The First On The Ground

Eden

(AUGUST POV)

It has been 42 days since Praimfaya and I have started to go a little bit crazy from being trapped underground. Though I was able to dig my way out of the rubble. Now I just need to get to Polis and see how bad the rubble is there. Maybe I can actually get the radio to work. I look around and all I see is desert. The water had even been taken by Praimfaya. I grab my bag and pull out the map that I had marked.

"210 miles to Polis. At least I don't have to swim. I got this." After walking for I don't know how long, I reach to what I think used to be the other side of the water judging by the rocks that are stacked. That means that the rover should be around here somewhere. I grab the shovel off of my bag and start digging. After a couple of shovels, I hear a thud. I drop the shovel and start moving the sand with my hands. I find the gun that sits on the hood of the rover. Thank you, God. I spend I don't know how long digging but I am able to get the rover out of the sand before charging it with the sun. Once it is charged, I take off to Polis. All of the trees are gone, everything is just gone. I look out and see a sandstorm in the distance so I quickly roll up my window and step on the gas. I make it to Polis and as I look around there is rubble everywhere. I get out of the rover and run in the direction where the tower once was. I climb through the rubble until I can see what little bit of the tower is left. Over the next few days, I get to work on removing the rubble so I have a chance of getting to the bunker. I eventually start to lose it a little when all I'm doing is moving rocks and seeing barely any results. I take a rock and start beating on the ground. "I'm here! I'm here! Dad! Octavia! Indra! Mika! Abby! Anyone!" I continue working only taking breaks to eat a few crackers or sleep. I end up tugging on a rock that is really stuck before losing my grip and falling backward. The impact I make with a rock behind me makes it fall and the whole place rumbles. I look to where the rock had fallen and I find Lexa's throne. My throne. I start pulling on one of the sticks that made one of the back legs until it comes out.

"Run, August," Lexa's voice says in my head. The whole place starts rumbling and I make a run for outside. A gust of air from the rocks falling has me rolling down the stairs as I reach outside.

"No. No," I say as I back away towards the rover. I grab the stick from Lexa's throne before getting into the rover. "Thank you, Lexa." I put the stick in the back and decide to try my luck at Arkadia. I grab the radio as I drive and hope that maybe someone is listening.
"Bellamy, if you can hear me, you're alive. Octavia, if you can hear me, then you know that I am alive. I found the rover and made my way to Polis," I say before I look around outside and get distracted by the fact that there are no trees. "Where was I? Oh, right. Polis. Up until that moment, I believed I'd live in the bunker with the others, with my dad and Mika. I can't bear the thought of leaving them down there, but the hard truth is, I could dig for years and never reach that door. I've been by myself now for two months, but this is the first time I feel alone." I made it to Arkadia. I look around and all I see is rubble. I start digging through everything to see if I can find something useful. "It's like we were never here. Maybe we never should have been. How the hell am I gonna make it 5 years?" That night I bring everything that I found back to the rover to go through it. I'm basically out of water. Just living on hopes and dreams. I open a box and what I found inside hurts. I came to Arkadia looking for food or water, but all I found were ghosts. I pull out Maya's music player and I look at her name on the back of it. I remember how I couldn't save her and how it broke Jasper. I reach back into the box and find Jasper's goggles. I feel tears come to my eyes as I remember the fact that he came down to Earth wearing those goggles. I reach back in again and pull out a note addressed for Monty. I start crying as I remember how good of friends they were, brothers really. I think about how I left everyone up in space their own little note and it makes me cry more. I'm truly alone. Two days later, I'm sitting on the hood of the rover as I try to use the radio again.
"Part of me thinks that Jasper had the right idea. What's the point if all there is is pain and suffering?" I let out a chuckle. "Real cheerful, August. Being just like A.L.I.E. I'm sorry. Ignore me, okay? I haven't had water in two days. I need to find some soon, or I don't think I'm gonna..." I can't give up hope. I can't give up hope. "Anyway, I doubt you can hear me on this piece-of-crap radio but in case this is the last time I get to do this, I just want to say: Please don't feel bad about leaving me here. You did what you had to do. I'm proud of all you. And last but not least I love you, Bellamy Blake." He is the main hope that is keeping me alive. That in 5 years I will be able to see my home again. I plug Maya's music player into the radio in the rover and head out to find some water. I find trees but they are all dead. At least they are still standing. I stop for the night so I can sleep. The next morning I wake up to rumbling outside. I look and I see rain. I quickly get out of the rover and let the rain fall into my mouth.
"Thank you," I quickly get the things I need to fill my canteen from the rover and fill it up. As I'm driving something starts hitting the windshield. I get out of the rover and find big bugs on the rover. I have to eat. I start eating the bugs. I then hear rumbling and I look behind the rover to see a wind storm coming. I quickly get back into the rover but it reaches me before I can take off. "The solar panels." I quickly wrap a cloth around my head and put Jasper's goggles on. I get out of the rover and grab one of the solar panels. As I turn with it the wind blows it out of my hands. I quickly get back into the rover and roll the windows up. After the storm passes, I try starting the rover but it won't start. I get out of the rover and walk around to look at the solar panels. They are all completely smashed. "Damn it." I walk over and get the map out before deciding to walk. I bring the stick from Lexa's throne with me. "You think you can kill me? Have at it because it doesn't seem possible." I start walking. I walk for I don't know how many days before I run out of water. I'm so drained and hot that I start shedding clothes and my supplies until finally, I fall to my knees. The next thing I see is black. I don't know how many days I am out for but I wake to something hitting my arm and making it hurt. I look and find a vulture. I let out a scream as I back away from it. Wait, how is it alive? There has to be a survivable place. "Wait. Show me where you live." The vulture flies off and I run after it. "Yes. Take me to your home." I climb up the sandhill only to find more desert and sand. "No." I go to turn around but the sand shifts causing me to fall down the hill. I let out a frustrated scream. "I'm done! Do you hear me? I've lost everything! I lost my friends, my father, my family, Mika, and my home! I've got nothing left!" I unsheathe Lexa's sword as I start crying. I then hold her sword to my stomach as I prepare to stab myself.