74. farmhouse

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Two days had passed since Greer had been killed. Two days had passed since Bellamy had left. 

The remaining group of us who had stayed in Sanctum had regrouped to the best of our abilities. Wonkru had been awoken, as had the Eligius prisoners, meaning Sanctum was bustling with more activity than it could handle. 

A handful of us had found refuge in a beautiful farmhouse that had originally been built for Simone. It was spacious and comfortable, allowing each of us our own room while still keeping us together. 

But it was only temporary. 

Our plan was to help rebuild what we destroyed in Sanctum before building our own compound. We needed somewhere for all of us to live...and it couldn't be here. 

Despite the hope that was on the horizon, I couldn't shake the despair that had settled in my chest. It had been rooted there for the past two days. 

Greer had been laid to rest one day ago, and while Raven held onto my hand as a show of support, I wished I had Bellamy with me. 

For the past two nights I had gone to sleep alone, my thoughts given way to all the horror that I had seen. 

Sleep was the worst. 

I hadn't truly slept alone in years. If it hadn't been Bellamy next to me, I was always surrounded by people in one way or another. 

The first night in the house, I laid awake for hours, afraid that if I closed my eyes I would see something worse than reality. 

Raven had slept in my room the next night, somehow knowing how much I was struggling. I think she was struggling too and I provided her as much comfort as she provided me. 

But now as the midday sun crept through the window,  I was alone once again. 

Quietly, I sat on the edge of my bed, my eyes fixated on the piece of paper in my hands. 

It was one of the paintings Greer had made for Bellamy and I. It had been the one thing I was sure to grab from our room in the tavern before we moved out here. Who knew that a child I barely knew for a fortnight could mean so much to me. 

A quiet knock at the door caused me to look up. "Come in." My voice was hollow and quiet from going too long without saying anything. 

The door creaked open and Murphy quickly poked his head in. "Lunch is ready." 

I glanced over at him, still clutching onto Greer's painting as I nodded. "I'll be there in a minute. Thanks, John."

Despite my efforts to dismiss him, Murphy pushed the door all the way open and stepped inside before quietly shutting it behind him. 

My eyes remained trained on the painting as he silently took a seat next to me on the bed. Minutes passed of complete silence, as if he was expecting me to speak first. 

Finally, he gave in. "I know you're hurt, Collins, but you've gotta stop holing up in here."

I kept my gaze focused downward as I shrugged. "I'm not holing up in here."

"I've barely seen you in the past two days."

"I've been busy." It was party true. I had been helping with our clean up mission, but when I wasn't doing that I was mostly hidden away in my bedroom. 

A sigh fell from lips. "Come on, Avery, don't do this to yourself. You're one of the strongest people out there. If you can make it through losing your brother, you can make it through this."

For the first time since he sat down next to me, I looked over at Murphy. "It's not just about losing Greer." I rasped out, lightly running my finger over the dried paint. "I'm losing hope."

𝐒𝐀𝐋𝐕𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍─𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐤𝐞²Where stories live. Discover now