Dauntless Brothers

[Chapter 9] Abused by Family.

I leave Zeke in the Pit with Shauna and go back to the apartment because it's getting late and I have school tomorrow.

I think about what happened during training today. What I did back there wasn't something that a true Dauntless would do. But now it's been done and I can't undo it.

I stop outside the door, take a deep breath and enter.

I expected everyone to be in bed by now but they're all there in the living room. Evelyn and Eric are sitting opposite to each other on couches and Marcus is standing with his back to me.

"Hi!" I say slowly. No one replies.

This can't be good because everytime I get the silent treatment, it means that I did something wrong. I can't think of anything that I did wrong. I'm about to exit the living room when a hand lands on my shoulder. I jump at this. Anyone would have.

I turn around to see that it's Marcus.

"That wasn't very Dauntless of you." With this he slaps me. It hurts a bit but I ignore it. So, that he doesn't have an excuse to hit me again.

But he already had something planned.

I start to back off but he grabs my arm and shoves me into the wall. This hurts. I wince a bit and this earns me a punch in the stomach. I bend over as the pain hits me. I want to let out a groan but I force myself not to.

I look up at him, to see anger and frustration clear on his face. What have I done to earn this? I get the answer soon. He takes hold of my arm and pushes me onto a couch. Eric, Evelyn and Marcus not tower over me.

I don't dare even look up at them. Just in case this gives them another reason to pounce on me.

"Do you think that refusing a girl from shooting at you is something a Dauntless would do?" Evelyn demands.

I don't reply. She slaps me hard on the face.

This makes me automatically reply. "No."

"Exactly. But you did." This time it's Marcus speaking. He starts to unbuckle his belt. I at once jump up from the couch and try to run for the door but Eric's in the way and get hold of me.

I try to wrestle my way out but I wasn't expecting this so my guards down and Eric has power over me. He shoves me into a corner. My head slams into the wall. I reach up to hold my head.

At the same time there is a swishing sound and something digs into my back. I let out a scream. Marcus is hitting me with his belt. I try to get away but I can't move. So, the belt keeps hitting me again and again.

I'm about to pass out when he stops and turns me onto my back with his foot.

"Will you do it again?" He asks, as if he's talking to a little child. I'm in too much pain to reply. This makes him hit me again.

I muster up enough energy to reply. "I won't."

"I don't want to see you again, for the rest of the night." I take this as my cue to leave. I scramble to my feet and rush out the door.

The pain in my back is unbearable but I manage to make it to the Chasm. There is no one there at this time and for this I'm thankful. I collapse down on the edge. I will myself to the cry but no tears come out. I just sit there, staring at one point.

A voice behind me snaps me back to attention. "Four?"

I turn around to see that it's Tris. She's staring at me with her mouth hanging open and her eyes wide in shock.

"Go away." I manage to say.

"What happened?" She asks. Instead of making me feel better, it makes me feel irritated.

"Mind your own buisness." I say.

She sits down next to me and looks at me. "You're hurt. You should talk to someone. Share your feelings."

I don't say anything because she's right. I want to share my feelings. I want someone to console me. I try to keep a straight face and ask. "What do you want to know?"

"Whatever you want to share." She replies.

"Ask me whatever you want to know." I tell her. Some part of me is screaming at me not to trust her and the rest wants to tell her everything.

"What happened to your back?" She asks me.

"How bad is it?" I ask.

"Pretty bad. Does it hurt?" She asks, giving me a slight smile.

"A lot." I sigh.

She reaches out and touches my arm. If I wasn't in this state I would have jerked back at once. But I let her this time. When she sees that I'm not going to push her away, she takes hold of my hand and gives it a little squeeze. I look down at our hands and after a few seconds pull it away.

"Sorry." She says.

She's done nothing wrong, so I at once come to her defence. "It's okay. You didn't do anything wrong." To prove my point I take hold of her hand and give her a small smile.