stiff sisters // thg & divergent

4. Maximum Grief

Tobias P.O.V.

I woke up and got dressed for the day, we're nearly done initiation, finally. Somebody knocks on my door just as I do up my zip, I open the door to find a worried looking Zeke. "There was an explosion, in erudite HQ. 73 dead, hundreds injured, it's really bad. And it's your job to go tell the initiates." he says. I nod and go down to the dorm. Thankfully, everyone is still there, most are putting jackets on or tying their shoelaces. "Listen up! If you have any family members or were yourself in erudite I need you to stay here. everybody else... leave!" I yell, they can tell it's not good and do what they're told. I'm left with about 10 people including Will and Tris. 

I swallow, "There was an explosion in one of the labs at erudite HQ, 73 people dead and hundreds hurt." Just then someone opens the door and gives me a piece of paper. It's a list of the 73 people who died. I read the ones that are underlined, the ones associated with dauntless. "Patrick Mellark, Marge Mellark, Lucas Mellark, Jenna Witlow, Harrison Patterson, Mercy Polman, Bertrand Coulter, Eliza Coulter... Caleb Prior, Jeanine Matthews and Charles Matthews. There will be a mass funeral this afternoon, I'm sorry for your loss." I tell them and turn around pin the paper to the wall in case the want to read the other names.

 I look at Tris she's not crying like the rest of them, she's in shock. Then her legs give way and she on the floor, I rush over to her and check for a pulse, it's declining, fast. "You, go get the nurse." I say pointing at a random kid. Will bends down on her other side and asks what he can do to help. "Get Katniss," all I can say, he nods and rushes off. There are people sobbing all around me, some are still reading the list, some are watching Tris, screaming. There is a girl in the corner banging her head on the wall. "You, stop her banging her head on the wall!" I yell at someone, they go over to her. 

Where is the nurse? Where is Katniss? I check her pulse again and look at my watch, I put my ear to her chest listening for a heart beat but I can't hear anything over all this noise, I roll her on her side and tilt her head to open up her airways. Then her pulse returns to a slow but steady beat, she takes a big gasping breath and opens her eyes. "Thank god you're alive!" I take a slow breath in and out. "I thought you hated me." She says, "You know as well as anyone that your sister would kill me, if you died too." I reply. Christina bursts in and Will and Katniss follow her. Katniss looks relieved. The nurse walks in after and gives her a check up, everything's good.

Katniss P.O.V.

I check myself in the mirror, I look okay. I'm decked in back and I'm slumping. I'm supposed to give a speech as "a leader and sister to one of the lost". At least the dress is nice, but I won't be able to ever wear it again because it will remind me of this day. Tris walks in and her dress looks nice, but we aren't happy because we don't even know if Prim is going to be there or if she even knows at all.

Tris:

Katniss:

We make our way up to the train tracks, the funeral would be in the park next to the fair grounds. We get there just in time, we sit and listen to the leader's speeches  and then it's my turn. I walk up to the front and look back at the audience. "My twin brother was my partner in crime, my get-out-of-jail-free-pass, he was my room mate, the one person I could trust anything, he was one of the reasons that I'm the person I am today. There is no other way to put it, I'll miss him. But I know that he had a great life. And that's what is going to keep me going, the fact that I never got to say goodbye will haunt me forever but I know that he had a great life and a pure heart, a clear, smart mind but most of all he was considerate. He wrote me a letter, a long time ago. So hear it is;

Dear Katniss, 

I know that because I'm in a different faction to you, I'll never get to go to you wedding or meet you kids, I'll never get to wish you happy birthday, or Merry Christmas. But I want you to know that however much you miss me, I want you to keep making memories because you do not deserve  to stop  your journey through life for me. Forget about me, pretend that I am still there, whatever works for you. Look at yourself in the mirror and see me in you, in the things you do everyday. Maybe, somewhere, I'm doing the same thing as you. I'll miss you, forever.

Your brother, Caleb.

I read this letter every time I need hope, I always will. Thank you." I go back to my seat, Tris' eyes and filled with tears and mine are too. I put the letter away in it's envelope, tuck it in my bag and face the front for the last speech. The amity leader wrote a poem about the circle of life and when it was done they took the boxes away and we left. In all the mess of people I lost Tris and I haven't seen Prim so I just assume she got on the train. 

*******************

Hey-lo! Did you cry, cause I did while I was writing this, Caleb turned out to be nice in this book. That's the cliffhanger! Fun fact: Peeta was originally from amity (cause he's nice), then I changed it to candor to be more like Christina, then he was from erudite cause he had to be more involved in the story, hence the explosion. That's all from me, bye!

-Gigi