time we got there, our people would be dead. Maybe that's something you can live with, but I can't.'

Finn shot forward but Bellamy held him back, his eyes boring into Finn's.

'I know you did what you think you had to do. But you are not yourself right now and I can't be out here with another loose cannon.'

'You guys,' Monroe interrupted them, staring at the path beyond with haunted eyes.

We turned, looking at where she was pointing her rifle, and I inhaled sharply as I saw a body, nearly hidden behind some bushes.

'Fall in,' Bellamy ordered.

We walked further down the path, tense, and saw several more bodies lying haphazardly on the ground. Some were intact, but most were broken, dried blood on their skin.

'Where the hell did they come from?' Murphy asked.

'From the Ark,' Bellamy answered.

'He's right,' I said. 'Look, this one's wearing a guard uniform.'

What had happened there? These people had been here for days, if the insects buzzing around were any indication. The entire area stank of rotting flesh, and behind me, Sterling gagged. A part of me felt guilty that I wasn't more shocked and horrified at seeing so many cadavers. But I was used to it, by now.

We reached the edge of a high cliff, overlooking a valley, and I gasped as I saw the wreckage of what looked to be the Factory Station. I recognized the shape of it, although it was nearly smashed to smithereens.

'That's a rough landing,' Murphy said.

It was no wonder my father hadn't been able to reach them after the Ark had separated. And it made me wonder if all the other stations had suffered the same fate. Alpha was the sturdiest, and it had barely survived. I wondered about Tesla Station. Had my childhood home been destroyed too?

'There's nothing we can do for these people,' Bellamy said quietly. 'We gotta go.'

We started walking, but suddenly, whimpers echoed through the air. I froze, listening intently. It sounded like a woman.

'Did you hear that?' Murphy asked, walking back to the edge. I followed and tried to find the source of the noise. Monroe spotted her first.

'Hey, someone's down there!'

I leaned in, careful not to lose my balance, and finally saw a girl, not much older than me. She was holding onto a branch that protruded from the cliff's side, her feet barely able to find purchase on a small ridge. She looked exhausted.

'Hey!' Bellamy shouted. 'Up here!'

'Please, help me!' she yelled back.

'Mel?' Sterling called with a frown.

'You know her?' Murphy asked.

'Shut up, Murphy, she's my friend. We have to do something.'

Mel kept shouting, and I exchanged a look with Monroe. Sterling ran to Finn's pack, where we kept the rope, but I focused back on Mel.

'It's gonna be okay!' I shouted. 'We're getting you out of here, just hold on a little longer!'

Sterling came back, the rope intertwined around his body. I looked around, and saw he had tied it around a stump.

'Is the knot going to hold?' I asked him.

'Yeah, my father taught me how. Don't worry.'

I pulled on the rope with all my strength, satisfied when it held. Sterling started climbing down the cliff, just as Finn and Bellamy came back running.

'Wait, Sterling!' Finn shouted.

'It looks like we're taking that break after all, uh?' Murphy drawled.

I glared at him and he rolled his eyes, but I didn't say anything. I was too anxious, staring as Sterling climbed down the cliff. He seemed to know what he was doing, descending steadily at an impressive speed.

'I'm almost there!' he yelled as he neared Mel. 'Once I have her, pull us up!'

Murphy looked at Bellamy with a smirk.

'I'd say he's heard one too many of your motivational speeches.'

'Shut up, Murphy,' Bellamy snapped back.

Sterling finally reached his friend, and took her hand in his. I was getting ready to pull them up when suddenly, the ridge that Mel had found purchase on disintegrated beneath her feet. She yelled, holding onto the branch with all her strength. Below her, the rocks fell and shattered hundreds of yards below.

Sterling held out his hand once more and she tried to reach out to him, but he was too far. He made his way to her and was finally able to grasp her hand.

Suddenly, I heard a snapping sound, and I turned just in time to see the knot that tied the rope to the stump break.

'No!' I yelled.

I fell to my knees, trying to grasp the sliding rope but Sterling was too heavy and it slid between my fingers, burning the skin. Sterling shouted as he fell into the abyss, the sound of his body shattering on the ground below echoing in my mind.

Monroe took a shuddering breath, tears pooling in her eyes and I stood up, pulling her against me. She wasn't crying, or shouting, and in a way, it was worse. She was tense against me, gasping for breath, her hands shaking. She kept whispering Sterling's name.

I couldn't help but think of Charlotte. She had died this way as well and for days, I had been haunted by the idea of her small body, lying bloody, broken and forgotten. I'd imagines insects and scavenger birds picking on her flesh. I could only hope that Monroe wouldn't have to go through the same nightmares I had.

'Mel!' Bellamy said loudly, his tone soothing. 'Mel, hold on. Focus on me. You can do this.'

'No!' she shouted.

'Yes, you can. You're strong.'

'I'm not strong! Stubborn, maybe.'

'So be stubborn a little longer. I'm not gonna let you die, you hear me?'

Monroe pulled away from me, wiping her cheeks with her sleeve. She avoided my eyes, walking back to the edge. Finn approached Bellamy, scowling.

'We're out of rope,' he said.

'So we make a new one.'

'If anything happens to our friends-'

'We don't know if we can save our friends!' Bellamy exploded. 'For all we know, they may be dead already. We've all thought it. But what we do know is we can save this one girl.'

Finn shook his head, but Monroe stepped forward, her face set.

'Sterling was one of us,' she said. 'She was his friend. I'm in.'

Bellamy looked at me and I smiled tightly.

'Do you even have to ask?' I said. 'Let's save her.'

'How do we do it?' Murphy asked.

'We make new rope from the wreckage,' Bellamy answered. 'Go find wires, seat belts, anything.'

I nodded and headed to find what he'd asked. Monroe and Murphy followed me. I shifted through the debris, pulled belts out of bodies, anything that could be used to make a sturdy rope. Thankfully, we had more than enough, and it wasn't long before we had made one that was long enough to lower Bellamy down and get Mel.

'I still think you shouldn't be the one to do it,' I told Bellamy as I checked for the umpteenth time that the knots were secure.

'I'm the strongest,' he repeated.

'And the heaviest! We should send Monroe. She's light, she's strong and she's willing to do it!'

I gestured at the blond girl and she nodded, her face set. Bellamy scowled.

'I'm going,' he said. 'That's final.'

I stood up and jammed a finger in his chest.

'If you die…' I began.

Bellamy smiled and grabbed my hand, squeezing it gently.

'I won't. I promise.'

I sighed. I wouldn't be able to change his mind, and time was of the essence. I helped Bellamy with the rope, positioning it around his body in the most secure way I could think of. We had tied the end around the tree stump, and for good measure, Finn, Monroe and Murphy were all holding onto it.

I looked at Bellamy, the image of Sterling falling echoing in my mind. Without thinking, I rose on my tiptoes and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek.

'Be careful, Blake,' I said as I took a hold of the rope as well.

He winked at me with a smirk.

'I always am, Sunshine,' he answered before his face turned serious once more. 'Let's do this.'

'All right,' Murphy said as Bellamy started to climb down the cliff. 'Ease it out slowly.'

I was positioned behind Murphy and before Finn, with Monroe behind him. Soon enough, Bellamy disappeared from my sight and I focused on the rope, ignoring the fear coursing through my body.

'Just hang on,' Bellamy shouted to Mel. 'I'm almost there!'

A few minutes later, the rope was pulled tight and it got significantly harder to hold it.

'I got her!' Bellamy yelled. 'Pull us up!'

'Don't you worry, Bellamy,' Murphy mocked. 'I won't drop you.'

'Shut up,' I said.

'You know, Kane, I'm getting real tired of people telling me to shut up.'

'Just pull, Murphy!' Finn ordered.

I used all my strength, and little by little, we pulled Bellamy and Mel up. I was sweating heavily, and the pain in my thigh was getting harder and harder to ignore, but I kept going.

Suddenly, the seat belt that Murphy was holding onto snapped open. Finn, Monroe and I fell to the ground as the weight lifted. I scrambled forward, grabbing the rope that Murphy had managed to miraculously hold on to and started pulling as he shouted. Monroe and Finn joined us and we started pulling once more.

'What the hell is happening up there?' Bellamy yelled.

'Just hold on!' Finn shouted back.

An arrow suddenly whizzed past my face, planting itself in the ground mere inches from Murphy's leg.

'Grounders!' Monroe yelled.

I cursed. They must have heard the shooting.

'Monroe, Y/N, cover us!' Finn ordered.

I didn't hesitate. He handed Monroe his rifle and I took my bow, nocking an arrow and drawing the string. We both aimed for the trees, but the forest hid our enemies from sight. I couldn't see them, but they could see us, and soon, an arrow buried itself in Monroe's thigh. She screamed, dropping to the ground. I kept shooting, but I was getting desperate.

Suddenly, a horn blew in the distance. I froze. This was the same sound the Grounders used to warn their people the acid fog was coming. I ran back to the rope when I realized our enemies had left, falling to my knees and helping Finn and Murphy pull Bellamy and Mel up. Monroe joined me, her face tight with pain.

Miraculously, the rope held, and soon enough, Bellamy's face appeared over the edge. He helped Mel up and I let go of the rope once they were safely over the ridge. I crawled forward and pulled Bellamy to me, the both of us breathing hard. My arms were shaking wildly, the flesh of my hands was burned and my thigh was throbbing, but I couldn't have cared less.

'You said you'd be careful,' I panted as I buried my head in the crook of his neck.

'Sorry, Sunshine.'

'We have to take cover from the fog,' Finn said as I pulled away from Bellamy.

But suddenly, another voice rang out. A voice I knew quite well.

'Bellamy!' Octavia called, stepping out of the woods.

She had to be the one who'd blown the horn, to save us from the Grounders. Bellamy shot forward, and they hugged, the both of them smiling brightly. They walked back to us and I stood up, embracing Octavia tightly.

She pulled away with a smile, before focusing on Monroe's wound. It wasn't serious, but Octavia thought the arrow might have been poisoned. We all knew what it meant: some of us would have to go back to Camp Jaha. Mel was injured as well, her shoulder messed up from having to hang to a tree for so long. She was also severely dehydrated and in shock.

Finn hadn't hesitated when we'd realized we'd have to separate. He wanted to go after Clarke.

'I'll go with you,' I said.

Bellamy's head snapped up, his eyes boring into mine. I smiled tightly.

'I can't let him go alone,' I added. 'And two trackers are better than one.'

Bellamy sighed, but just like I'd known I couldn't convince him not to go after Mel, he couldn't convince me not to follow Finn. I was surprised, however, when Murphy started following us.

Finn and I turned around, watching him with confused eyes..

'Where the hell do you think you're going?' Bellamy asked.

'Come on,' Murphy answered. 'You know if I go with you, they'll just lock me up again.'

Bellamy nodded and leaned down, grabbing his rifle. Without a word, he threw it at Murphy, who caught it with a surprised frown.

'Really?' Octavia said.

'Watch their backs,' Bellamy told Murphy.

Murphy nodded, and Bellamy looked at me. I smiled, trying to look confident.

'Be careful,' I said.

'You too.'

Without another word, I followed Finn and Murphy and disappeared into the woods.