Weathered Angel

○One○

The world shook, it tossed my brain and rattled my bones. The scent of burning wafted by, mixed with the stench of blood and sweat that dampened my forehead and back. I swallowed the coppery taste of blood on my tongue. My fingers twitched when I shifted my arm, and my leg spasmed at the touch of a hand.

Patches of my skin felt like it was swelling and blistering, beneath my tight clothes. My back hurt the most and any time I shifted I felt my wounds weep.

Pain rocked through me and fluttered my eyes.

Everything blurred then slowly came into focus. First, dark brown eyes. Then, black war paint. A mask covered his lower face.

"Trigedakru ripa," the grounder leered. "Jos a kwelen gada." {Woods clan killer. Just a weak girl.}

None of his words made sense, but I'd gone through enough to fear this scenario. If I went back to the Grounders I wouldn't be able to handle it.

"You are a prisoner again, like your friend."

Like a rag doll, the grounder threw me over his shoulder. My yell was winded from my chest as I felt blood gush from my wound. Nausea crept up on me and only got worse once I noticed who the grounder had called my friend.

Black boots scraped through the earth. Blue eyes stared past me, framed by messy, brown curtains. He looked just as dreadful as before. John Murphy locked eyes with me for a split second, before averting his gaze hastily. His Adam's apple bobbed, as his hands fidgeted in their rope bonds.

We entered the scorched graveyard that was only just a home to the one-hundred. The floor looked crisp, the wooden walls now charred and disintegrated in places. Piles of ashes lay around, also singed skeletons.

All of a sudden, the grounder knelt down. I thought he was going to dump me on the ground. Instead, he stood back up and stepped over a cooked corpse. One of his fallen people. He walked and dropped me by the Dropship ramp.

I cried out this time, more blood oozing. A sharp stabbing sensation pounded the right side of my chest when I breathed in.

I dragged myself further along, so that I could rest my back against the cool metal.

Murphy lingered by the burnt body staring at it in silence.

The Grounder marched into the Dropship, an axe in hand. Not even a moment later, a gunshot rung through the air. I flinched at the sudden sound and fought the urge to peer at Murphy. I heard the sound of a heavy body drop and concluded the Grounder died.

Murphy meandered over to me. "Come on. We should go in there for protection."

I fixed my gaze on the floor.

"Eden?" He tried to touch me, but I pulled away wincing. He sighed, "Look, I'm sorry. I know what it's like to be with the Grounders and you've clearly had it worse. Just let me help you."

Half arsed apologies meant nothing to me. I'd rather be branded five more times than have Murphy help me― he stabbed me for God's sake.

"Fine. I'm going in." He shuffled up the ramp and pushed the tarp aside, disappearing to my delight ."W- whoa! It's okay. It's okay, Raven, don't. Don't shoot. Please."

I scowled.

A gunshot never came.

I started to think I'd already gone to hell: being stuck here with two people I hated. If I felt better, I would have already kicked their asses.

"If there's a God out there, please kill me now. Or just bring Callum back to life so that he can take me away from here." I murmured to myself.

Instead of seeing my dead best friend racing over, asshole one and two started talking loud enough for me to hear them drone on.