Sunshine On Earth

Chapter Thirteen

"I got to talk to Monroe, then I'm ready to leave since Clarke is so dead set on going."

I make my way over to Monroe's tent and knock on the post before walking in.

"Hey," I smile. After a frozen look of shock, Monroe drops her bag and gives me a quick hug.

"How are you feeling?" she asks, rummaging through her bag. She lets out a small sound of victory and pulls out my knife.

"Thanks. I'm a little sore, but I'm feeling good. I just came to pick this up. I have to go grab a few things. I'll catch you later." I give a wave as I leave the tent.

I take a moment to appreciate having the familiar feel of my blade in hand. I felt naked without it. I shove it into my back pocket and head to my tent, packing the few possessions I collected into my bag. My bow and arrows are slung over my shoulder. I feel like me again.

"You ready?" Bellamy's head pops into the tent. I look over at Monty's bed one last time. I hope he's okay. Monty could be dead right now, and none of us would know.

"Yeah."

Most of the kids are already walking out of the gate. Our gunners are at the front, and Octavia, she thinks she's some sort of samurai with the sword Lincoln gave her. My shoulder starts to bug me, so I give it a roll.

"How's it feeling?" Bellamy asks.

"Hurts. I'll be okay though."

Bellamy looks distraught. "How are you alive? Eighteen kids are dead because of me. Hell, you almost died, what – twice now?" He runs a hand through his curls – they've gotten longer, falling in his eyes now.

"Eighty-four are alive because of you – including yourself – and I believe it's three now." I grin a little.

"It's not funny. I-I just don't think I could forgive myself if you died." he scowls.

Bellamy grabs a bucket of water, then pours it on the fire, like our final goodbye. The smoke swirls up into the sky, the smell filling my nose.

We walk out the gates side by side, our arms occasionally brushing against each other's. My head twirls around to every sound that I hear, a single tree branch snapping makes me flinch.

"Hey, you're okay." Bellamy grabs my hand for just a second, before squeezing it and letting go.

"Thanks," I don't like feeling scared. It's something I've never really had to deal with before. A taller boy bumps into my shoulder, making me jump at the sudden movement. He apologizes quickly. I just shake it off even though it scared me more than I would've liked.

Everyone around is on their toes: the Grounders could be anywhere. I feel my heart beating faster than normal. My palms start getting sweaty, while my eyes wander from each person. I never even realized that I stopped walking.

"Hey, Tori, come on look at me." Bellamy stands in front of me, "You're going to be safe. You're strong Tor, stronger than this. I know you. You're not scared of a little walk in the forest."

"Yeah, yeah, okay. I'm good." I nod my head. Bellamy grabs my hand again, this time keeping a hold on it. I smile down at our intertwined hands. It's a lot easier to enjoy him than hate him.

The crowd stops suddenly. Octavia has her hand up, ready to fight. I pull my bow off, wincing as the movement makes my shoulder burn. My eyes scan the treetops, considering that's how they normally move, especially while hunting prey.

A piece of metal flies through the sky, embedding itself into a blonde boy about ten feet away from me. A girl screams as the boy falls to the ground, a blade directly embedded between the eyes