Raise Hell || The 100 [sequel to Hell and Back]

11 | Initials

Two things crossed my mind as my body collided into the river, a stinging pain exploded in my left side while the rushing water of the dam forcefully shoved me further beneath the surface; I miraculously survived the jump, despite landing a bit rough when I couldn't draw my left arm to my side in time, and I didn't know how to find my way back to the dropship from here.

Miller and I only planned my escape from Mount Weather. That was it. Neither of us knew how to find the way back to our people considering we never explored these parts of the woods before. Clarke once showed a rough draft of a map of the area, but I hardly remember any of it. I solely had my instinct, memory, and luck on my side to wander back to the dropship. I was ultimately on my own out here,

The temperature of the water grew colder the further I sunk, sharply pricking my skin like a million tiny knives. A numbness crept over my body as the water enveloped around me, wrapped around my frame like a cocoon as if it were a second skin until the only thing I felt was the increasing burning in my lungs, desperate for a breath of air. The surface of the river grew distant, shining heavenly beneath the bright sunlight.

My eyes drifted shut as I allowed my weighted limbs to cease movement and float carelessly in the water, momentarily losing all of my strength to swim to the top. The impact affected my body more than I had prepared for. The added weight of the boots and the difficult landing was all it took to send a strong wave of disorientation through my body after I collided into the ice cold water with a deafening smack, losing sense of everything as I sunk to the bottom.

I feebly shook my head in an attempt to clear the bewilderment locked in my mind. Exhaustion overtook my entire body.

"Princess..."

I snapped my eyes snapped open, shocked by the softness of Bellamy's voice echoing between my ears, swiftly realizing I couldn't give in to the temptation of exhaustion. My people were out there-- Bellamy was out there-- and I refused to rest until I found all of them. No one would get left behind. I wouldn't allow it.

A strong ache and burning sensation raced through my limbs as I willed myself to push through the icy water, fighting against the urge to give up and sink to the bottom. My eyes struggled to stay open. I sharply inhaled once I broke through the surface, immediately greeted with a pleasant warmth from the sunlight and sounds of nature surrounding me in every direction. The rushing water of the dam thundered behind me.

Droplets of water clung to my skin, trailing down my face and weighing down on my eyelashes partially blurring my vision. I slicked back my hair with one hand to remove the small strands that stuck to my cheeks and forehead. My chest erratically rose and fell as I worked to bring breaths of fresh air into my lungs. I risked sinking a bit to reach over my shoulder, checking to make sure the sword remained secure on my back.

As I fought to keep my body afloat, the throbbing pain in my head mixed with the sharp pang in my left arm unfortunately made it much harder to keep my head above water. A bruise was sure to form in a few hours from the rough landing. The strong current instantly took control of my body and pulled me down through the river into calmer waters. I strived to keep my head afloat without accidentally sucking in mouthfuls of water as I reminded myself of Bellamy and the rest of my people I needed to find.

The toes of my boots eventually dragged across the floor of the river. A gasp of relief emitted from my lips once the water became shallow as I drifted further away from the rushing water of the dam. The struggle to stay afloat disappeared the second I was capable of standing on my own. My body weighed down by the wetness of my clothes and boots as I walked toward the shoreline, shoulders hunched over until I collapsed on the small rocks and pebbles, drained of all energy.