Roles Reversed

Chapter 7

Bellamy never had a normal life on the Ark. Everything was always about protecting and raising his sister, and for the most part he was alone. So it was easy to picture himself as a father one day, but he never imagined it to be like this. Madi seems to be clinging to him more and more each and every day. Bellamy had found a strap in basket to put Madi in while he traveled around the village and Forest to hunt and forage for supplies. She stayed quiet for the most part, especially while hunting in the woods. Like Octavia Madi was a quiet baby and she hardly fussed and cried.

At first Bellamy was worried on the child's behalf, most children should cry and fuss when something is wrong. With Octavia he always thought that she somehow knew her life was in danger, and that was why she almost never cried as a child. But Madi? It was different. Her life was no longer in danger. And yet the toddler continued to stay silent every time they left village to explore. Her large bright blue eyes would widen each time the small smile blossoming across her face. She always seemed happy and content no matter what Bellamy did. She was especially ecstatic over the little radio that Bellamy used to talk to the ring everyday.

Her small chubby hands would reach across the table in an attempt to play with the buttons and nozzles on the machine. Every time Bellamy used the radio in his hand the child would pull out the wire and giggle at the static. Of course she didn't understand the purpose of the machine, Nor why Bellamy seemed upset every time he set it back down. But every time he did he played it off and put the radio aside as he would feed Madi her fruits and vegetables before putting her down for naps.

The routine the two had was fairly simple, and it made each and every day fly by as if no time had passed. Everyday Bellamy would wake and gather breakfast while the toddler would sleep in her bed, one Bellamy had fixed up himself. And once Madi would wake the two would eat before venturing off to check the traps and fishing nets for more food. Afterwards they would return home to the village or Madi would either play with her toys while Bellamy found little tasks to do around the village, or she would cling to his back like a monkey and be his little helper. And at the end of the day while Bellamy would try and feed the little one her dinner he would pull out the radio and try to contact his friends in space.

Everyday like clockwork he called, and everyday like clockwork no one ever answered. The silence is static was always the same no matter what Bellamy me have done. He tried time and again to take apart the radio to see if there was a problem with the machine itself, but it seemed as if it was fine. And yet nothing he did, nothing he said, would ever receive a response. Even the radio channel connected to the bunker was filled with silence. It was because of this fact that Bellamy was reminded each and every day that he was truly an utterly alone. The only thing that kept him going was the bright-eyed, dark curly little one that bounced in his lap as she reached for the charcoal piece and scribbled across the paper scattered on top of the table.

Bellamy knew that it was not going to be easy surviving alone on Earth for 5 years, but he never imagined it to feel like this. But whenever he was at his lowest all he had to do was look at the child in his arms and now that everything was going to be okay. Every time she smiled and laughed, every time she made funny faces and played with her toys, or every time she ran up to him or tried to be his little helper; it always made his day a little better. Even if he couldn't reach out and speak with his sister, even if he couldn't reach the ring and talk to Clarke to make sure everyone was okay, he still had Madi. And right now that was all that mattered.