RETURN {the100} ✔️

51.

I stared at my handy work, feeling pretty confident with myself. I couldn't stand around and wait for Lincoln to come back out of the tunnels with Theo, but I also couldn't just leave without letting him know that I was here. Of course, the option of ignoring both of their wishes and chasing after them in the tunnels had crossed my mind, but I knew that wouldn't have a good outcome. So, instead I had chose this.

With a small rock, I carved into an old rustic sign that I had found. It wasn't that large, maybe about the size of my head; it wouldn't have grab their attention before but now it did. Along its surface I had scribbled, "you fight. I fight. We fight."

It was my way of showing that his last words really had meant something to me, that they affected me so much. He was right, I needed to fight. I couldn't sit around waiting for some miracle, I had to keep going, just like I knew he was. All my life I had been a fighter, to give up now would be a mockery of the person I am. I was some meek little girl that was in need of saving, I knew how to take care of myself. Sure, I had had a mini melt down back there, but honestly, who wouldn't freak out when they see someone literally eating a person. I think that's allowed a little panic filled outburst.

With a sigh, I sat the sign down, along the exit of the tunnel and shrugged off my jacket to leave it behind. That way the two knew that the message had truly came from me. Once I felt it was in a spot that they'd see, I took off towards the river. The sun was beginning to rise and that meant I had to get home. I only wished that I was close. And that I was following the river in the right direction, Lincoln didn't clarify if I should follow it downstream or upstream. Guess it was going to be a guessing game and I hoped I picked the right choice in following it upstream.

I ran for about twenty minutes before I stopped. It was quiet all around me, the river was the only sound that could be heard. Rushing water and a eerie silence. It was too quiet, not the same as before when Theo had shot Miles, it was worst. Not even the wind was blowing.

I turned in a circle, trying to pinpoint what was making it so quiet. Was there someone out there?

A twig snapped.

Spinning, I followed the sound in a low crouch, waiting for something to happen. My gut knew I wasn't in a safe place and it was telling my body to be ready. Theo had asked me to fight, to fight for him and now I was prepared. What was coming next was sure to be a fight for my life.

Suddenly a masked figure appeared. They stood just staring at me, head tilted. Only, I had no idea what this thing was. It looked to be someone in a suit, like a space suit; one like Atticus dad used to wear when he would drift out to fix parts of the Arc. I remembered how I used to love sitting and watching him float around in open space, he'd wave to the two of us through the glass window.

This person, didn't give me the fond feelings that Atticus's dad had. This sent chills down my spin. I couldn't see their face, just two big beady dark holes where their eyes should be and a loud hose covered their mouths and connected to a large box on their back. They held what looked like a gun in their hands, pointed straight at me.

A brow rose as I tried to think of who or what this person was, I mean obviously, I didn't know anything about the ground. First thinking that Earth was barren; ha, wrong. Than thinking, well there's only animals and the grounders. Ha, double wrong. There are reapers that eat people too and now I have this weird fly/space looking guy starring me down.

"You were the one that hung my friend up," I turned a cold glare onto him. I must have been right because his hands stopped moving and he let go of my arm.

He wiped his hands off on an extra rag and met my own icy gaze with one of his own, "and you were the one about to break the truce with the Mountain Men."