Fallen Angel [Bellamy Blake]

Chapter 22: Savior

Endure & Survive

FINN SIGHS, SEARCHING THE GROUND with increasing frustration on his face. "I got nothing. We lost the trail."

I lean on a nearby tree, feeling both exhausted from the long night and frustrated that the trail had gone cold. It was already daylight, which meant we had been searching all night and still no sign of Octavia. Sebastian comes to my side, placing a hand on my shoulder. I give him a small smile at the comforting gesture.

"Keep looking," Bellamy demands.

"Wandering around aimlessly isn't the way to find your sister. We should backtrack—" Finn says.

Bellamy cuts him off. "I'm not going back."

"Hey, where's Jonny?" Sebastian asks. I scan the group and our surroundings. I had done a head count a few seconds ago and everyone had been accounted for. But a quick survey now and surely enough John Helms was nowhere to be seen.

Jasper looks around too, now on high alert. "I just saw him a second ago."

"Spread out. He couldn't have gotten that far." Bellamy states, his eyes scanning the woods. The group begins to go in different directions.

I begin to walk to the left, clutching my knife in my hand, when suddenly a body drops down from tree in front of me. I stifle my scream with a gag and look to everyone for confirmation that I hadn't just imagined John's body dropping dead from the sky in front of me. Everyone's expression confirms what I was seeing.

Well Shit.

"John..." someone whispers in horror.

Finn looks up at the trees. "They use the trees."

Everyone's head instantly snaps up. Birds squawk above us ominously but we couldn't see anything. We were all breathing heavily, having the intense feeling that we were being watched.

"We shouldn't have crossed the boundary." Grant says in a shaky voice.

Roma looks at Bellamy with panic filled eyes. "Now can we go back?"

The sound of rustling leaves echo in the forest. I pull out my knife feeling a sudden surge of adrenaline. Bellamy looks over at me, concern in his eyes. Indecision. He didn't know what to do. I maintain my brave façade. Everyone continues to scan the woods around us.

"There," Finn says, pointing his weapon at a Grounder standing in the distance. Crap.

We all turn.

"Another one!"

My breathing hitches. "We should run."

We all look at each other agreeing simultaneously before sprinting in the opposite direction of the Grounders. I focus on not tripping over anything on the forest floor instead of checking behind me every second. The Grounders are fast, it doesn't take them long before they're running right beside us.