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The first groan that echoed through the air startled them. The second groan had them running towards it.
Pushing and shoving through the bushes and branches that covered the ground, the group came to an abrupt halt. In the center of the clearing was a large tree that had thick branches sprouting off of it. However, there was an addition to the tree and it's winding branches.
Jasper.
His body was limp against the branch he was set upon, arms tied above him and vines criss-crossing on his stomach. Slashes and cuts covered his pale body, along with dry blood from his open wounds.
Immediately, the five teens sprinted towards the mauled boy, Clarke in the lead, when the ground suddenly gave out from underneath her, revealing a hole with jagged, wooden spikes sticking out and upwards. She fell quick, but Bellamy was quicker. He swiftly reached out and clutched her wrist, though, oddly enough, he didn't pull her out right away. He seemed to be internally fighting with himself, deciding whether or not to save her.
Before he had the chance to decide, the others gripped onto him, helping to shield Clarke from danger. Once she was safely back on her feet, they decided on a plan.
"I'll climb up there and cut the vines," suggested Finn as he advanced towards the tree.
"Yeah, I'm with you," said Wells.
"No, stay with Clarke," Finn replied, before steadying his gaze on Bellamy. "And watch him. You two," his focus faltered from the Blake boy and onto Murphy and Ava, "let's go."
Ava shoved past Murphy, eager to release Jasper from this living hell and take him back to camp. As she stood in front of the moss covered tree, she gazed up at her friend, her heart jumping to her throat.
"You—uh— you okay?"
The sudden voice snapped her out of her morbid and depressing thoughts. She turned to see Murphy standing next to her, looking uncomfortable and slightly nervous. Ava glanced back up towards Jasper's limp body as she pondered his question. She felt sick to her stomach. She forced her eyes to look away and instead tried to find comfort in Murphy's. "No, not really."
He was clearly at a loss for words, his mouth agape and his eyes wandering. He didn't know what to say to comfort her. She didn't mind though. She'd made it this far on her own.
"Why would they save his life just to string him up as live bait?" Wells asked, leading Ava to wonder the same.
"Maybe what they're trying to catch likes its dinner to be breathing," said Bellamy.
