Love to Hate [1]

I can't take them on my own.

Song: Run and Go // Twenty One Pilots

Nessa's POV

It was starting to get light. Most of the group searching for Octavia had ditched as soon as they saw the skeletons. The only ones left were Finn, Jasper, four other kids, and of course Bellamy. I made sure to keep my distance as far as possible while still being able to see and hear them. We had been walking for what felt like hours and still hadn't seen anything since the skeletons. I was beginning to give up hope that we would ever find her. Finally I heard Finn speak up, "I got nothing. We lost the trail."

"Keep looking," Bellamy said stubbornly. The group kept slowly creeping forward. I heard a rustling from the trees above us and suddenly a Grounder dropped noiselessly to the ground, grabbed one of the kids in the back of the group, and hauled him back up into the trees. I stood there motionless, frozen in fear. It had happened so fast, I couldn't even make a move to stop it. I hadn't wanted Bellamy to know I was there, but now everyone was in danger and they had no idea.

"Hey!" I yelled, running up to them. They all spun around, hands on their weapons, and sighed in relief when they saw me.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Bellamy demanded. He was clearly angry - I could care less.

"The Grounders," I said, catching my breath. "They-they got him." Everyone's eyes grew wide with terror at the mention of Grounders.

"They got who? What are you talking about?" Bellamy asked. There was more rustling and the kid's body dropped to the ground between us with a dull thud. Bellamy and I leaped back to avoid being hit. His throat was slit wide open, his eyes wide and staring. 

"Him. They got him," I said grimly. "They're using the trees." Everyone looked up warily, taking cautious steps back. We listened for more noise but only heard the wind and chirping of birds.

"We shouldn't have crossed the boundary," one of the kids said.

"Now can we go back?" a girl added.

I heard Jasper muttering incoherently next to me. He was pointing at something in the distance. "There, right there," he whispered in terror. I looked where he was pointing and felt a jolt of fear as I saw a Grounder standing there silently staring right at us. We heard the crunch of leaves and saw another Grounder creep out of the growth. Followed by another two. I pulled an arrow out and knocked it, ready for a fight. 

"We should run," Finn breathed. Bellamy hesitated, then nodded. We all took off. Finn led the group, followed closely by Bellamy and Jasper. I lagged behind, the pain in my side almost unbearable. But I was not about to become Grounder meat. I pumped my legs as hard as I could, trying not to black out. I managed to pull even with Bellamy, but I didn't know how much longer I could keep this up.

"I can't run much longer!" Jasper shouted, echoing my thoughts.

"I'm not stopping for him!" one kid shouted, running on ahead. Bellamy however stopped running, then Finn and I and the rest of the group followed suit.

"I'm done running anyway," Bellamy said, turning back to face the oncoming Grounders. 

"No, what are you doing?" Finn asked, grabbing his arm to stop him.

"They know where she is," Bellamy insisted. A lot of good that will do you when they slit your throat, genius. The Grounders got closer and closer. 

"Ace? Where are you?" One of the girls called out frantically. I assumed that was the kid who kept running. Idiot. She ran off in the direction he had gone. Another idiot. We all followed after her as the Grounders kept coming. Did they ever get tired? Suddenly I heard the girl scream, and we came upon Ace. He had stumbled through a trip wire and been impaled on a wooden spike. Blood dribbled out of his open mouth. His dead eyes stared at the ground. I wanted to throw up. 

The girl kept running. "Wait, Roma! There could be more!" Finn yelled after her. But she wasn't listening. Because running off alone had worked so well for Ace. The rest of us stopped. Bellamy and Finn shared a look.

"They're leading us here," Jasper said. "It's the only direction we could run." Everyone was silent as what he said sunk in. We all looked around for the Grounders, expecting a trap, but they were nowhere to be found. 

"Where'd they go?" Finn asked. I had a feeling we didn't want to know. My feeling was confirmed as a scream sounded through the air.

"After Roma," Bellamy said, running towards where it had come from. 

-

Bellamy's POV

Everything had gone so wrong. I had led these people to their death. I shouldn't have let them come. My sister, my responsibility. I was the only one who needed to take care of her. First John, then Ace, and now Roma. The force of the spear throw had pinned her to a tree trunk. Her head lolled sickeningly to the side, her eyes staring at nothing. I couldn't look away from her. 

"They're playing with us," Finn whispered. We needed to get out of here. I raised a hand up and closed Roma's eyelids. Another death I was responsible for. 

"She only came because of me," I breathed. All of these people. Jaha. Charlotte. The people on the Ark. All because of me. 

"They can kill us whenever they want," Finn whispered again, breaking me out of my thoughts. I looked at him, Jasper, Monroe. And Nessa. She was leaning against a tree trunk, breathing hard and clutching her side. I wouldn't let them die too.

"Then they should GET IT OVER WITH!" Jasper shouted. Finn rushed over to shut him up but he kept yelling. "COME ON! YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO!" He was acting insane. 

"They're coming!" Monroe shouted. I turned to see three, no four Grounders rushing towards us. I saw everyone pull their weapons. Nessa had an arrow strung, her face set. She was prepared to die. I couldn't let that happen. They got closer and closer.

Then, out of nowhere, a horn sounded. The Grounders all stopped and looked up at the sky, then rushed away as quickly as they had come. "They're leaving," I said.

"What does it mean?" Jasper asked. 

"Acid fog," Finn answered. Shit. Out of the frying pan and into acid fog. He began pulling something out of his bag.

"We have to run," Monroe said. Finn shook his head.

"There's no time," he responded. Then he shook out a tarp and instructed everyone to get under it and hold the sides down as tightly as possible. We all crowded in together - there was barely enough room for the five of us. I had a sinking feeling this wasn't going to be enough, but Finn was right. We didn't have time for anything else. We sat there like that, waiting, for what felt like hours.

Finally Jasper spoke up. "How long are we supposed to wait?" he whispered. 

"Will this even work?" Monroe added. 

"I hope," Finn answered. Silence descended again.

I couldn't take it anymore. I lifted the tarp and looked out in the forest. Nothing. "There's no fog," I told everyone. They all crept out from under the tarp.

"Maybe it was a false alarm," Finn suggested. Then I saw a Grounder running through the trees.

"They're coming back," I warned everyone. 

"I think he's alone," Jasper whispered. He seemed to be right, no other Grounders appeared. And this one seemed to be running away from us. 

"He doesn't see us," I said. This could be my chance. "I'm going after him."

"And then what?" Finn asked. "Kill him?"

I shook my head. "No," I answered. "Catch him. Make him tell me where Octavia is. Then kill him." I set off after the retreating Grounder, fulling expecting everyone to go back to camp. Hoping they all would. Especially Nessa. Her face was stark white and pinched with pain. I could see fresh blood staining her side. She shouldn't be out here anymore, but I knew she sure as hell wouldn't listen to me. Sure enough, being the stubborn and infuriating person she is, she followed me. Then so did everyone else.

Please, please don't let me be leading them into another trap.