As a child, I used to believe in ghosts. The cabin next to the one I shared with my family had been empty for years due to an unsolved heating issue, but every night between one and three in the morning, I could hear a clanging sound come from within. No one knew what it was, not even my mother who, as an engineer and an insufferable know-it-all, always had an answer to everything.
The older children of Tesla Station convinced me it was the ghost of a little boy whose parents had been floated long ago. They told me the clanging was the sound of his fist hitting the metal walls, trying to find a way out so he could join them in the empty vacuum of space.
I would lie awake for hours every night, listening to the noise: clang! clang! clang! But I wasn't frightened. I was sad. I thought about the boy, alone in a dark cabin, his family dead and lost. He must have been so scared. As a six-year-old little girl whose family was the most important thing in her life, that little ghost was the epitome of my worst nightmares.
How ironic was it that the ghost's life now mirrored my own? Stranded on an unknown planet inhabited by hostile savages, my father and grandmother dead.
I sighed, shaking my head. I had to focus. The Grounders had already taken Clarke, Finn and Monty. We didn't know if they were alive or dead. The entire camp was on edge, scrambling to bury landmines and build traps as soon as possible. The enemy could be there any moment.
'Here, hold this,' Raven told me.
I took the shovel from her as she carefully put the landmine at the bottom of the hole we'd dug and connected the cord. Dusting our hands on our pants, we both stood up and admired our work: it wasn't perfect but it would have to do.
'Come on,' Bellamy said, weaving through the workers. 'These foxholes aren't gonna build themselves.'
I tried to make myself as small as I could, praying he wouldn't see me. Ever since I had realized my feelings for Bellamy weren't strictly platonic, I had been avoiding him. It was easier to ignore the situation, both for myself and my dignity.
Raven looked at me, a single eyebrow raised and I glared at her, but it lacked any heat. I just hoped she was the only one who knew about my predicament.
Unfortunately for me, Bellamy headed straight for us.
'Better hope those landmines work,' he told Raven. 'With all the gunpowder we're wasting, we could be making more grenades.'
'You wanna come over here and test one?' she shot back without missing a beat.
'Cute,' he replied. I tried to ignore the way my heart seized with jealousy. 'I need this entire section mined by morning. Then, we finish the south field.'
Raven and I shared a look, alarmed.
'Hey!' she protested, going after him. 'I told you, we're going after Finn, Clarke and Monty in the morning.'
'And I told you,' he replied. 'Nobody leaves this camp.'
'We can't just abandon our people! You wanna lead them? Show them you give a damn.'
He went to answer but suddenly, we heard a deafening gunshot. I ran to the source of the noise, followed closely by Bellamy and Raven. It wasn't hard to see who had fired: Sterling's face was filled with guilt and embarrassment.
'Hey!' Bellamy shouted. 'What the hell's the matter with you?'
'I'm sorry, man, I fell asleep. I've been on watch all day.'
'We've all been on watch all day!' Bellamy yelled back, shoving him against the wall. 'That bullet was one less dead Grounder!'
'Bell, you're scaring people,' Octavia said softly, trying to placate him.
'They should be scared! The bomb on the bridge bought us some time to prepare, but that time is up. The Grounders are out there right now, waiting for us to leave and picking us off one by one when we do. Clarke, Finn and Monty are gone. Probably dead. And if you wanna be next, I can't stop you. But no guns are leaving this camp! This camp is the only thing keeping us alive!'
Bellamy looked at the crowd, at the scared faces staring at him. The only thing that could be heard was his ragged breathing.
'Get back to work,' he ordered us, stalking back to the dropship. The crowd dispersed until only Raven and I were left. I was still staring at Bellamy's retreating figure.
'You should go,' she said.
I turned to look at her. She was smiling softly, a stark difference to the frown she'd been wearing all day long.
'I'm serious, Y/N,' she insisted. 'Go. I'm pretty sure you're the only one on this planet who can make him change his mind. He needs to see reason about Clarke, Finn and Monty.'
I nodded. Saving our friends was more important than my own pride. Leaving Raven, I entered the dropship, my heart hammering in my chest. Bellamy was breathing harshly, leaning over the table. On the other side of the room, Myles was moaning in pain: with Clarke gone, there was no one who could treat his wounds.
'Hey,' I said softly. Bellamy's head snapped up. 'You okay?'
'I'm fine,' he replied, but the darkness in his eyes said otherwise. I leaned my hip against the table, trying to ignore how close that made us.
'You don't need to pretend,' I said. 'Not with me.'
I remembered embracing him after Atom's death, and grabbing his hand when Octavia was kidnapped. I remembered him holding me back after Charlotte had jumped off the cliff and taking care of me when I was injured. Despite all odds, Bellamy was the only one that had seen me at my lowest. And vice-versa.
Bellamy sighed deeply, giving up on his illusion of strength. He suddenly looked exhausted, and scared.
'Do you think I'm wrong,' he asked. 'About Clarke, Finn and Monty?'
'No,' I answered.
His head snapped up, his face the picture of complete surprise.
'That doesn't mean I think you're right either,' I continued before he could get his hopes up. 'We have to go after them. They're our friends, our people. We can't abandon them. But we can't send the entire camp out, not when the Grounders might attack any moment. That's just plain stupid. We have to stay inside the walls and get ready.'
'Just get to the point, Y/N.'
I squared my shoulders, knowing he wouldn't like my plan one bit.
'I'll go,' I said.
Bellamy didn't disappoint. His eyes widened and his fists clenched involuntarily.
'You better be joking.'
'I'm not. Look, I know the woods better than anyone and right now, I'm the best tracker in camp. I can fight, I'm stealthy and I have my bow so I don't even need a gun. Bellamy, I'm the best chance you've got.'
'That's why we need you here!' he protested.
'Clarke, Finn and Monty need me more.'
Bellamy breathed out harshly, running his hands through his hair. I couldn't help but feel guilty, knowing I was only adding to his troubles. But my plan was sound.
'I'm leaving in the morning,' I said. 'It's not up to discussion.'
'I'll stop you.'
'How? By choking me again?'
It was a cheap shot and I regretted it instantly, but the damage was done. Bellamy's face hardened, his eyes cold.
'Whatever. It's your life to ruin,' he said.
He turned to the table, studying the camp's model. It didn't take a genius to realize that conversation was over, and all I had managed to do was piss him off.
Raven would be thrilled.
The third level of the dropship had been turned into a workshop for both Raven and Monty. It was also where my arrows were stored. Courtesy of Raven, they were now upgraded with metal ends. I had to sharpen them before I headed out to find Clarke, Finn and Monty. I climbed up, breathing a heavy sigh once I was out of Bellamy's sight. I had only been up there for a few minutes when Jasper climbed in. He looked sullen, and it wasn't hard to guess why.
'Bellamy is being an ass?' I asked.
He nodded, looking tense. I didn't know him well, but I knew he was very close to Monty. Bellamy's refusal to look for him must have hit Jasper bad.
'I'm going in the morning,' I told him. 'Just me. I'll bring them back if I can.'
Jasper's head snapped up.
'Really? Thanks, Y/N.'
'No problem.'
We got to work in comfortable silence, Jasper working on the mines while I sharpened my arrows. After some time, Jasper's stomach started growling loudly and I laughed.
'Come on,' I said. 'Let's get something to eat.'
We climbed down, one after the other but as Jasper was about to reach the final ladder, he froze. My feet almost knocked into his head.
'What is it?' I asked, frowning when he didn't answer. 'Jasper?'
'Y/N, get back upstairs,' he said slowly. 'Lock the hatch.'
Before I could move, I heard someone running. Jasper dropped down the ladder, and I quickly climbed down. But as soon as my feet touched the floor, I froze. Murphy was standing in front of the table, a gun pointed at Jasper's head. From the corner of my eyes, I saw Myles. His face was blank, his body still. Dead.
'Murphy, just put the gun down,' Jasper said.
I instinctively reached for my bow, and cursed silently when I realized I had left it upstairs. I was completely unarmed and the thought of how vulnerable I was made my heart race in my chest.
'Why are you doing this?' I asked Murphy, my voice weaker than I would have liked.
He looked back at Myles, disdain in his eyes.
'He tried to kill me.'
Jasper took a step back toward the door, pulling me with him and Murphy snarled, the gun going from Jasper's head to mine.
'Don't move!' he shouted.
I froze, shaking. My courage had left me the moment I had realized I didn't have my bow. I wished I was braver. Clarke, Bellamy, Raven…even Jasper, none of them were shaking in their boots at the slightest sign of danger. But I was.
'Okay,' Jasper tried to placate Murphy. 'Okay. It's cool.'
'No. It's not. You know what will happen to me if you guys tell Bellamy.'
Jasper's radio suddenly crackled and I inhaled sharply as I heard the voice of the man in question coming through. My heart raced faster, and I tried to convince myself it was because of the fear.
'Tell Bellamy what?' he asked.
Murphy and Jasper stared at each other, the air thick with tension. I was trying to make myself look as small as possible behind Jasper. Not that it was working much.
'Give me the radio, Jasper,' Murphy ordered.
Jasper turned his head, looking at me. I knew what he was asking, how dangerous it would be. And without a word, knowing I might have just signed my death warrant, I nodded. Immediately, Jasper brought the radio to his mouth.
'Murphy has a gun, he killed Myles-'
Snarling, Murphy shot forward and slammed the gun in Jasper's head, knocking him unconscious. He reached for me and I tried to get away, but his grip on my wrist was too strong. He dragged me to the lever and pulled it before I could react, sealing the door shut.
'Murphy!' I head Bellamy shout from outside.
I twisted in Murphy's grip, doing everything in my power to keep him from getting a stronger grip. If I let him overpower me, it was over. I managed to bring my arm up and punched him in the face as hard as I could. White hot pain erupted in my hand and I felt tears pool in my eyes, but I ignored the pain and tried to get away, reaching for the lever.
'You bitch!' Murphy snarled.
He grabbed my hair and twisted my head back before I could open the door. Unable to keep myself upright, I fell against him and he used the position to drag me across the room. He grabbed one of the detached seatbelts and tried to tie my hands but I struggled too much. He let go of my arms, and before I could react, slammed my head against the wall. I felt a bolt dig into my cheekbone and the pain dazed me long enough for Murphy to twist my arms behind my back and tie them to the wall. He then shoved a piece of fabric in my mouth, watching with a smirk as I struggled against my bonds.
Jasper was slowly rousing, groaning in pain on the floor and Murphy tied him up next to me, gagging him as well. He stood over us, gun pointing at our heads, a sick smile on his face.
'Well,' he said, 'this will be interesting.'
Morning came, and the more time passed, the more on edge Murphy was. Whatever his plan was, I knew he hadn't counted on being discovered so soon. He must have killed Connor as well. Clarke had been surprised at his death, since he seemed to get better. I should have realized there was something suspicious there, but I was so relieved at Bellamy's recovery I hadn't even thought to wonder about Connor.
'Murphy,' Bellamy's voice suddenly came from the radio, 'I know you can hear me.'
I wondered if he knew I was in there. Perhaps he thought I had left already, to search for Monty, Clarke and Finn. As far as he knew, there was only Jasper here.
'All our ammo and food's in the middle level, you know that,' Bellamy continued. 'You're leaving us vulnerable to an attack. I can't let that happen.'
Murphy scowled, grabbing the radio.
'Yeah, well in case you haven't noticed, you're not exactly in control right now.'
'Come on, Murphy, you don't wanna hurt Jasper, you wanna hurt me.'
My eyes widened, and I exchanged a panicked look with Jasper. I had a feeling I knew what Bellamy was about to do, and I didn't like it one bit.
'So, what do you say?' he continued. 'How about you trade him for me?'
That fucking idiot, I thought furiously.
Murphy wasn't going to hurt Jasper or me, not yet anyway. But if he was on a revenge spree against the people who had tried to hang him, then Bellamy was probably on top of that list. If he came in here, Murphy would kill him without a second thought.
'All you have to do is let him go and I'll take his place,' Bellamy finished.
'How?' Murphy asked, a sick smile on his face.
I tried to shout despite the gag in my mouth and Murphy smirked at me. I struggled against my bonds, blood boiling in my veins. God, how I hated him.
'Simple,' Bellamy answered. 'You open the door, I walk in, he walks out.'
Murphy put down the radio, looking at Jasper intensely. I tried to shout again, to beg him not to do it, but all that came out of my mouth was pure gibberish. Murphy suddenly seized Jasper, pulling him to his feet roughly. He dragged him to the lever and pulled it as I watched helplessly.
'Just you, Bellamy, unarmed!' Murphy shouted. 'Ten seconds, or I'll put one in Jasper's leg!'
He started counting, and at five, Bellamy yelled back that he was there. I heard heavy footsteps and the drapes opened, revealing Bellamy's tense face. Immediately, Murphy shoved Jasper outside, making him fall, and closed the door. It sealed shut, just as Bellamy saw me. His eyes took in the gag in my mouth, the bleeding cut on my cheekbone and my tied-up hands. There was surprise on his face and a heart-wrenching fear that wasn't there when he'd walked in.
Bellamy took a step towards me, his arms outstretched, but Murphy cocked his gun at him and he froze.
'Let her go,' Bellamy said. 'She has nothing to do with this.'
'Doesn't she? It was her little protégée who killed Wells and didn't care to mention it when you were hanging me from a tree. No, no. Y/N's staying right here.'
Bellamy looked at me, regret and pain in his eyes. There was guilt there too, and I realized he thought it was his fault. I wished I could tell him it wasn't, that if there was someone to blame, it was Murphy and Murphy alone. But I couldn't talk, and I hated the gag with a fiery passion.
Murphy suddenly threw detached seatbelts at Bellamy. They clattered to the floor and he looked at them, puzzled.
'Tie them up together,' Murphy ordered.
'What? No.'
Murphy raised an eyebrow and smirked. Before either of us could react, he pointed the gun at me and fired. The bullet hit the floor, right between my feet and I whimpered in fear, the sound echoing in my head. Bellamy's eyes were wide with both anger and fear.
'Do what I say, Bellamy. Or the next one goes in her leg.'
The radio crackled, Octavia's frantic voice coming through.
'Bellamy? Bellamy, are you okay?'
'You want her to know you're alive?' Murphy asked as Octavia kept calling her brother's name. 'Start tying.'
Bellamy dropped to his knees, obeying Murphy's orders.
'I'm fine,' he said when Murphy pushed the radio's button. 'Just a misfire. Stop worrying about me and get back to work. All of you. And tell Raven to hurry her ass up.'
'Alright, that's long enough,' Murphy decided, putting the radio away. He then gestured at the seatbelts on Bellamy's lap. 'Tie those two ends together.'
I couldn't help the whimper of fear that escaped me when I realized what he was making. A noose. It wasn't hard to see what Murphy intended to do. Just like Bellamy had tried to hang him, he was going to hang Bellamy. I felt fear course through my system, an image of Bellamy hanging from a rope playing on a loop in my mind. I couldn't stand it.
'Alright,' Murphy said once it was done. 'Now get up and toss it over.'
Bellamy obeyed, tossing the improvised rope over a metal beam, the noose swinging in the air.
'What do you want me to say?' Bellamy asked, his eyes desperate. 'You want me to apologize? I'm- I'm sorry.'
'You got it all wrong, Bellamy. I don't want you to say anything. I want you to feel what I felt. And then… Then I want you to die.'
I tried to shout, despite the gag in my mouth and struggled against my bonds. Murphy pointed the gun at my head and I glared at him.
'Shut the hell up. This isn't about you, Sunshine.'
I felt my blood boil at the nickname. It felt wrong coming from Murphy's mouth, and from the corner of my eyes, I saw Bellamy scowl. Murphy focused back on Bellamy, keeping the gun against my head.
'Get that bench,' Murphy ordered, 'or I pull the trigger.'
I shook my head frantically but Bellamy obeyed without a word, dragging the bench under the beam.
'Now stand on it. Put the noose around your neck.'
Bellamy, standing on the bench, looked at the rope, disgust in his eyes.
'This is insane. The Grounders could've-'
Suddenly, Murphy shot. The bullet passed so close to my face I felt the air shift against my skin. I whimpered, my eyes wide and Bellamy froze.
'Put it over your head,' Murphy repeated. 'Unless you want to watch as I put a bullet in your little girlfriend's face.'
I didn't even react at Murphy's use of the word "girlfriend". How could I, when Bellamy had just put the noose around his neck, and all Murphy had to do to end his life was kick the bench?
'Happy now?' Bellamy asked, trying to appear defiant despite the fear in his eyes.
Murphy pulled on the rope and Bellamy had to rise on his toes to keep it from strangling him. My heart was racing in my chest, pounding so hard it hurt.
'You're so brave, aren't you?' Murphy mocked. 'I mean, you came in here thinking you were gonna turn this whole thing around. That you were stronger than me, that maybe one of your friends would come and help you. Well, what are you thinking now, Bellamy? Hm?'
He pulled on the rope again and I shouted in anger. I kicked my feet against the floor, trying to attract Murphy's attention and he smirked, letting go of the rope. Bellamy took a deep breath as I glared at Murphy.
'She's a fierce little thing, isn't she?' He mocked, looking at Bellamy. 'So protective. You know, I gotta hand it to you, Bellamy. You got them all fooled. They actually look up to you. Almost as much as they look up to Clarke. Yeah, but we know the truth, don't we? You're a coward. I learned that the day you kicked out the crate from beneath me. For the people. Isn't that what you said? That you were just giving the people what they wanted. Right?'
'I should've stopped them.'
I could see it, the regret on his face. He had made a mistake, and he knew it. But Murphy didn't care.
'Yeah, it's a little late for that now,' he said.
'How does this end for you, Murphy? You think they're just gonna let you walk out of here?'
'Well, I think the princess is dead. And I know the king's about to die, so who's really gonna lead these people? Huh? Me. That's who. And yeah, maybe I have to kill Kane and your Grounder-pounding little sister.'
Snarling, Bellamy tried to kick Murphy but he evaded the hit. Murphy ran to the rope and pushed on it so hard, Bellamy's feet left the crate. His air supply was cut off abruptly and I screamed against the gag as he twisted in the air, his mouth wide open, desperate for oxygen.
I thought this was it, that I was going to have to watch Bellamy died, but suddenly, I heard a sharp yell coming from below the floor. Murphy let go of the rope and Bellamy's feet found purchase on the crate again. He wheezed, his face red.
'I'm guessing that's her right now,' Murphy said. 'Say goodbye to your sister, Bellamy.'
He aimed his gun at the ground and started shooting, ignoring Bellamy's screams. His gun suddenly jammed and Bellamy took the opportunity, trying to get free of the noose. But Murphy saw him. He kicked the crate, and my heart stopped.
With a sick smile, Murphy kneeled next to me and ripped the gag out of my mouth. He took my chin harshly in his hands and forced me to look as Bellamy struggled against the rope, gasping for air.
'It's a beautiful sight, isn't it?' he said.
'Please,' I whimpered. 'Murphy, don't do this, I'll do anything you want. Just let him go, I'm begging you!'
I struggled against my bonds desperately, ignoring the pain in my wrists but I couldn't get free of the rope, no matter how hard I struggled. Bellamy's eyes locked with mine, filled with fear and pain. He was going to die. I'd never been in love before, and what I felt for Bellamy was just a taste of love, but I was so dependent on him already. His death would break me.
'Don't worry, Y/N,' Murphy said, as tears rolled down my cheeks. 'You're next.'
Suddenly, we heard the door hissing. It was opening. I tried to scream but Murphy put a hand against my mouth. He cut the rope tying my hands with a knife and I tried to get up and run to Bellamy, to do something, anything to save him, but Murphy shoved me against the wall roughly.
'Climb, or I shoot him,' he ordered.
I didn't hesitate. The others were going to be here soon, and with luck, they would cut down the rope in time and save Bellamy. But if I didn't obey Murphy, he would shoot him and the only thing I would have accomplished was destroying the last hope of saving him.
I climbed the ladder as fast as I could, Murphy right behind me. Once on the third level, he shoved me to the floor and quickly tied my hands to the wall. I didn't struggle. I was no match for him, and the most important thing now was staying alive. Antagonizing him was out of the question. He locked the hatch with a pipe and started rummaging the crates for ammo. My heart was hammering in my chest, fear coursing through my system. I could hear shouts coming from the first level and Octavia screaming her brother's name. God, I hoped it wasn't too late.
'Murphy!'
I closed my eyes in relief, sagging against the wall. It was Bellamy's voice, rough and pained, but definitely alive. Murphy looked at the hatch, terrified, and I couldn't help the sharp laugh that escaped me.
'Not so brave now, huh?' I mocked, relief making me brave.
He glared at me, but didn't answer. He put a single bullet in his gun and walked to me just as Bellamy tried to open the hatch. We all knew the thin pipe wouldn't hold long.
'Murphy!' Bellamy shouted. 'It's over!'
'Get back or I put a bullet in Kane's head!' Murphy yelled back, aiming at my face.
'Hurt her and I'll kill you!'
Murphy looked around, but there was no way out. He only had one bullet, and if he killed me now, there would be nothing to stop Bellamy from ending his life. Likewise, if he shot Bellamy, then the others wouldn't show him mercy. Perhaps they'd hang him again.
Suddenly, Murphy's eyes locked on a can. The gunpowder. My eyes widened and I only had enough time to try and make myself as small as possible before Murphy pulled the trigger. But not at me. At the can. The gunpowder exploded in a deafening explosion. By the time the smoke cleared, I could see Murphy jump out of the resulting hole.
Just then, the pipe broke and the hatch opened. Bellamy climbed in, and the relief I felt at seeing him alive nearly overwhelmed he. I called his name and he ran to me, his hands running over my face, my arms, everywhere he could reach. Jasper handed him a knife and he cut the rope binding my hands. As soon as I was free, I pulled him in and held him as tightly as I could. His arms closed around my waist and he buried his head in my neck, the both of us breathing hard.
'You're okay, Sunshine,' he said and I laughed at the nickname. It felt ridiculously good to hear it again, when not a minute before, I thought he was going to die. I pulled back a little and looked at his neck, at the reddened skin where the rope had pressed. Without thinking, I ran my fingers across the marks. Bellamy looked at me, his face unreadable.
'Murphy's getting away,' Jasper said. 'Should we go after him?'
I suddenly realized what I was doing and how close I was to Bellamy. Blushing furiously, I got to my feet and kept my eyes glued to the ground.
'No,' Bellamy answered Jasper. 'The Grounders will take care of Murphy. We're going after Clarke, Finn and Monty.'
My head snapped up. Bellamy was looking at me, a soft smile on his face.
'You guys were right,' he continued. 'We don't abandon our own. Just the three of us. Two guns, one bow, that's it. Raven stays here to build up defences. We lost a day because of this. And our gunpowder.'
He headed for the hatch but Jasper stopped him.
'Bellamy, wait,' he called. 'Look, I just…'
At a loss for words, Jasper pulled Bellamy into a hug. The other man tensed up, surprised, and patted Jasper's back awkwardly.
'Thank you,' Jasper said.
He took a step back, teary-eyed.
'Long way from "whatever the hell you want", he said.
Bellamy chuckled. Suddenly, the radio crackled and Miller's voice came through.
'All gunners, we got movement outside the south wall.'
We sprang back into action immediately. I grabbed my bow and quiver and we hurried outside, joining the others as they converged towards the gate.
'Wait!' Miller shouted. 'Hold your fire, it's Clarke and Finn. Open the gate.'
As soon as the gate opened, Finn and Clarke ran in, the both of them looking exhausted but otherwise unarmed. I breathed in sharply, relieved.
'Hey, we heard an explosion,' Clarke said, 'what happened?'
'Murphy happened,' Bellamy replied.
Jasper suddenly pulled Clarke in a hug, a huge smile on his face.
'Thank God. Where have you been? Where's Monty?'
'Monty's gone?'
Jasper's face fell, but before I could ask for more information, Finn was talking.
'Clarke, we need to leave, now. All of us do. There's an army of Grounders unlike anything we've ever seen coming for us right now. We need to pack what we can and run.'
An army of Grounders? The thought was scary enough, but I immediately frowned as Finn said we needed to leave. Where were we supposed to go?
'Like hell, we do,' Bellamy scoffed. 'We knew this was coming.'
'Bell, we're not prepared,' Octavia protested.
'And they're not here yet. We still have time to get ready. Besides, where would we go? Where would we be safer than behind these walls?'
'There's an ocean to the east,' Finn answered. 'People there will help us.'
'You saw Lincoln,' Octavia realized.
He nodded.
'How do you know we can trust them?' I asked. His plan seemed a bit rushed. 'Have you met these people? Do you know where they are, exactly?'
He didn't answer, and I frowned.
'Y/N's right. You expect us to trust a Grounder, but you won't give any more information?' Bellamy said, before turning to the crowd. 'This is our home now. We built this from nothing with our bare hands. Our dead are buried behind that wall, in this ground. Our ground! The Grounders think they can take that away. They think that because we came from the sky, we don't belong here. But they're yet to realize one very important fact. We are on the ground now. And that means we are Grounders!
The crowd cheered, shaking their weapons above their heads. There was a fierceness on their faces and I couldn't help but smile. We had come a long way.
'Grounders with gun!' someone added.
'Damn right,' Bellamy said. 'I say let them come!'
He looked at Clarke, looking for her support.
'Bellamy's right,' she agreed. 'If we leave, we may never find a place as safe as this. And God knows, in this world, we could be faced with something even worse tomorrow. But that doesn't change the simple fact that if we stay here, we will die tonight. So pack your things. Just take what you can carry. Now.'
The crowd dispersed, running to their tents under Bellamy's desperate gaze. I was about to go to my own tent when I heard someone cry out.
'Help me!'
I turned and gasped when I saw Raven limping towards us. She had a hand pressed to her side, her clothes darkened with blood. We hurried towards her and Finn lifted her in his arms.
'Murphy shot her,' Jasper said.
She must have been the one under the floor of the dropship, and not Octavia like I'd thought. Finn brought her into the dropship, and Clarke was about to follow when Bellamy stopped her.
'Clarke. Leaving here is a mistake.'
'I agree,' I said. 'We don't even know if the Grounder was telling the truth! What if it's a trap?'
'The decision's been made,' she answered.
'Crowds make bad decisions,' Bellamy protested. 'Just ask Murphy. Leaders do what they think is right.'
'I am,' she answered firmly.
She left without another word, and I was left with Bellamy, the both of us staring at her retreating figure.
'They're going to slaughter us,' I breathed out. I held my bow tightly, the wood familiar and reassuring under my fingers.
'They can try,' Bellamy replied darkly. Our eyes met and I took a deep breath, finding courage in his gaze. We had no choice.
We had to fight, or die trying.
