Responsible for survival

Drowning

CLARKE'S POV:

I stare at the ocean of trees lining the valley below us and the sharp cornered mountain poking an iron wall against the crisp blue sky. It's so beautiful. The blood rushes through my veins like never before. The air is soft and sweet and cold. So crisp and fresh, not stuffy like on the Ark. Grasses sweep above my waist, long thin swaying lines of life. Tall, leafy plants litter the remaining area, fanned out pines leaves that ooze green and life. This is nothing like the ancestors described.
"Clarke?" The quiet whisper of my name stops my heart. I'd forgotten other people where here. I turn around, and there's Octavia. Tall and slim, yet muscular. Her long hair is wild over her shoulders, sparkingly chestnut in the warm sunlight. Her blue eyes are speckled with silver, happiness glowing. "I'm Octavia. Bellamy never told me about you..." she looks at me questioningly, head tilted slightly, so her hair tumbles off her shoulder into a waterfall of browns. Sunlight shimmers on the loose wisps round her face like a crazy, broke halo.
"He wouldn't... It took him a year to tell your mum." Her eyes shine with something that isn't sunlight but she blinks them away, eyelashes stroking her cheek . She giggles a little.
"He'd have never told you about me..."
"He couldn't, could he?" I smile softly at her. You can see the Bellamy in her; it shines so bright in the daylight. Her nose and her ears, softly hard.

"CLARKE!" A loud voice rings round the clearing. I spin round, stumbling on grass. Miller tears over the grasses, eye's wide. I guess the words before they fall out of his mouth. "Wells and Bellamy are fighting!" Already?

I run back to the dropship, where a crowd has already gathered. I don't hear the precise jeers but I can guess what it's about. Me. Like last time. Like every time.
"BELLAMY! WELLS! STOP IT!" I yell, shoving my way through the crowd, digging elbows to the front. They leap apart, sheepish. The crowd disperses and Octavia drags Bellamy away. A lingering gaze thrown over his shoulder hits me. I turn away from Wells and back to the map. He shuffles his feet a little, and the hairs on the back of my neck prick as he breathes. This has been the closest we've been for three years. And I hate it. I shimmy away a little.
"Why did you do that?" I question, not looking up. I feel his gaze harden.
"He surely can't have JUST come down for whatever her name is, his sister..."
"Octavia?" My eyebrows arch and the venom in my voice kills me a little. I try to tone it down. "He would... And I'm glad he's here." Didn't work.
"Why?" The upturned nose in his sneer makes my blood boil. I resist the urge to say the truth, and instead drop the worst bomb since the cataclysm.
"They dropped us on the wrong dam mountain."

I search for Bell, looking for the hand I can hold and the brain that can help find a better solution. I see his hair, above the ocean of heads and break into a run. I throw apologies over my shoulder as I crash into people. I leap onto his warm back, wrapping my arms round his neck. I can feel his heart beat, fast and steady. The familiar thump, bump, that reminds me of warm evenings staring at the earth on the Ark. I hear the sound of surprise. I drop down again, and he turns so quickly I think he's possessed. His arms are thrown over my shoulders, and we hug properly. My forehead tucked in the crevice between his neck and shoulder, his nose on the tip of my ear. I can barely breathe he's squeezing me so tight. I can feel each muscle squeezing my back. "I never thought I'd see you again." He whispers into my ear.
"Me either"
"Get a room!" someone calls. Probably Monroe. I let go and face the groups of excited kids. An ocean of faces. Joy.
"EVERYONE!" my voice echoes round the clearing, and everyone slowly looks at me. "They dropped us on the wrong dam mountain!" The clamours break out at once. Screams of anger, screams of how the council can never do anything right. "SHUT UP! Do you all see that mountain over there?" They turn to face the tall, grey corner mountain I'm pointing at. "THAT is Mount Weather. THAT is where our next meal is. We need to get it, but there's a radiation soaked forest between it and us-" A small child, no older than maybe twelve, with acne covered cheeks and a squeaky voice, steps forward. "Why don't you go and get it? Make the privileged do the hard work for once."
My heart stops in my throat. I know my family was the opposite to the rest of phoenix, except for Miller, we'd spent practically every waking minute in the hospital or at school or engineering. And my blood boils, thinking of how many of these kids my mother had helped come to life, how many of these kids who'd had my mum fix their broken bones, who'd had my dad fix the ships electricity every time it went down.
"I WAS go-" I am cutting by Bellamy pushing me aside, and turning to the kid.
"Shut up. She WAS going. But if you think ONE person can carry enough food for 99, then you need your head checked ." I can see his eyes, even though they're not facing me, pupils flicking with flames. The kid walks back, head bowed and cheeks flaming. I can't contain the smirk on my face. I press a hand on Bell's tensed arm, and he relaxes, letting me talk again.
"Who's coming with me?" The crowd shuffle their feet and look away.
"Me." Octavia steps forward. Bellamy's eyes bug, and he shakes his head, crossing his arms.

Eventually, I gather a team. Me, Octavia, Finn the space walker, Monty and Jasper the druggies, and Wells. Bellamy nearly exploded when he realised Wells was coming. I hang back as they head off, giving Bellamy one last hug. "I want to come with you." He whispers, chin resting on my head.
"I know." I murmur, head pressed against his chest, "But I need you here. I don't trust anyone else. No one else will be able to keep the camp calm like you can. I'll keep O safe. I promise. Nothing is happening to her." I lean onto his shoulder, tiptoes on the soft mud, and kiss his cheek. I drop away and walk after them.
"If you're not home in two days I'm coming after you!"

I rush to catch up, jumping over bushes that wave wild fingers against my legs. As I crash into the back of the group, Octavia greets me with joy, linking arms and about to say something cute and funny, probably. Till Finn cuts her off. "So, what's going on with you and guard guy?" I don't even need to look at Wells to see the anger steaming off him. Octavia snorts, and looks at me, one eyebrow arched coyly. How much has Monroe told her already?
"Bellamy? He's my boyfriend." I know Wells rolls his eyes and probably mutters something, but I ignore him. We walk again. I walk alone, staring at all the towering trees, and the speckling of amber leaves below us. The cataclysm didn't kill everything. I hear giggles behind, and turn around, expecting a bad joke at my expense to be played off. Instead, Octavia is smiling as Finn puts a bright purple flower in her hair. Jasper whispers something to Monty, who raises his eyebrows. "THAT, my friend, is poisonous sumac." Octavia brushes it out of her hair at lightning speed, stamping on the flower for good measure.
"Hurry up!" I call over my shoulder. The trip to the mountain will take almost a day in itself, not even factoring in the time it'll take to find the entrance. We have 98 people to feed, who'll go mad as hunger sets in. We have no time to waste. And if my suspicions are correct, the ark has even less.
"What's the rush princess?" A voice calls. Finn, the spacewalker. "Can't slow down to appreciate the view?" he throws out his arms, palms turned in. I roll my eyes, watching the trees spiral slightly- greens tumbling over greens and weak beams of golden sunshine.
"The Arks dying." And they can't punish me now. I keep walking, until I realise there's no footsteps. I turn around again. Their mouths hang open, eyes wide and unblinking. Wells smirks. Monty's mouth moves, but no sound comes out. "There's not enough air. They'll be dead... maybe in two months, three with us gone. The air will run out." That doesn't ease the shock. Eventual Finn can force words out, "That's the secret they locked you up to keep?"
"And floated her dad for." Thanks wells. Jasper laughs, trying to ease the situation.
"And to think we were only locked up because SOMEONE," Monty flushes bright red, "Forgot to replace the herbs we stole." Monty raises both eyebrows.
"SOMEONE has apologised 1000 times." I begin to walk fast again, but still hear what is said next.
"What about you Octavia? What'd they get you for?" The sharp intake of breath shatters my heart. The harshness in her tone shatters their weak happiness. "Being born." She storms past me, and I run to keep up with her.
She disappears over a rugged dip and I charge over it. A new shade of blinding light hits my eyes. Water. A ribbon of blue tears the trees in half. "Octavia! Stop! There's not meant to be a river here!" I scream. She turns over her shoulder, and then pulls her trousers down, kicking them off her feet, onto a pile with her jacket and shoes. She stands there, vest and underwear, sun shining off her olive skin and shimmering on hr long brown hair. "OCTAVIA!" I scream. She takes a big step backwards. Then one two three big steps and she leaps off the rocks. "OCTAVIA WE CAN'T SWIM!" I sprint to the edge of the rock. The water is perfectly still, no bubbles or ripples. "OCTAVIA!" My heart hammers against my chest, trying to smash my ribs. The water doesn't respond, and a hand clamps over my shoulder, trying to pull me back. I pull further forward, knuckles white on the beige rock. "OCTAVIA".