she's just a kid || the 100

50 || new life

SCREAMS. That was all I could hear as I burst up in my bed. Some of them were mine, others were the screams inside my mind. The screams of the Commanders within the Flame, being backed up in a symphony by the screams of those I've murdered haunting me. 

I've always had nightmares. Ever since my parents were floated back on the Ark. But they've never been as bad as they've been these last few months. One particular Commander inside my head, Sheidheda, the dark Commander, was getting stronger, and causing terror within the Flame. But apart from him, I think the fighting pits are what triggered the nightmares to worsen. 

The fighting pits started after word broke out about the overpopulation within the bunker. It had been almost two years of our lives in the bunker when Kara Cooper, a woman who used to be from Agro Station back on the Ark, as well as a few others, took it upon themselves to take the Hydro Farm, somehow managing to get almost every Sky Person that was in the bunker inside the Cafeteria, locking them in and separating themselves from everyone outside. 

A lot changed that day. Long story short, Wonkru was beginning to separate into their original clans, and it took a lot more deaths than I would have preffered to put an end to that and prevent it from happening. I still remember that battle like it was yesterday. 

"You are Wonkru, or you are the enemy of Wonkru. Choose," I seethed, threatening the next daring Sangedakru warrior with my blade aimed at his chest. 

Octavia was behind me, hand steady on the sword at her hip, ready to intervene if any of them tried to run.

"I will not allow the fate of our kind to rest in the hands of a child," A Delphikru man angrily declared, unsheathing two sai daggers from the holsters on his hips, preparing to fight me. In a swift movement, Octavia spun the man around and slit his throat with ease. 

"''That child' is the reason all of you are still alive," The Blake girl glared at the man as he fell to the floor in his fate, speaking loud enough for the crowd around us to hear. 

That same day, Thelonius Jaha died. As much as I didn't like Jaha, his death was a noble one. It was honorable, and for a good cause. I'm not in any way trying to say that he deserved to die, but in all honesty, if anyone had to die that day at all, I probably would have rathered that it was him.

Okay no, I'm sorry. I can't lie anymore. Jaha deserved to die. He floated so many people back on the Ark for crimes so simple as petty vandalism, sent a bunch of kids to an irradiated planet, not knowing if it was survivable, then came to the ground and bought a psycho genocidal A.I home with him, and then tried to steal the bunker away from everyone and keep it for only his people. Karma was gonna get him eventually. I'm just somewhat grateful to him that he sacrificed himself for the greater good. 

But anyway, from that day forward, Octavia and I made the executive decision, that the only possible solution to all of our problems was for those that committed crimes against Wonkru were to be put in what came to be called 'the Pit'. The offenders would be all put in the middle of the rotunda, and given a choice of weapons to fight one another to the death. Whoever was left standing at the end would be pardoned of their crimes.

It was Octavia's idea originally. She was inspired by the Gladiators in Ancient Rome from the books Bellamy would read to her as a child. The idea reminded me more of the Hunger Games, though. Of course, crimes committed by anyone under 18 would be dealt with differently, with punishments like solitary confinement, or community service. I thought that smaller crimes should have smaller punishments too, but after convening with the council, the vote ultimately decided that the Fighting Pit was to be the punishment for all crimes, no matter how severe.