Peaked -Bellamy Blake¹

11

I had dozed off after me and Bellamy's talk earlier. I fell asleep on my bag against the cave; not the comfiest place to sleep but it was definitely more quiet here than anywhere at camp.

That peacefulness was interrupted when I am pulled out of my sleep by Charlotte. "No!" She screams in her sleep.

Bellamy is quick to go to her, I follow up behind. "Charlotte wake up" Bellamy brings her out of her nightmare.

Slightly out of breath, Charlotte looks to him. "I'm sorry." She says with guilt.

I grab Charlotte's hand. It's gotta be the nightmares that she's having; I know that Jaspers screams were triggering them, but I'm sure sleeping in a dark cave hiding from acid fog is not helping.

"Another nightmare?" I ask her gently. She swallows and nods her head yes.

"Does it happen often?" Bellamy asks, keeping his attention on Charlotte. She seems relatively shy, but she lets out a big sigh, giving Bellamy his answer. "What are you scared of?" Bellamy begins to ask, but Charlotte looks down, deflecting an answer.

Bellamy continues "You know what? It doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is what you do about it."

I'm interested to see where he takes this.

"But, I'm asleep," Charlotte says confused.

"Fears are fears," Bellamy shakes his head with reason.  "Slay your demons when you're awake, they won't be there to get you when you sleep."

He has a playful smile as he talks to her. Like he almost lights himself up to try and help her. It comes so naturally to him. I was right to think that he saw Octavia and her; that's obvious now.

"Yeah, but... How?" Charlotte questions him.

"You can't afford to be weak. Down here, weakness is death, fear is death." He looks down to her hands. "Let me see that knife I gave you."

Charlotte reaches in and grabs her knife. She slowly hands it over to Bellamy. He grips the knife tight, and looks at her with serious eyes. "Now, when you feel afraid, you hold tight to that knife and you say, 'screw you. I'm not afraid.'" He then hands the knife back over to Charlotte.

She grabs the knife from him and grips it tightly with both hands. Charlotte timidly Repeats Bellamy's phrase. "Screw you, I'm not afraid."

Bellamy raises his eyebrows, insinuating that Charlotte could do much better. She repeats the phrase, this time with more power behind her voice. "Screw you. I'm not afraid!"

Bellamy gives Charlotte's shoulder a small pat of comfort. "Slay your demons kid. Then you'll be able to sleep."

Charlotte sighs and nods. She readjusts herself on her bag and begins to dose back to sleep. Bellamy looks to her, keeping his focus on the girl as she begins to fall asleep.

He brings his eyes over to me and notices my gaze. He raises his eyebrows to challenge my stare.

"You're really good with her," I tell him. He keeps his stare on me. I press further. "She reminds you of Octavia, doesn't she?" I ask as he breaks eye contact with me and makes his way back over to where he was sleeping. His eyes avert back to me, in a way that answers my question by itself.

"I don't get it Bellamy." I tell him.

"What are you talking about?" he asks.

"Why are you such a dick to everyone at camp, but then tonight you're this normal person, who some people would say is passively likeable?" I ask him truthfully.