Zombie

Chapter 5: Sunburn and Secrets

Ayden lay on the floor numbly as the rest of the group brainstormed ideas of how to cross the river. He had been laying there since he had been pulled out of the river, the group bustling around him carefully so as not to step on him. He sighed under the warmth, his pale stomach facing the sun. He had dried out underneath the sun fairly quickly, lying there with his arms out and his leg slowly bleeding into the fabric that Clarke had produced from seemingly nowhere.

Ayden sighed, sitting up as Clarke huffed angrily.

"What's the matter?" Ayden signed. Clarke processed the gestures for a second, not the best at the language, having only had a month to learn it before being put into solitary. She had learned quick though, and was definitely better than most people were at her learning period. It helped that the language was made to be learned quickly.

"We have no clue how to get across the river without going in the water and alerting whatever that creature that attacked you was. We've been trying to figure something out for most of the day," Clarke huffed once more. Ayden looked around before pointing something out. He turned back to Clarke to sign.

"That vine, check how sturdy it is," He communicated. Clarke's eyes widened as she moved to the vine and tugged on it. It seemed to hold her weight, so she called out to the others.

"This vine might help swing us over, but we need to check if it will hold our weight first," Clarke said, holding the vine out to Finn.

"Good one Clarke," Finn smiled at her.

"Oh, it was Ayden's idea," Clarke looked at the ground with a small smile as Finn tugged on the vine. Everyone took turns testing out the vine.

"Let's rest for tonight, and set back out tomorrow," Ayden motioned, the group agreeing. They all eventually decided to sleep in the forest for some kind of cover. Jasper and Finn helped Ayden into the forest, his leg making it too difficult to move on his own.

"Thanks," Ayden smiled.

"No problem," Finn smiled back.

"Can you get me my shirt and pants please?" Ayden signed to Octavia, who nodded. Despite the shade, Ayden still felt uncomfortably warm. Octavia came back with his clothes, and Ayden smiled at her in thanks. Pulling on his shirt led to a stinging pain in the creases of his shoulders.

"Clarke? My skin hurts," The boy signaled, gaining the group's attention. Monty winced.

"Your skin is all red, dude," Monty pointed out. Ayden looked down at himself noticing the same thing.

"Is it radiation? Am I dying?" Ayden signed frantically.

"No, if it were radiation, I think it would be happening to all of us. I have no clue what's happened," Clarke murmured.

"It reminds me of this story my parents used to tell me," Jasper says off-handedly. "Apparently, people with lighter skin would turn red in the sun. It was usually quite painful, and then their skin would peel off."

Finn glares at Jasper as Ayden begins to panic.

"My skin is going to peel off?" Ayden looked close to tears.

"Wait, it wasn't fatal, or anything, not unless it happened too many times. Eventually your skin will go back to normal, your skin is just burnt a little bit," Jasper rushed out, pacifying the panicking boy.

"So I'll be fine?" Ayden signed.

"You'll be completely fine," Jasper reassured. The rest of the group glared at the boy as Ayden lay down on the mossy forest floor.

"Get some sleep, tomorrow is going to be a long hike," Ayden signed into the air, before rolling over onto his side.

Ayden lay there for a while, listening to the others as they fell asleep. As usual, the boy had trouble drifting off, trouble doubled by the painful pulling of his skin. As the sky darkened and everyone around him fell asleep, it felt like days that he lay there, and while Ayden knew that realistically it had only been a few hours, that didn't stop boredom and fatigue from seeping into his bones.

A small psst could be heard throughout the clearing the group had set up camp in. On instinct, Ayden turned towards it. Jasper was sitting up, looking at Ayden. He gestured for Ayden to follow him. Ayden's eyes narrowed but he followed the boy's direction. Limping through the sleeping figures, Ayden moved after Jasper, who led him further into the forest, away from the river and towards the bioluminescent light. It was beautiful, but Ayden barely had the chance to witness it in an attempt to keep up with Jasper on his bad leg.

They walked away from the group in silence, until Jasper stopped.

"Sorry for pulling you away from the group like this, but I needed to speak to you. Firstly, I'd like to apologise for scaring you earlier, with the sunburn thing," Jasper's figure was barely visible in the light from the glowing trees, but Ayden could tell he was shuffling on his feet. "Secondly, I don't know how to say this, but I-"

Jasper pauses and takes a breath before restarting. "I heard you talk, at the river. I know you aren't mute."

Ayden's eyes widened.

"Well?" Jasper asked. "Are you going to tell me I'm wrong, or are you going to tell me why you're pretending to be mute?"

"Jasper-" Ayden whispered.

"No! You can talk! Why do you pretend you can't?"

"Jasper...," Ayden whispered. "The guards."

"The guards? What about...?" Jasper trailed off. "The guards. I see."

"You can't tell anyone. Jasper, you have to promise not to tell anyone, please," Ayden grabbed onto Jasper like he was drowning and Jasper was a lifeboat. "Nobody can know. Especially not Octavia, her brother is that guard."

Jasper seemed conflicted before nodding.

"Okay, I won't tell anyone."

well well well.

as i mentioned in 'THE CAST' chapter, some plot points will be changed, like clarke going straight into solitary. in this she was in with the others for a month before they realised that she might tell somebody, and they threw her into solitary to keep her silence.

as always, comment what you think, all feedback is appreciated!