Living On The Ground - John Murphy

Chapter 3 (The Little Trip)

I had been 10 minutes of complete silence. I hadn't said anything since we left the camp and I wasn't planing to. Finally Murphy broke the silence.

"So, you going to say anything or is it going to be completely quiet the whole time?"

I looked over at him then looked forward agin.

"It doesn't have to be silent if you don't want it to." I said still looking strait ahead.

"Oh so she can talk." He said with a smirk.

"Of corse I can talk, you heard me speaking earlier to Bellamy." I said making a face to my self.

He bit his lower lip and nodded his head. Out of the corner of my eye I could see him looking at me before he said something.

"So what were you arrested for?" He said with barely any expression on his face.
I looked down at the ground before I opened my mouth.

"I was caught smoking weed on the ark."

I could see him raise one eyebrow and laugh to himself also looking down at the ground.
There was silence for a few more minutes before I asked him the same question.

"Why were you arrested?" I said looking at him.

He slimed to himself before turning his head to look at me.

"You really want to know?" He said with one eyebrow raised.

I hesitated before I nodded. But the thing was I really didn't know if I wanted to know.

"Well, I set fire to an officers chamber and I pretty sure it killed someone."

"What do you mean by pretty sure?" I said my eyes wide.

"I didn't pay attention to see if anyone was in there. I just, well lit it up." He said with a smiling to him self.

"Your crazy." I said shaking my head.

"Were all crazy."

There was a moment of silence. Then I took a deep breath before looking over at him.

"Some of us more then others."

We walked for a few minutes before I put my arm out in front of Murphy making him stop walking.

"You here that?" I said looking around.

"No." He said shaking his head.

"Water."

I went running the direction that the noice was coming from. Murphy followed me as we ran. I stopped at a ledge and bellow it was a large stream. I went running down the hill into the water. I cupped my hands in and took a drink. It was refreshing considering I hadn't had a drink of water for around 3 hours. I looked over to Murphy who was still standing on the top of the ledge. I waved my hand telling him to come down. He slid down off the ledge and ran over. He also jumped into the water getting a drink.

"Do you remember the way here?" I asked wall splashing water on my face. He nodded as he was filling his face with water.

"Good because we're going to need this stream from water at camp.

I took a deep breath before I looked up at Murphy. He got up and walked over to a rock and sat down in it. Then I got out of the water and and sat next to him. I looked out over the larger stream as we sat in silence. The sun was just above the the tops of the trees almost making the stream a color of orange. There was a slight breeze that went by just as I broke the silence.

"I can't believe the earth is so beautiful." I was looking strait across the stream.

Murphy looked over at me before he looked strait forward again.

"I always read books and saw the pictures but.. it is so much better in person. No book could ever explain this."

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. When I opened them I could see Murphy looking at me. I looked back at him and gave him a slight smile. He turned his head again, this time looking at his hands.

"So.. what was your life like before you got locked up on the ark?" I heard him ask. I looked at him scanning the side of his face before I spoke.

"It was nice. I had a lot of friends and my parents were really loving. They sported me and cheered me on in everything I did."

He bit his lip and inhaled before saying something to me.

"They still alive?"

I was surprised by the question he asked me.

"My parents?" He nodded.

"Ya.. there still alive." I said still looking at him. He had his eyes closed with his hands together.

"What about your parents?" I asked.

I could see him swallow hard. He took a deep breath and spoke.

"My uh.. dad got floated, and my mom.. well my mom drank herself to death."

I could here his voice fading as he said the last words. My throat felt tight as I went back to staring at the stream.

"I'm sorry." I said not knowing if it would make anything better.

He suddenly stood up.

"It's getting dark we should head back to camp."

I looked up at him before I stood. I nodded my head. I was looking him right in the eye. I smiled at him before I spoke.

" lead the way."