𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄─𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐤𝐞¹ (𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠)

11. killer within

"Yeah," Bellamy answered honesty, "That's it. It's good for all of us. Fear of the Grounders is building that wall and besides, what are you going to do walk out there and ask who the killer is? We don't even know whose knife it is."

"Oh really?" Clarke challenged, "J.M." she said, holding up the knife to show the initials etched into it, "John Murphy, the people have a right to know."

Bellamy's eyes fell to the ground and Clarke shoved passed him.  

I shook my head in disbelief as I followed after her, I knew this was not about to be good. "Clarke come on!" I pleaded, following after her, "Just stop and think about this for one—"

"You son of a bitch!" Clarke yelled, ignoring me as she approached Murphy, giving him a hard shove backwards.

Murphy glanced back at the group of us who had followed Clarke out, a small smirk playing on his face. "What's your problem?" He let out a small laugh, amused with Clarke's anger.

Holding up his knife, Clarke shoved it toward his face, "Recognize this?"

A loot of recognition came to his face as he nodded. "Yeah, that's my knife. Where did you find it?" he asked, reaching out for the weapon.

"Where you left it after you killed Wells." Clarke fired back, being sure she was loud enough so the whole camp could hear.

Murphy's face fell as he took a step back. He looked completely shocked. "Where I what?"

A crowd was now gathering as the ordeal continued. I stood beside Octavia, Jasper and Bellamy, all of us watching intently to see what Murphy would say.

Quiet murmurs began to fly around the camp as Murphy shook his head, his face paler than usual. But it was evident that he was trying not to let his fear show. "The Grounders killed Wells, not me." He argued.

"I know what you did, and you're going to pay for it." Clarke threatened.

"Really?" Murphy said with a slight smirk, his eyes straying toward Bellamy, "Bellamy, you really believe this crap?"

Bellamy ignored Murphy, casting his eyes downward as Clarke continued, "You threatened to kill him, we all heard you! You hated Wells."

"Plenty of people hated Wells." Murphy pointed out, "His father was the Chancellor that locked us up!"

"Yeah, but you're the only one who got in a knife fight with him!" Clarke was now yelling, her voice full of anger.

Murphy wore an incredulous expression, "Yeah I didn't kill him then either, did I?"

"Tried to kill Jasper too!" Octavia added, causing Jasper to mutter in shock at this revelation.

"Come on this is ridiculous, I don't have to answer to you, I don't have to answer to anyone!" Murphy exclaimed, walking away from Clarke.

"Come again?" Bellamy asked sternly.

Murphy paused before walking over towards us, "Look, Bellamy I'm telling you man, I didn't do this."

"They found his fingers with your knife." Bellamy declared, causing Murphy to fall silent.

"Is this the kind of society we want?" Clarke asked the group, "You say there should be no rules, does that mean we should be able to kill each other with no punishment?"

"I already told you, I didn't kill anyone!" Murphy shot back.

"I say we float him!" Someone yelled from within the crowd of kids which caused a chorus of "yeses" to fill the camp.

"That's not what I'm saying." Clarke argued, her face falling slightly when her plan didn't go the way she wanted it to. I'm not sure what punishment she had designed for Murphy, but clearly it wasn't death.