Endangered

Chapter 1

A war has broken out in the city.

The papers say a group of factionless have attacked Abnegation, our governing faction, to attempt to gain power in the city but there's whispers of mind control being used on Dauntless members. Personally I think both sound ridiculous but Jeanine, the Erudite leader, has taken the role of head counselor making her faction the new head of government. This would mean she had motive for mind control and she would definitely be smart enough to pull that off. All this jeopardises the balance the different factions provided.

I think everyone is sitting on the edge of their seats waiting for Candor, the faction of justice, to take a side. I'm stuck here, in Amity my home faction just watching it all unfold on the front page of the newspaper.

Abnegation has been reduced to ruins -hundreds dead- men, women and children. And it doesn't really matter who did it at the end of the day what matters is all these innocent people have had their lives taken from them for someone else's cause.

Joanna, our adviser, said that we'll be safe here in Amity. That since we're the faction of peace nobody will disturb us. I can't understand that if all Abnegation did was help those in need and now their streets are littered with cold bodies.

There's rumours that the dauntless soldiers are going to come here soon to help protect us from the factionless. I feel guilty that I am almost excited to meet more dauntless. My sister transferred there six years ago and ever since I have decided that is where I am supposed to be too. I think about her every day, if she's changed, what her life is like and now if she is safe in Erudite. Maybe if they ask for more soldiers, I can volunteer and prove myself to be brave. I might not even get a chance to ever move factions next year, who knows what the result of this war is going to be. This could be the end of our city and as far as we know the end of human life.

Most of the people here are trying to pretend the war in the city isn't happening. Amity is totally against conflict, and we certainly aren't prepared for a battle.

I'm almost finished my breakfast shift in the canteen when more abnegation refugees arrive. Around a dozen have been arriving every day. They keep to themselves and barely leave the dorms we have provided for them. It must be so devastating to be used, have your life destroyed like this for the sake of other people's politics and not even have the simple comfort of your own home.

After the attacks, we sent volunteers to find children in the faction that became a war zone. There were babies left in cots, toddlers hidden in cupboards and under beds. The volunteers found around 40 children still alive all under age 10. I can't imagine having to shift through the rubble trying to listen for their cries. They have all found foster homes here in Amity but nobody's quite sure what will happen after the war although I assume that they'll be welcome here as long as they want.

I can't help feeling a pang of jealousy. After my parents passed there were no volunteers to take me yet everyone is willing to take in children of another faction. My sister raised me from when I was six and she was thirteen and then she left on her choosing day and I have been alone ever since.

I watch as a new arrival runs to the children's table and hugs two young boys. I presume in my head that it must be their mother and I can't imagine the pain she's gone through in the last few days. My heart feels full thinking of the happiness she must feel right now from finding her sons.

I'm mindlessly refilling the bread baskets around the tables when there's a tug on my skirt.

"Excuse me Miss but do you know maybe when my mum is coming." It's a young girl around six years and even though she's dressed in Amity colours I can tell she is from Abnegation from the way she looks at the ground shyly. My heart sinks at her question, and I remember asking the same thing when I was her age.