Final Journey to the Ground: A Bellarke Reunion

III. Transported Prisoners

I wipe the sweat from my brow, wincing as sweat mixes with the cut on my eyebrow. I glance around to see if the guards are watching and seeing no harsh eyes, I slip a canteen from my jacket. "Here," I whisper to Madi, who is hard at work on my left. She glances over and my heart pangs with guilt as I see the bruises all over her face. "Thanks," she whispers back grimly before greedily gulping down the water. She passes the canteen to Abba who desperately chugs from it, small beads of water dripping from the corners of her mouth. Luckily, Abba has yet to feel the wrath of the guards; I've made sure of that. Her face is free of any horrifying marks of abuse and I tend to keep it that way, even if it means I am in constant agony.

It has been five whole months since the Eligius prisoner transport ship had arrived on Earth. Five whole months since life as we knew it had been turned upside down. The Eligiusians, as Abba had taken to sneeringly calling them had deemed my little family and I as "useless but useful" meaning I had provided no serviceable information but my skills had qualified me as valuable. So valuable that my prison cell had to be upgraded to fit in three other beds so that my Nightbloods could be safe with me. Yay for captivity.

Today we were on farming duty- a job both Abba and I despised with every drop of sweat that formed on our brows. Madi didn't seem to mind any job we were given and was currently humming contently from her line of freshly cultivated Earth.

"Easy my little Nightblood," I say worriedly. "You could make yourself sick." Abba pales and slows in her drinking, passing the canteen back me. I shake it, happy that there is a little left. I down the small sip that is left, knowing it will do nothing in aiding my massive migraine or quenching my parched throat.

"Sorry Clarkey," Abba says sheepishly, staring at her toe digging in the ground. "You drink first next time." Madi looks up from her row of holes, concern flashing on her dirty face.

"Yes Clarkey," Madi adds." Please drink first next-"

"Hey!" Screams our guard causing us to all scramble back to work. "We speak English here, you dumb Grounders!" Abba rolls her eyes in contempt as she goes back to cultivating the ground, preparing it for the seeds that would grow their crops.

"I'm talking to you, you little savages!" The guard screams, coming closer to Abba. I quickly yank her behind me and stand tall in front of the guard who's fist connects with my head, right where Abba had stood seconds before.

"Clarke!" Madi gasps. I stumble and clutch my face. My already skull-splitting migraine has developed into the third wave of Priamfaya in my head and I can feel myself losing consciousness. A pair of small hands hold me steady but black spots are still dancing in my vision and the ground seems to loom up from under my feet, ready to swallow me whole.

"I got you, Clarkey," Abba whispers in my ear. I move my mouth, an attempt to remind her that English only but my tongue can't seem to form the words

"Get back to work, you savages!" The guard screams as he pushes me backward. I fall into the Abba and suddenly I am staring at the sky. The edges start to go fuzzy and a beanie-adorned head appears in sight.

"Clarke," calls a voice. Am I in a tunnel? The voice seems to be further away than it actually is. Is that Madi? Is Abba alright? "Hold on Clarke. We got you!"

"You'll be okay, Clarkey! Please be okay!" I hear as the blackness overcomes me.

-

I weave in and out of consciousness, bright fluorescent lights blinding me and causing the pain to split my skull even more. I am moving down a hall I think, strapped to a bed. As I fall back into the black, my last thought is of my girls. As I come to once more, this time in a room and still strapped down, I listen to the voices around me. I don't try to fight the restraints but instead, I just squeeze my eyes back shut, thankful for the fact that I don't seem to be losing consciousness again.

"What the hell happened out there?" commands a foreign male voice, an odd accent piercing his speech. Where are my girls? Are they alright?

"Murray got of hand, sir," replies another mystery man. "He's getting the collar now, sir."

"Fine," replies the first. "What is this? Why is it black?"

"We don't know, sir," comes another mystery voice, this one female. She is interrupted when the loud sound of running feet comes echoing down into the room.

"Where is Clarke?" Screams Madi's voice, distraught and panic behind every word.

"Clarkey!" Cries Abba, always one step behind Madi. A door bangs open and I hear a gasp. "Clarke!" calls Abba once more, this time relief is evident in her voice. There is a scrabbling noise and I am tempted to open my eyes, but it is still too painful.

"What the hell are they doing in here?" Yells the first voice as I wince in pain from the proximity of his loud yell. "Tiberius, get them out of here at once!"

"Captian, my apologies. I tried, sir, but-" replies a younger voice. That has to be Tiberius... He is interrupted by a slap.

"Young lady," the first voice coos and despite the soft tone, I shiver with unease. "If you care about this 'Clarke', then you will cooperate and listen. Go with Tiberius and I can promise that your mother will be perfectly safe and well."

"Y-y-yes sir," Madi stutters. I force myself to open my eyes, wincing in pain as the lights cause my head to split in two, and try to look around the room. I find a group of people on my left, the tall muscular man who captured me is crouched in front of Madi and Abba, his hands tightly gripping Madi's shoulders as she grimaces in pain. Abba has a split lip and red hand print across the side of her face and my blood begins to boil in anger.

"Hey," I rasp, my throat dry. No one hears me. I swallow in pain and try again, "Hey," I rasp even louder, the word rattling in my parched throat. I am starting to feel odd, but I can't quite place the feeling and it is quickly gone again. The group turns in surprise, both Madi and Abba looking up in shock which is soon replaced with big smiles. They try to go running to me, but a younger soldier, Tiberius, grabs them and holds them close to him. The big muscular man walks over, his arms crossed behind his back.

"So," he states as he glances down leeringly at me. "The Grounder bitch is awake. Did you have a nice nap, Princess Clarke?" The old nickname is like a bullet to the heart but I continue to glare at the man. The odd feeling comes in a stronger wave and I force down some nausea as my heart begins to beat even faster.

"Let... my girls... go," I force out, desperately in need of some water. The man smirks again before turning sharply to face the other soldiers.

"You heard our patient," he barks out. "Tiberius, take the girls back to your room. They are now your prisoners; fit them with collars." Tiberius nods, a weird grimace on his face. He begins to yank the girls from the room.

"Prisoners?" I ask, my parched throat forgotten. "We already are! Just let them go!" My hearts pounds even faster and the odd feeling as come back. I grimace in pain this time as my body starts to tingle. "Spichen!" I curse.

"Clarke!" Gasps Madi. "Help her- she's going to have a seizure!"

There is a rush of noise and people to my side, but it is too late. I fade into the blackness once more, with the last thing I see being Abba and Madi's distraught faces screaming as they are pulled from the room.