Of the Night: A Story From the 100

{5} Confessions of Sorrow

"Layla," my father's voice called. He and my mother came rushing into the room. I put down the book I was reading.

"What's wrong?" I asked, freezing at the look on their faces. "They are here for you!"

I shook my head. "No. I didn't do anything!"

"Open up the door! Layla Celina! You are under arrest for the murder of Wilbur Tryton!" a muffled voice shouted outside our front door.

"You killed someone!" my mother hissed in shock.

"No! I didn't!" I said desperately. "He told me this would happen..." I started hyperventilating. "He told me if I didn't do what he said... he would... that... that bad things would happen!"

"Surrender yourself!" the voice shouted again.

"I didn't do it. I didn't do it. I swear!" I cried as my mother wrapped her arms around me.

"We believe you, my dear,"  my father said, kissing my forehead. "We need to follow the plan now Layla."

"No!" I sobbed shaking my head. "They will float you for hiding me. Just turn me in and save yourselves!"

"Layla! Listen to me!" my mother said, holding my face tightly in her hands. "They cannot get to you. You have black blood. You are the last hope of  Earth and humanity." 

"You have to run and hide Layla!" my father urged.

I shook my head as they handed me the emergency pack, "I don't want to leave you!"

"You must," my mother said as I sobbed.

My father pushed me towards the vents and I protested, trying to fight him. My mother shoved me into the vent before slamming the cover back on and screwing it into place. I couldn't turn around so I had no choice but to crawl forwards. I heard scuffling behind me as moved and held in a wail at the sound of my mom's shouting. All the voices shouting at once....

 "Bellamy! Bellamy! Bellamy!" the crowd around me cheered as the noose went around Murphy's neck. They had him standing on a small box. Bellamy was beside it, hesitating on kicking it away and leaving Murphy to strangle.

"Bellamy stop! Please!" I begged. "We don't know that he did it!" If Bellamy heard me, he ignored what I said, keeping his back to me.

"I saw you in the woods with Atom. I know you're not a killer. Bellamy, don't do this. Don't..." Clark added, stepping to my side. 

I felt my blood run cold as Bellamy kicked away the box and left Murphy dangling from his neck.

"No!" I dashed forward to cut the rope, but someone grabbed me from behind and pinned my arms to my back.

"No, Bellamy, no! How could you?!" Clarke cried out.
"This is on you, princess. You should've kept your mouth shut." Bellamy finally turned around and when he saw my distraught face a flash of guilt resided in his gaze. The noise around me became muffled as I stared at him. Bellamy knew what I had been through and how much it hurt me. He knew how I felt about this situation.

Suddenly a high pitched cry ended the chaos. 
"Stop! Okay? Murphy didn't kill Wells! I did!"

Everyone turned to see the young girl from camp standing there with wide eyes, looking at them guiltily.

"Oh, my God." Clarke blinked and let out a quick gasp. "Murphy!"

I yanked out of whoever's grip was still holding me and ran to the tree. With a quick slash of the knife in my pocket, Murphy fell to the ground, gasping for air. Clark and I both ran to him.

"Are you able to breathe?" Clarke asked, reaching to examine his throat.

Murphy swatted at her with a gurgled hiss. I didn't blame him. Clarke was the reason for all of this. I wouldn't trust her either.

"Clarke go take care of that," I said, nodding to the giant group following Bellamy and the young girl back into camp. "I'll help him."

She looked doubtful at my abilities to do so but nodded quickly before jogging away. I squinted and looked back down at Murphy.

"Sorry," I said. "I tried to stop them, but no one would listen."

"I... know..." Murphy croaked out. He sat up slowly and cleared his throat a few times. His voice returned to somewhat normal. "I don't blame you."

"Here," I told him, offering my hand to help him up. He ignored it and scrambled to his feet, walking past me. "Where are you going?"

"To serve justice."

"Wait are you just going to attack that little girl?" I questioned and he stopped and turned to face me.

"She killed someone and then almost killed me by framing me!" he shouted angrily. "So yes! She needs to be punished!"

"I agree but maybe you should think the action through rationally before you throw yourself into a situation you don't want to be in," I replied.

"Stay out of it, Layla," he said angrily, walking away. "You don't understand."

I stared after him angrily and whispered, "You're wrong." I know he couldn't hear me.

A tear fell down my face and I sat down on the box Murphy had been standing on. I urged myself not to cry. I didn't want to seem weak in front of the others. Murphy's words made the memory burn in my mind.

All the voices shouting at once ended abruptly with the sound of a gunshot. I gasped and covered my mouth with my hand at my father's pained cry.

"You murderers!" he shouted, voice echoing around me as I shuffled further and further into the vents.

I kept crawling, passing the vents of other people's rooms. My sniffs were muffled as I tried to hold them back. The tunnel then went up and over and I softly grunted as I heaved myself along with the metal. When I reached the wider tunnel, I collapsed onto the floor. I could stretch now and looked down to see an opening with a cover outside the door of our home. The guards were dragging my crying father away.

"My daughter is innocent! She didn't do it! It was not her!" my father screamed. "You murderers! Leave her alone! You hear me?"

Silent tears fell from my cheeks as I watched the scene. Then sight that followed caused me to become nauseous. The guards dragged out my mother's limp body by her arms and walked away from me, giving me a clear view of the gunshot wound in her chest. Blood was pulsing out and a black trail followed her across the floor. They had murdered her. And know they knew what she was. What I was.

"Find the girl," a guard's voice ordered as two of them followed after my dead mother. "She's the last living descendant of the traitor."