Esperança 》B. Blake

1.15

"I don't speak Grounder, but I'm pretty sure this means 'keep out'," Finn concluded, glancing at Bellamy and Roseline with uncertainty. Murmurs of hesitance came from the others, and some even decided to go back to camp while they still could.

"Go back if you want. My sister, my responsibility," Bellamy said, his eyes filled with determination. He looked down at Roseline, and the determination in his eyes melted into concern when he saw how scared she truly was.

"You should go back with the others," he said softly, nodding back up the hill. 

Roseline tilted her head and furrowed her brows. "We had a deal, remember? Besides, you can't get rid of me that easily." 

The small smile she gave him seemed to ease Bellamy's nerves enough for him to accept her answer and continue into the dark forest filled with hanging bodies. Roseline, Finn, and the people who were left followed in suit, holding their torches and weapons close to their chests. The rescue team marched what felt like hundreds of miles through the overgrown bushes and trees, rarely stopping for breaks. Roseline almost wanted to go back to camp and call it a day, to sleep in and rest her aching muscles. But, she knew that she had come too far to back out now, and Octavia could've been in danger, so she needed to try her best and help her friend.

One thing that Roseline did enjoy about the trek, however, was that the sun had finally risen. Though she was still very cold, the warmth that the sun offered made her feel better about all the walking she was doing. Other people in the group seemed to be doing the opposite; one by one, they slowly began to take off their jackets and tie them around their waist.

After what seemed like hours of walking, Finn sighed. "I got nothing. We lost the trail."

Bellamy, who was on edge the entire walk darted his eyes around the forest while twirling his tomahawk. "Keep looking."

Everyone fell silent as they continued to look for any clue as to where Octavia disappeared to. Roseline wondered if they might've missed something back where they came from but she was worried that Bellamy would lose it if she suggested going back. 

Finn, however, did not care what Bellamy thought. "Wandering around aimlessly isn't the way to find your sister, we should backtrack-"

"I'm not going back," Bellamy argued, the pair finally stopping. Roseline sighed and glanced around the woods. As far as she could see, tall trees and sunbeams were scattered all across the forest. The sun shined on the mist that lined the moss on the ground and trees. If they weren't in those specific circumstances, Roseline would've commented on how beautiful the morning truly was.

"Hey, where's John?" Roma called out. Everyone slowed down and checked their surroundings, and sure enough, John was gone.

"I swore I saw him a second ago..." Roseline murmured, her eyes straining to see past all the trees.

"Spread out, he couldn't have gotten far," Bellamy ordered. Everyone began to spread but hearing something hit the ground made everyone turn back. In the middle of everyone sat John's body, a slit across his throat and his eyes lifeless. Roseline squeaked in horror and Roma looked as if she was going to pass out. 

Roseline looked up and soon enough everyone else did the same. "They're using the trees," Roseline realized, her brain going back to her day with Bellamy in the woods. She then looked back at the forest floor and saw shadows of people standing in plain sight. It made her stomach churn as she saw more and more begin to surround the group.

The girl heard Diggs, Jasper, and Finn say something but nothing registered except the last word that Finn said: "Run." She got the message loud and clear and bolted to the nearest exit she could find through the trees. The Grounders followed after her and her friends with incredible speed and Roseline almost tripped from how fast she ran.