Of The Sea : John Murphy

Get Out Of Town

The night was dark still as I looked across the forest's edge.

I could leave now, just walk away and do what I have to do before I get sucked into yet another complication.

Murphy was still here, I couldn't leave him. And I still had a fight I had to finish with the mountain men for taking Áki. Perhaps it would be a good idea by now to leave that all behind me.

I couldn't do that.

I wasn't cold enough or heartless enough to leave those important to me behind, and for what? A fresh start? I tried that and it only made matters worse.

I looked behind me at the lights that beamed from the large metal ship. There was no way I would stay here any longer. All I had to do was get Murphy and get out, and then we would see where things went. I surveyed the area, flicking glances at my care taker.

I was spending far too long speaking to myself within my own mind. And to be honest I was stalling myself, I wasn't too sure for what until two people emerged from the darkness.

I broke into a defensive position until I saw Abby and another man emerge.

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

I remained silent and looked them both up and down.

"You should be inside, who let you out?"

"Kane did, I was told to let the other grounder go." The guard with me told her.

"Shouldn't you be inside too? Being out here in the dark is dangerous, you know." I sneered.

Instantly, her face faded of any colour. A dead give away that she was up to something. The man beside her puffed out his chest and stepped forward in front of Abby.

I gathered all the strength I had left in me and leaped back, past the man's gun and grabbed him around the neck with my arm. Without time to react, I forced him in to the ground and struck him on the side of the neck then the back of his head, rendering him temporarily paralysed and unconscious.

"I won't tell anyone about your little wander if you let me take Murphy and leave peacefully." I muttered, looking up at them from my crouched position with a sickly sweet smile.

To be honest I didn't have a clue what she had done, but from her complexion, it seemed it was something bad.

"I can't let you do that, I'm sorry." She cleared her throat.

I narrowed my eyes and clenched my fists. "What."

"I can't because I've already released him and a few others, they're on their way to finding my daughter."

I continued to stare at her blankly. Well that definitely wasn't what I was expecting.

"Clarke?" I asked.

"The grounder's took her so they've gone to find the rest of the kids in exchange for their freedom."

"Grounders..."

"You already know too much so I suggest you get back inside and I'll let this slide." She lowered her voice, as if scolding me but I was completely deaf to her words.

"I'm going." I announced, starting to pass her when the male guard grabbed my arm. I swung around and grabbed his throat, my nails threatening to dig in. "I'm going."

"Let her go, Miller." Abby told him after moments of hesitation.

Slowly, his grip released from my arm and I too let go. "Smart move." I muttered before stepping away.

I heard Abby mumbled something to him once I was slightly out of the way but it didn't matter to me, I had places to be and people to kill.

I tried to break into a run once I was out of sight but my muscles gave in and I collapsed, face planting into a mound of shrubbery.

"Fuck!" I hissed, pushing back up and limping away, feeling the unnatural tug of the stitches in my leg and the cool dirt under my bare feet.

I felt around for dry sticks, finding that I had to tilt my head a lot more than normal now that one of my eyes was wrapped and useless.

I'd seen blind people before, though very rarely. They never lasted and I remember that their eyes had turned a pale, clouded colour. The ones that were blinded as horribly as I had been died of infections we did not have the knowledge to treat. I never imagined that I would be one of the select few, though only halfway there.

I bent over and pulled off my ragged shirt and wrapped it around the end of a large branch, grabbing another two smaller ones to start a small fire.

It lit after a quick attempt and I set off again, slowly, if I must add.

The light guided me through the forest and kept me on the group's trail. I wasn't far behind but they were running, and I was limping. They were speeding ahead of me and I didn't know if I could catch up, to be honest I didn't know if I wanted to. But my gut was once again egging me to trudge on.

The branch served me as a staff for a good amount of hours but my injuries wore me out and I needed to rest.

I had no idea where the tracks were leading me but it had to lead to them eventually.