Silent Moments: Book One (The 100)

Chapter 14

I found myself outside of camp, searching for Clarke and Finn. They hadn't returned since the previous night, but my attention was abruptly drawn skyward by a streaking object. Instinctively, I decided to follow my adventurous side, confident in my decent tracking skills. The object seemed to have crashed near the water, so I followed the river, finding an opening into the forest where recent activity suggested someone had passed through. As I cautiously made my way through the woods, the sight of a large metal pod-ship from the Ark came into view. Approaching, I saw Clarke already there, helping someone from the pod – someone I never expected to see again.

"Raven?" I called out in disbelief, catching the attention of the girl emerging from the pod.

"Kegan!" Raven exclaimed, her face lighting up with recognition. We rushed into each other's arms, the embrace a mixture of relief and nostalgia. Memories of our friendship, both before my imprisonment and during the times she visited Finn and me, flooded back. Her presence was a stark reminder of how drastically our lives had changed since landing on Earth.

"Finn, is he okay?" Raven asked anxiously. I nodded, pointing towards the clearing where Finn was.

"Finn!" she called out, her voice filled with a mixture of relief and urgency.

Finn's expression was a complex tapestry of bewilderment and joy as he saw Raven. However, his concern quickly surfaced. "You're bleeding," he noted, his tone laced with worry.

"I don't care," Raven brushed off his concern, her focus solely on Finn.

Raven then pulled Finn into a passionate kiss, a reunion of hearts long separated. Clarke's expression of bewilderment mirrored my own sudden realization – the complicated entanglement of relationships was about to become even more complex.

"How did you get here?" Finn asked, breaking away from their embrace, his expression a mix of shock and admiration.

Raven's laughter was light, yet it carried an undertone of pride. "You know that old hunk of scrap down in K-dock?" she began, explaining her incredible journey.

Finn's shock deepened as Raven revealed the extent of her ingenuity. "You made that from scrap?"

Raven's response was humble yet filled with a sense of accomplishment. "I kinda rebuilt it. It's not like it was hard. It just needs a couple of parts and some love," she joked, her laughter a brief respite from the gravity of our situation.

"You're insane," Finn chuckled, his admiration for her clear.

Raven's smile was tender as she looked at Finn. "I'd do more for you in worse, just like you'd do for me," she affirmed, their connection evident.

The moment was interrupted by Raven's sudden stumble. Finn swiftly guided her to a rock to sit down. As he fetched Clarke, who had some cloth for Raven's wound, I couldn't help but notice the complicated emotions playing across their faces.

"I'm sorry," Finn stammered, his voice reflecting the turmoil within.

Clarke's response was curt, "Let's just not talk about this."

Finn, however, continued, his voice filled with remorse. "It's just. We've known each other basically our entire lives," he tried to explain, but Clarke cut him off.

"We don't need to talk about it. She needs to put pressure on her wound," Clarke said firmly, guiding Finn back to Raven.

As Finn and Clarke tended to Raven, the conversation took a dramatic turn. "This was all because of, Abby, your mom," Raven revealed, looking directly at Clarke.

"Our mom?" I mumbled to myself, the revelation adding another layer to the already complex situation.

Raven's next words were even more alarming. "Yeah. This was all her plan. We were going to come down here together, but we waited... oh my god," she paused, realization dawning. "We waited because the council was voting to see whether or not to kill 300 people to save air."

"When?" I asked, the gravity of her words sinking in.

"Today. We have to tell them that you're alive," Raven said urgently, rushing back to her ship with a sense of desperation.

We followed her, only to discover another setback. "The radio's gone," she sighed, disappointment etched on her face.

"It must've gotten loose during reentry. I should have strapped it to the A-strut. I'm so stupid!" Raven berated herself, her frustration palpable.

Clarke, however, was quick to take responsibility. "No, no. This is my fault. Someone got here before us. We have to find him," she said, determination in her voice as she ran off, leading the way. We followed Clarke down a well-trodden path until we encountered Bellamy. His tracks were hardly concealed, suggesting either a lack of care or a deliberate message.

"Hey!" Clarke called out, grabbing his arm.

"Where is it?" I demanded, joining in the confrontation.

"Hey princess, little man. Did you two decide to take a little walk in the woods?" Bellamy retorted with his usual bravado.

I pressed on, my frustration mounting. "You know they're getting ready to kill 300 people up there, right? To save oxygen. And I can guarantee it won't be council members. It'll be working people, your people," I said, emphasizing each word with a forceful hit to his chest.

Bellamy, however, remained evasive. "I have no idea what you're talking about," he stated, pushing back against our accusations.

Raven's sudden revelation shifted the dynamic of the conversation. "Bellamy Blake? Wow, they were looking everywhere for you," she said, her tone a mix of surprise and accusation.

Bellamy's response was a growl, his glare intensifying. "Shut up," he snapped, his anger barely contained.

"Looking for him? Why?" I asked, curiosity piqued by Raven's statement.

"He shot Chancellor Jaha," Raven revealed, her voice dripping with disdain.

The revelation hit me like a physical blow. The pieces of the puzzle suddenly fell into place, explaining Bellamy's desperate actions and the lengths he went to in order to hide aboard the dropship.

"So that's why you took all the wristbands. You needed everybody to think we were dead," I said, a sarcastic laugh masking my disbelief and anger.

"So all that 'whatever the hell we want' stuff was just you saving your own skin?" Finn asked, his voice a mix of accusation and realization.