𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄─𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐤𝐞¹ (𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠)

89. fresh start

We had make it back to Arkadia in good time, getting Jasper to med ward as soon as we could. We had left him in the hands of Abby and Jackson, thankful that we had made it on time.

Later that night, I stood in front of one of the few mirrors we had on the Ark. I was supposed to be heading down to the mess hall to meet Raven, but something had distracted me before I could make it out the door. It was my reflection. However it didn't feel like me.

I let out a tired sigh as I picked up the ends of my hair, holding them in front of my face. It had grown long in the months we had been down here and I had grown tired of it. I glanced down at the scissors sitting on the edge of the sink. I needed a change, like I said to Bellamy, I wasn't the same person I once was.

I took a hold of the tool, grabbing a chunk of my hair just above my shoulder and without hesitation I cut it.

I knew it was just hair, it didn't really mean much. But to me it felt like a fresh start. I wasn't the same Avery I was when we had gotten down here, too much had happened to me since then. So as I watched my locks fall into the sink, I felt like I was washing away demons hidden within them. It was time to change who I was, and this was the first step.

---

Twenty minutes later when I entered the mess hall, I felt refreshed. It was something so minor, but to me I made the difference.

Raven was working on something as I slid into the seat across from her. She glanced up at me for a moment, "Nice of you to join me." she mumbled, clearly annoyed with me being almost thirty minutes late.

I let out a small laugh, "Sorry I-"

It was then that her head shot back up, "Your hair!" she exclaimed, leaning across the table to lightly grab a strand of it.

I gave her a small smile as I nodded, "I just needed a change." I explained.

Raven sat back down, giving me a soft smile, "You look more like him now."

Him.

She didn't need to say his name. She was talking about Finn. I felt my heart clench at the mention of his name. But she was right, I did look more like him than ever. I had thought the exact same thing as I stared at myself after taking the scissors to my locks.

I forced a smile as I glanced down at what she was doing, attempting to change the conversation, "What are you working on?"

She shrugged as she picked up another tool, "Just messing around."

I laughed as I turned, grabbing a bucket of things for myself to work on. Since Mount Weather, everything in Arkadia had become a collective effort. I had been assigned medical as my job, but besides that we were all expected to chip in helping with inventory. That's why the mess hall had also turned into a warehouse. All supplies from Mount Weather being congregated in here, waiting to be sifted through, organized and eventually purchased or traded.

"Have you seen Jasper?" I asked, as I began going through the bin.

Raven let out a small sigh as she nodded, "Yeah" she answered, "Abby released him."

I paused, just as a boy joined us, instantly going through one of the bins sitting on the table.

"He had a knife to his throat." I whispered, trying to avoid the boy listening in, "He had a knife to his throat and he smile and he's free to walk around."

Raven nodded in agreement, "I tried, but Abby didn't seem too concerned."

I folded up one of the blankets I pulled out, "I'll try to find him later." I decided.