Ordinary Acts of Bravery [A Divergent Fanfic]

Chapter 6 - Capture the flag

"The future lies before you just like a field covered with fresh snow but be careful how you tread it, every step you take will show where you have been."

          It couldn't have been more than a few minutes since I buried myself underneath the covers of my bed. My body was still aching all over with increased strength. Four had not relented at all, training, and pushing us further every single day. And now we were fast approaching the two-week mark. For each day that passed, I could feel my body becoming stronger. It was getting easier to handle the rigorous training Four kept throwing at us.

The lights had just been switched on, and the familiar sound of a metal rod being banged against the metal railing woke us all up. I jolted awake, blinking at the bottom of Roxy's bed a few times before throwing my arm over my eyes to shield them from the light. I was groaning my own curse at Four, believing it had been him who had come to wake us already. Because it was always him. Who else would wake us up like this?

"Get up!" The familiar voice of Eric boomed, sounding a little too close for comfort. I groaned a low curse again, not particularly in the mood to get up now. "Get up, initiate." Eric yelled, sounding distressingly close to me. However, the tone in his voice made me jolt upright, in my groggy state I had not been prepared for the real closeness of Eric. He was mere inches from me, leaned just a little in over me.

A scream left my lips before I could understand what was going on and I scurried back, slamming myself against the concrete wall, but also hammering the back of my head against it with a force that momentarily blackened my eyes. I curled up, pulling my knees up while holding both my hands on the sore spot on the back of my head.

"I want everyone in the pit, you have five minutes. Dress warmly!" Eric commanded, though while trying to bite down a laugh before he retracted from my bed. I watched him from the corner of my eye and cursed his very existence. Not out loud. He would not have liked the curses I sent his way. It had been small things like this, always keeping me on my toes and annoying the hell out of me. He really hated me for what I had done. And he could easily make my life a living hell—why the hell did he have to have been a leader.

Then Roxy decided to peak out over the edge of her bed, hanging upside down to look at me. "You okay?" She asked as her red hair fell from her shoulders, hanging down towards the ground in curly waves. I mustered a small smile and nodded while still trying to ignore the throbbing pain in the back of my skull.

Roxy didn't believe me, it was painted across her face when she retracted to her bed. I heard her rummage before jumping down onto the ground in front of me. She landed in a controlled crouch while still smiling at me. It was then I decided it was best to get dressed as well.

Ignoring the thundering headache already forming, I freely stepped out onto the floor after having swung the covers aside. Normally I only slept in a t-shirt and my underwear. With a frightening ease, I pulled my trousers over my exposed rump before reaching for a warmer shirt and my jacket.