𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄─𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐤𝐞¹ (𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠)

09. fog

Atom grabbed onto my arm, pulling me along with him as Bellamy did the same with Charlotte. We needed to find a safe haven. 

I ran as fast as I possibly could. Faster than I ran that day we rescued Jasper. Faster than the day I ran from the guards on the Ark...the day I was locked up. 

"There's some caves up ahead!" Bellamy yelled back at us, turning his head ever so slightly before picking up his pace. "Let's go!"

I did the same, picking up my step as we neared the entrance of the caves. Almost there. 

Suddenly, the hand that had been wrapped around my arm was yanked away as a thud sounded from behind me. 

Stumbling, I turned to see Atom hit the forest floor, the fog instantly surrounding him. My eyes widened as I lunged forward, reaching out for him. "Atom!"

The moment the fog came into contact with the skin on my arm, it burned a pain so blinding, I could hardly handle it. 

That was what Atom was feeling all over, his screams a clear indicator of the pain he was in. I had to help him. I couldn't leave him—"

"Avery!"

Bellamy's voice came from directly behind me, he had clearly backtracked to get to me. "We have to go." He asserted, grabbing onto me and pulling me away from Atom's withering body. 

His screams echoed off the walls of the cave as Bellamy and I ducked inside where Charlotte was already hidden. My breath came out in short, panicked breaths as I leaned against the cool rock walls, struggling to slow my heart rate back down. 

Atom continued to scream, pleaded for us to help him. I felt like I was going to be sick as we listened to his screams. They slowly died off, and I only hoped that that meant he had found shelter somewhere else. 

"Does it hurt?" Bellamy's voice was strained as he spoke. It seemed he was trying to do anything to ignore his friend's pleas for help. 

My eyes flickered down to my arm where he was looking. Angry blisters had begun to form where the fog had touch my skin. 

Nodding, I pulled off my jacket to get a better look. "Yeah."

Lightly, Bellamy took a hold of my arm, examining it for a moment before reaching into his backpack to pull out a small canteen of water. Slowly, he poured the water over my wound, causing me to flinch slightly. 

"Better?" He wondered, his eyes flitting up to meet mind. 

I stared back at him for a moment, realizing that for the first time since I had met him, I wasn't looking at him in anger. 

"Yeah." I whispered, lightly taking my arm from his grasp. "Thank you."

He nodded, setting down the canteen as he looked back toward where Charlotte was huddled. 

The two of us shared a silent look, one that agreed that I needed to go sit with her. So, silently, I took a seat next to her, trying to provide any comfort I could. 

"How long are we going to have to stay in here?" She finally asked, her voice small and muffled. 

Bellamy glanced out toward where the fog was still roaring. "I really don't know."

---

It turned out the fog had stayed a lot longer than we had expected. The cave eventually grew dark and it was evident that night had fallen outside. 

Charlotte had fallen asleep at some point, which left Bellamy and I in an uncomfortable silence. Neither of us knew what to say to each other.