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ᶠᵃˡˡᵒⁿ'ˢ ᵖᵒᵛ

"PRISONER THREE-ONE-TWO, FACE THE WALL!" A voice boomed, breaking the dull silence of my cell.

As the doors hissed open, a rush of cold air swept into my cell, prickling my skin with goosebumps. I scrambled off my narrow cot and onto my feet, a tinge of fear knotting my stomach as I instinctively raised my arms and pivoted to face the wall.

"What's happening?" My voice trembled with uncertainty, the words barely audible over the sound of heavy boots approaching. The weight of unseen eyes bore into me, sending a shiver down my spine and causing my heart to race with apprehension.

"Hush. Hold out your right arm." One of the guards' voices commanded, my brows furrowed together in confusion.

"What? Why?" I countered, twisting my head to catch a glimpse of the figure barking orders at me. If they intended to cuff me, wouldn't they demand both arms? And why the need for restraints anyway? My eighteenth birthday wasn't until next week. They couldn't float me, not yet.

"Now's not the time for questions, prisoner. Just do as you're told," the guard's tone hardened, a sense of urgency lacing his words.

"Fine, fine," I grumbled, rolling my eyes as I reluctantly lowered my right arm. In response, a guard seized my forearm with a firm grip, fastening a metallic wristband around my wrist with a sharp click. As the device cinched tightly around my wrist, a sudden pinch shot through me, akin to tiny needles pricking at my veins. I hissed in pain and shot a glare at the guard.

Once the wristband clicked into place, the guards seized me by the forearms, flanking me on either side. The third guard swiped his keycard and the door unlocked with a hiss. They pulled me from my cell, dragging me onto the balcony of the Sky Box. From there, I could see my fellow juvenile delinquents going through the same procedures as I was.

When I looked to my right I saw a blonde girl, whose name was escaping me, having a much more panicked reaction to this widespread detainment. I wracked my brain for a moment, her mother was a member of the council, that I was sure of. But what was her name? Griffin... Abby Griffin... oh! Clarke. That was her name. I think.

But as I glanced to my left, dread washed over me. There he stood, the very last person I wanted to see: my father.

The expression he wore was a mix of disappointment and resignation. A look I was very familiar with.

My eyes narrowed as they locked with his.

When he didn't say anything, I scoffed. No greeting, no explanation, nothing. Typical.

"You must be thrilled, Dad," I quipped, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "Finally getting rid of me, aren't you?"

My father's jaw clenched, but he didn't respond. Instead, one of the guards tightened his grip on my arm, urging me to keep moving, but I didn't budge.

"You know," I continued, undeterred, "I was looking forward to turning eighteen. Just a few more days, and you could have floated me legally. What a shame. Bet you were looking forward to that too, weren't you?"

Silence hung heavy in the air for a moment, prompting the guards to make another attempt to haul me away. Yet, my father intervened with a raised hand, signaling them to halt. They complied, albeit begrudgingly. I scoffed in disbelief.

"What? What could you possibly have to say to me now, Dad?" My voice faltered, betraying a vulnerability that I rarely allowed to surface.

"They're sending you to Earth. Some twisted attempt to grant delinquents like you a second chance, provided you survive. Frankly, I am relieved to finally be rid of you," he spat out, his words laced with contempt.

I shook my head in bafflement, a bitter laugh escaping from my lips. "Why am I not surprised? Whatever. You can go to hell," I retorted, my words dripping with disdain.

"Come on, let's go." The guard to my right said shortly and urged me to keep going. I obliged, not wanting to be in that bastard's presence any longer.

When we finally started walking away one of the guard's grip on my forearm tightened further. I shot him a smirk over my shoulder. "Hey, at least buy me dinner first if you wanna get rough, soldier."

The guard's stoic expression cracked slightly, but he maintained his composure as we approached the entrance to the drop ship that was taking us to Earth. Despite being locked up for a year, my charm was still intact. This made me smirk.

༅

As I boarded the drop ship, I made my way to my seat on the second level, where my partners in crime—quite literally—awaited. A rush of relief flooded through me at the sight of them. A year without your best friends is not for the faint of heart.

"Monty! Jasper!" I exclaimed, rushing over to them and enveloping them both in a tight embrace. They were taken aback at first but then returned the hug with equal enthusiasm.

"Fallon!" Monty exclaimed with a grin as he pulled back from the hug, his face lighting up at the sight of me.

"It's great to see you," Jasper chimed in, a smile spreading across his face as well.

"Man, I've missed you guys," I admitted, feeling a surge of warmth at the reunion with my closest friends.

Despite the uncertainty of the future awaiting us on Earth, I felt a sense of comfort wash over me knowing that Monty and Jasper were by my side.

"So, how have you two been holding up?" I asked, breaking the embrace but keeping my arm draped over Monty's shoulder.

"Surviving," Monty replied with a chuckle, a sarcastic edge to his words.

"Just barely," Jasper added with a smirk, earning a playful shove from Monty.

We settled into our seats as we laughed, strapping ourselves in securely as the drop ship prepared for descent. As we fastened our harnesses, I couldn't help but take in the surroundings, the hum of the engines, and teenage excitement filling the air.

My gaze wandered around the crowded drop-ship, scanning the faces of the other delinquents. Amidst the sea of unfamiliar faces, I spotted Clarke Griffin, daughter of Dr. Abbey Griffin, slumped in her seat. It seemed like she was either asleep or unconscious, her head tilted to the side at an unnatural angle. Perhaps, her little tantrum—or rather, fit of panic—put her in that situation.

And then, beside her, I noticed Wells Jaha, the Chancellor's son, his expression tense as he glanced around the dropship. Why was he of all people doing here? He wasn't a criminal. He was the Chancellor's son for fucks sake, there couldn't possibly be a defiant bone in that boy's body.

Leaning towards Jasper, I couldn't help but ask, "What do you think the royal couple could have possibly done to land themselves in here?"

"Beats me," Jasper shrugged in response, his gaze drifting to where Clarke and Wells were seated. Adjusting the goggles perched on his forehead, he glanced back at me. I couldn't help but snort at the sight.

"You're such a dork, Jasper," I teased, earning an eye roll from him accompanied by a muttered 'shut up' amidst a soft chuckle.

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The drop-ship jolted abruptly, sending a ripple of panic throughout the cabin as the lights flickered.

"What the hell was that?" My voice trembled slightly as I leaned past Jasper, directing my question to Monty.

"I'm guessing we've entered Earth's atmosphere," Monty replied, his voice tinged with a slight tremor of nervousness, which in turn sparked a flicker of panic in me.

Just as quickly as the lights had dimmed, they surged back to life, illuminating the cabin in a blueish glow. A video of Chancellor Jaha suddenly appeared on every screen aboard the ship.

"Prisoners of the ark hear me now," Jaha's video began, "You've been given a second chance, and as your Chancellor, it is my hope that you see this as not just a chance for you, but a chance for all of us. Indeed, for mankind itself."

I rolled my eyes as I listened. Second chance my ass. We were probably all going to die from radiation poisoning anyway.

"We have no idea what is waiting for you down there." The Chancellor continued, his voice solemn. "If the odds of survival were better, we would've sent others. Frankly, we're sending you because your crimes have made you expendable."

I scoffed. What the actual fuck. Expendable. What kind of sick and twisted... we were just kids! Our lives shouldn't be considered expendable.

"Your dad is a dick, Wells!" Someone shouted from their seat, prompting laughter from the others. My gaze shifted from the screen to Wells and I sighed. It wasn't his fault his dad was a piece of work. We don't get to pick our parents after all and trust me, I would know. But, in the end, the kid was right, Wells' dad was a dick.

"You can say that again," I muttered under my breath, the situation left a bitter taste in my mouth.

"Those crimes will be forgiven, your records wiped clean," Jaha promised, but I couldn't help but feel skeptical.

"I wonder if he realizes that promise means absolutely nothing if we all die," I grumbled leaning my head back against my seat with a soft thud.

"Hey, we're not gonna die, Fal," Jasper reassured me, his expression etched with concern.

"We don't know that, Jasper. We don't know anything," I replied somberly, my frown deepening.

Chancellor Jaha's video continued but I could barely focus on it. I was scared—no, terrified. I didn't want to die.

"The drop site has been chosen carefully," Jaha spoke, "Mount Weather was a military base within a mountain. It was to be stocked with enough non-perishables to sustain three hundred people for up to two years."

Three hundred people for two years. With a hundred of us, how long would it be able to sustain a hundred unruly teenagers? It felt like my head was starting to spin. Math wasn't exactly my forte, especially not under stress. But, I needed a distraction, and math problems tended to take up a lot of my brain power.

I took a deep breath, trying to make sense of the numbers. If the food was meant for three hundred people for two years, and there were only a hundred of us, that meant... one-third of three hundred people. So, essentially, the food would last three times as long. Six years.

"Six years," I muttered, voicing my calculation aloud and earning puzzled looks from Monty and Jasper.

"What's going on in that head of yours, Fal?" Monty raised an eyebrow, clearly perplexed by my sudden outburst. This situation had me acting out of character—I detested math, and I despised feeling vulnerable, yet here I was.

"If what Jaha's saying is true, we'd have enough food to last us six years on Earth," I clarified, hoping my explanation made sense amidst the chaos.

"Isn't that a good thing?" Jasper inquired, tilting his head in confusion. I shrugged, uncertainty gnawing at me.

"I guess? I mean, I hope so, right? But who's to say we'll even land at the drop site," I replied, my thoughts spiraling in a dizzying whirlwind. At that moment, I felt more overwhelmed than I ever had before—well, save for the day my mom passed away.

I turned my attention away from him and continued to listen to Jaha's message, "No one ever made it there. Because we spare you no food, or water, or medicine, I cannot stress strongly enough, that Mount Weather is life."

What did he mean 'no one ever made it there' and who's to say we will make it there? And, why the hell would they send a hundred kids to the ground with no supplies? How incompetent were they?

The sound of laughter and cheers pulled me from my thoughts as I watched a boy with shaggy brown hair begin floating around the ship.

"Spacewalk bandit strikes again!" a boy's voice called from somewhere, the spacewalk bandit in question's face cracking into a smirk at the cheers.

"Go, Finn!" called one voice, followed by others whooping and cheering.

So, his name was Finn. Spacewalk bandit, huh? He must've gotten himself locked up after the boys and I.

The boy—Finn—floated his way over to Wells and Clarke.

"Check it out. Your dad floated me, after all." Finn joked with a grin, referring to the fact that he was actually floating. I cracked a smile of my own at the joke, it was funny, I had to admit.

Clarke and Wells seemed far from pleased at the brunette's antics. "You should strap in before the parachutes deploy," Wells suggested but the tone of his voice made it sound more like a command. Two boys who had been sitting near Finn followed his lead and unfastened their harnesses, joining Finn in floating around the ship, providing entertainment for the masses.

"Hey, you two, stay put if you want to live." Clarke sneered at the two who were following Finn's footsteps or rather... I don't know, there's not really a zero-g alternative for footsteps.

"Hey, you're the traitor who's been in solitary for a year," Finn remarked, sizing up the girl before him. Clarke raised her brows, a slight smirk playing at her lips, while Wells rolled his eyes, seemingly unimpressed.

"You're the idiot who wasted a month of oxygen on an illegal spacewalk," Clarke retorted, earning a small laugh from Finn as he floated closer to her.

"But it was fun. I'm Finn," he introduced himself, a playful glint in his eye.

I chuckled softly, realizing that Finn was flirting with Clarke. Leaning toward Jasper and Monty, I whispered, "That, boys, is game."

"No way. He's a reckless idiot. Girls like Clarke don't dig that," Monty scoffed, prompting a laugh from me.

"Come on, Monty. All girls love bad boys," Jasper chimed in, shaking his head at his friend. "You could learn a thing or two." He teased with a wink causing Monty to roll his eyes.

"You geeks could both learn a thing or two," I added with a smirk of my own.

"Shut up Fal, you hang out with these geeks, willingly, might I add." Jasper sent a playful glare my way eliciting a giggle from myself.

I was so caught up in this interaction between the two that I hadn't even realized Jaha was still speaking until he said, "Your one responsibility is to stay alive."

I gulped. We're just a bunch of reckless teenagers being thrust into a world that we're wholly unprepared for. Survival is anything but guaranteed.

The drop-ship lurched abruptly once more, a violent jolt that caught us all off guard. With a deafening crash, the two who had recklessly followed after Finn were sent hurtling through the air, their bodies flailing wildly before crashing into the metallic wall of the ship. Finn, however, collided with a row of seated passengers, sending a ripple of chaos through the cabin.

The force of the impact slammed me back against my seat, jarring my senses and eliciting a sharp cry of pain to escape my lips.

Sparks flew in every direction as the ship continued to shake violently, the once-illuminated screens were now plunged into darkness. The air crackled with the sound of fizzing wires, while billowing plumes of smoke filled the cabin, obscuring our vision.

I clenched my eyes shut, the chaotic scene unfolding around me caused my heart to hammer in my chest. All I could hear were the frightened screams of the other prisoners. It was deafening. My mind whirled with fear and confusion, rendering any coherent thoughts or words unintelligible.

Aside from all the screaming, all that I could discern were faint whispers of reassurance from Jasper and Monty from beside me and a voice, unmistakably Clarke's, piercing through the screams with venomous words of hatred directed at someone, presumably Wells.

It felt as if we were hurtling into the depths of despair, the sensation akin to what I'd imagine those amusement park rides in old television shows to be like, only amplified a hundredfold. With each jolt and lurch of the ship, my stomach churned and my heart raced, longing desperately for the whole ordeal to come to an end.

༅

As if my prayers had been answered, the violent lurching finally ceased, and the once-deafening hum of the machinery gradually faded until we were met with silence.

Monty was the first to comment on it. "Listen. No machine hum."

We all glanced around, listening to the newfound silence. Jasper's voice broke through the quiet with a slow, "Whoa. That's a first."

He let out a slight laugh as well causing me to let out a small laugh through my nose in return, my anxiety subsiding slowly at the realization that we were alive.

Around us, people began unbuckling from their seats. Jasper, Monty, and I quickly followed suit, wanting nothing more than to be free from this death trap of a ship.

My attention was diverted when I noticed Clarke rushing to Finn's aid, who was tending to the two individuals who had collided with the wall. When Clarke inquired about their condition, Finn shook his head, and my heart sank. The poor boys could've had so much to live for, but because of the foolish and reckless choices they made, they were dead. Two dead, ninety-eight left. Life was such a fickle thing.

I was snapped out of my somber thoughts by someone tugging at my hand. "Hey, word is the exits on the lower level. Let's go," Jasper said, a faint smile gracing his lips. I nodded in agreement, my hand finding comfort in his grasp as we moved forward together.

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As we reached the lower level, a tall brunette man clad in a guard's uniform stood before the door, his arms extended in a futile attempt to stem the hoard of people.

"Hey, just back it up, guys," he commanded, his voice firm and authoritative.

From behind us, Clarke came rushing down the ladder. "Stop!" She ordered frantically as she hopped down and made her way to the front of the crowd. I exchanged a puzzled glance with Jasper and Monty, silently questioning the unfolding situation.

"The air could be toxic!" She warned as she made her way through the crowd and toward the man.

The man scoffed dismissively, rolling his eyes. "If the air is toxic, we're all dead, anyway," he retorted.

He had a point. If the air outside was indeed toxic, stepping outside would be a suicide mission. However, the confined space of the drop ship offered no guarantee of safety either, there wasn't possibly enough air in it to sustain us for more than a day or two. Besides, with whatever damage was taken to the ship, the outside air could've already seeped its way inside.

"Bellamy?" A girl's voice called from behind the crowd, I turned to see a brunette girl climbing down the ladder. Her voice was laced with both confusion and concern. The man she was addressing—Bellamy—turned around with wide eyes and his mouth slightly agape. The girl continued down the ladder with her brows furrowed, making her way through the crowd.

As she pushed through and made her way toward Bellamy people began whispering about her and about how she was the girl that had been hidden under The Ark's floorboards. I had heard about the rumors before but I always doubted them, finding them to be too farfetched, but I guess I may have been wrong.

As the two faced each other a smile grew on Bellamy's face. "My God, look how big you are." His voice seemed reminiscent. The girl threw her arms over his shoulders and pulled him in for a tight hug. The whole scene was wholesome yet extremely confusing.

As the girl finally released him from the hug she eyed his jacket with a scowl. "What the hell are you wearing? A guards uniform?" she asked, her words dripping in disdain. I eyed the jacket as well, clearly, someone wasn't actually a guard.

"I borrowed it to get on the drop-ship," Bellamy explained with a smirk, his eyes dancing with amusement. "Someone's got to keep an eye on you."

Bellamy let out a laugh as the girl hugged him again. I shot a glance at Monty, silently conveying the awkwardness of the situation. He responded with a restrained chuckle, the corners of his mouth quirking upward.

Clarke's interruption broke the tension. "Where's your wristband?" she demanded, her eyes scanning Bellamy's wrist.

It was obvious why he didn't have one. Sneaking onto the drop ship meant bypassing the usual protocols. He wasn't supposed to be there.

The girl whipped around, her abrupt turn and sharp response catching everyone off guard. "Do you mind? I haven't seen my brother in a year," she hissed, her agitation palpable.

My jaw slackened in surprise. No one on the ark had siblings, having more than one child was strictly forbidden.

A voice echoed my thoughts. "No one has a brother!" another voice chimed in, clarifying, "That's Octavia Blake! The girl they found hidden in the floor!"

The girl—Octavia—clenched her jaw in frustration at the gossip that was spreading like wildfire. As murmurs continued to circulate, Octavia's temper flared, the only thing keeping her from getting physical was her brother's firm grip holding her back.

"Octavia, Octavia, no!" Bellamy's voice carried authority as he tightened his grip on his sister, restraining her from acting on her impulses. "Let's give them something else to remember you by," he suggested, attempting to diffuse the tension.

"Yeah? Like what?" Octavia's voice dripped with defiance, her frustration palpable.

"Like being the first person on the ground in a hundred years," Bellamy countered with a smirk, his words igniting a spark of defiance in Octavia's eyes.

Turning toward the lever that would open the doors to Earth, Bellamy's actions commanded our attention. Anticipation hung thick in the air, a mixture of excitement, fear, and curiosity swirling through my emotions.

He pulled down on the lever and the doors opened with a hiss, Earth's cool air rushing into the cabin. Sunlight seeped in, momentarily blinding me before my eyes adjusted to the light. A gasp escaped past my lips as my jaw fell open. It was more beautiful than anything I could have ever imagined.

Toweringly tall trees with thick trunks rose towards the sky, their branches reaching out like fingers towards the sunlight filtering through the canopy above. Leaves of various shades of green danced in the gentle breeze and shafts of sunlight filtered through the dense foliage, casting intricate patterns of light on the forest floor.

As Octavia stepped forward, anticipation crackled in the air. Her mahogany locks blew gently in the breeze. With cautious steps, she descended from the drop ship, her footfalls stirring the forest floor, a chorus of crunching leaves and snapping twigs beneath her.

I snuck a glance at Clarke and noticed a subtle smile on her lips. It was like Neil Armstrong all over again, but in reverse this time. One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.

I turned to Jasper and Monty, unable to contain my joy, and shot them a grin of my own that was filled with pure exhilaration.

Then, in a burst of pure excitement, Octavia threw her arms into the air and let out a triumphant scream that echoed through the forest. "We're back, bitches!" Her voice reverberated, merging with the rustling leaves and the cheers of our fellow delinquents.

I couldn't help but join in the chorus of laughter and revelry, my heart soaring with the realization that we had finally made it—back to Earth, back to freedom, back to the untamed beauty of the world we once called home.

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⃗🕯️*ೃ༄
↳˳❥;; ❝BURN ALIVE❞ ೫˚∗:
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JESUS H. CHRIST THIS TOOK ME SO LONG.
I know Fallon has barely any dialogue in this chapter but trust the process guys pls. Like ik this is mainly just canon dialogue and Fallon being observant but PLS just wait bc she's so witty I swear.
This is genuinely the longest chapter I have ever written like DAMN I cooked!!! It also took me like a week to finish but ignore that c:

I also want to clarify that with AP testing, prom, and finals around the corner updates will be VERY VERY slow!!! and for anyone waiting on updates on my other books, please continue to be patient I'm brewing stuff up don't worry 😇😇

ANYWHOOOO!!! PLEASE FOLLOW MY TIKTOK @fairydarling.wp PLEASE!!! I've been too lazy to make actual edits but I do make lots of slideshows soooooo go like them up and COMMENT!!!

ALSO! Please don't be ghost readers! Comments and votes are more than appreciated and help boost not only the book but also my confidence and motivation to actually write :P

(Update: I'm writing this three days after writing this A/N just to tell y'all that the AP US Gov exam had me COOKED on the FRQ section my life is over 😭)

xoxo,
fairydarling
💋