Alone Together [b.b] [book one]

he chased me and he wouldn't stop.

CHAPTER NINE
Song: Tag, You're It by Melanie Martinez

They walked until the sun was peaking over the horizon and until Mira's legs ached, but she didn't complain, she wasn't going back without Octavia. Mira kept thinking about when she had nearly drowned. Octavia had been hysteric and pleading the other teenagers to help her. She had heard Cory shouting to her as well, but he didn't do anything or ask anyone to help, even if he had known her his whole life. Octavia was injured and had only just met her that day and was ready to face the strange animal again to save her. Mira wouldn't leave her for dead, and Octavia would do the same.

Mira was bringing up the rear of the search party, mainly so she could avoid Cory. She didn't realise they had stopped and walked right into someone's back, who turned around and gave her a harsh glare. Mira sheepishly apologised before making her way to the front of the group. She blinked in shock when she saw they had stopped in front of several impaled corpses hung up on trees as a warning. They were at the edge of the grounder's territory.

"I don't speak Grounder, but I'm pretty sure this means keep out," Finn said nervously, the crowd was muttering things about how it was crazy.

"Go back if you want," Bellamy offered, addressing the crowd, half of the party left, leaving Mira, Bellamy, Cory, Asteria, Jasper, Finn, Monroe, Roma, Diggs and John. Mira tried her best to put on a brave smile.

"You should head back," Bellamy told her.

"I came to save my best friend-"

"You could get hurt," Bellamy interrupted.

"-And I'm not leaving without her," she finished with determination.

Bellamy sighed. "Then just stay with me, got that?" he said quietly, his eyebrows were furrowed together and lips pursed together, like he was worried. Bellamy Blake was worried about her.

"Fine," she agreed, "but just so you know, I can handle myself."

Bellamy laughed shortly before turning away from her and facing the corpses, only for a brief moment.

"My sister, my responsibility," he muttered, before leading the group into what was potentially hell.

❀

"I got nothing," Finn sighed to Bellamy and Mira, who were very close behind him. Bellamy was twirling Octavia's shred of cloth between his fingers.

"Then keep looking," Bellamy insisted.

"Wandering around aimlessly isn't going to find your sister," Finn argued. "We should backtrack."

"I'm not going back," Bellamy snapped at Finn.

"Where's John?" Roma squeaked out from the back of the group.

"He was right behind me..." Jasper trailed off.

"Spread out, he couldn't have gone that far," Mira suggested, already starting to walk away when Bellamy grabbed her bicep tightly. She turned to see his eyebrows raised at her.

Stay beside me, remember? His look was telling her. Mira sighed and walked back to Bellamy's side. The group hadn't even split up before a figure dropped in front of Jasper. It was John, eyes wide open and unresponsive and his throat slashed and coated in blood.