Tough Love

Chapter 1

Today was the day that would change my life forever.

I would finally get away from the abuse I've had to endure my entire childhood, and I would have a new family. A new faction.

My name is Isabelle Eaton. I'm from Abnegation but from today forward I would start life as a Daughtless.

We all sit down in a large room with other parents and new adults awaiting their fate. My father sits beside me thinking I would stay here and learn to be selfless like a proper Abnegation daughter should be. I hadn't told him the results of my aptitude test and the spiteful side of me figured I'd surprise him with this as a last goodbye.

They finally call my name and I walk down the stairs to the front of the room. Taking the knife in my hand I make a quick slice through my palm and pausing only to look back at my father with a smug smile let my blood drip onto  the burning coals which signifies my chosen faction and newfound freedom.

Immediately I hear Daughtless celebrating a new member.

I confidently walk over to the group and take my seat before breathing a sigh of relief. This is where I belong.

I wait as all the other names are called, excited to leave this room and start my new life as a Daughtless.

Impatient as always, my knees bouncing up and down as the energy pulses through me. Watching the last person hold their bleeding palm over the large bowl of water. I hear an audible plop and after Jeanine makes her closing statement, the choosing ceremony is officially over.

We all run out of the building, following those born into the faction. They all start climbing the beams and I quickly follow. I get to the top and take a second to look around. The city is beautiful from here.

But I don't have long to admire the scenery as I hear a train coming towards us. The transfers look unsure while those born into bravery showed pure exhilaration.

I seem to understand before the other transfers and run towards the train alongside the daughtless born. Reaching out an arm I'm able to pull myself aboard almost perfectly, only almost being tripped up by my bulky gray dress.

As the train keeps going, I gaze thoughtfully out the window towards where I believe Daughtless is located trying to imagine my future. That's when I notice the Daughtless borns standing up as if preparing for something. As we come closer I see why.

A few at a time they start jumping out of the train. Knowing that hesitation shows weakness and I still need to prove myself, I gather any excess fabric around my legs as I can and start running. The feeling of nothing under you, when your stomach drops and you have no control over where your body chooses to land is such a rush that I feel at a loss for words. I hit the ground rolling. I let it happen and then stand promptly after, in a quick attempt to get my bearing.

Seeing the first people who jumped already gathered around, I took that as my clue and walked up beside them all.

There was a fairly attractive man standing on the ledge in front of us. He had an appearance of authority and looked intimidating. Something that was a definite plus. His muscles were so well defined and caught my attention immediately due to his rigid stance. The glare he had while looking over all of the initiates gave me chills and the tattoos that went down his neck made me wonder if he had any more.

As he begins speaking, I listen intently. And as soon as he asks for volunteers, I step forward without hesitation.

"Alright, Stiff. Come on up." He says in a cold yet joking way.

Climbing onto the ledge, I stand up straight before looking him right in the eyes. And right at the moment as he held my gaze is when I spread my arms outwards and fell back.

For most the fall might have seemed terrifying, yet for me It ended too soon. I had begun to enjoy that feeling in my stomach when I did something even just slightly dangerous. To me, that was how a Daughtless felt. Because no other faction would jump off a train or off of a ledge with no knowledge of where it ends.

But as the net caught me, I scrambled for a hold. But someone tugs on one side and I roll off of it.

"Name." The man asks pointedly.

"Isabelle." I reply and he's silent for a moment.

"Look at me." He demands and as I do, I'm met with a face I haven't seen in years. I'm in absolute shock and it looks like he is as well. No one says anything, the next initiative falls into the net but the man before me takes no notice.

"Tobias? Is that you?" I hear my voice say but I don't feel myself saying the words.

He smiles, a genuine one. It's a smile that shows he's happy to see me and that through all these years, he's continued to miss me. "It's me, Belle."

I had finally found my brother, after all this time.