CHAPTER THREE

"Jeez, I hate the goddamn man-eating snakes." 

***

"Mom!" 

 The air seemed to suffocate me as I ran into my mother's frail arms. Her entire body was quaking with un-shed tears, but her arms wrapped around me like steel chords. 

 "Don't let them do it!" I cried, my words muffled by her shirt. My heart felt like it was ripped out, and then sewed back in by someone with no medical experience at all. I tried to breath, but couldn't. "Don't let them. I can't let them." 

 "Listen to me, Nate." She pulled away to cup my face in her hands. I was taller than her, but she gave me a look that made me feel so small. She smiled, her green eyes glittering. My eyes.  "You don't stop living. You make sure the right thing is done. But you don't push others away when they just want to help you." 

 She patted her pockets, as if looking for something important. "I don't have anything to give you." She grinned, and a loud flurry of sobs ripped from my throat. 

 "It's time." The deep voice of the chancellor interrupted. I felt my head grow light as hysteria set in. This couldn't be happening. She didn't do anything. It was me, this was my fault. 

 "No!" I cried, shoving back a guard who tried to grab her arm. "No! You can't take her!" 

 "Step down, kid." Marcus Kane warned, pushing me back as my mom stepped behind the glass. She gave me one last smile. Mouthing an I love you. 

 And then she was sucked out into space. 

 The funny thing was, I didn't scream then. I just let out a meaningless whimper as guards handcuffed me. 

 "Nathaniel Masteron, you are under arrest for thievery of Ark supplies." 

 That was when Clarke came out. She caught one glimpse of my face and broke into soundless cries. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry I had too! I'm sorry." 

 I didn't answer, I just stared ahead into blank space as I was roughly dragged out of sight. 

***

"You know what I want to know?" 

"No but I am sure you are going to tell us." 

"Why send us down today? After ninety-seven years, what changed?" Jasper asked, Octavia smirked in response. 

 "Who cares? This morning I was rotting in a cell, now I'm spinning in a forest!" She spun around in feeble attempts to gain Finn's attention. I had to dodge her arm to avoid getting smacked. Jeez, I'm gay for five minutes and she already has a new infatuation. 

 "Maybe they found something on a satellite." Monty suggested, picking a flower from a nearby bush, and bowing as he tucked it into my hand. I chuckled. "Like an old Weather satellite or something." 

"It wasn't a satellite, the Ark is dying."  Clarke cut in, her voice sharp. We all paused our trek, and turned to give her a look. She just kept walking like what she said was normal. "With the current population, they have maybe three months left of oxygen... four now that we're gone."

 "So that's it?" Finn demanded as I copied Octavia and tucked a flower behind my ear, responding to her weird look with a shrug. "That's the secret they locked you up to keep? Kept you in solitary, and floated your old man?"  

 I never knew my dad... maybe that's better then knowing him and having to watch him die. 

 "My father was the engineer who discovered the flaw." Clarke explained, glaring at Finn. "He thought that the people had a right to know. The council disagreed. My mother disagreed. They thought it would cause a panic." 

 "Damn right it would cause a panic." I mumbled, scratching at my wristband. This stupid thing is so annoying. 

 Clarke ignored me, "We were gonna go public, then Wells..." 

 I pulled my lips into a tight line. I do not feel any type of good that Wells turned her dad in and got him floated. I am not some sort of sick bastard who takes pride in others deaths. I just think Clarke understands how I felt now. How I feel. 

 "The guard showed up before we could. That's why today. That's why it's worth the risk. Even if we die, at least they bought themselves more time." 

 A slightly nauseous feeling passed through my stomach. It was sick that they would kill innocent people just to buy themselves more time. We are all just kids. I saw a little girl that couldn't have been older then thirteen. I have nothing to loose except for Monty and Jasper, so I guess I am glad I am down here with them instead of up there with no oxygen and psycho adults. 

"They're gonna kill more people up there, aren't they?" Monty asked, his face paling. I frowned deeper. Monty has a family. An actual, real family, that loves him. 

 Lucky bitch. 

 "Good. After what they did to us, I say float 'em all." 

 "Damn." I mumbled, as Jasper pursued her. "You don't mean that." 

The leaves crunched under our feet as we trudged onward. Monty and I were currently annoying Clarke further by playing that game when you hold your hands over the other persons and then try to slap them. Monty won every time because I couldn't bring myself to slap his hands.

"One, two-" I began, but a gasp from Jasper cut me off. I jerked my hands back abruptly, making Monty do the same, and accidentally elbowing himself in the stomach. 

 I stood up taller to look over Jasper's head, and hung my mine once I saw what he was gaping at. Octavia was standing on the edge of a tall rock, in nothing but some underwear and her tank top. 

 "Oh damn I love Earth." Jasper muttered, and Monty and I shared a look. 

"Whatcha doin' there, Tavi?" I asked, doing that annoying thing I do where I give nicknames to people I have just met. She smiled up at me, before swiftly jumping in the water, splashing the rock she was standing on. 

 I ran over to the edge, staring down at the water. Octavia stared back at me, her mouth and nose under the water, her hair plastered to her forehead. "Bro?" 

 "We can't swim!" Jasper scolded, running over to me, placing a hand on my shoulder and almost knocking me into the water. 

 "No, but we can stand." Octavia rose to her full height, raising her arms and giggling. I couldn't resist the grin that fought it's way onto my face. Water. I haven't seen water in so long. Unless it was for a short, cold shower, or drinking. 

 "Wait, there isn't supposed to be a river here." Clarke-buzzkill-Griffin cut in, and I rolled my eyes, shrugging off my jacket and tossing it onto the ground. 

 "Well there is, so take your damn clothes off." Finn smirked.

 Right as I was about to take off my shirt, Jasper's voice stopped us all from proceeding. "Octavia. Get out of the water." 

 I followed Jasper's gaze, but I reacted to soon, as Octavia screeched and was pulled under. There was no movement. 

 "Shit!" I swore loudly. "What the f-" 

 Before I could finish my thought, Octavia emerged from the water, shrieking and trashing around. "Octavia!" I yelled, preparing myself to jump in that hellhole after her. Clarke's hand across my torso stopped that. 

"Wait! If we distract it, it might let her go." 

 I didn't even have time to be annoyed, I just nodded and followed her to a large rock. "Flip it in!" 

 I complied, squatting behind the rock and grunting as my muscles strained, Finn ran over to help, and together, we rolled the rock over into the lake, succeeding in creating a huge splash. 

 Jasper wasted no time in jumping in, swimming over to Octavia and wrapping an arm around her torso. The ripple of death saw that the rock was nothing it could feast on, and turned its attention back to the matter at hand. 

 "It's coming right for you guys!" 

 I swore loudly, before doing something both stupid and possible suicidal. 

 I jumped in. 

 Ignoring Clarke's protests, I began splashing around as much as I could, pulling the creatures attention away from Octavia and Jasper.  "Yeah! Come here you big slippery asshole! I taste delicious!" 

 "Nate! We're out!" 

 "Thank God." I muttered,  feeling my heartbeat pick up with fear as the ripple drew closer. I grabbed onto the hand that was offered to me, and collapsed on the rock seconds before becoming some sort of weird-ass snake's lunch. 

 "T-Thanks." I muttered begrudgingly, and Clarke nodded, wiping off her hand from where it got wet. I wrung out my shirt, ruffling my hair so it didn't stick to my head. 

 "Jeez, I hate the goddamn man-eating snakes." 

***

"You wanted to go first!" 

 "Yeah Finn, quit stalling." 

 "Mount Weather awaits." 

 Finn cast Monty, Clarke, and I a tentative look, gripping onto the vine ferociously. I smirked at the boy, who was staring across the river as if all of his hopes and dreams were resting in the trees. 

 "Just hang on to the apogee and you'll be fine." Jasper advised, patting Finn's back lightly. 

 "The Apache? Like the Indians, right?" 

 "Apogee, not Apache." 

 "He knows." Clarke rolled her eyes. "Today, Finn." 

 Finn tugged the branch nervously, his eyes flitting around the group. I found it amusing that he didn't want to go, but wouldn't dare back down. "Aye, aye captain. See you on the other side." 

 Before his feet got the chance to leave the ground, Jasper muttered something ineligible under his breath and put a hand on Finn's shoulder, stopping him from going any further. 

 "Wait, let me, I can do it." 

 "This just got interesting." I grinned, taking a step back next to Monty, crossing my arms and smirking. "It's like a battle of their bravery." 

 "That'd be a pretty short battle." 

 "I knew there was a badass in there somewhere." Finn grinned, patting Jasper's shoulder and looking grateful for a reason to not go first. 

 "Yeah, it's just hidden beneath the goggles." I teased, and Jasper sent me a playful glare, before taking a deep breath and jumping off. I laughed slightly, as Jasper hit the ground, rolled once, and sat up, looking to his surroundings like he was confused why he didn't die. 

 "Whoo!" I cheered, bursting out into gleeful chuckles. Jasper followed my lead. "We are apogee!" 

 That was the cue for all of us to burst into cheers. Monty and I shared a look. Leave it to Jasper to risk his life in order to impress a girl. 

 "Come on, sunshine, you're up." Finn grinned, and Clarke returned the gesture, turning back to give me a tentative smile. I didn't exactly know what to do. Like, sure, I hate her... but she technically did just save my life so-

 I flashed her two thumbs up and a tight smile. 

 That seemed good enough for Clarke, as she struggled to contain the huge smile on her face as she grabbed the vine. 

 "Hey guys!" Jasper shouted from the other side. He picked up a large metal plate from the ground and held it above his head. Now, my eyesight is not exactly superb, so Jasper relieved me by shouting out what it said. 

 "Mount Weather!" 

 And then, before anyone even had the chance to react, Jasper flew back, his back hitting the tree behind him. It took me a few seconds to process the spear that protruded from his chest. 

 "Holy shit!" I yelled, stumbling back and accidentally tripping over Monty, sending us both sprawling to the ground. "What the fuck-" 

 "Shh!" Clarke hissed, jumping next to me and gesturing for Octavia and Finn to do the same. "Get down, stay silent." 

 Monty was literally trembling from beside me, and I offered my hand, which he squeezed thankfully. The tree's shook quietly, and I turned and raked my eyes over the woods, but I couldn't see anyone. 

 Clarke let out a breathy whisper, voicing what everyone was thinking. "We're not alone."