𝐒𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐀 「 B. BLAKE¹」

⋅⋆ xii.

   A bloodcurdling scream left her lips and Cleo wrapped her arms around her, pulling her in for a tight hug. She instructed her to close her eyes, but Charlotte wasn't one to listen to instruction.

   Bellamy came immediately to the scene, worry spread on his face. Cleo let go of Charlotte, who looked to Bellamy with fear. He rested a hand on her shoulder, his eyes drifting to the burnt, scarlet body that laid in the center of a small clearing.

   He left Charlotte, walking in towards the body. Cleo followed close behind, giving the younger girl a look to stay put.

   "Son of a bitch," he remarked. "Atom."

   As they approached closer, she could hear his scratchy breathing and his weak pleas. With her good hand, she reached up and covered her mouth, not wanting to gasp audibly or let out a noise that alerted Atom. His skin was littered with burns, blood covering every inch of exposed skin. His eyes were burned white and Cleo realized with a sinking heart that he was blind.

   She was in so much pain with her single hand, she couldn't imagine the pain he was going through.

   "Oh, god," she whispered just loud enough for Bellamy to hear.

   She thought that the sight of Jasper being strung up had been bad, but that was cheerful compared to this. She got down on her knees, sitting back on the balls of her feet next to him, not knowing if she should touch him or if she should just talk to him.

   "Atom," she began. "Atom, I'm so sorry."

   Atom's voice shifted with recognition and he turned his head towards her. "Kill..." He strained to speak, his voice cutting in and out. "Me."

   A distraught puff of air left her mouth, her eyebrows furrowing together in a somber frown. She looked up to Bellamy, sharing a look of grief and solemness. Their friend was going to die today and like so many other things on the ground, there was nothing they could do to stop it.

   She heard the arrival of other people and felt Bellamy stand up next to her. She stayed in her position, not wanting to leave him alone. Behind her, she heard Charlotte's voice murmur something to Bellamy. She couldn't comprehend the words, but when Bellamy returned, he looked worse than before.

   Grief and regret were written all over his face, his muscles twitching slightly like he didn't know what to do. Her eyes gazed over his fingers, catching the glint of a metal knife. Charlotte's knife.

   She looked over her shoulder, but the girl was no longer in sight. He had sent her back to camp, knowing she couldn't watch him execute a boy.

   "I heard screams," Clarke's voice drew her attention, her head turning to the blonde girl in front of her.

   She knelt down on the opposite side of the pair, eyes filling with sorrow.

  "Cleo and Charlotte found him." Bellamy's voice was quiet. "I sent Charlotte back to camp."

   He fiddled with the knife in his fingers, unsure of what to do. Cleo could sense the hesitation, and apparently, so could Clarke. Clarke took the knife from Bellamy's hand as they shared a look. They all knew what was going to happen.

   "Okay, I'm going to help you, all right?" She spoke gently to Atom, who writhed in pain.

   He shook visibly and Cleo couldn't begin to imagine the fear running through his veins. He knew his death was coming – she wondered if he was prepared for it. A hauntingly calm tune began to fill the air, Clarke humming gently while her free hand stroked his hair. She struck the knife in his neck, keeping her hands in his hair until he stopped moving.