After the End [ The 100 ]

31. Know your limits

the calm

——[eiden]

A shocked gasp leaves my lips. The bridge I didn't know existed is destroyed. Rubble continues tumbling down like a landslide.

The feeling of someone holding me resurfaces. I struggle out of the hold, but their grip is so strong. I thrash and trash, aching to get away from the foreign clothing and scraped fingers.

"Get- get off of me!" I yell.

I fling my elbow back, but since the body beneath me is restraining my arms, it doesn't do much. At least there's a light grunt, meaning I'm not a complete wimp.

Their grip releases barely, so I take the lapse in strength to turn us over.

It's the Grounder from before. There's a weary look in her eyes, her mouth's ajar as her body leans slightly away from me.

My features soften. Then it dawns on me.

That wasn't an accident or some coincidence. It wasn't the force of the explosion that threw me back. It was her, keeping me away from it.

She saved my life? Why would she do that?

"Why did you do that?" I ask roughly, still half caught up in my tears. My hysterics only increase. "Why did you save me? Why didn't you let me die? Why did you do that?"

I continue to watch her beneath me. Her apprehensive expression hasn't changed. No, not apprehensive. Confused. She is confused because she doesn't speak English. Just like the Grounder in the drop ship.

I'm so in shock that she easily pushes me off of her with no resistance. Now she's the one looming over me, again that is.

I only feel her blocking the faint sunlight. Mostly, my eyes are soaking up the fire from the bridge. Its collapse. The Grounders hastily retreating.

So when the voice speaks behind me, she doesn't see how shocked I am. "I need your help."

I'm on my feet and facing her in an instant. "You-" speak English, yes Eiden that's been established.

This land used to be called the United States. They spoke English. How is it that we never pieced that together? There are plaques on the Ark with this country's flag, and the words are scribed in English.  The Ark is an assembly of several countries' space stations, so there are many flags in many languages. It just the one that won out the others I guess. Turns out the Ground has the same rules.

"Please," she says, urgently now.

That's when I realize the kids are nowhere to be found. She isn't injured either. And she did just save my life, twice now. Let's not forget her work on my leg that I've been undoing since I woke up.

That urgency doesn't go away. She runs ahead of me. I watch her go at first,  until she starts slipping away. Like vertically. She cautiously descends the land.

I look back at the bridge. Whatever they were doing, they succeeded.

I force my mind to be quiet and run after the young Grounder woman.

"You're not leading me into a trap, right?" I know it sounds like a joke. It's not.

Her head shifts over her shoulder. "No. It's my kids," she says.

I doubt all of those pre-teens came out of her.

Eiden, what are you doing? Remember? Please remember that these Grounder bitches are crazy! Remember Ali. What would she say? Nothing you aren't already trying to get across.