Here is a new chapter to start the year with the right foot!
Happy new year and my best wishes to everyone!
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step (Lao Tzu)
She had almost finished her daily exercise routine when she started hearing earsplitting noises coming from outside her cell; the other prisoners started to bang on the walls and chant, in loud and excited voices, about going to the earth.
No matter how hard they tried to disguise it with enthusiastic shouts she could easily distinguish the frightened tremors in all their voices, having honed her senses to gauge the smallest signs while reading her opponents body language in life and death battles, it wasn't exactly hard to pick out the obvious cues.
While all of them were exceedingly happy about leaving the ark, that much was crystal clear, none of them knew if they would survive or if by some miracle they did what would exactly happen down there but even that innate fear of the unknown wasn't enough to quell their exhilaration. Better die in the earth than live here, seemed to have become their unofficial anthem.
The guards tried to seize control of the situation in the only way they knew how, by brute force, and so they kicked, punched and shouted until all the unruly prisoners seemed to fall back in line and back down in their effervescent defiance.
Her door opened with a loud bang and two guards came in, one was twirling his shock baton in what was supposed to be a threatening way but Clarke didn't show fear, after facing grounder warriors Taggart's little act was laughable at best.
"Prisoners 319, face the wall."
This time she didn't resist them, not only she knew what was happening she also wasn't going to give Taggart the satisfaction of hitting her again and get away it.
Clarke didn't even flinch when the brute guard bodily check her, as a fact she allowed herself to give him a mocking smirk.
It seemed that sharing her soul with a warrior spirit allowed her natural defiance to shine even brighter than before. In the other time she had tried to keep her head down and avoid incurring the guards' wrath, but now she didn't even try to curve her sarcastic retorts or openly disdainful sneers.
The blonde faced any punishment given with an unmatched bravery and enjoyed toying with the guards. To their astonishment, no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't break her and that perverse satisfaction gave her the strength to withstand anything and everything they threw at her.
"This will be the only time you can touch my body, I would enjoy it if I were you"
Angered by her flippant attitude and the blatant reminder of all the times she refused his advances while imprisoned, he pushed her against the wall, with more force than necessary, to secure her arm and put the bracelet on her wrist.
"Like it rough big boy?" she taunted him again, enjoying his growing anger. The first time she denied him she got a busted lip and another time a black eye, he didn't need to be careful she was in solitary confinement after all.
The enraged man was about to hit her when the other guard with him stopped his raised arm before it made contact with her body.
"I will escort the prisoner from here onwards Taggart"
"But…"
"Back off, she is a council member daughter's for god's sake. Do you want us to be floated for this?"
Clarke didn't know whether to feel grateful or disgusted by the older guard. While he prevented her from being seriously injured before her trip to earth, which could definitely pose a problem later, he clearly knew about Taggart's less than stellar behavior towards the prisoners and only stopped it because of who she was, her mother would surely have them both executed if she happened to find out.
When she came out of her cell the first thing she saw was her mother waiting for her. Abby looked as self-confident and beautiful as ever but the dark circles under her eyes and the hunted look in them betrayed her fear and exhaustion.
"Clarke" She said in a whisper and hugged her tighter than ever, like the older blonde was afraid she would vanish in any minute.
"It's time, isn't it?"
"Yes, but I'm confident everything will be ok" She tried to sound strong but her words couldn't hide the dread she felt. She would be a lousy poker player, Clarke thought idly.
"I prefer to die in earth than be trapped in this box a minute longer". Her words were true, if given the choice she would pick almost everyday day she spent on earth rather than life in the ark.
Black blood coated her hands, lips and every inch of her naked body. Labored breath and moans of pain filled the empty room. You were right Clarke, life is about more than just surviving. Everything was blurry, she started to sweat and shake heavily. Her breathing became erratic, only one word was on her mind, like a broken record, Lexa, lexa, lexa!
"Clarke, honey, you are having a panic attack. Focus on my voice"
Slowly but surely the haze in her mind started to ebb away. She was still in the ark and Lexa was alive somewhere in the earth. That small comfort inflamed her chest with unwavering hope and confidence. She wouldn't fail her lover this time, her Heda will rule the coalition for many years to come, even if she had to kill everyone who opposed her with her bare hands.
Luckily her mother had no way of deciphering the real meaning behind her panic attack and attributed her sudden flair of terror and anxiety to her impending trip. Clarke just hugged her tight and reassured her that everything was going to be ok.
"What happens now?"
"First a shower and then a group of guards will escort all of you to the dropship"
Clarke nodded, absentmindedly remembering that she hadn't gone through this part of the process the first time around since she had been knocked unconscious.
"I will see you before we go, right?"
"Of course, I wouldn't dare been anywhere else". You knock me unconscious before and left me alone, she thought bitterly. She shook her head to get rid of those thoughts, no matter their differences and how apart they have grown with time, Abby was still her mom and she loved her.
Once alone in the shower she took the time to scrub herself conscientiously, there would be no time later and who knows how long it would take her to find a safe lake once they arrive. Her lack of personal hygiene on earth bother her a lot more this time around. Of course between facing possible death and a bath it was no contest that washing wasn't exactly a priority but still, she reeked… how the hell Lexa managed to ignore that it's a mystery that she will never understand.
The prisoners were directed to a line and Clarke could see that Wells was in the front, she walked quickly to stand beside her only friend. The blond took Wells hands on her own and gave it a little squeeze.
"I know it wasn't you who got my father floated and that you got arrested on purpose. Thank you"
The black boy looked at her in surprise but returned the squeeze and gave her a beaming smile, words were unnecessary between them.
"Clarke!"
Breaking all protocols Abby run to her daughter and embraced her a last time. The guards debated whether to act or not but remembering who the woman was, rapidly decided that there was no point in angering her and let them be.
A few of them even nodded solemnly and sympathetically, first her husband was floated and now her child was sent on a suicide mission, that no one really believed would be successful, the least they could do was allow her this little indulgence.
"I will be okay mom"
"I know you will, you have always been strong and independent. It's me who isn't ok"
"All prisoners take their assign seats please" a cold metallic voice said from a speaker in the wall
"I love you mom". A lonely, traitorous tear fell from her eye. Knowing beforehand that they would survive didn't make it any easier.
"I love you too Clarky"
After what it felt like an eternity, Clarke heard the dropship door close with a resounding bump, sealing their fate as the first of their people to travel to earth in 97 years.
She instantly intertwined her fingers with Wells who offered her a small smile as the countdown started and when it hit zero, they were launched.