𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄─𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐤𝐞¹ (𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠)

26. the return

Octavia and I had spent most of the day talking- something we haven't done since we got down here. We had both been so preoccupied with, well with everything, that it was nice to spend some time together. We had sat by the camp fire and talked well into the afternoon and evening and soon enough it was beginning to get dark. I decided to excuse myself and go lay down, I was exhausted still.

I wasn't in bed for long when some kind of commotion caused me to sit up. Octavia went rushing by my tent and I called out her name which caused her to turn around and poke her head in my tent.

"What's going on? Is everything okay?" I asked, beginning to pull the covers off of myself.

Octavia put out her hand to motion me to stop, "Yeah, I'm just checking on something. I'll come get you if anything is wrong okay?"

I locked eyes with her before nodding and leaning back in bed, "Okay, fine." Usually I would be up and out of the tent by now but at this point I decided I could sit this one out.

Although I had made the conscious decision to stay in bed, my mind wouldn't stop racing as I wondered what could be going on outside. Octavia hadn't come and gotten me which must of meant nothing was really wrong, but nonetheless my mind wouldn't stop. It was when Bellamy and the others who had been out of camp all day went flying by my tent that I finally got up.

"Bellamy!" I called rushing out of my tent to follow after him.

Bellamy slowed his pace but he didn't turn to look at me "Avery, go back to your tent." he ordered.

I ignored him, joining him, Clarke and Finn as they made their way towards the drop ship, "What's going on?" I demanded, hoping someone would tell me.

Finn lightly grabbed my arm, causing the two of us to stop and fall behind the rest of the group, "Avs, Bellamy is right, just go back to your tent and let us handle this one okay? You need to rest."

"I'm fine Finn." I argued, pulling my arm from his grasp and following the others into the drop ship where they had disappeared into just moments ago. I could hear Bellamy's loud voice as I entered, but I couldn't see what had him so upset until I made my way further into the ship.

As I made my way through the small group that had gathered, my eyes landed on a figure curled up against the far wall. Their face was covered in blood and dirt, as was the rest of their body. It took me a minute, but soon enough a strangled gasp left my lips.

I felt like I was going to throw up as his eyes looked up to meet mine amid the rest of the group. It was Murphy. The same boy who I promised I would come back for, the same boy who had slipped my mind since I got back to camp.

Bellamy stood beside me, his angry eyes trained on Murphy, "Everyone but Connor and Derek out, now!" At his demand everyone began filing out of the drop ship, leaving the two boys along with Clarke, Finn, Bellamy and I.

"He claims he was with the Grounders." Derek explained.

"We caught him trying to sneak back into camp." Connor added, answering the question of what Octavia had to deal with earlier. I wondered why she didn't come get me, but quickly brushed it off, that was not the main concern right now.

Murphy was shaking as he spoke, "I wasn't sneaking...I was running from the Grounders".

Bellamy didn't seem convinced, "Anyone see Grounders?"

I tried to speak but I felt like I couldn't form words as Connor shook his head, answering Bellamy's question.

"Well in that case," Bellamy grumbled, raising his gun and pointing it at Murphy's head.