𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄─𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐤𝐞¹ (𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠)

113. ghost town

"Close the doors and turn the Rover around. We might need to get out of here quickly." Bellamy instructed as we all made our way into the hangar bay, alerts on high.

As the doors closed, darkness overtook the large room. The only light being from the headlights of the Rover.

The group of us looked around, looking for any sign of life.

What we saw seemed to be the exact opposite of that. Much like the courtyard, inside seemed to be a ghost town. It looked like everyone had just up and left in a hurry.

Board games looked suddenly aborted, dinner plates left with untouched food. "It looks like they just got up and left." I observed, lightly running my finger across a board game. "No one was expecting this."

Clarke nodded, her face showing a mixture of curiosity and concern as she scanned the area.

"We're in and out." Bellamy announced, "Pack as much gear as you can into the Rover."

"Avery and I will get the map." Octavia offered, not waiting for a response from anyone before she took off toward the living quarters.

I looked over at the group, giving them a slight shrug as I moved to follow after her. Guess I was going to get the map.

I could hear Jasper announce that he was going to come with us, claiming that the two of us shouldn't be alone. We all knew it was actually because he didn't want to load gear.

He caught up to us a few moments later, shooting me a small grin. I jokingly rolled my eyes as we made our way down the corridors, our footsteps echoing in the emptiness.

Octavia walked slightly ahead of the two of us, quickly making her way toward what was once her and Lincoln's room.

"This will be hard for her." I whispered, casting my eyes toward Jasper, "Just watch what you say, please."

Jasper nodded, his face taking a serious tone. "Of course." he promised.

It seemed too soon when we stopped in front of the door to their chambers. I knew first hand how hard seeing the things a person left behind were, how hard it was to see the life they had left.

The door creaked against its hinges as Octavia pulled it open.

No one said a word as we slowly stepped into the room, the eeriness of it overwhelming me. The last time I was in here, Lincoln had been alive. He had been sitting on the couch, pulling on his boots and laughing as Octavia and I recalled memories from our time in the Skybox. Everything was so much better then.

Jasper and I stopped just inside the door, watching as Octavia slowly moved across the room. She reached out, taking a hold of Lincoln's guard jacket, before bringing it up to her face. She buried her nose in it, taking in his scent one last time.

In one quick movement, she tore the it away from her face, her body racking in sobs as she launched the jacket across the room. A pained scream fell from her lips as she swiped her hand across the desk, sending all the items clattering to the ground.

I winced slightly, taking a small step back so I was running into the front of Jasper. He looked down at me, giving me a sad look.

"Tavia," I called from where I stood, not wanting to get too close as to give her some space.

"What?" she snapped, her voice full of anger. I shrunk back slightly, not used to hearing her speak to me like that.

"Remember when you told me it gets better?" Jasper asked, deciding to take over when he noted the distressed look on my face.

Octavia didn't turn around as she spoke. "This is not the same thing." she growled.

Jasper didn't seemed phased at her tone. "You know, it's okay to fall apart a little, Octavia. " he paused for a moment. "You loved him."

She remained silent for a moment before yanking open a metal chest that sat on the floor in front of her. "A warrior doesn't mourn the dead, until the war is over." she bit out, beginning to rummage through the chest.

Jasper let out a low sigh as he slowly turned. "I'll wait in the hall." he muttered, not awaiting a response before taking his leave.

I remained in place, watching as Octavia aggressively pulled things out, looking for Lincoln's book. "You need to mourn, Octavia." I announced, "Trust me."

Octavia stopped moving, but didn't turn to look at me. "This isn't the same as your brother, Avery." she snapped back, her voice cold. "Think about how you would have reacted if you lost Bellamy."

I did my best not to let her words waver me. I knew that she was hurt, and that she was grieving. Despite Octavia's claims, I did know what she was going through. Losing anyone is hard, we all knew that. Losing the person you love most in this world is especially hard. And although I didn't love Bellamy and my brother in the same way, losing either of them is something I never wanted to go through.

But I did. And losing Finn destroyed me in its own way. He was my brother, my twin. He had literally and figuratively been by my side since birth. I lost a part of me that day.

And I knew that if I lost Bellamy, another large chunk of my heart would be gone. So, I knew where Octavia was coming from, I understood her hurt.

"You're allowed to be angry." I spoke, my voice firm. "You're allowed to want revenge...but you're also allowed to mourn. You have a right to be sad."

Her shoulders raised and fell with each deep breath she took. She still wasn't looking at me, but I could tell she was crying.

"I'll wait with Jasper." I muttered, deciding what she really needed right now was time alone.

As I turned into the hallway, Jasper looked up at me. At first his expression was somber, but within a matter of seconds, an urgent look spread across his face.

I watched as his mouth began to form my name, but I couldn't hear it, something was in the way. And that something was blinding pain.

A harsh ringing filled my ears as I felt the impact on the back of my skull.

I stood still for a moment, the shock of the blow just registering. Then, the ground was suddenly approaching as I began to fall.

The last thing I saw was Jasper's terrified face before I hit the ground. Black slowly rimmed my vision, and before I knew it, that was all I could see.