"You son of a bitch! You can't continue doing this to us!" I shout.
There's another sharp tug at my wrist, and I fall on the ground, landing right on my elbows. I groan in pain from the sudden movement. The burning feeling that runs in my shoulder returns. It's almost numb by now from all the blood I've lost.
Tristen, the Grounder that captured Finn, me, and this kid, steps off his horse. His bald head is covered in soot, along with the rest of his clothes. He walks towards us, more specifically, me. Tristen stands tall in front of me, towering by at least eight inches. His hand lands on my shoulder, and squeezes a bit. I grit my teeth.
"Listen here, girl. You're lucky you're alive, and, well, I'm in charge," he pushes his thumb into my stiches; hard. I scream in pain as I feel the stiches continue to rip. The blood flows even more. There can't be any left intact. I know for a fact that half of them ripped when he kept tugging at the restraints around my wrist.
"Stop! Stop! You're killing her!" Finn shouts from behind me. He moves closer to try and stop it, but Tristen connects his fist with Finn's face. He falls to the ground, tired from exhaustion as well. I take deep breaths as he lets go. I look down at my shoulder to see a large blood spot starting to cover my shirt.
"Shit," I mutter. Finn reluctantly stands up, just as Tristen steps up onto his horse. "You good?"
He gives a curt nod, "Are you?"
I look down at my shoulder again. The spot has still increased in size. "I will be."
That seems to be my response for everything nowadays. At least for how I'm feeling, or how I'm holding up. Because one day, I will be okay, but today isn't that day.
My eyes wander around. The plants are all the same as they have been for the past four hours. I keep a look out for new ones. That's the only thing distracting me from everything that's going on. Like how I'm walking to my death. Or about Bellamy.
Or maybe I'm just hoping he'll show up and save me.
It's not like that's going to happen. Finn says he probably died in the fire. He said that they got split up, and we're lucky to be alive. I just don't want to believe he's dead. Bellamy he's Bellamy: he gets out of everything and anything.
The tug of the ropes brings me back to reality. I look back one last time, but Bellamy isn't there. No one is.
"Finn, I – I can't go on much longer," I whisper. My head hurts, and the dizziness isn't helping. Finn glances down at my shoulder.
"You have to."
"I can't go anymore." The words don't come from my mouth, but from the boy beside me. He falls to his knees as Tristen stops the horse. He jumps off, an angry vibe flowing from him, probably from stopping twice in less than an hour.
He pulls a machete from his belt, and makes quick work of cutting the guys throat. My eyes widen, and Finn lets out a small scream of protest.
"That was one; I lost hundreds," Tristen snarls. Black dots fill my vision, and the dizziness gets worse.
"Blade!" Finn shouts, he steps over to me. I hadn't even noticed I fell. Before he reaches me, Tristen pushes him back and brings out his blade again. "No!"
My head lolls to the side. I'm just so tired. I prepare for the all too familiar feels of a blade to my throat, but it doesn't come. I force my eyes open to see my rope cut, so only my hands are tied.
"She's going to die of blood loss soon enough."
My breathing hitches a little as I hear the gallop of hooves. I try to keep my eyes open, but it's hard, as if I hadn't slept in five days. I guess that's partly true. The past few nights I had gotten maybe three hours of sleep on a good night.
It must have been ten minutes before I couldn't keep awake any longer, even though it felt like hours.
"Tori. Tori! Wake up. Come on, Sunshine. Don't die on me now." A warm hand is placed on my shoulder, the other on my stomach. "Do you have a cloth or something?"
Whatever it is, it gets tightly wrapped around my wound, a little too tight as I let out a groan. "Blake?"
"Yeah, yeah. I'm here. You're going to be okay." My eyes blink open. His smiling face is just above mine.
"I thought you were dead," we both say. "Come on, we have to go save Finn," Bellamy continues. His curls tickle my cheek as he picks me up with ease. I moan in pain as my shoulder is twisted.
"She's losing too much blood," a girl says.
"Monroe?" I tilt my head, "Glad you're okay." My eyes flutter closed again.
"No, no, no. You gotta keep your eyes open, Sunshine," Bellamy encourages.
"I can't, Bell, I'm so tired." He grins a little, surprising me considering the situation we're in. "What?"
"Nothing. It's just that's the first time you haven't called me Blake." I shake my head at his silliness. It's true, I guess I have always called him Blake. It feels weird not calling him that.
"Don't get used to it," I mumble.
Bellamy's uneven footsteps are the only thing keeping me awake. He's probably doing it on purpose, though. All of a sudden, I'm placed on the ground. The grass is still wet from the morning dew. It's cold against my back, even through the jacket. I can hear Bellamy talking, but I can't seem to pay attention.
"You're going to be okay, Sunshine," Bellamy pushes hair out of my face. "You hear me? You're going to be fine."
He place a light kiss against my forehead. I barely feel it, but a smile passes my face. "What are you doing, Blake? I don't need you dying on me, either."
"I'll be fine," he smiles. "Sterling, keep her awake."
Bellamy and Monroe walk a little farther, so they're out of earshot. God knows what they are up to. Probably something brave and stupid. He's going to get himself killed one day. I guess we are alike, both doing dumb shit to save our friends.
I don't really know what Bell and I are: friends, acquaintances, enemies, or even just co-leaders. There isn't really a title. All I know is that I don't hate him anymore, not even because he is the reason my mother is dead.
"Hey, hey, stay awake." Sterling shakes my side lightly, making my eyes pop open. "You gotta stay awake."
"Tell me what's going on," I demand, rubbing my hand in my eye.
"They're trying to save Finn. I can't see anything from here, though." He starts stretching his neck to see something. "Hey, is it true your name is Tori?"
I chuckle. "Yeah, the secret's out, I suppose,"
He doesn't say anything else, but after a few moments, a gunshot fires. Then another.
"Bell!" I panic. I bring myself to my feet. The world spins for a few seconds, but I stumble towards where the two left.
"Hey, hey, slow down." Sterling catches up to me easily, offering his help. I go to refuse it, but decide it's probably best for me if I don't. I swing my good arm over his shoulder, and he wraps his around my waist.
"Blake!" I shout as we reach a clearing. The scene in front of me is nothing I would ever expect. "Kane? When the hell did you get down to Earth?" I hadn't seen a drop ship land on Earth.
Sterling quickly fills me in that the Ark had landed on earth during our battle. I hadn't even noticed; I was so worried about everyone. How the hell did I not notice a fireball hurdling towards our new home?
My eyes land on Bellamy. His face is bloody and battered, a lot worse than it was before. Mine probably isn't much better, Tristen seemed to enjoy using me as a punching bag. Bellamy quickly rushes over to me, I break away from Sterling and stumble towards him.
"What did I tell you about doing stupid things?" I wince as he wraps his arms around my shoulders.
"What did I say about getting yourself just about killed?" he fires back.
"Tori?" a voice calls, the familiar soft tone brings the corners of my lips pop up.
"Hey, Dr. Griffin." I pull away from Bellamy. He keeps an arm around me. I'm thankful for that, as everything seems to spin. She notices the blood and goes from motherly to business.
"What happened?" she asks, moving my jacket sleeve to the side. I grimace.
"She got shot," Bellamy answers for me. "The stiches got ripped."
Abby pulls a small backpack off her shoulder. I assume there's medical supplies in it. Bellamy lies me on the ground as Dr. Griffin gets some stiches ready. I notice Tristen is dead, with a bullet in his brain. Good, the bastard deserved it.
"This going to hurt a bit. I don't have anything to numb the pain." she explains.
"Been here already." I grin. "This asshole did it too." I stick my thumb towards Bellamy, who has a small grin playing at the corner of his mouth.
"Come on, Sunshine. It wasn't even that bad," he jokes as Abby starts putting the stiches in, she's a lot gentler than both Bellamy and Clarke were.
"Do you know where Clarke is?" she seems almost hesitant to ask.
"She was still at camp when we left," Finn answers. Abby finishes up the final stich before tying a knot and placing a bright white bandage over it.
"We need to get back to the drop ship," I say, standing up. If the plan really worked, our people should still be there.
"You're not going anywhere," Bellamy interrupts.
"He's right," Abby agrees before I can say anything. "Even if the bleeding has stopped, you lost a lot of blood. You're lucky to still be on your feet."
"I can walk." I glare at Bellamy. "I got shot in the shoulder, not the leg,"
"You shouldn't have been shot at all," Bellamy argues.
"I'm not leaving. Our people could be in danger right now, and could end up dead if we don't leave now!" I still feel the need to have a four day nap, but adrenaline starts to go through me.
"Fine, but you're not walking," I raise my eyebrow at him. Bellamy swoops me up, fireman style.
"Wait," I call out. He gently sets me down, and I walk over to Tristen's dead body. On his belt is my knife: my one and only true possession. I rip it off and shove it in my pocket. On the back of his horse is my bow and the few arrows that are left. I grab those, too, and pass them over to Finn.
"Can you please carry them?" I ask, getting tired again. Finn nods and slings it over his back. Bellamy picks me up again, and I lean my head against his chest. Kane splits everyone up, sending everyone but a few guards back to their camp.
"I don't know what you're doing to me, Bellamy Blake," I mumble, closing my eyes, and finally get the rest I need.
)( )( )( )(
"Hey, wake up. We're here," a voice announces. I wiggle to get out of Bellamy's grasp. He gently sets me down on my feet.
"How are you feeling?" he asks, taking a small step back to give me some space.
"A lot better. That nap helped." I crack my neck, from force of habit. My head isn't pounding either, which is good news, I guess.
Kane and a few others aren't here, but a few members of the Guard are standing alert around us. I assume the rest went to the drop ship already, didn't allow us to go in, and set the guards on us so we wouldn't try to.
Stupid bastard, we know way more about Earth than you do.
Finn, Bellamy, and I pass each other looks. I give them a wink before putting our plan into action. I guess this shows just how long we've been together, not even a discussion is needed to figure out a plan.
Bellamy gives an unnoticeable nod towards me.
Let's do this.
I 'stumble' back a little before falling to the ground. It catches the guard's attention, leaving enough time for Finn and Bellamy to run through the tunnels into camp.
"Hey! Wait!" they shout, going after the two. I pull myself up and go through the main gate, tripping once or twice along the way.
The camp is completely empty. Everything is burnt black, along with all of the Grounders. I don't feel any guilt for them being dead: they deserved it for attacking us. A commotion at the drop ship doors catches my attention.
Bellamy is beating the shit out of someone. I can't see their face, but they probably earned it. A guard step up pulling out on of those electric sticks. I've been hit by them before, and it isn't a pleasant experience.
"Blake, watch out!" I shout, but it's too late. The electric end connects with his side and Bellamy falls the ground. He gasps for air as I finally see who he was attacking: Murphy.
"You son of a bitch!" I scream at him. His eyes widen from where he lays. In only three strides, I'm up to him. I grab the collar of Murphy's jacket and punch him square in the jaw. Kane and the Guard hadn't even noticed yet, they were too busy trying to arrest Bellamy.
I bring my fist down again. This time it hits his nose, leaving a satisfying crack. "You bastard."
"Treeclimber!" Finn shouts, panic filling his voice. I turn my head, just to get the same thing that happened to Bellamy. The stick connects with the bare skin on my hip, as my jacket had risen up. The electric current runs through my veins and bones, leaving a burn mark on my skin. The scream in my throat doesn't come out of me, only heavy breathing.
"You don't understand: Murphy killed two of our people, he shot Tori, and tried to hang Bellamy," Finn explains to Kane. Bellamy stands with his hands restrained, looking panicked towards me.
"You are not animals!" Kane exclaims. I get pulled to my feet, and handcuffed. Unlike Bellamy my hands stay in front, not behind, probably because of my wound. "There are rules! Laws! You are not in control here anymore." He looks to Bellamy and then over to me. I glare at him.
It's quiet for a moment, until the guards carry someone out on a stretcher.
"Raven..." Finn and I breathe out. She's in rough shape. The bullet wound is really killing her. I realize how lucky I got. Murphy only got my shoulder, whereas Raven got it in the spine.
It should be me there. Raven is so much smarter and braver than I am. She should be the one who is going to be one hundred percent okay.
"She's lost a lot of blood. It's a miracle she's still alive," Abby explains. She hesitates before finishing, her voice somber, "There isn't anyone else in there."
Where could have everyone went? The safest place is here. They should have known we would come back to get them anyways. The guard pushes Bellamy and I over to one of the burnt walls.
"This is where they would come back," Bellamy exclaims.
"I don't think they're coming back," Finn whispers. He looks almost more disappointed that Clarke isn't here than Abby. "The Grounders took them, and you know it."
"So we follow them," I pipe in. "Get reinforcements, weapons, then we'll go find our friends."
"How many more of us are going to die by then?" Bellamy keeps his voice low. He's getting angry, really quickly. Finn looks back at Raven, and a sad look washes over him.
"Abby says she needs surgery or she's going to die. We need to go," Finn stands up and walks over to everyone else.
I stand, stumbling ever so slightly. "Come on Blake. I-I can't see my best friend die."
Reluctantly he follows. We walk side by side, our arms occasionally brushing. The walk was long, and my shoulder ached the whole way. I never said anything; I don't need anyone worrying.
As we reach the camp, the sight amazes me. The Ark, our old home, has literally fell to Earth. It seems so much bigger than when it was in space. My moth hangs open a little. It's almost beautiful. It isn't home, though. Home is where we landed, our own little safety spot we made with our bare hands.
The guard holding Bellamy and I leads us to our 'cell.' it's not the Skybox, but a holding room. The guards leave us in the room, taking off our handcuffs. Three of them stand outside the door, but it's not like we can just escape.
"What the fuck are we supposed to do now?" I ask, leaning against the wall.
"Finn will figure something out," Bellamy sighs. He paces in front of me, and runs a hand through his curly hair.
"Tori?" Bellamy stops pacing and breaks the silence. It wasn't awkward, just comfortable. "What's your full name?"
"What is this: twenty questions?" I scoff. "Why do you wanna know?"
"Just interested."
I hesitate. "Tori Roseann Page," I finally answer. I smile a little; I haven't heard my full name for years.
"It's cute," I scoff again. I hate my middle name. "No, really. Roseann: I like it,"
"I don't." The door opens with a loud creak. A tall man walks in, with dark hair, shortly cut. He's in his early-forties. He has bright green eyes, the same as mine. The features he has are all too familiar. My eyes widen, and I feel myself trying to back up. Unfortunately, I can't walk through walls.
"Dad?"
)( )( )( )(
Well boys
First chapter is done.
Guys I'm really excited about this and I really hope you guys enjoy this book, I like to think I worked really hard on it.
So let me know what you think so far.
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Love you all!