Holding On||Peter Hayes (Divergent)

Chapter 13

A large body with soaked black leather is hauled up by a few of the Dauntless from the mysterious depths of the chasm. I hate that damn waterfall. It brought back too many bad memories, and this scene playing in front of me triggered them.

"Mum, please!" I shrieked. My mother kept on running through the hallways, the blue lantern light illuminating the feared expressions flashing across her face every time she glanced back at AJ and I. She turned a corner and stood in the middle of the path beside the chasm, her hands gripping the rail. As AJ and I neared her we heard her soft cries over the gushing water. Her hands clasped the rail so tight her knuckles were ghostly white.

"Kids, go," Mum pleaded us. "Go - go back to your father."

"Mum, we can't! He - he hit you! We can't!" AJ yelled. Mum began to climb the rails slowly, lifting one of her legs onto the railing. "Mum," AJ said unsteadily, "what as you doing?"

"I have to do this." She whispered over and over. Her dark brown hair got in the way of her vision as she lifted her other leg up on the rail. She stood upon it, her arms out beside her to stop her from wobbling. Her black jeans were splattered with water, the tight top she had on already soaking wet.

"Mum, Mum please!" I cried, my eyes pouring with tears.

"Come back! You can leave Dad! Tell Tori, she can let you stay with her!" AJ advised her.

"I love you two," she yelled. I screamed at the top of my lungs, running forward to grab my mother's leg.

As my hand touched my mother she fell forward, her hair spread out beside her like angel wings. AJ ran forward, shouting at the top of his voice with me. My mother's body was swallowed up by the tendrils of the chasm, taking hold of her forever...

"Piper," AJ said to me urgently. "Piper, let's go." AJ grabbed my hand, pulling me through the crowd of Dauntless, to an empty hallway. I didn't realise that I'd stopped breathing until I gained senses and felt light headed.

"Who jumped?" I ask distantly. I was hoping it was Dad, I couldn't bare to think about that man living one bit.

"Al. Tris' friend. He attacked her, remember?" AJ tells me. His face comes into mind. Al seemed like a harmless person. What made him do such a terrible thing to his friend?

"The chasm, AJ they found his body in the chasm! What if they saw Mum, AJ, Mum!" I run a hand through my hair, twirling the teal ends at the bottom. AJ shakes his head, leaning against the wall beside me.

"They weren't able to get her body out of the chasm. They said it fell right under the waterfall, and it's dangerous over there." AJ told me calmly. "And I know Piper, it's scary seeing someone else jump the chasm. It fucking sucks. We've got to let Mum go..."

We stay silent for a bit. After a minute, my voice breaks through the air. "I hate her for it. I always will hate her for jumping in front of us. I hate her for leaving us too. She wasn't happy enough with us. She could have left Dad!"

"Was he in your fear sims? Were they in your sims?" AJ asked.

"Mum's death was. So was Dad beating me." I murmured. "With Mum, I could have saved her, that's my fear. I could've pulled her back that day, and that's what makes me scared. That I think I might have been responsible."

"Piper, you never were responsible," AJ sighed, his eyes watering. "Dad drove Mum to kill herself. You can't be afraid of them anymore. You can't fear them."

"But AJ, I just can't stop," I cry. "I'm not Dauntless enough." AJ embraced me in a warm hug, his strong arms hugging my middle.

"You are Dauntless enough..." AJ whispered into my ear. I let go, the tears still rolling down my face. "I heard what Jack did to you," my brother's face stiffened.