XX
[PREVIOUSLY: Finn, Clarke, Dustin, Bryce, Jasper, Monty and Octavia have been trekking for hours through rough terrain, intent on reaching Mount Weather. Along the way they see a mutated deer and come across a river; a river that contains an under-water beast; a beast that's headed straight for Octavia]!
I barely had enough time to let out a scream of terror before the blood-sucking jaws of the monstrous beast closed around my legs.
"OCTAVIA!" I heard Jasper's screech of horror before I was dragged beneath the murky depths of the river.
Bubbles of air erupted from my nose and mouth as I tried desperately to escape from this hungry, carnivorous animal. I thrashed my arms around wildly, hitting out at the creature, but to no avail. It's mouth, bared with sucking pads and sharp, barbarian teeth began to envelop my body. It was intent on swallowing me whole!
This can't be happening. This can't be happening. Not after everything I've been through ...
Thoughts and memories and scenes and incidents flashed through my brain at lightning speed. I knew my time was up. I was going to die.
PLONK.
The sound of a large rock hitting the surface of the water reached my ears in a loud ripple effect. I turned my head in the direction of the noise, surprised and confused.
However, the eel-like beast that was devouring me didn't think twice before letting me go. It shot off in the direction of the splash.
My eyes widened as I realised what it had been. A distraction.
Adrenaline pounding through my veins, I kicked my arms and legs and made my way up to the surface of the water. My head burst through the waves and I gasped for air.
"Octavia!" Clarke exclaimed. "Quickly, get out of the water."
"It - it's coming back!" Jasper squealed.
"Octavia hurry!" Monty urged.
With as much force as I could muster, I pushed myself towards the bank of the river. I glanced back over my shoulder, fear swelling up within me as I saw the monster returning. I was never going to make it in time.
SPLASH.
Suddenly, without warning, Jasper was in the water with me. Grabbing one of my arms and slinging it over his neck, he pulled me rapidly towards shore. Once we both were within reach of the others, they leaned down and hauled us back onto dry ground.
The beast careened out of the water, but we were too far out of its' reach. It landed back into the river with a terrific splash of waves and then it was gone.
I collapsed on the ground, panting heavily. The urgency of the situation was wearing off and now I could feel a throbbing pain in my right thigh. With a groan I lifted my head and stared down at my sore spot.
The creature's teeth had dug into my flesh, exposing raw red tendons and sporting a fountain of blood. Bruises and cuts covered the lower half of my body and my stomach was splattered with suction marks caused by the beast's sucking pads.
"Note to self, next time, save the girl," Finn jibed as he clapped Jasper on the back and helped him to his feet.
I chuckled slightly as I smiled up at Jasper. "Thank you."
Jasper nodded and grinned in response as the other boys stepped forward to congratulate him on his act of bravery.
"She can't go on like this," Clarke said as she bent down beside me. She tightly wound a strip of material above my wound as she sighed. "She needs to go back to camp."
"W-what?" I sat straight up in a sitting position, ignoring the throbbing pain that pounded throughout my body. "I am not going back, Clarke! Not now!"
Finn inhaled sharply as he gazed around. "It'd take hours to get her back, Clarke. We'd lose an entire day of travel."
Clarke shook her head, annoyed. "No, you're not listening. Finn, you take Octavia back to camp. The rest of us will continue on."
"No!" I exclaimed as I struggled to my feet. "I'm perfectly fine, Clarke."
"You can't even walk properly," she pointed out.
"Yes, I can," I argued.
"You're just gonna slow us down," she protested.
"Look, if worse comes to worse I'll take her back to camp," Finn volunteered. "But until then, let's just see how Octavia goes, okay?"
Clarke huffed and rolled her eyes as she began packing up her medic kit. "Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you."
As I hobbled past Finn, he grabbed my shoulder and whispered, "You okay?"
I snorted in response. "I was just attacked by some carnivorous beast, Spacewalker. Yeah, I've never felt better."
"How are we going to get across this river?" Clarke piped up as she adjusted the pack on her back and trudged over to join us. "We can't swim across it and there's no bridge or fallen log anywhere."
Finn raised his eyebrows knowingly. "Hmm, I think I may have an idea."
Half an hour later we were all standing on top of the cliff-edge once again. Finn, with some assistance from us, had skilfully woven a strong, thickened vine that he'd thrown over one of the highest tree branches he could see. His idea? To swing across the river on it.
"It's not too bad," Clarke mused as she stared up at our finished product. "Okay, whose gonna go first?"
For a moment, no one responded, then Finn spoke up, "I'll go. I made the bloody thing, the least I can do is make sure it's safe enough for the rest of you."
We all nodded in agreement and made way for him as he backed up and hitched his hands onto the vine.
"W-wait!" Jasper called out, stepping in front of Finn. "Um - I - I'll go ..." he sent a bashful look in my direction.
I smiled and sent him a thumbs-up as Finn conceded and stepped down. "I knew there was a badass in there somewhere," he chuckled as he slapped Jasper on the back. "Go on then."
Jasper swallowed hard as he looked from the vine to the river. His eyes scanned the water, obviously wanting to make sure the monstrous creature was gone for good.
"C'mon, Jasper, you can do this," I encouraged him by clapping my hands together.
Clarke sent a scornful look in my direction but I just ignored her.
"Ready?" Finn shouted. "3 ... 2 ... 1 ... GOO!!!"
With a whoop of scared excitement, Jasper pushed himself off of the cliff-edge and sailed high across the dangerous depths of the water.
"WHOO! Way to go, Jasper!" I hooted, cupping my hands around my mouth.
THUD.
Jasper landed safely on the opposite bank. "YEAH!" he triumphantly stuck his fist up in the air as he turned around to face the rest of us. With as much force as he could muster, he flung the vine back up into the air.
Finn stepped forward and deftly caught it in one flick of his wrist. "I'm next!" he yelled.
I watched Jasper's bright and gleeful face as he scanned his surroundings and took in all of the new sights from a different vantage point. Suddenly, he pounced on something partially hidden by a bush that was sitting nearby. He took a quick look at it before holding it high up in the air so we could all see it. It was a metal boarding sign that read MOUNT WEATHER.
"We're coming home, baby!" he shouted.
Then, it happened.
I heard a whoosh of air sound straight by my head. I caught a glimpse of a sharpened iron-head as it sailed past me. I felt the colourful tiers that were bound around the end of the wooden shaft tickle my face as it flew past.
BAM.
A spear, a huge, iron-headed, paint-tipped spear, had embedded itself right in Jasper's chest!
He was flung backwards from the force of the weapon and thrown to the floor.
"J-JASPER!" I screamed out in shock.
For a moment everyone was too horrified to speak, then, Clarke glanced around fearfully and gulped, "We - we gotta go. We gotta run - NOW! W-we're not alone."
Gif: Octavia's expression when she sees Jasper being speared.
XX