Choose Your Own Adventure: Divergent

Christina- 49

You're feeling better from the fight by the time it's Christina's turn. Al beat up Will, and Myra limps off the circle after Peter hits her in the head.

He whispers something to his crew as he struts off after the fight, and they all burst out laughing. Your face burns. Edward looks angry, but carries Myra off without a word.

"My turn," Christina whispers, pushing off the back wall and walking over to the circle. 

She and Molly stand, facing each other. Without warning, Molly dives and knocks Christina over, pinning her down. Christina thrashes, but Molly is heavy. She punches, again and again, until her fist hits Christina's jaw, her nose, her mouth.

You shudder, looking away. There's a thin smack where you guess Christina hit Molly, and Molly roars, driving her fist into Christina's face until you wish you could close your ears, too. It looks childish, but you press your hands against your ears, cringing into yourself.

You can feel the burn of Peter and Tris staring at you, but you don't care. Let them stare, you think, shuddering. I don't want to listen uselessly while my friend is getting beat up.

"-definitely still Amity," you hear someone whisper as you carefully remove your shaking hands, and you glare in the general direction of the whisperer.

Christina's face is covered in blood, clutching her ribcage as Molly rears back to kick again.

"Stop!" Christina wails, holding out a hand. "I'm done. I'm done."

Eric frowns, then walks over to the arena, arms folded. "I'm sorry, what did you say? You're done?"

Christina pushes herself to her knees. When she takes her hand from the ground, it leaves a red handprint behind. She pinches her nose to stop the bleeding and nods.

"Get up," Eric says, voice a deadly shade of calm. 

You shiver, uneasy, as he grabs Christina's arm and drags her out the door.

"Follow me," he says to the rest of you, flashing a smile too full of teeth.

He's quiet until you reach the Pit, the river in your chest. He stops by the railing, the Pit all but empty.

He shoves Christina against the railing with a harsh CLANG, and she scrabbles to try and get away.

"Climb over it," Eric says flatly.

"What?" She asks, eyes wide, face ashen.

"Climb over the railing," Eric repeats. "If you hang over the chasm for five minutes, I will forget you cowardice. If not, I will not allow you to continue initiation."

Your stomach roils, and you resist the urge to throw up. Is it worth it? Four said that if you fell, you'd die, and...

Tris has her eyes squeezed shut. Will is shuddering, braced against Al. 

"Fine," Christina says, voice shaking. She swings her leg over the railing. Her foot shakes. She puts her toe on the ledge as she lifts her other leg over. Facing us, she wipes her hands on her pants and holds on to the railing so long her knuckles turn white. Then she takes a foot of the ledge, then the other. 

She's determined, lips pressed together, eyes squeezed shut. 

Al sets his watch with a beep.

She's fine for the first minute and a half, hands firm along the railing. 

Then the river hits the wall, sending a spray of white water against her back. She cries out, bloodied face striking the iron barrier. Her hands slip. She tries to get a better grip, but her hands are too wet.

You move forward, but Eric holds up a hand. "No helping," he says lightly.

Christina's face collapses into a sob, another wave dousing her in ice-cold, slippery spray. One hand slips, until she's holding on with four fingers.

"Come on, Christina," a voice rings out. Al. He claps. "Come on, grab it again. You can do it. Grab it."

No one else cheers her on, but Al claps, shouting, holding eye contact with her. 

You clap with him, wondering why they aren't saying anything. Eric's eyes dart to yours, but he peels them away. 

"One minute left," Tris says, clearing her throat. 

Christina's hands drop off the barrier, but then she grabs it again, Tris screaming, Al shouting.

"Five minutes are up," Al spits at Eric. 

Eric leisurely checks his own watch, then nods. Al pulls Christina up, shaking, body quivering, soaked to the bone, with flakes of blood covering her face.

You kneel next to her with Tris and Al, shivering. 

Advance to 50.