Shared Pain

Chapter Ten - Dauntless Capture The Flag

My group for Capture the Flag gathered by the old Merry-Go-Round to descuss stratigy and the placement of our flag. I had no interest in getting involved with the choatic "who can be lowder" fights, so insttead I decided that I would look around, get to know the area we were going to be running around and shooting piant at one another. We seemed to be playing in an old amusement park that had obviously not been used in a very long time. Trees surrounded the perimiter and they made it hard to see exactly where the other team had gone. I looked around for a place to climb up to get a better view when my eyes laid on the old Ferris-wheel, it was perfect. I ran up to it and stepped on the first rung of the latter, seeing if it could hold my weight. "What are you doing Stiff?" Four asked from behind me. I jumped a bit, not expecting that anybody had followed me over here. "Getting to higher ground, it's a better way to find the other teams flag." I answered, taking another step up the latter. "I can't let you do that." I looked back at him annoyed. "Alone." He added smiling. I rolled my eyes at him and continued my way up the latter. I liked the way it felt to be up this high, it felt like I was a bird soring above the clouds, not a care in the world. "Hey Tris?" Four said. "Hmm?" I grunted. "Does it not bother you? Being up this high I mean?" I looked down at Four and noticed that he had beeds of sweat on his forehead and his breathing was heavy. "Four, are you afraid of hights?" He looked up at me and whipped the sweat off his brow, "Everyone is scared of something Tris, weather they aware of it or not." I looked away from him and stared into space awhile. I knew one thing I was scarred of, weather I would admit it to somebody or not, I was aware of one of my fears and that fact made it all the more nerve racking. I shook the thoughts out of my head and continued up the latter, however the next step I took the rung broke, and to make things worse for the already paniky Four, one of my hands slipped leaving me hanging. Four jumped into action and grabbed my waist and helped me regain my balance. my breath hitched when I noticed my shirt had ridden up and his hand was still clutching to my side. "You alright?" He asked. I nodded and he finally let go of me. "Let's take is slow and be more cautious." He suggested, once again I nodded, still not able to speak words from what just happened. We continued up the latter until we came to the platform at the top. Four seemed relieved that the climb was over. "Not quite high enough." I say, and grab onto the rungs of the Ferris-wheel itself and climb higher. "Damnit Tris, are you even human?" Four whinned, before grabbing the rungs himself and following me up the wheel. I reached the second platform before Four caught up to me and my breath was taken from my lungs when I looked at the view. You could see ever compound, the wall, all the trees and houses, and even the neon green flag of the other team. Four finally reached the platform when I turned to leave. "Where are you going?" He asks, breathless. "Heading back down, I found the flag already." Four looked around and caught sight of the flag, he groaned and started to head down with me. The poor guy.

The two of us ran towards the team, still arguing about who would take what position. At least they found a spot for the flag. "Hey were you two?" Christina asked roughly. Four looked at her in the eyes and said, "Doing something useful."She backed off rigt away. "Guys listen up!" Four yelled over the noise, making everyone shut their mouthes. He gestured for me to take it from here, and being the Stiff and all, made it rather difficult. "Well." I cleared my throat. "The flag is at the top balcony Northwest from here." murmurs rippled through the group before I continued. "We can send a group of people to get the flag, a group of people who will gaurd our flag and a group to go scout the area." I was ringing my hands on the hem of my shirt. Four saw that I was struggling with the leaderly part of this whole thing, so he took it on himself. "Uriah, Will, Jessica and Rall, you guys stay and protect the flag. Christina, Tris, Sean and I will go after the flag, the rest of youguys will go scout!" He said. Everyone went to their positions, Four gave me a nod and our group started towards the building where the other team heald their flag. We were in the bushes bordering the flag when Four stopped us, "Tris and Christina go after the flag, Sean and I will watch your back." The three of us nodded and took action, we came out of the bush and as soon as we did five people came around the side of the building shooting green paintballs our direction. "Let's go!" Christan yelled in my ear. She pulled me towards the entrance of the buildind, leaving our body guards behind on the battlefield. Inside the building was a staircase wrapped aroujnd the outside of the room leading up to the sencond floor, and surprisingly there was nobody there. Christina and I tip-toed up the stairs and peeked over the railing to see three people gaurding the second staircase. I put my paintball gun between the rungs of the staircase and shot a neon orange paintball at the nearest guard, hitting him in the chest. The person turned and I got a glimse of his face, and to my great pleasure, it was Peter. The other two jumped and looked around getting their guns ready. Christina aimed at the kid on the far side of the room and hit him in the shoulder making them drop their gun. the lastkid looked like he was about to crawl into a corner and cry, but I took it on myself to shoot him in the leg. Christina and I highfived and ran up to the next floor, where to our surprise, nobody seemed to be standing guard.  We causiouly walked toward the flag with our guns held close to our chests, but nobody was there. Christina whooped and ran to grab the flag, then when she had it, took it out to the bechany and waved the neon green flag around for everyone to see. "Tris, come here, you did it too" I walked out with her and grabbed hold of the flag. I looked down at the people around the building and met Four's eyes. He gave me a small smile and a thumbs up before sending a bright orange flair into the air, signaling we have won the game. Christina and I rushed down the stairs and out to everyone waiting bellow. She had the flag in her hands and was waving it around, she seemed to feel theneed to show it off and I didn't so I hung back. A warm hand holds my shoulder and I turn to see asmiling Four, which seems to be a rarety. "How does it feel to be a leader Tris?" He asked and I shrugged. "It's not for me." helooks over at our other team members who were now lifting Christina up on their shoulders. "Why aren't you up on their shoulders with her?" I turn around and look at him. "I know what I did, I know I was a big reason we won, but I don't need to be praised to know that." Four  smirks, "Once a Stiff always a Stiff." He said and I slapped him on the arm. Four laughed and bumped my side, "Let's go catch the train shall we?" He asked, and I  nodded.

On the train I sat with my head back and eyes closed, the game tiered me out and all I wanted was a shower and to get into bed. I was almost asleep (like most of the other kids) when Uriah plopped down beside me and almost pushed me over. "Hey Trissy." He said, in a voice with way too much energy. "Hey Uri, what's up?" He looked around to make sure no one was listening before leaning closer. "A group of us are going ziplining, it's a Dauntless tradition, wanna come?" I rubbed the back of my neck, "I dunno Uri, I'm pretty tiered." I said, and then Four plopped down and sat on the other side of me. "Please Tris? It'll be great, you'll see." Four looked at us nd raised a brow. "What you trying to get her to do?" He asked. Uriah didn't seem like he wanted to say it in front of Four, like he was scared. "Ziplining." I said. Four was playing with his shoe laces and he didn't even look up when he said, "You should go, transfers almost never get invited and who knows, you might have fun." I sighed and looked at Uriah. "Okay, I'll go." Uriah's face lit up. "Sweet! I'll drop by your dorm and grab you before we leave." And with that he was gone, and when he was gone, I looked at Four and asked, "What's ziplining?".