The 100: Ways To Survive

Chapter 48: Streets

Bellamy

We drove for miles and miles down empty, sandy streets, surrounded by skyscrapers and broken houses. I knew some of the streets for when we had our home here. As we drove further out the city, the streets became more desolate apart from the odd truck or van. We had the windows down, air blowing through, Rose held her arm out of it, resting her head on her arm. I noticed her red hair had faded and had blonde roots and streaks coming through. Clarke held a map in her hands, directing me and every once in awhile she glanced up at the sand surrounding us. Rose eventually directed us off road as we drove alongside a river, she said it was the Arkansas River. The sun glinted off of the river, making it a sight for sore eyes.

After hours of following the river, we turned off and headed back into a new village. The system. The system was full of checkpoints and army barracks and a few shantytown buildings, filled with poor people. We drove past people sat on the street, starving in tatted clothing. Some people had Radiation Mutations and many tried to bang on the truck, chucking stones at it.

"Why are they so mad at us?" Clarke asked as we slowly drove down a street, which had people shouting and pelting stones at us.
"Because," Rose begun to explain, her arm inside the truck and the window up, "Lots of these people have their families kidnapped to become lab rats. They have no food and are expendable. They're homes are destroyed, they can't leave the city but they want to. They have had their lives stolen from them. At least back in The Lost City and The Asylum and Farm Station, we had food and clean clothes and beds to sleep in. These people don't." Rose shook her head, she then pulled a rucksacks from under her seat, it was Clarke's and contained food and water. Rose opened her window and threw an apple to a little girl, who was sat on the street corner, shivering and covering her face. She looked at us and mouthed "Thank you." Rose nodded and threw a few more apples and pears into the street. The crowd nodded as they received it. Rose then grabbed the rucksack and took out half the bottles of water and some food, she then chucked the rest of the rucksack out the window.
"What are you doing?" I asked her, still focusing on the road.
"They're starving," Rose muttered as she wound her window shut.

* * *

We arrived at the second check point after getting through the first. We were stuck in traffic, surrounded by officers and people on patrol. A male guard, wearing a grey cotton long-sleeved top, with a black bullet proof vest, grey bottoms and black army shoes, on his head was a grey cap. He stood with another five men, dressed how he was. He held a notepad in his hands and leaned in the window.
"You heading out the city?" He asked, as he looked me in the eye.
I nodded, my hands gripping on the steering wheel, "Yes, we're going to see if there's any grounders or Space people in the area," I looked out the windscreen at the truck ahead of us, also being checked.
"But The Asylum was crushed?" He questioned, his tone full of suspicion.
"But farm station is still standing," I firmly said, I then looked at him, and half-shouted, "should a bouncer be questioning my authority?"
He took a step back, "No, Sir. I'm sorry, sir," he apologised. He then looked up at me, and then at Clarke and Rose, "Should they be going with you?"
"Of course," I stated, I then looked at him and gestured for him to walk closer to me, he stood with his head in the window and I aggressively whispered in his ear, "Questioning my authority again, Stevenson?"
"No, Sir," his voice was panicked and he swallowed hard, he stepped back and declared, "Clear. Drive on."

We drove out of ear shot, heading towards the final checkpoint. "How did you know his name?" Clarke asked me, looking at me.
I glanced at her and then touched my ear, "Raven didn't just make radios, she made me an ear piece."
"She did good," Clarke nodded.
Rose then looked at us, "I don't mean to spoil the mood, but, we have a job to do."
"We're just driving out?" I asked, confused.
Rose shook her head and looked at the road ahead, "We need to make a stop."
"This isn't the plan," Clarke argued.
Rose then looked at Clarke, "Do you want to be brought here again or have your people and the grounders killed? Brought here for testing?"
Clarke shook her head and then she firmly asked, "What do we do?"
Rose looked back at the road, "I kill Charles. I upload a file explaining what they're doing, saying there is other people out there. Saying Charles is dead," she then looked at Clarke, "I'd become in charge by default. The slayer wins, I'd set the people free, leave someone I can trust in charge."
I nodded, "Sounds like a plan. Where do we go?"