Reaching Out | The 100

Chapter Five: Under The Floor

6 years after Praimfaya

Octavia's POV

In my sleep induced haze i open my eyes, and nearly jump out of my skin when i see Niylah standing at the foot of my bed.

"Geez," i say, "You scared the hell out of me!"

She smiles sheepishly, "Sorry, but it's important, get up!" I groan and roll out of bed.

She leaves and i change, then follow her into the arena. Two grounders are having at it in the middle of the room, fists waving and arms flying. I yell "Stop!!"

They both look up at me immediately. I walk towards them, the symbol of the commanders is cold upon my forehead. I wonder what would have happened if Lexa had lived, would we all have been better off?

I see Indra on the sidelines and i shake off my doubts. "What's going on?" I demand.

The taller of the two points to the one with the mustache, "He's been hoarding food!" He yells, his body is tense and he pounces on mustache guy, knocking him to the ground.

"ENOUGH," my voice thunders in the nearly empty arena and the sound of metal on leather fills the arena as i unsheathe my sword.

"Is this true?" I ask mustache guy. He tremebles, "I-I just wanted to save some food for my family."

I look him dead in the eye. "We are wonkru, we are all family."

I catch Niylah's eye and she looks away. "I hearby sentence you to death." I stab my sword into his abdomen, and with a gasp he falls to his knees, shocked. Dead.

My guards take away his body, when an idea hits me. A bad idea, but maybe one that will save us.

"Wait," i hold up my hand, "We need him."

Indra realizes what i mean. We're running out of food, we only thought we would be in this bunker for five years but it's been six and we are stuck. We're already starving and we don't have much food left. The thought makes my stomach turn, but the only way for us to survive, is if we eat the meat of the criminals.

Niylah looks at me inquisitively, "Canabalism?" She raises an eyebrow. "Give me a better choice." I respond.

She looks me in the eyes. "I don't have one, Octavia of the sky people." She turns and walks away.

I sigh and Indra walks up to me, "Can you uh have the body prepared?" I ask. "Of course." She says. "You're doing great Octavia, that wasn't an easy decision, and there's no way we will survive otherwise."

My eyes are still searching the room for Niylah. "Now go find her," she says with a glint in her eye. I kiss her cheek and rush off to find Niylah.

She's where i expect her to be, her room. The walls are filled with drawings of friends and family, none if them alive anymore. I can't inagine the pain she has gone through.

I tap on the door, "Are you still mad at me?" I ask. She sighs then finally looks up. "I was never mad at you, i know it's our only option, i just hate it."