I woke up, screaming. I heard someone running over to me. I couldn't quiet make out who it was because of the dark.

"Hey, wake up.", It was Clarke. "It's okay. I was just a dream. Aaliyah, it's okay to be scared. Do you want to talk about it?", Clarke asked.

"It's my parents. They both got floated.", I sobbed.

"Yeah, I understand. My dad got floated.", She said . "So how'd you actually end up here?", She asked.

"I stole food rations.", I answered honestly. She shouldn't know the reason why I did that.

"I can't say I blame you. You see that bright star up there? That's the Ark, orbitting above us. I think whatever happened up there, you know, the pain. Maybe we can move past that now. Like maybe being on the ground is our second chance."

"Do you really believe that?", I asked Clarke.

"I'm trying to.", Clarke answered smiling. Then she hugged me and I fell asleep on her shoulder.

✯

The next morning I wanted to rest a bit so I decided to go into the dropship. When I went to the first level, I saw a girl. She looked to be around my age. I decided to go talk to her. Making friends my own age had to go a bit easier, I thought.

"Hey. I'm Aaliyah.", I said.

"Charlotte.", She said.

We started talking and I found out both of her parents got floated and that she actually didn't really know anyone here so I told her she could stick with me.

After an hour talking, I decided to take a walk in the woods and I asked her if she wanted to come along.

We walked into the woods and kept walking until I stepped on a branch which cracked really loud and an axe got thrown right next to my face. That was my very first almost death experience.

"What the hell are you doing? I almost killed you. Why aren't you back at camp?", Bellamy asked bluntly. See, that's why he scared me.

"Well, Jasper, I just, I couldn't listen anymore.", Charlotte made up. He probably didn't believe a word of what she said.

"There's grounders out here. It's too dangerous for little girls.", A boy who I knew as Atom said. I rolled my eyes.

"We're not little.", I stated.

"Okay then. But you can't hunt without a weapon." He offered us both a knife and Charlotte took it.

"I'm good.", I said. Knives scared me as well. They are so small but can cause so much damage. Bellamy shrugged at me and turned to Charlotte.

"Ever killed something before?", Bellamy asked her. She shook her head.

"Who knows? Maybe you're good at it", He said smiling. Woah, this Bellamy I didn't know.

The boys took off as we followed behind. I didn't really wanna come, cause as I said before Bellamy scared me, but I could tell Charlotte was excited to go and I didn't wanna be left alone again so I just walked along. For Charlotte.

✯

We've been walking for an hour now and suddenly a yellow fog came our way. We heard horns and this was our cue to run.

I ran as fast as I could as I tried to catch up with Bellamy and everyone else.

"Come on. There are caves this way.", Bellamy yelled as he grabbed my arm and I grabbed Charlottes.

When we arrived at the cave I heard someone scream for Bellamy. I looked over at Bellamy, who pushed me and Charlotte into the cave.

Later that night we went to sleep. I laid on a rock and tried to fall asleep, which was really hard.

✯

I woke up screaming. Yet again.

"Aaliyah, wake up.", Bellamy said. I took in my surroundings, seeing I was in the cave.

"I'm sorry.", I apologized. I was scared he was gonna yell.

"Does that happen often?", He asked me and I nodded. "What are you scared of?" I wasn't going to answer that and I think he knew. "You know what? It doesn't matter. The only thing that does matter is what you do about it."

"But, I'm asleep.", I said.

"Fears are fears. Slay your demons when you're awake, they won't be there to get you when you sleep.", He said, resting his hands on my knees.

"Yeah but, how?", I asked him not knowing what he actually meant.

"You can't afford to be weak. Down here weakness is death. Fear is death.", He said.

We sat there for a while just looking at each other. It was kinda uncomfortable.

"Let me see that knife I gave you.", He told me and I grabbed the knife and handed it to him. "Now when you feel afraid you hold tight to that knife, and you say: Screw you, I'm not afraid.", He told me.

He handed the knife to me, waiting for me to repeat his sentence. I looked at the knife when I said: "Screw you. I'm not afraid."

I looked up to Bellamy who gave me a "is that all you got" look as I repeated the sentence but with more force in my voice. "Screw you. I'm not afraid."

"Slay your demons, kid. Then you'll be able to sleep.", He told me.

He went back to bed as I got comfortable. I fell asleep an hour later.

✯

Next morning we got out of the cave, Bellamy taking the lead.

"It's all clear.", Bellamy said.

"What about the boy who got stuck in the fog?", Charlotte asked Bellamy. He looked at her and then back into the woods.

"Anybody out here? Jones?", Bellamy yelled.

"We're here!", Someone yelled.

Bellamy started walking in the direction of the voice and we followed him.

"Lost you in the stew. Where'd you go?", Bellamy asked Jones and a few other boys.

"Made it to a cave down there.", Jones answered. "The hell was that?" He then asked.

"I don't know.", Bellamy said honestly.

"Where's Atom?", Charlotte asked. I wish I wasn't so shy. I could tell Charlotte was comfortable around these boys, but they still scared me which made me shy.

Jones looked at Bellamy giving him a "I thought he was with you" look.

When I looked behind me Charlotte was gone. I stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to do or say.

Suddenly, we heard someone scream. Charlotte. I immediately ran to the sound of her voice.

I finally saw her, crying, and I went over to her and then I saw it. Bellamy ran up to us as we all looked at Atom. Burn wounds covering his entire body.

"Son of a bitch. Atom.", Bellamy ran up to Atom, kneeling down next to him as Charlotte followed him, kneeling too. I stayed back.

Atom tried to say something but I couldn't understand him and Bellamy bend down so his ear was next to Atom's mouth when he talked. I had no idea what he was saying.

Soon enough everyone gathered around Atom. The view was awful. Charlotte looked down at the knife Bellamy gave her and handed it over to him, looking him right in the eye.

"Don't be afraid.", She told him.

"Go back to camp. You too Aaliyah.", He said and I nodded. I walked back with Charlotte but I realised Charlotte wasn't with me. I looked back and she came running to me. She grabbed my arm and together we walked back to camp.

✯

Later that night when Charlotte and I told each other good night Bellamy walked over to me.

"Hey kid, you okay?", He asked me. I nodded. Why did he wanna know that? And since when did he call me kid?

"You wanna tell me what your nightmares were about?", He asked me.

I looked down at my hands. I didn't want anyone to find out about my past. It was too painful to talk about and I was scared I would start crying. I didn't want to look like a weak piece of shit. And if I would cry, they would definitely treat me like a little kid.

What actually happened was that my mother was pregnant of a twin. I have a twin brother. They took him away from my mother by birth and then my mum got floated. I think my brother is still in space. We did everything together. When I got locked up, we were 10. I promised Lucas I wasn't going anywhere, but I broke that promise. My dad stole food rations to survive and he taught me how to do that. When he got caught he got floated too.

I looked up at him and shook my head.

"It's alright," He said, "You should probably get some sleep."

I nodded my head and walked back to my tent. Don't get me wrong, he still scared me. He was hiding something and I couldn't trust him.

Octavia wasn't there yet but I was so tired I wasn't going to stay up.

✯

I woke up to someone screaming.

I walked out of my tent because I recognised the screams. It was Charlotte. I ran over to her and woke her up.

"Are you okay?", I asked her and she nodded her head.

"You know, I have nightmares too. Bellamy told me to slay my demons when I'm awake so they won't be there when I fall asleep. You should do that too.", I smiled at her. She nodded and I laid down next to her and grabbed her hand. Together we fell asleep.