the king awakens » bellamy blake

11 | Into the Storm

"In total darkness I; I reach out and touch."

Certain Things | James Arthur
Touch | Troye Sivan

Chapter 11

"Wren? Wren. You're awake! Thank God," someone whispered, as I took a deep breath and sat up with some trouble. Pain shot through my head like an electric spark and I winced, letting out a low moan. What the hell happened?

Opening my eyes, they adjusted to the darkness around me as they frantically searched my surroundings. I jumped, surprised to see where I was—a cave, of some sort. How? My back was pressed against a rough, bumpy wall, and I felt the sticky backside of my head, my hand covered in blood when I brought it back in front of my eyes. How did I get here? I close my eyes; yes, I remember: three hundred, wandering off...getting knocked out. I must have blacked out for the rest.

Finally, I glance up to see Octavia, who was dirty and bloody, kneeling down beside me. She looked. . . worried. I frown, but it only sends another jolt of pain through my skull. At least I'm not alone, I groan internally.

"Oc–Octavia?" I managed to say, my voice rough and my mouth dry. "Where the hell are we? What happened?"

She purses her lips and exhales deeply, obviously peeved. "A Grounder brought us here. He–he saved my life, but then he. . ." she motioned towards her hands, which were in chains attatched to the cave wall. I look down at my own feet, bound the same, and I pull hard on them, but collapse from the new rip of pain through my head. Were they looking for us?

Hissing, I sit back up, having the urge to scream or cry from confusion and home sickness. Octavia looked like she was about to say something, but she kept her mouth shut, lowering her eyes.

"So," I asked, gritting my teeth as I held back tears. "What's your strategy?" I couldn't help but notice my voice quivering. Another shock of pain shot through my brain, so terrifyingly painful that I had the urge to rip my eyes out of my head.

Octavia seemed concerned, looking desperately around the cave for who-knows-what. Immediately she faced me again, "Get me that rock, over there," she motioned toward it. As I reached to get it with a low moan, she explained, "I can try to knock him out with it when he comes back."

Before I could even protest, she cut me off, "You can't risk being more hurt than you already are, Wren." She said with a pointed look in my direction. Did she just. . .read my mind?

I sighed reluctantly, handing her the rock and slowly laying back onto the ground, trying my best to keep from crying or having a panic attack. Taking deep breaths, I willed myself to close my eyes. The pounding in my head seemed to get louder.

Moments later, footsteps made their way into the cave. I flinched when I heard the thud of the rock against the grounder's skull, and opened my eyes to see him fall to the ground, unconscious. I stared at him; he was covered in endless layers of torn dark fabrics that somehow acted as protection, he had darker skin (like Miller's) and now had blood dripping from a place on his bald head. Part of me felt guilty.

Seeing the key in his hand, Octavia took it and frantically tried to unlock herself from the chains, just when another sound of footsteps approached. I panicked, looking for the rock Octavia had just dropped and holding it in my hands just in case, waiting for the intruder to be another grounder.