Day 1

"Is everyone alright?" I hear. My ears are ringing and my body is so tight it feels like a cramp. The beaded sweat begins to drip down my forehead. It's dripping down. We made it. I begin to stand up, falling down instantly with the new weight I'm not used to. Gravity. I stand back up and steady myself with some breaths. Air. It's real air. I inhale so deep my lungs stop me from taking in anymore, which causes a large forced exhale to come out of my body. I look to my right and left to see my siblings in their seats beginning to move. 

"Hey guys get up, we landed!" I say excitedly with disbelief. 

Aden and Dax begin to move as Jess is already steadying herself. They all have the same reaction that I had and I watch with a proud smile on my face. I am the oldest sibling at 17 years old and then it goes Dax. Dax is strong and always manages to put a smile on your face, whether you find the joke funny or not. He is understanding and keeps us together when we need it the most. Aden is the definition of a younger brother to an older sister. He makes you laugh when you're the most annoyed with him and has the most energy you have ever seen. He is sensitive, but won't admit it and will be there for you whether you take him seriously or not. Jess is the baby, but also incredibly smart. She always makes me question whether or not I'm the oldest sibling. She gets silly when too tired and lets you make fun of her until she gives you the best roast you've ever experienced. She works hard which makes her seem older than you would think. This is my squad and the best three people I would want to land on Earth for the first time with. 

"Well that f*cking hurt" Dax says wipping away his sweat. 

"Yeah I kind of thought the landing was supposed to be survivable" Aden says with a light laugh. 

We grab out packs filled with the only things that we will ever need and begin to help others around us. I check in with Octavia, who seems to have been moving for at least an hour already. 

"Hey O" I say just behind her.

"Vada! I was just about to come and find you!" she says laughing. 

Seeing all one hundred of us who were just a few hours ago in jail cells on The Ark, now being the first people to step on Earth in 97 years is insane. After catching up for a while with Octavia, an announcement is made by Octavia's older brother, Bellamy.  

"Alright everyone grab your stuff we're opening the hatch!" he shouts, giving the hint to everyone that he is going to be a leader after this. 

Eventually the hatch opens and my heart is stopped. A gust of air blows in my face and all I can smell is the grass. It's long and luscious. Before stepping off the metal ground, Octavia walks past me heading off the ship. She'll be the first person to touch the Earth's floor. She touches it in amazement, seeing the dirt attach itself to her boots. Then out of nowhere she shouts,

"We're back b*tches!" 

I step onto the ground and my foot sinks into the dirt. It's warm but not sticky outside like most said it would be. The air carries a light breeze and the trees flow with it. The colors are so bright that my eyes have flashes of intense colors and I have to squeeze them shut for it to stop. When I open them again I see  plants and flowers and leaves on the ground leaving me speechless. I can't get enough of the air. It's so fresh and clear and thick that I won't ever have to worry about not having enough of it. 

 I look to my left to see Jess by my side. Her eyes are wide and she reaches down to feel the floor of Earth. She scoops up something alive that freaks me out. 

"Relax, it's just a worm. I read about them a few days ago. They have good protein incase we get extra hungry" she says proud of her fact.

"Okay nerd" Dax says coming from behind me with a cup filled with something. 

"What are you drinking?" I asked him.

"The best thing you'll ever have" he says, handing me the cup. 

I take it and sip it cautiously. It's bland but wonderful. It's so clear that you're able to see right through it. 

"It's fresh water," he says proudly. 

I smile so amazed at the difference in this water compared to what we had up on the ship. I pass it around to Jess and Aden who gulp it down until nothing is left.

Day 4

It's been a few days since we've landed on earth. I still can't get enough of it. All one hundred of us have put together a small camp until the rest of the people from The Ark are able to come down. Bellamy has been leading us just like I predicted. His guard uniform comes in handy because people don't even think about not listening to him. 

He walks over to me, "Hey, your parents are on the computer waiting to talk."

Mom and Dad. I rush to find Dax, Aden, and Jess and thank Bellamy before I leave. We huddle together in The Dropship hovering over the computer. Their faces meet ours. 

After a while of smiles and tears, their mood changes. It's not negative, but not the same as before, more serious almost. 

"What's wrong?" I ask them nervously. 

They hesitate. 

Our mom breaks the silence, "Nothing, it's just, well, we don't want you to worry about us."  

"I wasn't worried about you until now," Dax says. 

They look at one another before turning back to us.

"Mom, dad, what's going on?"  I ask, not knowing if I want the answer. 

Our dad takes a breath, "Well, we're losing air on The Ark and much quicker than we thought. Even though one hundred of you left, there still isn't enough. Now more prisoners, us included, are being sent to the ground." 

We look at one another confused before Jess says, "Aren't you excited? It's safe down here now!"

"We're excited honey, but there is a problem" our mom replies. 

"The Dropship you took was the safest and most high-tech one. They needed to make sure that you made it to the ground. Ours isn't quite as safe, so our odds of making it are-"

"Stop! Don't say anything else, please" I beg, not wanting them to finish that sentence. 

I think. What could we do to help? What can I do? 

"Vada it's going to be okay" dad says, looking only at me. "We're going to try our best to see you and that's all we can do, we have no choice. Our crimes were so great that we have no say anymore."

"That's not fair though!" Aden shouts while pacing back and forth. 

"We love you all so much and we'll see you soon, alright?" mom says, trying to be convincing. 

An idea forms in my head. My eyebrows rise and the weight lifts from my shoulders. 

"We will see you soon because we're going to find you. Wherever your ship lands, we will come get you" I say not taking no for an answer. Dax, Aden, and Jess all agree with me without hesitation. I hear a guard in the background letting my parents know their time is up. They don't have time to argue. They are too shocked to say goodbye. I don't say goodbye because we will see them again. We will. 

Day 5

I lay awake, watching the ship come down. It's smaller than I expected, but noticeable enough in the post midnight sky just before dawn. I act as if it's a shooting star. Please let them make it down here safely. Please. I sit up and nudge my siblings to go. They awake tired, but ready. Dax notices the ship falling out of the sky too and mentions how they might land farther than they are supposed to. He has a point, but that's not going to stop us. While Dax, Aden, and Jess get their stuff I let Octavia know our plan. She is worried for me because we only just landed here and as she puts it, "we don't know what the hell is out here with us!" I let her know that I'll be fine and I brought a walkie incase of an emergency. She didn't want to let me leave, but knew that I would leave whether she liked it or not. "I guess I would do the same thing," she said. We hugged a hug I will never forget. She's always been real one sense the day we first met. Sets of parents who both made mistakes and needed support from one another in order to survive on The Ark. Being siblings whose lives were based around those crimes.  After saying an emotional yet playful goodbye, she opened up the gate which only made sound from the dirt it brushed on the ground. I look back one last time, not saying goodbye because we will be back. We will. 

"Ready to leave?" I ask. 

Aden smirks before saying, "Oh yeah baby!" 

Jess and Dax don't argue, so with that I say, "Then let's go." 

Day 8

We walk and walk. The only things guiding us are the smoke from the ship and the hope of seeing mom and dad again. The trees are tall with moss growing on their bark and pine needles covering the ground around them. They give the comfort of being hidden and provide cover from the blazing sun. The ground is bumpy with their roots and bouncy from the patches of moss and plants. It's so green. Sometimes a dense and darker green, while other times a softer green that gets brighter when the sun hits it. We have run along some caves to shelter in for the night which has been a bonus. Only a few animals spotted along the way. Small rodents, insects, a few deer, and birds. A beautiful place to land. 

Hot fire goes through the side of my arm. The skin breaks open and blood begins to pour out. An arrow stabs right into the tree in front of me. We're being hunted. 

"Run!" I shout to Dax, Aden, and Jess. They are frozen with confusion from what just happened and aren't moving at all. The band of a bow snaps and gives away that another arrow was fired and I hear it fly past my ear. The speed it has makes the air whistle and causes me to duck out of instinct. The arrow slashes through the patch of moss right next to Adens foot. 

"Move it, now!" I shout and they run within less than a second. 

We run heavy from the packs on our backs weighing us down. My heart is beating quickly out of fear. I should have listened to Octavia. We're not alone out here. I try to glance around every once and a while searching for what or who shot down at us. The arrows shoot down, but we're running too fast for them to reach us. More arrows fly and Jess gives a slight grunt and trips, falling to the ground. No! 

"Stop!" I shout immediately turning around as Dax and Aden turn with me. 

"What do we do?! We're sitting ducks right now!" shouts Aden. 

"I know, I know. Just keep looking in the trees and let me know if you see them. I have to help Jess." I respond while trying to think of the best way to survive this. 

Jess cries out in pain "Vada help, it's in my leg!"

"Alright I got you" I say while taking the pack off of my back. "Okay Dax take my pack and Jess you're going to hop on my back okay?" I ask hoping it's possible. 

"Okay… Aden help me '' Jess responds. Aden rushes over and helps lift Jess onto my back. Dax is securing the pack to his, when out of nowhere he shouts,

"They're right there!"

I turn looking at the direction Dax is pointing at. Three human looking monsters covered in bones for masks and heavy, draped clothing are charging at us. Their bows have been replaced for staffs and knives, sharp and much more painful than this arrow that's in Jess's leg. Before I know it we're all sprinting. Jess is holding onto my neck, partially choking me, but that's the least of my worries. Dax and Aden are protecting me from behind while trying not to run ahead. I'm looking for an escape because we can't run forever. Where could we hide? I think some more. A cave. I spot one ahead of us just behind the corner of a grouping of trees. I figure out the best way for us not to be seen going into it. There are some enormous plants covering the entrance and if we run quick enough we will make it in before they reach us. Three, two, one. 

"There! Turn quickly now!" I shout while switching my path sharply. Dax and Aden follow without hesitation. The entrance is coming up closer now and I'm hoping we've done it. All together we sprint through the plants covering the entrance and pray we weren't seen. Our breathing is so heavy it's hard to stay quiet.

"Were they behind you when we started running in the different direction?" I ask Dax in a heavy whisper. 

"I couldn't tell, but I don't think so," he responds.  

We wait in fear hoping to hear nothing. I put Jess down on the floor of the cave. My back screams in pain when I try to sit up right. The cut in my arm is still bleeding, but not bleeding badly enough for me to focus on it. I look at Jess's leg. 

"Where did the arrow go?" I ask her concerned.

"It must have fallen out when you were running. It kept bumping the side of your hip so I must have not felt it" she responds genuinely confused. I see her go pale after looking at all of the blood. I get the first aid kit out of my pack and begin to bandage her leg. 

Flash Back 

"God it's so crowded in here, we better be getting out soon" Dax says pressed up against the cell bars. 

"Yeah we'll see about that" Aden says while rolling his eyes. 

The four of us have been sitting in The Ark's jail for three days now. Many others have arrived, all somewhat near our same ages. The amount of kids they are bringing in at once is wrong though. There are way too many people to fit into all of these cells and the reasons they are being brought in range from silly mistakes to murderers. 

Jess walks over to me and stares out between the bars. She gives a sigh and says, "It's not our fault that we were born."

Years ago, I was around 7 years old and Dax had just turned 6. We were celebrating his birthday, my dad holding toddler Aden and my mom pregnant with Jess. It was a sad birthday though. Dax and I had just learned from our parents that no one could know who Aden or future baby Jess were. We were so confused and it felt wrong to be talking so quietly. The Ark's council had changed the maximum number of children couples could have to two. Aden was too young to have left our room and Jess was never going to be able to see the outside. I cried in confusion and range knowing how unfair their lives were going to end up. The anger I had toward my parents was so intense that the only person I felt I could talk to was Dax. Then we met Octavia, her older brother Bellamy, and their parents. They lived next door to us and had another baby on the way and were facing the same problem. Our parents agreed to help each other and keep one anothers secrets. Octavia and I got very close and Dax looked up to Bellamy. As we grew older, Dax and I did the best we could to give Aden and Jess an enjoyable life. We told them stories about what happened around the ship and taught them what we learned in school. Everything was survivalable until rooms started getting scanned. Aden and Jess did their best to hide, but the amount of oxygen our one room was consuming gave it all away. Next thing we know we're all put away in jail for something out of our control with no power to do anything about it. Mom and dad were almost floated, chucked off the ship with no space suit, killed for their crime. The council had some mercy though and so they were put in the higher adult level jail, separated from their kids, not knowing when they will ever see them again. 

Back to present moment

"Vada I think you have bandaged my leg up enough!" Jess says as I snap out of my memories. 

"Sorry, I got a little out of it there" I responded while putting away the first aid kit. 

After having Jess move around a bit and seeing that she can at least walk, it gives us enough hope to keep going. 

"We're so far off our path though, how do we know which direction to go?" Aden asks. 

"Shoot I didn't even think about that" I reply. 

We step outside of the cave, cautious and alert. Our bodies move quietly and slowly, trying not to make a sound. Something catches my eye. A small crooked object that's color does not blend in with the forest floor. I walk over to it, still aware of possibly being hunted. 

"It's a piece of the ship! Look, it's a plate of one of the wings" I shout as they come to join me. 

"Well… that's not a great sign Vada '' Jess says quietly. 

"Ok then we have to move now! We have to find mom and dad before it gets dark!" I yell scared with fear of the thoughts popping up in my head. 

We scan the area for more bits of the ship. Dax finds a pile of parts that are scattered all over the place. We're getting closer. We look under plants and moss searching for a trail. Jess finds another pile of parts, bigger and heavier than the pile found before. Then appears the smoke and the crashed ship. Little fires burn small from the spark of the crash. No. We run together towards the broken down ship. It's old and damaged beyond belief. The sun is setting behind our backs as it leaves its final glow with a mark of shine on the rocket's thruster. There is still hope, they have to be here somewhere. 

I begin to shout, "Mom! Dad! Please say something!" 

"Mom! Dad!" Aden shouts.

We all begin shouting while looking through the rubble. I spot a hand under some parts that has dried blood covering its palm. I hesitate not wanting to see whose it is. We have to know. I move the rubble as quickly as I can and jump from the sight of what lies beneath it. I scoot back in fear and begin to gag at the sight. It's not mom or dad, but a dead woman with wounds indescribably painful. I cry out in fear and Dax, Aden, and Jess run over to me. Jess begins to cry and Dax and Aden just stare in shock at one another. Then just at the right moment we hear a grunt in pain that is followed by a soft whisper of words that I can't make out.

"Wait did you hear that" I say crawling back to the pile and dead women, doing everything I can not to look at her. 

"Over here" comes from the larger pile of rubble next to this one. 

We all push through the pile, doing our best to move the parts quickly and carefully. The sun is gone now and the only light source supporting us is the small flames of fire that burn around. A shoe and ankle begin to appear. We move quicker at the sight hoping this person is mom or dad. The final part is lifted off of his chest. Dad. Dried blood has left its mark down the side of his head. His eyes are open in slits, just enough to make out who we are. We rush to his side, hugging him while trying to be gentle. He holds us as best he can. His body is in pain and his breathing is ragged. 

"Dad what happened?!" I ask him already knowing the answer. 

"The ship came down too fast and as you can see, didn't land the way it was supposed to" he says. 

"Where's mom?" Dax asks. I see dads face change. It folds in itself and his eyes squeeze shut. Tears form and rest on the outside corner of his eyes. They fall when he opens them again.

"She was floated before we even left," he says through pain and sorrow. 

I stare in shock. The pictures of what she went through flood through my head. She didn't even have a chance to see us again. I cry out in loss, my stomach goes hollow with emptiness. We all begin to sob while holding onto dad for some sort of support. His body gives away and his strength is no longer there. He feels cold and looks weak. 

"Dad?" I look at him with fear. 

"I can't hold on much longer," he says with no hope. I feel his body let go from what little he was holding onto me. No, this can't be happening. 

"I love you kids and your mother did too. Be careful down here, we'll be watching over you."

His body goes limp and his breathing goes silent. His eyes lose their color just before they close. His face has a soft smile, but his tears still stay. One more drips down the side of his face. The silence is loud between the four of us. None of us move, all in a state of shock. Both of our parents are gone and everything feels as if it was for nothing. It wasn't supposed to go this way. We were supposed to see them again. 

Day 10

We have sat here for two days now. The loss is too much to leave. We have built a small fire that has provided us with just enough warmth. I still feel cold and bare. The feeling of meaninglessness has filled the air. It's not the nice, fresh, and clear air that I breathed before. I provide as much comfort as I can, espically to Jess. We huddle together by the fire on this early morning, trying to regain some strength. We have to head back soon before we have too little food and water. I stand up, forcing my body to push through everything it doesn't want to do. The three of them see me do it and slowly do the same. 

"We should head back now" I say, trying to sound brave. They look at me and agree the best they can. Aden looks back at dad, who we covered in a tarp we found under some of the ship. 

"Ok then, let's go" says Dax, picking up his pack. We gather our things and begin to walk away from the wreck. Away from mom. Away from dad. I look back one last time knowing that the journey back to camp will  be long. I take a moment to whisper an apology. 

"I'm sorry I never said goodbye mom. I should have on that call, before it was too late. I'm so sorry dad, I wish we would have had more time." 

I hear my name called from Jess a few feet ahead. I acknowledge that I've heard her. I have got to be the leader that they would want me to be. So with that thought in my head, I stare at the tarp and the ship one last time before saying,

"May we meet again."