F I R E S T A R T E R|
W E L L ' S B O O T S H A L T E D
In the dirt. His lips flatlined as his eyes drooped when the realization that he'd forgotten me dawned upon him slowly.
If you were quiet enough, you could hear the nearly silent sigh forced from the Jaha's nose, sounding painful almost.
He Backtracked in his steps, approaching Murphy and I with a puffed chest and straight face. John stiffened and tested the poor boy's patience by meeting his glare with a hardened one of his own.
I flickered my gaze between the two boys challenging one another in a fight over men superiority- Mankind's dumbest natural response. "Guys..." My voice stifled in the fabric of Murphy's jacket along with the grunts and murmurs as I made attempts to stand. But the grip tucked beneath my knees and the pit of my arm clenched. It's not until now I'm actively aware of how close the shiv in Murphy's hand is to nicking the flesh on my calf.
Wells knowingly crossed boundaries when he took caution to the wind and scooped me up rather than waiting for John to let me go.
I feel the look of annoyance on my face morph into confusion.
Is there an unspoken rule that says I'm no longer allowed to touch the floor?
And to top it off, as we crossed paths to get to the dropship's entrance, Bellamy flashed the both of us an incredulous look.
"So..." Now's the time to get distracted from the weird behavior everyone's taking roles of. "You were saying something about water, right?"
Wells ignored me and instead sneaked a quick glance over his shoulder to watch the Blake. He noticed the sour gaze as quick as I did. "Don't you have a fire to build?" Jaha suddenly remembered.
I couldn't help but sigh at the mentioning of it. "Oh come on. He asked me to build a fire, not when." I kissed my teeth. "Besides I don't take orders from him." I don't take orders from anyone-except blondie. She has this strange persuasive persona that's comes off strong and is unavoidable.
Wells shook his head. "I don't think anyone wants to be out here, surrounded by darkness, when night falls."
The sky has been gradually turning a light shade of yellow for ten minutes. I'm no Earth expert but I'm positive in about an hour or so it'll be sundown. Or twenty minutes. Whichever comes first.
"You don't mind helping me build it, do you?"
Suddenly, I was dropped faster than a hot potato. And my butt-I don't know if there's bones in your tush, but if there is I think I broke one of 'em.
"Holy crap!" The quiet nature hanging amongst the criminals for once was filled with my howls of pain. "You know, Wells, a simple 'no' would've been appropriate."
→←
When Wells inquired no help-he wasn't kidding.
I haven't gotten to the building portion of the fire yet because I'm too busy digging up the ring that goes around it.
"Where's the fire?" Through the sweat rolling down the sides of my face, I looked up to see Bellamy in steady aggravation. His brows were furrowed, lips pinned straight, and hands on his hips while he awaits for an explanation.
"Don't you see me building it?"
"I see you chucking at dirt for what's been half an hour." He scoffed. "It's getting dark and I don't even see any wood."
How is this possible? He's actually taking the fun out of setting things on fire. I never thought I'd come across such a buzzkill.
"I'm making a dip so fire is less likely to kill the whole camp while we sleep. Is that okay with you?" As if I need someone to tell me how to build a fire. That's the funniest thing I've heard since we've touched down on this planet. "So how about you stop complaining and help me shovel instead, yeah?"
My arms are aching, my legs are weak in the knees, and I might pass out from the uneven breaths, but I'm determined to create the biggest campfire. Big enough, that if you squinted you'll see it from the ark itself.
That's the dream anyways.
Bellamy studied my face, and feeling as he realized I'm in no condition to joke with he sighed before snatching the shovel from my grip which I am more than happy to release.
As he takes over the preparations, I gathered the loads of bark Wells and I retrieved. With every log I reached for, putting and arranging their places in the pit, the more calloused my palms became. It's now home to dozens of splinters, cuts, and a whole field of determination.
But I think it's safe to say I've never built a fire this large in my life. Standing at around six feet wide and stretched nearly eight feet tall; A beauty like this is meant to be treasured.
Bellamy stood by my side, his chest rising and collapsing with dirt smeared on his face somehow.
I chose a leaf off the ground after pulling my lighter from my pocket and flicking the top open. With a push of my thumb, a small flame came to life in all of it's glorious heat.
A sight worth staring at all day.
Dragging the tip of the leaf over the flame, I watched as it began to turn charcoal black and shrivel. My sacred light was stashed away into my pocket once more and I used my free hand to cup around the leaf. I blew on It ever so gently-despite feeling like my lungs are about to fail-and broke into a grin at the gaze of smoke swirling above our heads. Then I tossed it into the log pile.
Everyone who stood nearby watched me intently like what I did was some sort of witch craft and I was the most entrancing witch they've ever encountered. Bellamy made an expression that'd leave someone to believe he was thinking intently. So concentrated on his thoughts he might pop a vein.
The silence was gone the minute bigger flames erupted from the creases of the bark as they deemed it a time to burst into cheers and chants.
I haven't seen people so captivated since I set the infamous fire that finalized my time in lock up. Can't be too sure but I think this is the first my generation has ever seen a fire this big.
And I'm more than happy to show them.
→←
"Hey, how's it going in here?"
Wells was sprawled against a seat he must've taken from upstairs in the dropship, treating his leg."I've been better." He stiffly answered, wincing at every twitch his foot made.
I sighed. "Stop being an ass and ask me for help already. You look like a wounded puppy ready to die."
"Feel like it too." He probably didn't intend on me hearing the mumble beneath his breath but my ears caught it anyways.
"Hand me the bandage."
"Were all out."
"Already?!" I rubbed my sweat stained temples in exhaustion. We've been on this planet for less than a day and already a quarter of our medic supplies is finished. Impossible.
"We got a back up by any chance?" Wells shrugged. "Not that I know of."
Seeing as he isn't the mood for my attempting satire humor I plan to sprinkle on the depressing atmosphere, I took the dirtied bandages Wells went through the trouble of unwrapping and smoothed it out.
The cracks of my lips ran beneath the tips of my teeth as I licked them in thought. Only thing it helped remind me was how much stinging that causes. But I know just the plant that helps with stinging.
"Don't move."
"Is that suppose to be a joke?"
I left the metal ship in a flurry, rolling my eyes as my hearing picked up Wells' comment. But I was so foucused on gathering plants I didn't bother questioning the rowdy crowd hovering amongst the fire even half an hour after it's been lit.
"Alrighty..."
Wells stared me down with silent scrutinizing eyes asI layered the plant along the bandage. "What are you doing?" He said with alertness.
My hands raised in mock surrender."Chillax."
"Repeat that again?"
Seeing the look Wells was giving me, he seemed appalled I even thought about using such language. It's not like I insulted his family. "What? I'm old school. Sue me."
"Are you stuck in the twenty-first century? No one says that."
"Oh because this century is so much better." And to be fair I don't think people said it in that century either.
"This right here is Witch hazel. It'll help with the swelling and stinging." The harsh look of Wells softened significantly. "I think. Not really sure how its supposed to be prepared. Hell, after this you might even get a rash."
The smile I flashed Wells didn't sooth his nerves at all but he remained reluctant to me bandaging his ankle. Once in a while he'd hissed because I wrapped it too tight, but it needed pressure to ease off some of the pain he was adding on to it from earlier. As I finished I clapped my hands in triumph. "Now we'll have a round of 'Am I right or wrong' that'll last til morning. Doesn't that sound fun?"
Despite his irritated expression he tilted his head in curiosity. "Where'd you learn that from?"
"My friend Monty...and my mom. She's head vet of the menagerie station. Both are strong believers in medicinal herbs," I pointed to Wells' foot as a reminder then slouched my shoulders in remeberance. "Too bad I just stuck to playing with fire."
Wells snickered. His attention was cut short due to cheers outside I somehow managed to drown out. He took no time in standing and limping to the ramp. I follwed in pursuit only to make sure he didn't fall on the way there.
He pushed back the curtain covering the exit for me and the both of us made our way over to the commotion.
What do we see? John, struggling to pry off a wristband belonging to some girl with a piece of metal before it really does pop off and is thrown into the ring around the fire.
"What the hell are you doing?" Wells growled. He didnt look enitrely angry, as well as amazed by the idiocy in the gangs of people.
"Liberating ourselves. What does it look like we're doing?" Bellamy stepped closer and I groaned outrageously loud, becoming increasingly tired of his presence no matter who's sibling he may be.
"It looks like you're trying to get us killed. The communicaton system is dead. These wristbands are all we got. Take them off and the ark will think we're dying-that it's not safe for them to follow." Wells began circling, talking to the whole in hopes of convincing them. And even though the speech sputtering out of his mouth is true, they currently hate him at the moment.
Can't trump hate.
"That's the point, chancellor. We can take care of ourselves, can't we?" some yelled in agreement and I was beginning to be fed up with just about everyone here.
There really listening to this guy? I mean sure I did but that was to get away form the constant hovering.
"You think this is a game? Those aren't just are friends and our parents up there. They're our farmers, our doctors, our engineers. I don't care what he tells you. We wont survive here on our own..." I may have not liked certain people on the space craft floating above our heads, but I have no shame in admitting O have no clue what to do when it comes to surviving in this change of scenery. "And besides, if it really is safe, how could you not want the rest of our people to come down?"
"My people are already down." I rolled my eyes so heavily I actually belived they'd freeze. "Those people locked my people up."
"Shut up." I voiced. Eyes abruptly turned my way as if I was seemingly forgotten.
"Excuse me?"
Lightly pushing pass Wells, I took confident strides towards Bellamy.
"Shut up already. My people, my people," I mimicked horribly. "What people? Because these.." I waved my hand over the majority of us. "Are not your people. Last I checked your ass came down here in a guard's uniform with an empty wrist while the rest of us rock out the newest summer fashion trend." I held up my arm and gave it a little shake, the silver wristband glistening over the cackling fire.
"Those people up there may be jackasses, but they'd never send a gaurd down here, they're way too valuable so whatever you did or whatever your running from don't change the fact you aren't like us. You never got arrested, you were never locked up in the sky box, you were never a prisoner. You don't know half the shit we went through. I didn't get locked up for three years just to take orders from a guy like you," I took a breath and used it as an opportunity to scoff.
"Especially you. Only reason I tolerate you is because I care about your sister- someone who really had it tough up there- otherwise I think I might've skinned you alive by now."
At this point we were face to face less than a hair between us.
"Talk about that whole 'My people' bullshit again and you can guarantee I'll kill you myself."
Bellamy looked stunned. Stunned is an understatement. A very big understatement.
"You can't-"
"I can do whatever the hell I want."
In a matter of moments, the overlapping fire pit became the second most threatening thing on the ground.
Next thing you know, water landed on my cheek. It came in droplets and then all at once. and for the quickest second I worried about the fire going out until It dawned on me to simply patch some material over it.
"We need to collect this." Wells motioned to the rain.
Instead of me answering, Bellamy solemnly shrugged his shoulders. I think he's realized he lost in the argument against us.
"Whatever the hell you want."
[Unedited]
I have to keep reminding myself, don't turn Blaze into a turbo badass yet, let her laugh before shit hits the fan 🤦🏻♂️
And the amount of mistakes In this chapter-I feel it. I swear when I really have the time, I'll go though it completely and fix them.
If you liked this chapter then don't forget don't forget to vote, comment, and all that jazz because I really do appreciate it
✌️