Rampant: A Divergent FanFiction (Book Two) ©

Chapter 42

                Maybe it was the lingering effects of the serum, or maybe it was just the sudden flood of panic I felt, but before Ally had even finished speaking I’d already leapt to my feet and began to storm out the door.

                “Sage wait, where are you going?” She called out as she ran behind me to catch up.

                “To find Wayne,” I said as I reached the door. “I can’t let him be caught off guard. He’s not just my responsibility, he’s also my friend.” I strode out, not bothering to lock up when Ally followed.

                “Hey, hold up, just listen to me,” she said between breaths as she kept up, turn after turn, through the dark tunnels and passageways. “I said may, as in, maybe, not for sure. Honestly, I don’t think Wayne’s in any kind of direct danger, especially since Banks clearly isn’t sure about him. I just told you so you’d keep an eye out.”

                “This doesn’t make sense,” I fumed as I took the stairs two at a time. “Banks shouldn’t be targeting Wayne. He’s not divergent. He got dauntless results, and he’s been going through the simulations as any other dauntless member would.”

                “Actually, Banks might be on to something,” she huffed, nearly colliding into my back when I stopped abruptly.

                “And just what do you mean by that?”

                “That’s what I’ve been trying to explain, if you’d just stop and listen.”

                We’d reached the heart of the compound; the Pit, and there were dozens of other members milling around, each busy with their own task at hand. Though it was loud, and we probably weren’t being specifically watched, Ally gestured for me to follow her.

                I frowned, instead craning my head at the nearby bar; where I knew Wayne would probably be playing a game of Pool with Felix, Iris, and some of his other friends. When Ally walked over and latched onto my hand, my decision to find him was taken from me as I followed her obediently. I stiffened when I saw where we were headed though; the Chasm.

                “We should go somewhere else,” I bit out as I stubbornly dug in my heels and pulled back.

                “Why?” She asked. “It seems safe in there. The water is loud, so it’ll drown out our voices, and it’s also really dark, so we wouldn’t be seen.” As she took in my expression, she quietly added, “And it’s spacious, you know, in case that’s what’s getting to you.”

                I didn’t answer, instead I just kept shaking my head slowly. I wasn’t afraid to go in there; I just dreaded the memories that came with that place. There were so many, the Chasm haunted me in my dreams and in reality. All I could see when I closed my eyes was Randi; her face, cold, pale, completely lifeless, her body, limp, hair wet and bedraggled. I shuddered, imagining her ghostly fingers beckoning me to follow.

                “It’s not about space, it’s just that–” I hesitated, how could I even explain?

                Truthfully, Ally was right about the chasm. Other than my room, it was a relatively safe place. No one would be able to listen in. I didn’t even have to worry about Banks; in the afternoons, he’d been stuck by Max’s side as he completed the necessary training to become a dauntless leader. In fact, other than the serum he’d just tested on me, he’d barely had time to continue on with his own studies the way he’d used to.

                Without answering, I gave a sigh and nodded as I followed her into the darkness. The roar of water, once soothing, now had me wound up tightly with nerves. There was another reason I’d avoided this place…