The Ground : Part One

twelve : kick the bucket

Clarke and I run into camp out of breath. I see Bellamy and walk over.

"What is going on?!" I ask frantically.

"Someone found Wells' fingers right next to a knife. Probably the one used to kill him." He holds up a bag with fingers in it and a knife. I grab the knife.

"There's no way this is a grounder's knife." I say and Clarke grabs the knife.

"It's made of metal from the dropship. Who all knows about this?" She asks, looking at Jasper and Octavia.

"No one. We brought it straight here." Octavia says looking between Clarke and me. Clarke is zoned out, thinking.

"Clarke?" Jasper tries to get her attention.

"This means the grounders didn't kill him. It was one of us." She says looking at me.

"So, there's a murderer in camp?" Jasper asks, frightened.

Clarke tries to leave the dropship.

"There's more than one murderer in this camp. This isn't news. We need to keep it quiet." Bellamy says while getting in her way.

"Get out of my way, Bellamy." She says sternly.

"Clarke, be smart about this. Look at what we've achieved... the wall, the patrols. Like it or not, thinking the Grounders killed Wells is good for us." Bellamy explains while still blocking her way.

"Oh, good for you, you mean. What... keep people afraid and they'll work for you? Is that it?" She accuses.

"Yeah. That's it. But it's good for all of us. Fear of the Grounders is building that wall. And besides, what are you gonna do... just walk out there and ask the killer to step forward? You don't even know whose knife that is." He explains to her.

"Oh, really? J.M. John Murphy. The people have a right to know." She says and gets past Bellamy. I follow her out, grabbing Bellamy's hand to follow us.

I see Clarke push Murphy. I run over.

"What's your problem?!" Murphy yells.

"Recognize this?" She holds up the knife.

"It's my knife. Where'd you find it?" He asks, reaching for it. She pulls back.

"Where you dropped it after you killed Wells." She says

"Where I what? I didn't kill him. The grounders did." He says, defending himself.

"I know what you did, and you're going to pay for it." She says like she's angry at the world.

Bellamy comes and stands beside me.

"Really? Bellamy, you really believe this crap?" He says looking at Bellamy.

"You threatened to kill him. We all heard you." Clarke says, still proving her point.

"Plenty of people hated Wells. His father was the chancellor that locked us up." Murphy keeps defending his point.

"Yeah, but you're the only one who got in a knife fight with him." She says, handing me the knife.

"Yeah, I didn't kill him then either." He says.

"He tried to kill Jasper, too." Octavia says.

I look back at her.

"Come on. This is ridiculous. I don't have to answer to you. I don't have to answer to anyone." Murphy says backing up.

"Come again?" Bellamy says, walking forwards.

"Bellamy, look, I'm telling you, man. I didn't do this." He says, basically pleading for Bellamy to believe him.