READY, AIM, FIRE [B.BLAKE]

CHAPTER EIGHT

Bellamy poked his head outside of the caves and turned back to Hazel and Charlotte, who waited behind him, "It's all clear."

The Blake pulled himself up onto the dirt ground and Hazel helped push Charlotte up until Bellamy could grab her and pull her out. He turned and offered Hazel his good hand and the girl clasped onto his arm, Bellamy's own fingers fingers enveloping around her wrist. With one swift pull, he heaved her out of the cave, and as soon as she was on two feet again, Hazel pulled her hand from Bellamy's, ignoring the heat in her normally stone-cold palm.

The three began to walk, and Bellamy clamped his hands around his mouth to amplify his voice, "anybody out here? Jones?"

"We're here!" Jones yelled back, appearing with the rest of the hunting party.

Bellamy nodded at Jones, "lost you in the stew. Where'd you go?"

Jones pointed to his left, "made it to a cave down there."

Hazel analyzed the group, her heartbeat quickening when she noticed someone missing, "where's Atom?"

Jones' face fell with horror, "we thought he was with you."

Suddenly, a scream was heard from a distance, and Bellamy and Hazel were the first to run towards the sound. They stumbled over overgrown roots and rocks until coming across a tearful Charlotte, doe eyes glued to a body covered in swollen blisters and twitching in pain.

Atom's body.

Hazel's hand clamped over her mouth to muffle a cry of shock, feeling Bellamy stiffen next to her as he cussed, "son of a bitch, Atom."

       Bellamy rushed to Atom's side, falling to his knees next to the boy who was holding onto life by a string. Hazel slowly made her way over to them, addressing Atom's wounds. She didn't have to have years in medicine to know that there was no way they could save him. She knelt down on the other side of Atom and softly ran her fingers through his hair, "oh, Atom."

Atom gasped, struggling to breathe, "kill me. Kill me. Kill... me."

       Hazel's stomach churned.

Bellamy stood up at the arrival of the hunting party that watched Atom in shock. Charlotte wasn't even blinking as she walked towards Bellamy and pulled out the knife he had given her, "don't be afraid."

Atom choked out, "I... can't... breathe."

"Shhh, Atom. Don't speak," Hazel whispered shakily.

Bellamy took Charlotte's knife and looked up at the hunting party, "go back to camp. You too, Charlotte."

Bellamy crouched down next to Hazel and Atom once again, Atom struggling to speak as he gurgled out, "kill... me. Bell...a...my... pl...ea..se."