Flame ➸ John Murphy

15

"I can't keep running." Murphy complained as he slowed his stride.

"Then walk fast." West replied with a sarcastic tone.

"We don't even know if the guy Finn killed is telling the truth." Murphy shot at Bellamy.

Everyone began fighting about what the plan was. Finn wanted to keep moving. Murphy wanted to stop. Bellamy only wanted to take a break. The bickering was exhausting, so West walked off on her own.

She moved through the woods until she found a clear path. As she walked on this path out of the corner of her eye she saw a pile of clothes. Turning to look at it she saw it wasn't just clothes. It was a dead body.

Gasping she moved further down the train. More dead bodies lined the woods. Pieces of metal littered the ground around the bodies. The smell of decay filled her nose almost causing her to hurl. Soon West came to a rocky clearing. Out in front of her was a large canyon. In the middle of it was a section of the ark.

"West!" She heard John call her name.

"I'm over here!" She yelled back.

Her eyes didn't move from the destruction out in front of her even as the group made their way to the side of the cliff where she stood.

"That's a rough landing." Murphy noted.

West elbowed him for his insensitive joke. He rolled his eyes before looking back at the ship.

"There's nothing we can do for these people." Bellamy stated sadly. "We have to go."

West was going to say something when she heard a woman speak. She called out for help.

"Someone's still alive." West said as she moved closer to the edge of the cliff. Her eyes searched until she saw a girl on the side of the cliff. "We need to help her." West turned to the group.

Finn pulled Bellamy aside and they began to talk. As they did the boy called Sterling, West found out from the girl yelling his name, began tying a rope to a tree. Before anyone could stop him he began climbing down.

"Looks like we're taking that break after all." Murphy said to Finn.

As Sterling lowered himself everyone leaned over to watch. He told them to pull him up once her had the girl.

"I think he's heard one too many of your motivational speeches Bellamy." Murphy commented.

"Shut up Murphy." Bellamy spat.

Sterling below then was reaching for the girls hand before the rock underneath her broke. She held onto the treebranch above her as to not fall. Sterling reached for her hand once more before the rope holding him untied.

Everyone scrambled for the rope. West was able to grab a hold of it, but the speed of the rope made it slip through her hands, burning them in the process. She paid no mind to her hands as she watched the boy fall to his death. Her eyes watered knowing another innocent was killed.

After more fighting everyone agreed to make another rope to help get the girl. West and Murphy ran in one direction while everyone else ran in the other. Finding a bush with a couple seat belt, West began pulling them out. As she was, her gaze lifted to Murphy looking around for something to use as rope.

"Why are you staring at me?" He questioned without looking up.

"I'm not staring." West shot back. "I'm observing."

"Observing my good looks." He smirked as he found strong wire in the grass.

"There's no good looks to observe." She replied as she looked for more rope. "I'm just shocked to see John Murphy doing something to help someone else."