Collision || Octavia Blake || 2 ||

2: M u r d e r i n g P s y c h o p a t h

I guffawed in disbelief. "A-are you crying Murphy?"

"Screw you, Octavia!" he snapped.

"No, tell me, I wanna know!" I sneered. "How does a kid whose loved by his parents turn into a murdering psychopath?"

Murphy didn't reply. Instead, he struggled helplessly beneath me, trying to get away. But I wasn't having a bar of it.

"Tell me!" I hissed, close to his ear. Wrapping my fingers around the handle of a dagger that was in my belt, I continued menacingly, "Or I'll kill you now."

Murphy inhaled deeply, trying to put on a tough-guy-meets-world act. "H-he gets the flu. His father steals medicine that turns out wouldn't have helped him anyway. Gets floated for it. His mother? She starts drinking pretty heavily after that. The last words she says to him before he finds her in a pool of her own vomit is ..." he gritted his teeth as he tried to compose himself, "Is that he killed his father."

For a moment, only silence filled the air.

Then, Murphy spoke, "Can you, I don't know, get off me now?"

"Urghh!" I screamed as I started punching him. "Urghh! You bastard! You probably just made that crap up! You hurt her! You hurt her and you killed her! Charlotte's dead because of you! I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!"

"Whoa, Octavia, get the hell off of him!" Raven yelled as she lunged forward.

"No! Let me go! Let me kill him! Let me kill him!" I screamed as both Raven and Finn pulled me off of Murphy's figure. "Let me kill him!"

"Stop it! Stop it!" Raven shouted, right in my face. "He's dying, Octavia! He's been tortured by the grounders, okay? He probably won't last for long anyways. Just don't let his blood be on your hands."

I heaved a couple of deep breaths as I stared at her. Finally, I nodded in consent.

"Good. Now we're gonna put you on one side of the clearing and Murphy will be on the other," Finn told me pointedly. "Raven, Bryce and I will take turns keeping watch during the night so don't even think about trying anything."

I glared at him as he and Raven carried me back towards the stretcher.

"Bryce, can you start a fire?" Finn requested as he lowered my head down onto the canvas sheets. "Raven, here's the first aid kit. Show Murphy some love if you can. I'll go set some rabbit traps for tomorrow's breakfast."

Everything began to fade away then and the murmur of voices and the rustling of leaves in the wind all merged into one. I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I knew it was dark and I was lying on my side, facing the crackling flames of the fire that were throwing warmth over the cold, frosty ground.

Shivering, I pulled a blanket, that had been draped my body, closer around my shoulders. Heaving a deep breath, my eyes skimmed across the sleeping forms of Raven and Finn, who were snuggled up on the other side of the fire. Murphy was lying some distance away and Bryce was sharpening the edge of his stick with a piece of flint, trying not to nod off to sleep.

I closed my eyes as I drew my knees up to my chest in an effort to keep warm. Maybe, if things went according to plan for once, we would arrive at the Ark before the end of the week.

"Hey, samurai, wake up! Breakfast time!"

Slowly, groggily, I opened my eyes and gazed up into the smirking face of Raven. "Oh. You've got to be kidding me. It's morning already?"

"Uh huh," Raven nodded, looking way too pleased with herself.

"What's wrong with you? Why would you disturb my precious sleep for that?" I groaned out, beyond annoyed.

Raven just rolled her eyes as she moved away to join Finn by the fire.

A pleasant aroma wafted through the crisp morning air, filling my nostrils with its meaty odour. Pushing myself up into a sitting position, I bit down hard on my tongue to stop a pained squeal from escaping my lips. I had almost forgotten about my injury.

"Whoa there, take it easy, Princess," Finn grinned at me as he flashed a plate heaped with meat in my direction. "I'm coming. I'm coming."

"Good. Food," I mumbled as he reached over to hand me a whooping serve of nourishment. "Thanks, man, you're a lifesaver."

"So, how many more miles until we reach the Ark?" Raven queried through a mouth full of food.

Finn shrugged as he surveyed the map by his feet. "About fifty or so, I think," he stated nonchalantly. "Two to three more days at the most."

"I'm guessing it'll take a little longer though with Octavia and Murphy?" Raven asked, furrowing her brow.

"Forget Murphy," I scoffed, rolling my eyes. "We only have one stretcher and it's mine. You can just leave him here. Let the wolves eat him."

"Seriously, Octavia?" Finn raised his eyebrows at me. "We can't just leave Murphy behind. He's one of us, remember? Besides, he knows the way into Polis, the grounder capital. He could come in useful. We need him alive."

I groaned. "Fine. Whatever. But I can't promise that I won't try and punch him again."

"Psst. Nah," Raven waved a hand at me. "Who cares about that? I don't. But Finn's right. He may come in handy some day."

"I'm glad to see that I've become your little bargaining chip," Murphy spoke up from his crouched position on the floor.

"You, shut-up!" I pointed a warning finger at him. "I don't wanna hear another bloody word come out of your mouth until we get to the Ark, okay? Then, once we do get there, I'll make the chancellor lock you up for the rest of your life for murder and conspiracy."

"Yeah, well what about your crimes, Octavia?" Murphy sneered. "Being born was a big one for you, wasn't it?"

At this, I leaped to my feet, as did Finn, but Raven hurriedly intervened before either of us could do anything.

"Guys! Stop! He's just messing with you because that's what he does!" she said, holding out a restraining hand towards us. "If he can't hurt you physically he'll mess you up mentally. Trust me, he's not worth it."

With much difficulty, I gritted my teeth and turned away, murmuring a string of swear words under my breath.

Suddenly, I froze.

No. It couldn't be. How could it be? Wait. Yes. It was him. But how? I couldn't believe my eyes.

"Hey, look!" I called out as I motioned towards a nearby grassy knoll. "A horse!"

For the first time since we had left the drop-ship, a small smile found its way onto my face.

Zenia.

What in the world was he doing here?

Gif: Octavia as she lashes out at Murphy.

XX