𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞︱the 100, book 1

( forty-six )

Harley's knees were beginning to hurt and ache from her bended position on the ground. She had been in the same stance for hours, up until the sun rose. Nothing has changed, besides the time. Indra was still out cold, and the sniper was still shooting down people. She would hear bullets hitting off of whatever was left of the rubble in miss shots. Even worse, it could hit some innocent person trying to make a run for it and Harley would flinch when hearing their cries of pain before slowly dying. She couldn't block the sound out, it seemed to echo forever in her ears.

Unable to stand, Harley leaned over, feeling small stones dig into the palms of her hands as she put pressure on them to keep still. She couldn't stand from the fear of being shot, and instead chose to shift closer to Octavia. She was peering past the bit of smoke, as if thinking of endless plans that wouldn't work. Harley knew how she felt, but couldn't imagine the pressure that Indra gave her to save her people. She tried to smile faintly, setting her hand on the elbow of Octavia's leather jacket and catching her attention.

"You're doing the best you can," Harley told her softly figuring that they were thinking of the people that couldn't be saved. "This isn't going to be easy, but we just have to wait for Lincoln's horn. You can do this."

Overhearing Harley, Atohl picked his head up in annoyance and scowled. "We can't wait anymore," he stated. "Our people are dying down there."

Knowing he was right, Octavia peered forward as close as she could and Harley pulled her hand away. She tried to see what Octavia was looking at, but couldn't see past the cowering people in hiding. "If we can get to the crater, we can tunnel in from the side," she proclaimed after a moment.

"There's no cover," one of the grounders pointed out in distress.

Atohl took a long drink from a bottle that Harley could assume was alcohol. "I'll do it." She spluttered a protest as he bolted, lurching to stop him but being held back by Octavia. Harley didn't need to stop him, as within seconds, gunshots rang in there and hit the wreckage around them, narrowly missing him.

"Get back!" Octavia demanded as Atohl fell in retreat, hiding back into the spot they've been in.

The grounder behind them scoffed at the attempt. "Any other bad ideas?" She questioned bitterly.

"I think we're always going to be full of bad ideas," Harley murmured under her breath, but Atohl was right to at least try. They couldn't wait there forever, more people were dying and soon they could be next. There was nothing they could do sitting there.

"Yeah," Octavia agreed, swiping up the bottle that Atohl dropped. Harley watched in surprise as she took one long drink before wincing at the sharp taste. "I have just one." She took one last deep breath before pitching it. Harley didn't know if she was astonished or amazed as the alcohol hit the growing flames.

Holding a hand up, Octavia kept Harley and the grounders in place silently. She waited until smoke arose from the flickering flames, keeping the sniper from seeing them before she was suddenly charging away. "Wait!" Harley exclaimed in desperation, hands reaching out to clasp nothing as Octavia ran through the smoke and disappeared.