notion • john murphy

21 - LIES

[ LIES ]

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   Once again, Murphy realised he hated another thing about Earth.

Besides running far distances, walking.

But he couldn't even complain. Not when his mind never strayed away from Sayah.

He had left her, and she had let him.

He internally slapped himself. He begged her to come with him. Why didn't she? They could've been free, in a place where they wouldn't have to worry.

But now here he was, walking through a hot desert with a crazy Chancellor leading him and 12 others. It was ridiculous.

He was ridiculous. How could he have let her walk away so easily? Did she even care? Was her heart aching just as painfully as his? Did she feel like she had been ripped into two; torn apart as well?

"Sir, do you recognise anything?" A man asked Jaha as they reached the top of a sand dune. Jaha was silent for a moment, panting.

"The tent, was near here." He pointed weakly. "I'm sure of it." Then he continued on ahead, slowly sliding down the sand dune.

Murphy brushed in between two men on his way down. "What's the matter?" Murphy questioned. "You guys got some place better to be?"

Murphy knew he damn well did.

As he reached Jaha, he paused. There was a cart a far distance from them. "You see anyone?" Murphy asked Jaha.

Jaha didn't respond, only made his way towards it. The suddenly, someone jumped out of the cart. They pulled out a blade and spoke in Grounder language.

"We mean you no harm," Jaha outstretched a cautious hand as two men flanked him, gun's raised.

"Do you speak English?" Jaha questioned the Grounder.

"What do you want?" The Grounder asked. Murphy narrowed his eyes. She was a girl.

"Nothing." Jaha replied to her. "It looks like you could use a hand. What are you doing out here alone?"

The girl put her blade away and took off her mask, revealing some sort of tattoo on her face. "My brother and I were on our way to the City of Light when Wastelanders attacked." She explained, her voice shaky.

"They took our horse. All our water, everything." She paused. "They killed him." Murphy's gaze flickered to the ground and then back up to the girl.

"This cart is all I have left," The girl added softly.

Murphy swallowed the lump in his throat at her words. They sounded familiar.

   "You. . . Octavia. . . you're all I have left." Sayah admitted in a whisper. "I can't lose you two as well." Her lip trembled. Murphy pulled her into his arms, rubbing her back soothingly.

"You won't." Murphy whispered to her. "I'm here, Sayah. I'll always be here."

   I'll always be here. It had not been a lie, and yet, here he was.