Esperança 》B. Blake

1.12

[C H A P T E R  T W E L V E]
Liar Liar Pants on Fire

☆☆☆

THE SILENCE WAS DEAFENING AS Bellamy and Clarke explained the reasoning for banishing Murphy. No one dared to question the two new leaders of camp, and Roseline was relieved for that. She didn't think she could handle another argument which would then, in turn, lead to another fight.

The crowd soon dwindled out, and Roseline was soon back in the comforts of her own tent. She relished in the security it provided. Sleeping in the drop-ship was okay, but when people began to walk in at unexpected times to hook up, she suddenly felt the need to find somewhere a little more private, and maybe even a little more sanitary.

She sat on the edge of her makeshift bed that she and Nathan constructed. It was pretty comfortable, given the circumstances, but it could never compare to her bed back on the Ark. Just thinking of the Ark made her stomach roll in circles. She missed her parents more than anything, and she hoped that they were working on a solution to the oxygen problem. Her hand caressed the metal wristband with care.

"We will meet again," she murmured, staring at the ceiling of the tent. As if the stars were reading her worst fears, the metal bracelet on her wrist sparked and sizzled, shocking the scientist. She yelped with terror, jumping up from the bed. Smoke escaped the crevices of the machine and she felt her heart drop to her feet.

"No, no, no, no!" She tapped at the band desperately. The band sat silently on her wrist. Hearing other people jump in surprise outside, she rushed out of the tent. Even though most of the campers had already taken off their wristbands, the ones who kept them on were staring at their wrists in alarm. 

Roseline scanned the area, trying to decipher what made them malfunction. Come on, Rose, think. What would set off a bunch of wristbands? Her first thought was the Ark, but the idea was dismissed immediately. The Ark didn't seem like the type of people would try to fix something that wasn't broken. The realization came to her as she finished her thought: Monty.

A wave of emotions crashed over her as she raced to the drop-ship. She felt seething anger in her chest. It was searing and white-hot. She also felt sadness in her throat. It was constricting and it hurt to breathe. The worst feeling was fear. It was everywhere in her body, and no crevice was left untouched. No matter how many times she shook her arms, or clenched her fists, that eery tingling dread encased her, forming a bubble that she couldn't pop.

"What the hell happened?" she shrieked as she opened the hatch. Her eyes landed on the machine of sorts that Monty had in front of him. An open wristband was propped up, and wires flowed off of it to other controls that Roseline couldn't even comprehend. Smoke was still emitting from it, a punching reminder of her problems.

Everyone was silent, and no one would make eye contact with the girl. The only person brave enough to look up was Clarke.

"Rose--"

"No, no, no! This can't be happening! My parents cannot think I'm dead, do you hear me? I--I..." Roseline faltered, the sadness and fear caught up in her throat. She tried to take deeps breaths, but the air couldn't reach her lungs. "I have to get out of here," she wheezed before fleeing the drop-ship.

As she stumbled out, her hands gripped her chest. The panic inside her physically hurt her body. Roseline felt numb as she staggered out into the cool night air. The crisp breeze hit her skin like a truck, and she tried to take more deep breaths.

"Rosie? Whoa, hey! Rosie, what's wrong?" she could hear someone's voice echo next to her, but she couldn't focus on who it was. The person touched her shoulder and she recoiled back, wrapping her arms around herself.