Mara was only ten years old when her family escaped the deadly rain that made Earth uninhabitable, settling on the distant planet, Kepler. Life on Kepler has been safe but harsh for Mara, living with her parents and younger brother, who has never kn...
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The early morning light struggled to pierce through the grime-encrusted windows set high in the bunker's concrete ceiling. Pale beams filtered in, casting long, jagged shadows across the cold, damp floor. Mara and Bellamy stood near the entrance, the heavy steel door slightly ajar, a gust of cool, post-rain air swirling into the enclosed space. The wild, untamed landscape stretched out before them, an alien world reclaimed by nature in the most ferocious way. The rain had ceased its relentless assault during the night, leaving the earth smelling of wet pine and loamy soil. But despite the fresh air, an invisible tension crackled between the two as they prepared to step out into the unknown.
Mara adjusted the straps of her backpack, her fingers fumbling slightly as she tried to ignore the gnawing anxiety in her gut. "Are you like absolutely sure we should be doing this?" she asked, her voice barely masking the quiver of uncertainty. The bunker's meager supplies were dwindling, and they both knew it. Yet, the thought of abandoning the small, concrete haven made her stomach churn.
Bellamy didn't answer right away. His gaze was locked on the dense forest ahead, eyes narrowing as he scanned the treeline for any sign of movement. Every rustle of leaves, every shadow cast by the early morning light seemed a potential threat. After a long moment, he sighed, the tension in his shoulders loosening only slightly as he turned to face her. "We don't have a choice," he said, his voice rough, as if each word cost him something. "We need more supplies, and we need to find the others. The more of us there are, the better our chances of surviving."
Mara nodded, though the unease in her chest tightened. She knew he was right, but the memory of the mutated creature they'd encountered just yesterday lingered in her mind like a stubborn stain. She could still see its grotesque, twisted features, its ravenous eyes that had locked onto her with chilling intent. The danger was not just a possibility—it was a certainty.
Bellamy caught the flicker of hesitation in her eyes and frowned. "Look, if you're scared—"
"I'm not scared," Mara snapped, cutting him off with more force than intended. It was a lie, of course. She was terrified, her heart still racing from the memory of the previous day's horrors. But admitting that to Bellamy? Never. "I'm just mildly concerned that we aren't prepared."
Bellamy's lips curled into a smirk, amusement flickering in his usually cold eyes. "Prepared? For what exactly? A day trip?" His tone was mocking, needling at her, testing her anxiety further. "You really think you're ready for what's out there?"
Mara met his gaze head-on, her jaw clenched tight. "I know what I'm doing," she insisted, her voice more confident than she felt. Her heart pounded, but she wasn't about to back down.
