Fragments of war: Unlikely Alliances || The 100 [Part 1]

6||

"Why can't you be a warrior like your brother?" My dad growls at me.

I started to cry, but it was as if he couldn't hear me. He stood there watching me cry and beg him to let me be a normal child. I'd say I didn't like the fact that I was a natblida for this exact reason.

I was expected to be a natural-born fighter. Instead, I cried to my limit and whined like a baby. This was just how I always was.

Tears started welling up in my eyes. "I... I'm sorry, Dad. I can't be like him..." I cried.

"I don't understand why you can't toughen up. You're a natblida, meant to be strong." He tried to encourage me, but he made me cry even harder.

I started sobbing to the point that I wasn't able to breathe correctly. "But I don't want to fight! I want to be normal, to be me..." The truth was that I did like to fight, but I didn't want to fight my best friend to death.

After learning that the reason we trained was to fight for who would be the next commander, I almost threw up at the thought of killing my beloved friend Luna.

My dad began to feel frustrated. "You're not like other kids, June bug. It would be best if you upheld a legacy to carry on," he whispered as he caressed my face.

I began pleading, "Please, Dad, I can't change who I am. I'm not a warrior. I'm just me." If I were to win, Luna would die, but if I were to lose, then I would die, and I didn't want that either.

My father eventually gave up on trying to turn me into a warrior. "Fine, but remember this-you'll have to face your destiny one day. And I hope you'll be ready." He was right.

.................................................................................

I woke to the sharp pain of a rough shake. Disoriented and in darkness, I realized I must have been knocked out while escaping the acid fog. When my vision cleared, I saw a small girl, no older than twelve, standing over me.

Bellamy loomed behind her, his arms crossed, his face a storm of fury. The girl helped me up, her small hands surprisingly strong. Bellamy's scowl deepened as he pushed the girl away, his attention solely on me.

"You always sleep that long?" Bellamy's voice dripped with disdain, though he knew I wouldn't respond. I made sure to keep a distance not forgetting what he had done to me.

The girl's hair was dirt-streaked, her face smudged with grime from the fog. Her large eyes, filled with a mixture of curiosity and fear, studied me. "I'm Charlotte," she announced, her voice bright but trembling.

"She doesn't understand you, Charlotte. She's a Grounder," Bellamy said dismissively. Charlotte's expression shifted to fear, and I felt a pang of guilt. I wasn't a monster; I didn't want to scare her. This war between us seemed so senseless.

I was usually good with kids, and they naturally loved me, so it hurt me deep inside to see her look so afraid.

A while later, Bellamy told Charlotte that she should get some rest. He stayed up until she fell asleep.

How could it be that a man who was willing to kill me because wouldn't speak yesterday was also the same man who made sure this little girl felt safe?

"You don't talk, huh?" Bellamy's tone was harsh, but there was a trace of fatigue beneath it.

"Why would I speak to the enemy?," I responded, though in my language. My words were lost on him. My throat was parched from disuse.

"Do you speak English?" he retorted.

He got off the ground where he was sitting and walked over to me. "Why'd you do that to Jasper?" I should clarify that it wasn't me who hurt his friend or the boy whom he wanted dead. I hang my head low, ashamed of what my people have been doing.