Taming Chaos // J.M // The 100

Chapter 66

Ethan kicks off from the water and hops in the boat. He's always been known as one for an adventure. The one that liked the chaos. He's too far to stop now.

He reaches out and pulls Murphy in behind him.

Day blends back into night, he and Murphy row for a while, before swapping with the other two. It was like any other guard shift, except they haven't slept in almost four days and it's getting to them.

"Are we going in circles?" Ethan whispers, looking at the stars.

Murphy twists his head, staring at the water. Their shoulders are a constant weight against each other.

"You know what? Screw this. If you're not going to sleep, you can row." Craig drops his oar, speaking directly to Jaha, who's slumped at the front of the boat, squinting out to sea.

Ethan dips his hands into the cold water and splashes his face.

His eyes are fighting to stay open.

Jaha turns around, "Get back on that oar, Craig."

"Or what? We don't even know if we're going in the right direction anymore. We followed that drone across the open ocean! Hell, we deserve to die out here."

Jaha whips back around. There's a look in his eyes.

Murphy sees it and he's quick to reassure, "It's okay, it's okay. I'm good to row." He nods, placating.

"Land?" Richards starts shouting. The word taking a second to register in Ethan's brain.

They follow his finger to a point up ahead. A light, shining out to sea.

Ethan grabs onto Murphy to pull himself up. Once he sees what they're seeing, the laughter is bursting out of his chest, "Holy shit. Holy shit!"

Murphy spreads his arms out wide, lip tearing into a toothy, open-mouthed smile and Ethan watches in awe as he yells -

"YEAH!"

- at the top of his lungs.

Ethan throws his fists into the air and tilts his head back. "Fuck you world! We're still alive!"

Jaha's teeth are on full display, "How does an Island of Light sound to you, boys?" He yells.

Murphy grabs Ethan by the shoulders and shakes him to release his pent up energy. Responding in the same way, Ethan clutches at Murphy's arms and swings from side to side, "Ha-ha!"

The kind of sad, relieved and panicked laughter they've all gotten used to over the last couple of months.

Then the boat rocks.

One of the oars goes overboard.

They settle.

"Please tell me the loch-ness monster isn't real," Ethan whispers, looking around the boat.

Jaha is telling Richards to get the oar, and he complies, reaching across the water, fingers grazing - the boat rocks again and he's pulled in.

"There's something in the water!"

Ethan chokes on his next breath.

Murphy reaches out, grabs onto Richards but the thing in the water rushes past, teeth on display.

It takes Richards and leaves Murphy's arm a bleeding mess.

"Murphy!" Grabbing him and hauling him further into the middle of the boat, Ethan's repeating a cycle of the same words, "No, no, no, no -"

Murphy cries out in pain, hitting his head back against the wood. He groans, gasping, desperate for air.

Ethan yanks off his jacket, tearing from the weakest seams to collect fabric. He frantically wraps it around Murphy's arm, repeating apologies when the boy winces.

"You're okay," Ethan splays a hand against Murphy's chest to feel his heartbeat, "You're okay." His throat strangles the words.

"What the hell was that thing?" Murphy groans, another broken whimper making Ethan flinch.

But Jaha has other worries, "We need to row. Now." He looks at Craig.

Ethan jolts when the boat is hit from beneath, the wood cracking and splintering. "It's back!"

"Craig, row!" Jaha yells, passing makeshift bandages over to a desperate Ethan, trying hard to staunch the bleeding.

Craig isn't listening. Craig is panicking. Craig is repeating; "We're all gonna die." Over and over again.

Breathlessly, Ethan tightens the last bandage. "I can row! I can row but you gotta-" His words come to a halt.

He watches it happen with his own eyes.

Jaha grabs Craig, throwing him overboard to feed the thing in the water. There's so remorse on his face.

Murphy jerks forward, followed by Ethan but Jaha shoves them both back down before they can even make it to the edge, seizing their shoulders in a death grip.

Ethan can't breathe.

He's watching Craig die.

Murphy's struggling under Jaha, "Get off of me! Get off of me!"

Ethan elbows Jaha in the ribs, makes it around him, scrambles for the side of the boat -

"Row or you go in next!"

Gasping for air, he stops. Jaha is keeping a firm hold on a panicking Murphy. His eyes are round and crazy, and they're focused on Ethan.

"No!" Murphy jerks forward at the threat. Jaha slams him back down in a second. Even as he writhes in pain, Murphy hisses between his teeth, "Don't you touch him."

Shaking, Ethan nods, reaching blindly for the oar.

The thing in the water swallows Craig whole, a singular tooth bigger than his entire hand, tearing into flesh -

Ethan turns and dry-retches painfully into the water.

The screaming stops.

"What the hell is. . ." Murphy whispers, grabbing onto Jaha's arms. He shoves him back, face twisting, falling on his behind, "What the hell is wrong with you!" His voice cracks.

Ethan's coughing, dragging in quick breaths with his head over the side of the boat. All he can see is the same thing repeating over and over -

He should move away from the water.

He shoves himself back into the boat.

Jaha turns away, "Hold on." To search the calming sea.

Bumping into Murphy on the way down reassures Ethan that he isn't alone.

"It's gone." The ex-chancellor deduces, grabbing the oar. "Let's go."

"Why?" Murphy breathes out.

"So we can live."