1 + 2 | EMBERS TO FIRESTORM | THE 100 | JOHN MURPHY

TEN

T E N

As the night drew in like a blanket of gloom, the fire curls higher and higher into the sky. Sparks flickering into the sky, attempting to escape the fire's embrace. Althea sat at the fireside, soaking up the warmth and letting it radiate into her skin.

She watches as Murphy removes wristband after wristband. People line up for it to be removed by the large piece of metal, cheering whenever the satisfying pop of one breaking open sounds through the night.

The smirk on his face showed pride in what he was doing. It was as she looked at him from across the fire he looked up, feeling her gaze on him. He props his elbow on his thigh and smiles at her. His hand beckons her over. "You're next, Thea," He tells her.

It was a challenge, clearly, and she would never back down to him. Eyes locked, she rises to her feet and strides around the fire to his side. The light of the fire brightens her empty eyes, bringing a sense of adrenaline as she knees down beside Murphy.

She surprised him once more with her boldness. As he took her wrist in his hand, her skin felt soft beneath his rough fingers, but she was cold despite the fire. When his fingers tighten around her, she breathes in sharply.

"Don't worry, Thea," Murphy whispers straight into her ear, sending shivers down her spine as she moves her head sharply in his direction. In all the years, neither had ever been this close to someone with the urge to reach out, but didn't. "This will only hurt a little."

"Sarcasm isn't becoming," Althea murmurs, pushing her wrist into his chest. "Now hurry up and do it." He laughs quietly under his breath and flexes his fingers around her wrist.

When he jams the metal between the wristband and her skin, she hisses at the sudden sensation of pain. He pushes the metal harder and harder, going until the band releases. Althea breathes out all at once, sinking down.

"You need to be less convincing next time Murphy, maybe then I won't take up your challenge," Althea says quietly. Murphy lessens his grip on her wrist, but doesn't let go.

"You shouldn't take up my challenges anyway," Murphy tells her, his thumb running along the raw redness of her wrist. "You'll just get hurt."

Althea smiles lightly, placing her other hand over his. "As much as I like talking to you, you have more wristbands to remove," She says, softly taking his hand off her and standing up. Her eyes flicker to an approaching Wells as she stands up. Beside her, Murphy stands up too as he sees Wells' tall frame coming through the crowd.

Oblivious to Wells or not, Bellamy calls out for the next person to get their wristband removed. Wells storms over, his expression moulded into a frown. "What the hell are you doing?" He exclaims as he stops in front of Bellamy.

"We're liberating ourselves," Bellamy tells him, " What does it look like?" His arrogance was somewhat becoming on him, it made him who he was. Thea admired the way he carried himself. He was bold, but his braveness was yet to be determined. From what she had seen thus far, she assumed he would be the bravest of them all.

"Looks like you're trying to get us all killed." Wells' looks around at all the staring faces and to the wristbands amongst the flames. Althea watches his features change. "The communication system is dead. These wristbands are all we've got. Take them off and the Ark will think we're dying, that it's not safe for them to follow us."

"That's the point," Bellamy points out, the smirk growing on his face as the name falls from his lips. "Chancellor." He takes in Wells' expression for a moment before continuing. "We can take care of ourselves, can't we?" He calls out. His cry is followed by a chorus of agreement. Beside Althea, Murphy calls out along with the crowd, but she remains silent on the side.

"You think this is a game?" Wells asks, his voice straining. "Those aren't just our friends and our parents up there, they're our farmers, our doctors, our engineers. I don't care what he tells you, we won't survive here on our own." He glances around at everyone again before locking his eyes onto Bellamy once more. "Besides, if it really is safe, how could you not want the rest of our people to come down?"

"My people are already down. Those people locked my people up, those people killed my mother for the crime of having a second child. Your father did that."

"My father didn't write the laws," Wells defends.

"No, he enforced them," Bellamy's eyes shoot daggers into Wells. "but not any more, not here. Here there are no laws. Here we do whatever the hell we want, whenever the hell we want. You don't have to like it, Wells, you can even try to stop it, change it, kill me. You know why?" He pushes. He was succeeding in pressing every single one of Wells' buttons. "Whatever the hell we want!"

"Whatever the hell we want! Murphy calls out, raising his fist into the sky. Althea's hand snaps up and curls around the sleeve of his jacket. The surrounding crowd joins in the chant, their fists in the sky and their arms around their companions.

Suddenly, the rains begins to pour from the sky. Falling onto their faces, washing away the grime and pushing a new sensation onto the hundred.

"Whatever the hell we want," Thea says quietly, looking up at Murphy. Hearing her words, he looks down with a surprised smile. The girl was full of surprises, he only hoped he would see more.

The rain in her hair, running down her face should have made her look awful, but it made her look revived. Her eyes took on a new kind of brightness as the rainfall soaked her through and through.

-

I had to write a new chapter ten due to missing out this scene and a golden opportunity to have some Malthea in here.

love, lau