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— SHE WAS ONE OF THE FIRST TO GET TO TALK TO HER PARENTS. After Raven set up a video chat, Clarke had been the first to talk to the council. After a couple of people, someone had let her know that it was her turn.
She sat in front of the monitor, waiting nervously. Nobody had told her anything and she was hoping and praying that when the screen was connected, she saw two faces instead of one.
She readjusted the headset resting in her hair and took a deep breath, closing her eyes to calm herself down. She counted to ten and opened her eyes, still only seeing a black screen. Maybe Raven hadn't set it up correctly.
Just as the thought crossed her mind, the screen abruptly turned on, static filling the headset. It glitched for a few seconds before cutting to Cleo's dad on the screen and immediately, her stomach dropped.
"Where's mom?" Her voice cracked, her eyes filling with tears.
Her dad shook his head, his blue eyes filled with grief. His dark hair was a mess, sticking up every way and his face had more wrinkles than she remembered. He looked exhausted, probably from monitoring the hundred and losing his wife.
"There was a culling," he began to explain, his voice straining. "She volunteered, she thought you were dead and she couldn't forgive herself for sending you down there."
She let out a sob, covering her face with her hands. She cried into them with her dad. She could hear his sniffling in her ear and when she found the strength to look at him, she could see that his cheeks were shiny with tears. Her heart was heavy from the news and Cleo felt like giving up.
