SOLDIER
book one
It's been 97 years since a nuclear explosion radiated life on Earth and life support on The Ark is now failing. In a desperate attempt to grant the citizens of the SpaceCraft more time, 100 juvenile delinquents are sent down to the...
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Ever since Bellamy heard Atom's agonising screams tearing through the thick fog, the world outside the small cave he and Charlotte had taken cover in had fallen eerily quiet. The once bustling forest had become a graveyard, with every creature and animal either succumbing to a painful death or taking cover for the night.
Meanwhile, Bellamy had stripped himself of his guards jacket and draped it over Charlotte's peacefully sleeping body.
As he lay on the ground beside the sleeping girl, Bellamy was overwhelmed by a haunting sense of regret. Regret gnawed at him for not insisting Charlotte return to camp when he had the chance, already anticipating how pissed Vivienne would be upon their return. And then there was Atom. Bellamy's chest ached with regret for not being able to save him, praying that the curly-haired boy had found somewhere to hide until the air cleared.
Although he wasn't able to dwell on those thoughts for long as Charlotte's shrill scream shattered the silence of the dimly lit cave and Bellamy shot up, rushing to her side though she was still seemingly fast asleep.
"Charlotte! Charlotte!" he called her name as he gently shook her twitching body. Genuine concern was shown on his face, his eyebrows knitted together and his eyes widened with worry.
"I'm sorry." Charlotte whimpered, taking deep breaths like Vivienne had taught her; one deep breath in, one slow breath out, repeat.
Bellamy's features softened and he lightly placed a comforting hand on her knee. "Does it happen often?" he asked, his tone gentle yet curious.
Sighing heavily, Charlotte nodded. "Usually Viv is there to calm me down." she told him and that wave of regret washed over Bellamy again.
"What are you scared of?" Charlotte stayed silent. "You know what? It doesn't matter." Bellamy continued, keeping his soft, brown eyes trained on the young girl. "The only thing that matters is what you do about it."
"But, I'm asleep." she stated, not quite understanding what the older boy meant.
"Fears are fears. Slay your demons when you're awake, they won't be there to get you when you sleep."
"Yeah, but how? Vivienne's done everything she can, but nothing gets rid of them," Charlotte explained, her eyes shifting from Bellamy's gaze down to his large hand still resting lightly on her knee.
"You can't afford to be weak. Down here, weakness is death, fear is death," Bellamy emphasized, his voice heavy with the weight of their reality and profound silence settled between them as his words hung in the air.
Although Charlotte appreciated the gentleness in his voice and the rare softness in his eyes, his words diverged so starkly from Vivienne's that it left her feeling conflicted. Vivienne would advise Charlotte to acknowledge her fears, to feel the fear and move forward regardless. But Bellamy's words urged her to conquer it, to rise above her fears or face the consequences.
Noticing the conflict and hesitation reflected in her glossy eyes, Bellamy extended his palm. "Let me see that knife I gave you," he requested gently. Charlotte pulled the makeshift weapon from her pocket and placed the handle in Bellamy's hand. "Now, when you feel afraid, you hold tight to that knife and you say 'screw you. I'm not afraid.'"
Charlotte timidly reclaimed the knife, still feeling uncertain. But,as she clenched it tightly and repeated Bellamy's words, a heavy weight left her shoulders and, it that moment, clarity dawed on her and she she understood what she needed to do.
"Slay your demons, kid." Bellamy patted her knee before turning away and laying back down. "Then you'll be able to sleep."
Little did Bellamy know, the thoughts his words had invoked inside Charlotte's head.
•••
As hours passed, the pungent stench of sweat filled the ship and many teenagers fidgeted restlessly, unable to fall asleep to the uneasy sounds of Jasper's persistent groaning.
With her nerves only growing worse throughout the night, Vivienne had picked the blisters on her hand raw. She was unable to erase the vivid image of Charlotte lying forgotten in the forest, her body burned and melted against the dirt. The mere thought of it churned her stomach, leaving her feeling nauseated and utterly hopeless.
The repetitive complaints regarding Jasper began to sound like a stuck vinyl, but Vivienne had pushed them far to the back of her mind, letting them become background noise to the vile images that scrolled through her head.
"That's it. I'm ending this." Murphy announced, entirely fed up of the groans echoing from the second floor and the unhappy mutters of those around him.
"I heard Bellamy gave him until tomorrow." A girl, who was curled up comfortably in a chair, told him.
"Yeah, well Bellamy isn't here, is he?" Murphy sharply retorted as he stood from the hammock he'd been lying in. "The kid's dying anyway, I'm just getting it over with," he muttered as he took long, determined strides towards the ladder.
Pulled from her dark thoughts, Vivienne's focus shifted entirely to Murphy as she rose from her spot on the ground. "Murphy, stop," she half-heartedly ordered him, fatigued and nauseous. But as Murphy gripped onto one of the ladder steps and began to ascend, Vivienne's eyes darkened. "I said stop, Murphy!" This time, her voice held a sharper edge as she raised it.
Turning to face her, disdain flooding his sour eyes, Murphy scoffed. "That kid isn't gonna live past tomorrow, I'm doing him a favour." His tone was defitant and bitter.
Just as he turned back to face the ladder and continue his journey up, Vivienne quickly stepped towards him, her fingers clenching the back of his shirt as she forcefully pulled him back down the two steps he had taken. Murphy stumbled on his feet, caught off guard by her sudden intervention, and faced her with a scowl, his frustration palpable.
"The hell!" he exclaimed, closing the distance between them, his feet inching toward her, causing her to tilt her head back to meet his gaze.
"We're not losing anyone else tonight." Vivienne's voice returned back to the gentle, quiet one Murphy recognised but her eyes were anything but as she glared up at him. Tears had stained the white of her eyes red and her lips pouted.
If Murphy hadn't been so pissed off at her, he'd almost say she looked strangely beautiful in her anger.
"Jasper is one of us," Vivienne declared, her voice carrying through the cramped space of the dropship as she raised it. She turned her back to Murphy, addressing everyone present. "If anyone has a problem with that, take it outside." Her words rang with authority, demanding respect for their own.
Ignoring the amount of stares focused on her, Vivienne gently moved past Murphy and began up the ladder. Murphy's gaze followed her body until she vanished onto the second floor, his eyes lingering on the spot where she had stood for a moment longer.
He wasn't sure what he felt. Annoyed that someone, a girl of all people, had gotten in his way. But admiration for her, for being the one person to get in his way.
Something about the way her whole demeanour had suddenly shifted, the disdainful look in her eyes, made Vivienne Kane all the more beautiful.
