the world as we know it -- bellarke au

chapter sixteen - faded

c l a r k e   g r i f f i n

Within a few minutes, the heat was so unbearable that I thought I might pass out from exhaustion. Bellamy and I lay like starfish on the freshly washed floor of my room, wearing as little clothing as possible.

Raven, seeming to know when the progression of the stages would happen, returned soon with two icepacks, which she slid under the door. 

"I love you," I told her, pressing it against my forehead. 

Bellamy groaned, setting the pack in the centre of his chest. I looked over at him, my own chest heaving for air. 

"I miss the cold," I told him. "Desperately."

"The shower," Bellamy said. "Cold water---"

"No," Raven said sharply from outside. "A cold shower constricts your blood vessels. It'll just make you hotter for longer."

Bellamy exhaled heavily. 

"This is the shortest stage," Raven said, which lifted my spirits slightly. "But you have to be careful. Keep an eye on each other. This is when we saw a spike in cell losses."

"Deaths," Bellamy said.

"Yes," Raven granted. "But not sudden ones. Fading."

I nodded, moving the icepack to my neck. "It's too hot to fall asleep, don't worry."

We lay in silence for a while, as talking took up too much energy. When our icepacks started to thaw, Raven replaced them, and every so often, one of us would make sure the other was alive. It was a fairly efficient system, and soon the air stopped feeling so incredibly stifling. 

"I think I can breathe again," I said, when I was able to fully fill my lungs again. My icepack was behind my head, digging into my neck, but sending cold chills down my spine which were more refreshing than anything I'd ever felt before. 

"I feel better," Bellamy agreed. "I'm not even warm anymore."

"That's good," Raven said from outside. 

Monty's voice joined hers. "You should get moving again. The more you move now, the less the next stage will hurt."

I managed to sit up, looking at Bellamy. We were both covered in sweat, shining like we were under a spotlight. 

"I'm showering the second this is over," I said, massaging my neck. 

"I can't wait to b...." Bellamy trailed off, his face contorting into a frown.

"Next stage?" I asked him, rubbing my icepack up my arms. 

"No," Bellamy said, his voice soft and full of air. "I... I'm spinning."

I dropped my icepack, heart freezing. "Raven?" I asked loudly. 

"What?" she said. "What's going on?"

"Clarke," Bellamy said, his icepack sliding out of his hands. He slumped backwards, his head hitting the wall, and his eyes started to flutter. 

"He's fading," I said, rushing towards him as fast as my tired legs would carry me. I kneeled in front of him, holding his face in my hands. "Bellamy. Bellamy, keep your eyes open." Panicked tears gathered in my eyes, and I tried to blink them away. "Raven!" I yelled. "What do I do? How do I help him?"

Raven seemed to be panicking just as much as I was. "I--- I don't know. We didn't have time to resuscitate any of the cells with how fast the program was moving. By the time they started fading, it was already over."