Life Is About More Than Just Surviving • | Clexa AU | (in editing)

Chapter 19

Lexa's POV

        I watched as Lauren led the walkers away from us, leaving a few stragglers for us to deal with. I felt numb as I plunged my knife into the heads of walkers to protect the girl I love while the girl I think of as a daughter is being eaten alive. I couldn't think straight. I just hit walkers in the head, pulled my knife out, found another walker, and repeated the process. It was an endless cycle. This wasn't supposed to happen. Lauren was not supposed to die. 

        I look around for another walker to kill but they're all towards the line of the woods where Lauren led them. I wanted to cry, I wanted to be sad, I wanted to mourn the loss of Lauren, but Clarke needed my help and we needed to get out of there. Clarke had a serious injury involving her leg when she fell to the ground after tripping over a rock. As soon as I felt her hand leave mine I let go of Lauren's hand and leaned down to help her. Bryce was right there so he helped out too. I have no idea what happened to the rest of the group, but I hope they're okay.

        I look over to see Bryce sitting on the ground with his head in his hands and Clarke lying on the ground with a look of suffering on her face.

        "Bryce, I loved her too but we have to help Clarke and we have to get out of here before those walkers come back," he ignores me. "Bryce! If we don't make it out of here alive Lauren's sacrifice would've been for nothing!" That got his attention. 

        As he stood up I could see tears streaming down his cheeks. He slowly walked over to Clarke and I, looking up at me. I helped him at the start of this, why not help him now. I walked over to him and pulled him into a tight hug as he cried into my shoulder. He's just a kid. I'm just a kid. Lauren is just a kid, and she was eaten alive. None of us deserve this. No one should ever have to go through this no matter who they are.

        Bryce brings me out of my thoughts by pulling away.

        "Thank you, Lexa." he says to me.

        "No problem," I try to give him a genuine smile but it comes out sad. 

        I walk over to where Clarke's sitting and motion for Bryce to go on the other side of her.

        "One, two, three," I say and we lift Clarke up, her whole body relying on our strength. 

        "There's a rest stop nearby, some of the group might of went there for cover," I tell Bryce.

        "Let's go there then,"

1 hour later

        My arms are burning from holding Clarke up for so long. She doesn't weigh much, but it adds up after a long time. We arrive at the rest stop, and I take out a knife with my other free hand.

        "Stay here with Clarke while I check inside," I tell Bryce.

        I remove myself from Clarke and walk towards the door of the rest stop. I put my hands up against the glass of the door to see inside before I put myself in any danger. I didn't see anything, so I opened the door to the place. It was dark inside, and shelves filled the place, but there were only scraps left of what used to be there. I slowly walk through the aisles, trying not to make any noise. All of the aisles are clear, so I move on to the other rooms.
 
        When I go to the back room, probably where employees would've taken their breaks, I'm even more careful with this door. I open the door and stand behind it, waiting for anything to happen. Nothing does, so I slowly walk into the room. It's even darker than the actual store, and I can hear someone moving behind me.

        Before I can react, I'm grabbed by a pair of strong arms and my knife is kicked away from me. I'm defenseless, and I don't know who is grabbing me right now.

        "Lexa?" I hear someone say.

        The arms around me let me go and I turn around to meet three people. Octavia is there, and I believe the other two are Raven and...Bobby? No, it wasn't Bobby. Wait, Bellamy. That's his name.

        "Octavia?" I answer her.

        "Where's everyone else?" She asks me.

        "I have no idea, but Clarke and Bryce are outside right now," I tell her.

        "Lauren...?" Octavia asks slowly.

        All I can do is shake my head.

        "I'm sorry Lexa, she didn't deserve that.  She was a really good kid," she says in a sad tone.

        I just nod as Octavia continues to speak. 

        "Abby is outside helping Clarke. At least we still have a doctor," Octavia tries to reassure me.

        "Having a doctor is nice, but she can't help the people we've lost," I tell her.

        "That's true, Lexa. Trust me, I know. But she can make it so we don't lose as many people," Octavia says.

        I walk past her to go outside and see Clarke. Before I can, Octavia grabs my arm and pulls me back. Bellamy and Raven leave the room as I try to tear my arm away from Octavia's grasp. She doesn't let go, but instead she pulls me into a hug. 

        "Clarke's leg is hurt really bad, so since she can't do this I guess I'll be a good friend and try to comfort you," she says sadly. "I know how much you cared about Lauren, and it's okay to mourn her right now. Her death is not the end," she says. 

        Although I really, really want to stand here and cry on Octavia's shoulder, I can't. This is not what Lauren would want me to do. She'd want me to be happy that she was in a better place than this shitty world right now. So I just have to suck it up, put on my mask, and face the fact that Lauren is dead.