Radioactive - UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Section 1

25

Steam hits my nose, acrid and hot.

I breathe in deeply, savouring the smell of fired bullets. Casings no doubt rustle about my feet as I turn toward muffled speech.

Coffee stained teeth and dry lips move in overly pronounced shapes, a finger taps upon a cracked clock face, its hands judder at the force. Removing my headset, I grimace at the buzz of machinery, a noise I dont think I'll ever get used to.

"SHIFTS OVER, SHIFTS–"

"Hugh, please, I can hear you."

"Oh, well... Get gone, night shifts here."

"Thank fuck for that," Jackson sighs, tossing his protective eyewear in the nearest crate.

"Thanks Hu–"

"That shift never seemed to end." Jackson, with a fist full of my black overalls, pulls me away from Hugh, our boss. I look over my shoulder apologetically, but Hugh is already shouting at other day shifts, oblivious or just used  to Jackson's decorum or lack of, its likely the latter. "I'm starving."

Protective gear thrown into lockers and time cards stamped we leave the Weapons Bay, up steel stairs that sway with our enthused steps. Below, surrounded by belts of defence gear and ant-sized workers, Dauntless' source of power beams behind thick glass and a maze of pipes. I turn my eyes away, knowing too well the discomfort that would come from staring at the pure energy for too long.

Jackson punches the 4 digit code,1645, into the door, freeing us from the sulfur scented pit.

I follow him through dimly lit grey corridors to the cafeteria, a route I could take blind. Close to a decade ago now, since we were accepted into Dauntless, him from Candor and I from Amity, we've worked in the hole together, aiding Dauntless in defending the wall.

The rush of water floods my ears. I hold my breath as the chasm roars below. Pain flares in my palms, fingernails nipping at the flesh. Breathe just breathe, but of course I don't, I never do, the chasm never grants me solace, it–

"You good?"

"Yes," I let go of the breath that burned in my chest, "I'm fine, let's go."

Jackson cocks his brow, lips quivering with the want to pry.

By the time we reach the cafeteria my heart has slowed and my breathing is more even. Thank fuck for that. I'm not scared of water, however, there is something about the chasm that forces memories I wish to forget to resurface without rhyme or reason. The unpredictability makes me anxious. Everyday, I walk over that bridge not knowing whether I'll be able to breathe by the time I step off.

The Cafeteria is packed, the hustle and bustle echoing off the thick walls.

"Do you know what they're serving today?" Jackson asks, nudging my side.

I shrug, "Nope, I just hope it's not pizza, again."

The metal tray in my hands is smooth, my reflection somewhat visible in the unblemished surface. My deep blue eyes are heavy and lightly dusted with a grey undertone. Sleep evaded me last night, the reason unknown to me as I tossed and turned whilst my roommate slept soundly in the bed adjacent to mine.

"Anyone looking at that would think you're three years old or something." Jackson eyes my plate, a cheeky grin on his face.

A plain hamburger, carrots and a glass of apple juice balance on my tray, "Can a girl not eat what she wants in peace?" Feigning insult, I scan the cafeteria until I see a shock of blonde and pink hair.

After weaving through eager eaters that take up the walkways I sit by Tash who embraces me with a wide grin, "Hey guys, how's it going?"

"I'm here too you know," Jackson says, biting into his burger.

She makes a face, "Obviously, I just prefer Nadia."

"Yeah, yeah, 'You can't break a roommate bond' I know, don't need to say it."

"I wasn't going to! Were you Nads?"

If I was listening properly to Tash I would have firstly snapped at her for calling me that awful nickname but my attention was wholly elsewhere.

It felt as if the whole canteen had stiffened. Food hovered in the air and cutlery was placed back on plates. This always happened when he arrived. And I was no better with my glass pressed to my lips, never quite taking a sip, frozen in place.

With his hulking shoulders and piercing eyes he cuts to the front of the queue, and no one stops him, no one ever stops the brute. Burgers, salad and water are heaped upon his tray by the time he leaves, his left bicep flexing with the weight of the tray, jaw pulsing in irritation. Inside my chest my heart races as he strides this way, boots smacking the ground with that familiar, cocky cadence. No attention is paid when he walks past our table and still I bite the inside of my cheek at his scent, a musky whirl of gunpowder and tobacco. I stop myself from turning my head to watch as he sits at the Leaders table, as he maybe runs his hand through his dark brown hair before–

"Every single fucking time," Jackson howls, snapping me back, "you're actually obsessed, you know that Nads?"

"With what?" I feign confusion, though we have this exact conversation at least a couple times a week.

"Just shag him already, that'll help get over your little infatuation," Tash adds, making lewd gestures.

I feel my cheeks burn.

Back in our apartment, me and Tash stand in our bathroom, brushing our teeth side by side in the single mirror. In the white light my brown skin looks washed out and the dark roots upon my head more visible against the vibrant deep blue of the rest of my curls that fall below my breasts.

Tash chatters about a new guy she's seeing, her eyes bright and her cheeks kissed with a rosy hue. All I do is nod and smile but truly I'm mulling over her previous statement. 'Your little infatuation.' How ironic. The truth of the matter was this 'interest' was six years in the making. He was cruel and intimidating, everything that should push me away and ring alarm bells in my mind but yet my intrigue has never waned.

Since initiation, I have been captured by Eric Coulter.

A/N
Thank you so much for reading this first 'reimagined' chapter.

I know there isn't a lot of Eric but there will be much more of him very soon I promise! ;)

Rewriting this has proved to be more work than I expected, but I'm still committed to making it better. Atm I am hoping to edit/publish one chapter a week. I know this isn't super quick, but I have other projects that require more of my time/focus and I don't want this to overtake those :)

Comments, Shares and Votes would be much appreciated.
Stay Safe x
~ImagineThatFanGirl

P.S. Any chapters without 25 at the top have not been updated! Please also note previous comments made may no longer line up with text/make sense due to my updates.