Holding On||Peter Hayes (Divergent)

Chapter 28

Eric's execution was held in the interrogation room. It went on for a while, with Eric looking half dead on the floor. He was being as cruel as always and requested for Four to kill him. I knew they went through initiation together and hated each other, and Eric wanted Four to live with the guilt. We immediately exit after Eric's body slumps across the Candor scales tiled on the floor, the blood running like a river. Uriah and I rush forward with people all around us shoving and pushing past each other. Our stampede is suddenly halted by Kang and a group of Candor.

"What have you done? I was just told Eric was missing from his holding cell." Jack says aloud. I stumble to a stop and feel a sharp pain in my weak leg after someone kicked it. I turn my head to see AJ right behind me, glancing at me. I don't know whether it was an accident or on purpose just to spite me, but I don't say anything. We haven't spoken for a while.

"He was under our jurisdiction," Tori says. She is in front of me being carried by Harrison. "We gave him a trial and executed him. You should be thankful."

"Why..." Jack's face turns a deep red, anger sparking in his slanted eyes. "Why should I be thanking you?"

"Because you wanted him to be executed, too, right? Since he murdered one of your children?" Tori tilts her head. "Well, we took care of it for you. And now, if you excuse us, we're leaving."

"Wha - leaving?" You can tell the thought petrifies Kang. Because of us Dauntless, all three of the demands the Erudite put forth cannot be met. "I can't let you do that."

"You don't let us do anything," Four speaks up. "If you don't step aside, we will be forced to walk over you instead of past you."

"Didn't you come here to find allies?" Jack hisses. "If you do this, we will side with Erudite, I promise you, and you'll never find an ally in us again, you-"

"We don't need you as an ally," I hear the amusement in Tori's voice. "We're Dauntless." This starts off the shouts from all the Dauntless. A second later the stampede begins. We storm past the Candor, yelling so loud you could hear it eighteen floors beneath. We dash to the stairs and stride down them. I find myself next to Marlene and grin at her as we both jump down the stairs. My legs begin to burn, but I don't care. We find ourselves outside not long later, the rain pounding down upon us. Puddles splash around me and whoops fill my ears. My sack of clothing pounds upon my back, making my shoulder ache. But I don't care. I feel free, careless and happy for the first time in a while.

***

A paintball gun was shoved into my hands just as I was walking down one of the Pit paths with Lynn. She arrived not long ago with Shauna once she was stable. Lynn told me that Shauna might be paralysed waist down and she won't be able to be Dauntless. I replied telling Lynn that not being able to walk doesn't mean Shauna's not Dauntless. We can help her adjust. "What's this for?" Lynn asked Uriah as he jogged up to us.

"We're shooting the security cameras with the paint pellets," Uriah explained. "Plus it's fun way to get over everything. You two are with me in the Pit." Lynn and I smirked as Uriah ran ahead of us. In synch, we both aimed our guns at Uriah and shot at his backside, painting it blue and yellow. He yelped and spun around to glare at us. "You two are the worst..."

"What? Now Mar has something to stare at." I giggle. Uriah began sprinting, bounding after us. Lynn and I screeched and ran past the other Dauntless by us, shooting at security cameras along the way. I felt something hit my shoulder, the paint splattering on my face. I turned to see Uriah laughing evilly behind. "I hate you!"

"We're even now," Uriah smirks. "Come on, let's cover the tattoo parlour." Lynn, Uriah and I run to the parlour, being hit by paint pellets along the way. I shot at people old or young, laughing along with them. Just as I stood at the entrance of the tattoo parlour Four ran past me, shooting twice at me. I yelled in frustration and shot three times at him, hitting him in the back and once in the leg. He whipped around and grinned at me before jogging towards me.