CONVERGENT - [Divergent] ADOPTED

Chapter Thirteen

[TRUDI]

Alice's tattoo took like, an hour, nearly two. We got in so late, in fact, it was nearly nine by the time we flopped in bed. I. Was. Exhausted. And waking up the next morning? Yeah, wasn't fun.

If I thought I was sore yesterday, then I am in agony today. Everything hurt.

"Morning, Initiates!" Ajax said in his merry tune, today we didn't go to the shooting range, instead, we were at a different but similar range inside another training room, with targets. "Today you'll be learning how to throw knives!"

Something bad is going to happen, I can see it now.

"I will show you the correct way to throw them with accuracy, you will have until lunch to perfect this. Watch closely."

Ajax showed us the technique of throwing knives in slow motion – not that it affected the outcome, he still got a bullseye.

He turned an open his arms in a gesture and a raised an eyebrow as if to say, well? What are you waiting for?

"Grab three knives."

We didn't need to be told twice. I went to the table which was surrounded, I waited until I could reach in and grab my three and made my way in front of a person-shaped target.

I didn't really get much from his demonstration, just the part where he took a knife in his hand, pulled his hand back over his shoulder, and used the momentum to send the knife flying into the heart of the board.

So, as any sane dauntless person would, I took a knife, mimicking the same movements that Ajax used to throw a knife in the general direction of the board. Yeah, not a good move. I didn't even go half way before it crashed into the ground.

I don't think I put enough force behind it. Let's try that again. This time, I used more force in the actual throw.

It still went down, just closer to the target. I didn't understand, if it wasn't the force that was influencing the knife's flight, then what was it?

At a crow of delight, I looked down a few targets and saw that Kori was a natural, one knife was embedded in the shoulder of her target and the other was firmly sticking out of the heart. It took her two attempts?! That hardly seems fair.

Then, Ellie cried a quiet but very happy; "Yes!" Ellie and Kori high-fived. They were the first two to get the target. But then a few of the boys joined in on their excitement.

I took a deep breath. Don't let it get to you. It's okay to take a little longer. It's normal.

I raised my hand, and sent the third knife flying through the air. It was spinning, spinning, spinning – heading for the target.... Plunk.

I sighed. What was I doing wrong? It was looking fine.

I got a tap on the shoulder. I jumped and spun around. Ajax wore a bemused expression.

"You'll never get the target like that," he stated. "You're not using your wrist. Flick the wrist, flick the wrist," he starting walking away as soon as he started talking. So his words got quieter as he put distance between us.

Flick the wrist, ok. I got another knife from the table, I raised my hand like I had every other time, but this time, as I was letting go, I flicked my wrist... too hard. The knife came back at me. I had to jump out of the way with a squeak to miss the sharp edge.

"Uh," I subtly looked around to see who noticed... um, pretty much everyone near me had. A few of them laughed, one of them commented: 'A stiff shouldn't be wielding knives.' The girls gave me a sad smile. A few of them shock their heads in disgust or, in Ajax's case, disappointment. Ugh. I don't think I'm good at this. Maybe I should've just stayed home.