When Songbirds Fly | Bellamy Blake

Chapter Twenty: Fall From Grace

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

The leaves on the trees have faded to a much paler, silvery green in this new area, becoming more thin and delicate to the thick spines that we had become so used to over the past month. Rocks have become much more abundant on the wild path that we travel. Even the sky has become paler in comparison to the grey-blue that we know so well.

As Bellamy and I follow Finn's lead, we shoot each other the occasional concerned glance. What we saw in the bunker had rattled us more than either of us would like to admit. Even now, I see too much of my sister in Finn's face.

Panting heavily as he tries to keep up, Murphy scowls. 'Everything is Grounder territory. I can't keep running, all right? We don't even know if the guy Finn killed was telling the truth.'

Finn grabs him and begins to yank him forwards. 'Keep moving.'

I place a hand on his shoulder, doing my best to offer a smile. 'Let's take a break, okay? We can afford a couple of minutes.'

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

Bellamy quickly steps in when he sees Finn start to lose his patience again, getting in my face as his voice raises. 'We heard what he said when you had a gun to his head.'

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

Grabbing the boy by the collar of his jacket when he tries to shove past us, Bellamy pushes him back. 'Hey, 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.'

'Guys?'

We pause, hearing the uneasiness in Monroe's voice. We follow her gaze up the path to where a body lies in the bracken. Flies buzz contentedly as they pick at the rotting flesh.

'Fall in.'

As we make our way down the path, I scan the faces of the other bodies we come across. I don't recognise any. 'Grounder attack?'

But there are no snapped arrow shafts, no blades, no wounds that could be inflicted in an attack. The bodies are bruised, burned and broken.

'They're from the Ark.'

And sure enough, past the damaged trees and the scraps of metal, the ground gives way to a sheer drop. The crashed remains of a station remains, unrecognisable to me in its ruined state.

The six of us stare solemnly down at it. Murphy grimaces. 'It's a rough landing.'

Finn and Bellamy begin to walk away. The rest of us don't. 'There's nothing we can do for these people,' Bellamy sighs, 'we gotta go.'

A faint cry stops them in their tracks.

'Did you hear that?'

Rushing right up to the edge, we peer down. A small tree grows on the cliffside and beside that, something moves. 'Hey, someone's down there.'

'Please,' wails a girl who is clinging to the tree for dear life, 'help me!'

Sterling's eyes widen in horror. 'Mel?'

'You know her?'

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

I quickly nod, taking the rope from the bag slung over Murphy's shoulder. Both Sterling and I are aware of Finn and Bellamy arguing but it doesn't stop us.