Death Wish

Part 2

Air whooshed past me and a sudden bolt of fear ran up my spine. I couldn't even scream as I plummeted through the air. I held my breath until I suddenly landed on a large bungee net that launched me back into the air a few feet. I was so surprised I barely made a move to get off the net once I'd come to a complete stop. I just kind of laid there like a stunned cat or something. My heart was hammering wildly in my chest.

A man with thick eyebrows and closely cropped hair suddenly came up to help me off the net. He offered me his hand. His hand was cold.

"What's your name?" The man asked bluntly as I looked around at the several other Dauntless members that stared at me with minute interest.

"I-It's uh, I'm Ferris," I stuttered out as I stepped down gingerly from the net onto hard concrete floors with wobbly knees.

"Ferris, welcome to Dauntless. I'm Four," The man told me and I unintentionally quirked a brow.

Four was a strange name but I made no comment. Candor were known for always speaking their minds, even if it wasn't in their best interest. I'd overcome that social construct long ago and for the most part, I kept my mouth shut.

"We have our first jumper! Ferris!" He announced loudly. A few whoops and hollers followed.

I stood to the side, still recovering from falling, and watched as the rest of the Transfers jump one by one. My body slowly began to stop trembling and my heart rate slowed. The second person to come down was a boy, also from Amity, named Matius ( Muh-Tee-us). He was sort of skinny and roughly my height with skin like fresh carmel.

He got off the net slowly and waved absently before taking a spot next to me. H was still rattled from the fall and I wagered that I had looked just as frazzled mere moments ago.

I waved back but said nothing. The next two jumpers were also boys but the fifth ended up being a familiar redhead. I felt a little proud as Rency bounced off the net with a grin. Even though I'd known her for less than twenty minutes, I had no doubt that she would fit in well at Dauntless. She was already outgoing and brave.

We watched as the rest came down until the last one fell. It was a small girl from Erudite with pixie cut blonde hair named Freya. She took a little longer than average to get off the net but eventually she managed to shuffle over and join our motley crew of transfers.

We'd climbed up pillars, jumped off a train, and hopped off the side of a building. What else was I going to be scratching of my Dauntless bingo card today?

Four took a step in front of us, catching everyone's attention and ceasing all conversation.

"My name is Four, I will be one of your instructors. So will Eric," Four told everyone before gesturing behind him where the burly blonde with tattoos stood intimidatingly.

Well, that's just super. I'm sure he's a very nurturing and gentle coach.

Emer, Morsov's twin, suddenly chuckled. I could sense the incoming Candor remark before it even came.

"Four? Like the number?" Emer asked sarcastically. "Were one through three taken?"

There was a small, more nervous than genuine, laugh that came from the group but I just shook my head at Emer. There was a reason I preferred Morsov over her.

Morsov and I were similar in that we too kept our thoughts to ourselves unlike other Candor. It had occasionally made us allies when we were younger. But Morsov's parents did their best to keep a no good liar like me away.

Four blinked once before walking up to Emer with long strides. Emer immediately lost her confident smile as Four closed the distance. Morsov suddenly looked anxious but didn't make a move. I knew Morsov was very protective of his sister. I quietly worried that he may do something brash if Four made a wrong move.

"What's your name?" Four asked quietly, hardly louder than a whisper, but with all the weight of a locomotive.

"Emer," She answered in a small voice.

"Well, Emer, the first lesson you learn from me is if you wanna survive here, keep your mouth shut. Do you understand me?" Four asked, as if talking to a three year old. Emer could only nod her head submissively in response.

Four them turned and walked away.

"Follow me," He ordered and I fell into step with Rency. Eric left the room but didn't follow us. For some reason, I tried to catch his gaze one last time as he walked out but had no luck.

We looked about in awe as we entered the Dauntless Hall. It wasn't exactly amazing in the idea that it was beautiful, it was more so that we had never see anything like it before. It was mostly just large, bare concrete walls that were massive in size but still starkly different from the clean white and black granite detailing of candor. The entire place was cavernous and daunting but strangely unique.

Four showed us the pit, which was essentially the cafeteria where we would eat, then the training rooms where we would work out and train to become Dauntless members. Lastly he showed us our sleeping quarters.

It was very basic with about two dozen grey cots lined up straight with uniforms neatly folded on top.

"This is where you will be sleeping for the next ten weeks," Four explained and my brows furrowed.

"Girls or boys?" Matius asked curiously.

"Both," Four answers without hesitation. A few of the boys grinned and one girl balked, looking perfectly scandalized.

Rency turned to me, suddenly looking disenchanted. My expression matched hers.

Thankfully, we managed to snag two cots in corner before a group of boys could claim it.