SHE WHO DARES WINS.
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CARRY YOUR THRONE (book one).
°• CHAPTER EIGHT •°
" IT ENDS HERE. "
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ASPEN ALONSO DID A LOT OF READING ON THE ARK. It wasn't because she was a book worm or someone who got their rocks off flipping through page after page. She did it for research. She wanted to know how broken laws were handled in the past. Did they kill everyone who dared to rebel? Or was the Ark just a special case? Aspen found out one of Earth's old punishments was the death penalty. For crimes committed that were horrifying, unimaginable, a jury would sentence the criminal to death. There were many ways it was done that slowly grew throughout the years. It just eventually turned into floating. She assumed the Council took notes on this long before she did.
There were always two sides to the death penalty. Aspen researched them both. People agreed with the punishment and thought it would fit the crime for people who seemed to have crawled out of Hell. After someone commits something awful, it'd be so easy to agree with them. And the others, the ones who protested against the death penalty, refused to believe so. They were firm that death should not punish death. Rotting in prison was the way to go.
It took a lot of research for Aspen to come to a settlement. After so many families or friends lost a loved one due to the Council's ruling, it was easy to choose the right side. To be fair, Aspen wasn't aware of the Ark dying while she was up there. Maybe that would have changed her mind, but here, on Earth? Aspen couldn't find herself switching views.
Death does not punish death. Justice can be served with other solutions.
Something curling in Aspen's gut told her this was going to be an important theme while they're on the ground and there'd be nothing she could do to avoid it. This was just exhibit A. Wells's death and how they punish his killer. Aspen and the other delinquents were in the midst of the two opposing sides. One of them having been led by Murphy, beyond furious (rightfully) while Bellamy, Clarke, and Finn all shelter Charlotte in a tent from his murderous wrath.
Even Aspen was concerned about the state of Murphy despite how badly she hated the guy. He hadn't bothered to clean the dry blood from his beatings that painted his once pale skin, now littered with scars and bruises. It was like he wanted to remind everyone what they did to him. His blue eyes were cold and cruel as if he was already playing the images of what he would do to Charlotte when he found her like reruns in his mind. And Murphy's voice, God, Aspen could see why it was obviously so raspy and low. Even the blood can't cover the bruising ring around his neck.
It was beyond Aspen how Murphy was still miraculously alive, well enough to stand swaying on his feet, or how he could be able to shout with what happened to his throat, "Bring out the girl, Bellamy!" Towards the tent.
A few leaves crunch and twigs snap behind Aspen. She turns her head to see Nova and recalls the girl having been flushed with fury, strands of hair sticking to sweaty skin, and pink lips pulled back into a snarl when she accuses Bellamy of being a murderer. A few minutes have passed, but the state of her appearance had changed. Nova had calmed herself into a neutral expression and even fixed the braid in her hair. Aspen wonders what words of peace she wanted to give as if they'd calm the rampage Murphy was on.
It's too bad peace was never an option.
"You want to build a society, Princess?!" Murphy mocks Clarke's nickname. "Let's build a society - bring her out!"
A society. Aspen could laugh. Was this what they wanted their society to be? Did they have to still follow the Ark like a group of mindless, brainwashed sheep that they were destined to become? Aspen would sooner put the barrel of a gun in her mouth. Things weren't different now. She fought to make things different in space. She didn't plan on changing these views since her feet were now on the ground.
The tent ruffles and Aspen straightens. Although the voices inside were muffled, she couldn't make out any words exchanged between Bellamy, Clarke, and Finn over Charlotte. She was beyond interested to see how two of them would plan to handle it after they've only buttheads since meeting one another. Aspen didn't stand on a side for either of them. She believed in justice only.
She's still disappointed when Bellamy emerges. His face was clear, wiped of any emotion that proves where he stood on the matter. It would've been much more helpful if Aspen hadn't watched him kick the stand underneath Murphy's feet and effectively hung him. Bellamy stood on whichever side gave him power.
"Well, well, well. Look who decided to join us," Murphy greets with dripping sarcasm. Aspen cringes at the sound of his voice. He still sounds like he's choking on his own blood.
Bellamy marches towards him. Aspen can practically see the cloud of gloom hung over his head even from where she stood. He darkly warns, "Dial it down and back off."
"Or what?" Murphy challenges. He bravely stares down the man who tried, and nearly succeeded, in killing him. "What are you gonna do? Hang me?"
"I was just giving the people what they wanted," Bellamy responds calmly.
Aspen doesn't hold back this time when she rolls her eyes. Bellamy could say a hundred different things to Murphy. Yet, he won't. He doesn't see anything wrong with what he did. So he stands here now, protecting the real criminal in the tent. And for what? She couldn't have been younger than twelve or older thirteen. Charlotte knows right from wrong and she had to of known killing Wells was cold.
But Aspen doesn't speak. While it's true there were no leadership positions for her on Earth, she thought it was common sense. There had to be a punishment that fit the crime. They could find one. Murder doesn't justify murder.
For the first time, Murphy seems to agree with words Aspen didn't say. A sudden confident smirk crosses his dry, stained lips. "Yeah. Yeah, that's a great idea. Why don't we do that right now?" He proposes. He turns to the watching crowd, blue eyes dancing across the heads of the delinquents. Murphy raises his arm and asks, "So, who here wants to see the real murderer hung up? All in favor?"
Heavy silence fills the air. Aspen glances around her surroundings. A few of them, mostly the ones who were so adamant about hanging Murphy with a noose, had lifted their arms to agree as well. Mbege was among them. Aspen's were firmly tucked by her side when Murphy's glare landed on her. The smile falls off his face and he seems angrier at that. "Alonso, you - "
"I," Aspen begin, speaking for herself before a man could, "Believe in justice, Murphy. Not revenge. Not floating because I am not the Ark. I want to see the punishment fit the crime."
"Fine. I see," Murphy spat. Aspen would've flinched from the venom if she was actually afraid of someone like him. "So, it's okay to string me up for nothing, but when this little bitch confesses, you all let her walk?!" His voice rises until he's hoarsely shouting, "Cowards! All of you are cowards!"
"Hey, Murphy! Murphy!" Bellamy hollers over him. He shoves Murphy's shoulder once until he turns to face him. His features are dark and furious as he prepares to lay down his own law. "It's over."
Murphy pauses. It's the first time Aspen's ever seen him wordless. He pretends to agree with a careless shrug. "Whatever you say, boss."
He's messing with Bellamy. Even Aspen sees this. But Bellamy, his mind too clouded with protecting the murderer of a child, turns his back to him. He barely makes it a few steps of retreat to the tent when Murphy sneakily grabs a log and swung it towards the back of his head.
It makes a horrible thunk sound as it bashes against Bellamy's skull with Murphy's force. Octavia screams, "You son of a bitch!" And lunges, but Aspen surges forward to grab her arms and pull her back. The rampage she knew that was bound to hit had already started. Bellamy was caught in the crossfire. She couldn't bear to lose an actual friend.
Murphy waves to a couple of his friends that were following his example. "Let's get the girl." They eagerly race to join him in opening the tent's door as Octavia finally wins in her struggle to break herself free from Aspen and falls to her knees beside her unconscious brother.
Aspen takes a wild guess the tent is completely empty when Murphy rips the flaps shut and whirls around to angrily scream into the empty air and quivering trees, "Charlotte! Charlotte, I know you can hear me! And when I find you, you are gonna pay!"
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If you would have told Aspen five years ago that she would be traveling Earth's trees for hours with John Murphy of all people leading his hunting crew to deliver some type of justice to a delinquent, she would've laughed in her face. Her chest would have burned from laughing so hard because, as she'd claim, it'd never happen. Not with resident asshole John Murphy who grew up to be the biggest nuisance in her life. Not in a million years. Aspen would sooner hang herself from said tree.
But things sometimes have to change. Aspen hates Murphy so much her bones could throb with the fire of it, but she believes in something else so much more. He's going to kill that little girl without fair proceedings. And it's not that Aspen doesn't blame him - these delinquents have hated him since he landed (for good reasons), but they tied a noose around his neck because of a knife found next to Wells's severed fingers. He didn't receive any fairness either, so why should Charlotte?
Because Aspen Alonso believed with all of her heart that the time of the Ark's Council was over with. The delinquents, despite the title, were so much better than them. Or they could be. Chancellor Jaha may be a total ass, but he was right. Earth was their second chance.
Aspen steps out of the shadows. She admires the way Murphy's glare darkens when he sees the flames from his torch glow around her sharp features. He protested her tagging along when she first voiced it, but realized soon he didn't have a choice. Aspen was a girl who did what she wanted. He would have to chain her to a tree to stop her from following his group.
However, Aspen was the least of Murphy's worries. He was determined to rip the world in half if it meant finding Charlotte's hiding spot. "Charlotte! You can't hide forever!" He scans the area darkly. "Don't worry - we won't hurt you."
Everyone standing above the soil knows Murphy's talking out of his ass. It's not as if Charlotte didn't deserve it and worse, but that was the problem. Aspen wished someone here would have picked up a book at least once in their lives as she had.
They venture further into the woods before they hear a piercing shriek. Aspen spun towards the direction it came from. She wishes for a moment that she paid more attention to Earth Skills. Maybe she could've picked up the tracking skills Finn had. A few of them must worry the noise had something to do with a grounder as one asks, "What was that?"
They get their answer when the voice of a small girl screams again, "I'm over here!"
Aspen's never held a conversation with Charlotte once. But she could easily tell it's a little girl's voice ripping through the trees. It's exactly who they're searching for. She felt the smallest twinge of horror when Murphy's blue eyes glimmer under the moonlight. Aspen can't picture exactly what he was picturing to do to her. She doesn't think she wants to know, but she has to.
Another short scream follows. Charlotte is fighting someone off as she shouts again, this time closer, "Murphy! I'm over here!"
"Come on out, Charlotte! Come on out!" Murphy urges as he leads them to follow where the screams were coming from.
Aspen tears through the trees to keep up with Murphy. She couldn't figure out why Charlotte was screaming to be followed while running at the same time. The branches rustle around them as their led into an open clearing and Aspen's boots slide across the soil as she comes to a sudden pit stop. It was slippery enough she could have slipped and fallen down the rocky cliff a good few feet away if she didn't plant the soles down sooner.
"Bellamy!" Murphy shouts. Aspen sees why Charlotte had sprinted away from them. Bellamy had thrown the little girl over his shoulder despite how she wanted to be taken away. They stand inches from the edge of the cliff, with Bellamy having thrown an arm in front of Charlotte protectively, staring Murphy down.
"You cannot fight all of us," Murphy tells him. "Give her up."
"Maybe not." Bellamy's eyes bounce over each of their heads. "But I guarantee I'll take a few of you with me."
Aspen takes a careful step forward while Bellamy's too afraid to take one back. "For God's sake. You can't be serious, Bellamy. Shielding a child murderer from being punished?" She scoffs in disgust when Bellamy only tightens his lips. "She's not eight, nine, ten - she's old enough to know murder was wrong! Stop coddling her. She has to be - "
The leaves quiver again and Aspen jumps, effectively being cut off mid-sentence. Clarke bursts between the logs, calling, "Bellamy, Aspen - stop! This has gone too far." Finn follows her as she stands in the middle of the battlefield in-between everyone. She tries to stay calm. She pleads with Murphy, "Just calm down... And we'll talk about this."
This was all Aspen wanted to do. She wanted them to discuss what their next step was, what they should do from here for Charlotte. She wanted something done right instead of murdering or sparing her.
A pause follows. Murphy is wordless as he fakes processing Clarke's offer before he drops the torch and arms himself with a knife. Aspen can barely blink before he has Clarke in a chokehold, a silver blade pressed to her jugular. She stumbles to stop him, but he rips her out of Aspen's view. "I'm sick of listening to you talk," Murphy snarls. His scowl darkens towards Aspen's even when it's no match for the one she held. "All of you."
"Let her go," Aspen demands. Her hands shake as they clench into fists at her sides. She's been waiting for another chance to pummel Murphy after he drenched her in water.
"Back off!" Murphy orders coldly and yanks Clarke closer to him again. "I will slit her throat."
"Then I'll slit yours," Aspen promises even colder. It's almost comedic - fighting for justice and then threatening murder. But she can't think, her brain is static when she stares at the weapon digging further into the skin of Clarke's neck.
A small voice begs from behind them. "No, please. Please don't hurt her." Aspen can hear the tears in Charlotte's eyes from where she stood although she didn't dare break the staredown shared with Murphy.
"Don't hurt her?" Murphy repeats. He's the first to break Aspen's glare to smirk victoriously at Charlotte. "Okay, I'll make you a deal. You come with me right now..." He pats Clarke's shoulder heavily. "... I will let her go."
Aspen spares a stare towards Charlotte. She only takes a second to decide, her glossy eyes fluttering shut as she takes a step forward. Bellamy pushes lightly on her chest to stop her as Clarke pleads, "Don't do it, Charlotte!"
A scuffle between Bellamy and Charlotte on the edge of the cliff makes Aspen's heart skip. One wrong move, a simple slip, and they'd both be gone for good.
"No, no! I have to!" Charlotte cries out. She scratches at Bellamy's arms as he plants his hands on her shoulders and forces her to stay put.
Bellamy slowly turns to where Murphy was still holding Clarke at knifepoint. "Murphy. This is not happening," he warns.
Tears in Charlotte's eyes are blinked away. She speaks up quietly before Murphy could make a move or respond. "I can't let any of you get hurt anymore. Not because of me... Not after what I did."
Charlotte turns her back to them. Aspen's static brain becomes suddenly empty as Clarke screams, "Charlotte!" Just as the girl reaches the tipping edge and leaps. Bellamy's arm reaches for her, but he's too late. His fingers barely skim her hood. Aspen's jaw falls slack as the small body plummets, disappearing into the fog below them.
No one knows if Murphy ever had any intention of really slicing Clarke's skin when he lets her go as her sobs turn into screams of, "No! No, no! No!" And falls to her knees next to Bellamy as if staring into the pit of emptiness would bring Charlotte back. Aspen would have covered her open mouth if she could move. The cold rain doesn't soothe any of her paralyzed limbs. Every drop that hits her skin feels like icicles.
The soil grows soft and sinks Aspen's feet in further when she finally moves. Clarke has fallen into a fit of sobs as she drops her head, forehead smacking against the wet grass. "Oh, Clarke," she says softly. The girl loses her father. Her childhood best friend. Then watches a child she cared about commit suicide. Aspen swallows the lump in her throat, lowers herself to her knees, and apologizes. "I'm so sorry."
Clarke's torso turns and smacks into Aspen's chest. Her cheek fell against her lap as she drenches the denim pants below with more cries. Aspen strokes the knotted blonde hair with one hand, the other gently cupping her jawline. Neither girls notice Bellamy storm towards Murphy or the fear that suddenly floats in the air.
"It's okay," Aspen whispers even when she knows it's not. She cradles Clarke close to her chest. "It's okay."
A sudden sound of skin hitting skin echoes behind them. The pair jump at the hit. They struggle to pull apart and stand up as they see Bellamy had finally broke and tackled Murphy to the ground. He's pinned, struggling under the weight above him as Bellamy smashes his face again, and again, and again, no plans of stopping.
"Bellamy, stop! You'll kill him!" Clarke exclaims desperately. Aspen has a dark feeling that tells her that was his plan.
Finn throws himself over Bellamy's back. He shouts, "Get off me!" To attempt to buck the other off as he tugs him off of his victim. Murphy's face is once again covered in fresh blood from the beating, he chokes on it. Bellamy shoves Finn away. "He deserves to die!"
"No!" Clarke yells. Her voice is strained from crying. "We don't decide who lives and dies - not down here."
Aspen's own words echo in her mind. We are not the Ark. We aren't the Council.
A heavy huff fell from Bellamy's curled lips. "So help me God, if you say the people have a right to decide - "
"No, I was wrong before, okay?" Clarke admits. She shakes her head. "You were right. Sometimes it's dangerous to tell people the truth. But if we're gonna survive down here, we can't just live by whatever the hell we want. We need rules," she insists.
"And who makes those rules, huh? You?" Bellamy challenges.
Every sign that Clarke had been deep in sorrow was gone. The leadership in her had finally taken over. She stands as tall as she can without any signs of collapsing as she states, "For now, we make the rules. Okay?"
A breath Aspen didn't realize she was holding is slowly released. She wipes at her nose when the raindrops get too close to her nostrils. This was what she's tried to do all along. But what kind of leader just... Let this happen? Aspen was a pathetic excuse for one. She was suddenly glad Earth didn't have mirrors. She wouldn't be able to stand looking at the person staring back. Her parents, Jax, they'd be ashamed of her. Wait. They already were.
But Clarke, she was a great leader. Aspen couldn't wait to see what she'd do. And Bellamy? It pains her to admit when she can't stand the guy, but she knows one thing for sure. Bellamy does care. He cares for the delinquents like he cares for his little sister. Time would tell what kind of leader he'd become.
"So, what then? We just take him back and pretend like it never happened?" Bellamy questions with sarcasm dripping in his tone.
Aspen notices the way Clarke flinches. "No," she speaks up for her. She could barely stare Bellamy in the eyes for the first time. "This - ", she waves her hand in the air. "It ends here! Whatever the hell we want - all of it."
Her agreement gives Clarke the strength to compose herself further and nod. She casts a quick stare to where Murphy was still sprawled on the ground. "We banish him," she finally decides because Aspen was right despite how she was a subject instead of a leader now. Their 'no rules' was bullshit. It led them to here.
No one can read the features on Bellamy's face, whether he agrees or not is in his head, when he seizes Murphy by the collar of his jacket. "Get up." Clarke calls for him to stop as he drags him to the edge once again. Murphy's boots scrape the boulder to keep himself from falling as Bellamy shakes him violently. "If I ever catch you near camp, we'll be back here," he vouches darkly. "Understand?"
Murphy slowly nods, avoiding Bellamy's stare even when he tries to catch his eye. He finally has enough and tosses him like he weighed nothing, sending Murphy rolling across the soil. "As for the five of you, you can come back and follow me, or go off with him to die. Your choice," Bellamy offers the rest of Murphy's crew.
"I'm not - I'm not his follower," Aspen splutters in disbelief and anger. A follower, she corrects herself silently. She's never been a follower.
"Pen," Finn says calmly after he tosses a knife towards Murphy's direction. Aspen feels his hand on her shoulder a second later. She presses into his side and remains there as everyone leaves Murphy on his knees in the past to follow the path back to camp.
Another heavy sigh falls and Aspen feels the slightest bit of pressure release from her chest. It's been one hell of a night. One hell of a life and who's to tell what will happen next?
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author's note:
a little short, but i'm happy with this. i wanted to include the wristbands frying, but since aspen didn't have hers on anyways i decided not to last minute. it would've been longer but it is what it issss.
i'm also really considering changing the title. idk because i've has this story up for so long, but i kinda hate it? so i'm not sure. it was based off the song but ehhhhhh. i'll keep you guys updated on it so no one would be surprised.
so raven's coming soon! lots of things are going to be revealed as the plot thickens & picks up. i'm excited to see if you guys love it ❤️ thank you guys for being the best, y'all are so patient and kind.
- koda
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3.8k.
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