Urgent

Chapter 7

When all the initiates are standing on solid ground again, I'm surprised to hear Four conversing - if you can even call it that - with Beatrice. Except he's not calling her Beatrice. He's calling her Tris - and apparently so is anyone else.

To be fair, Tris is much better name. Beatrice is the type of name you would give an old lady who likes to drink tea and play poker with her friends. It isn't the name for a sixteen-year-old girl - especially if that girl has transferred to Dauntless. 

Soon, the talking stops and Lauren and Four lead us down a narrow tunnel. The walls are made of stone, and the ceiling slopes. It is the nightmare of every claustrophobe, and even I, who is relatively okay with confined places, feel anxious walking through the tunnels. 

It's very dark. The tunnel is lit at long intervals, so there are many dark spaces between each dim lamp. The darkness is very annoying and the reason for my constant swearing because every few seconds Tris will bump into me. 

At this point, I'm beginning doubt if it's accidental seeing as how times it has happened already. This must be the tenth time she bumped into me. 

The Erudite boy whom I had helped onto the train stops, rather abruptly, so that I smack right into him, my nose hitting his back. I stagger backwards and rub my nose as I recover my senses. The Erudite boy isn't the only one who stopped - the whole crowd has halted to a stop and our three leaders stand in front of us, arms folded. 

'This is where we divide,' Lauren says. 'The Dauntless-born initiates are with me. I assume you don't need a tour of the place.' 

She smiles and beckons the Dauntless-born initiates forward. They break away from the group and dissolve into the shadows. I watch the last boy pass the light, before turning to look at the few of us who are left.

Most of the initiates had been from Dauntless, so only ten of us remain. Of those, Tris and I are the only "Stiffs" as we are so affectionately referred to as. There are no Amity transfers not since the Amity boy decided to risk his life as a part of the factionless rather than try to become Dauntless.

The rest are from Erudite and, not too surprisingly, Candor. It makes sense, the Candor transfers. To be honest you have to be brave - or incredibly stupid. 

Four addresses us next. 

'Most of the time I work in the control room, but for the next few weeks, I am your instructor,' he says. 'My name is Four.' A stupid name, an opinion which many others share considering what happened next. 

'Four?' Christina asks with a tight-lipped smile, so she will not break out into laughter. 'Like the number?' 

'Yes,' Four says. 'Is there a problem?' Christina straightens her face instantly.

'No.' 

'Good. We're about to go into the Pit, which you will someday learn to love. It -' Christina snickers, which judging by the look on his face, Four didn't appreciate. 

'The Pit? Clever name.' Just when I thought she learnt how to shut up. 

Four walks up to Christina and leans his face uncomfortably close to her. His eyes narrow, and for a second, he just stares at her. 

'What's your name?' he asks quietly. She looks on the verge of pissing her pants - though I would too if I had been in her position. 

'Christina,' she squeaks. Four nods, stepping back. 

'Well, Christina, if I wanted to put up with Candor smart mouths, I would have joined their faction,' he hisses. He is scary. 'The first lesson you will learn from me is to keep your mouth shut. Got that?' She nods.