Fearless (Bellamy Blake - Book 1)

Chapter 35

My entire body is numb as I stare down at the bleak emptiness before me.

Charlotte jumped.

Charlotte is dead.

She killed herself so Murphy would let me go.

I let out a strangled cry and detach myself from Bellamy, pushing him away forcefully and turning and lunging at Murphy, clawing, scratching and punching him, anything to make him feel pain.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

We fall to the ground and Murphy punches me in the face, but the pain doesn't stop me from doing the same to him.

I'm quickly pulled off of him, pair of strong arms holding my waist and dragging me away. At first I think it's Bellamy, but when I see him take my place on top of Murphy and start repeatedly punching him, I realise it's Finn holding me back.

"Chris!" Finn shouts, "Stop fighting me!"

I stay still in Finn's grip as I watch Bellamy punch Murphy but I make no move to stop it. I want him to hurt Murphy, he deserves to pay for this.

"Bellamy stop!" Clarke yells, "You'll kill him!"

Finn let's me go and grabs a hold of Bellamy, pulling him off Murphy. Bellamy stumbles back into me and I steady him as Clarke stands in front of us, blocking us from attacking Murphy again.

"He deserves to die!"

"No!" Clarke tells Bellamy, "We don't deserve who lives and dies, not down here!"

I glare down at Murphy as there's a moment of silence whilst Bellamy catches his breath, Murphy has fresh cuts on his face, mixing in with the ones he received earlier this day, with blood trickling down his face.

"So help me god, if you say the people have a right to decide--" Bellamy starts but Clarke cuts him off.

"No, I was wrong before, okay? You were right, sometimes it's dangerous to tell people the truth, but if we're gonna survive down here, we can't just live by 'whatever the hell we want'."

"So you're saying we need rules." I breathe out.

It makes sense I guess, but I hope those rules don't give Murphy any favours.

Bellamy sighs and runs a hand over his face, and I shuffle on my feet, sending daggers to Murphy who lays on the ground with a scared look on his face as we decide his fate.

"And who makes those rules, huh, you?" Bellamy asks Clarke.

"For now, we make the rules." Clarke looks at him and to me. "The three of us. Okay?"

"So what then, we just take him back and pretend it never happened?"

"Like hell we are." I hiss with fury the same time Clarke shouts, "No!"

She takes a moment to think, we refuse to take him back and act like nothing happened, and she won't let us kill him, so what other alternative is there?

"We banish him." She says finally, looking at us both determinedly.

I release a deep breath as I think about it.

He'll still be alive, but he won't be anywhere near camp. If that's the best we've got, then might as well take it. But I know that Murphy's death is one I won't feel guilty about committing.

Besides, if we're lucky, the Grounders will find him and do the job for us.

Bellamy glances at Finn before looking over at me, I stare at him for a moment, as if I'm trying to read his mind, and I eventually nod.

Bellamy moves around Clarke and grabs Murphy by his jacket, pulling him off the ground forcefully. "Get up." He hisses, and drags him over to the ledge.

My eyes widen as I watch, at any point Murphy could try to push Bellamy off, despite how weak he currently is, he's still unpredictable.

"Bellamy!" Clarke yells at him from beside me. "Stop!"

Bellamy holds Murphy close to the edge, the latter trying his best to push against Bellamy so he doesn't fall back.

Bellamy says something to Murphy but his voice is low and quiet, and my eyebrows knit together as I struggle to hear what he says. I see Murphy's swollen and bruised eyes flicker up to me as he nods at Bellamy, who then throws him at out feet.

"As for the four of you," he addresses Murphy's crew. "You can come back and follow me, or go off with him to die. Your choice."

Bellamy walks around us and towards the trees, the four guys following after him, taking the torch lights with them. Clarke is next to follow, and Finn and I are the last ones glaring down at Murphy.

I glance up as Finn throws down a blade to Murphy, giving him something to try and protect himself in his banishment.

He doesn't deserve it.

Finn carefully takes my hand in his, and pulls me back away from Murphy, leading me back through the woods to camp.