Stay Away | Eric Coulter [1]

three

Uriah had disappeared down the train a good ten minutes ago with the promise that he'll be back before we had to get off.

Sitting in the corner quietly with my feet stretched out in front of me, I watched the scenery fly past us as the train continues to shoot down the tracks.

"Get ready!" A voice calls from a few cabins down.

Confused, I looked around to see people rising to their feet and approaching the doors when Uriah bursts through from the adjoining cabin.

"Come on, Nessie. It's time to jump." He announces, running his hands together. The excitement bounding off of him was contagious and I let out a laugh, letting him pull me to my feet.

"Jump?" I raised a brow at him, convinced that he was joking.

"I wanted us to do this with my friends," Uriah states, "But since I can't find them, you're going to have to do."

"Gee, don't sound so excited." I deadpan.

Uriah flashes me a blinding smile and nudges my shoulder with his, "I didn't mean it like that, Nessie. You're great company, too."

Peeking his head out the door, whatever he sees there seems to satisfy him and he nods, "Ready?" He asks, grasping my hand in his.

"Wait, what?" I turn to look at him so fast, I swear I might have whiplash. "We're seriously going to jump?"

Instead of answering, Uriah rolls his shoulders in preparation. "On three." He says, his grip tightening on my hand as if he's worried I would chicken out...Well, I guess he's right to be worried because this was all kinds of insanity.

"Hold on, this is-"

Uriah cuts me off before I can voice the sentiment, "Three!" He yells, tugging me along with him as he runs towards the door and jumps.

Acting on adrenaline alone, I jump when he does and for a quick minute, we're airborne. But you know what they say; what goes up must come down, and that's exactly what happens.

A sharp pain shoots up my side as I hit the gravelled ground, feeling as if the air has been knocked out of my lungs.

"Holy shit, I thought you joking." I groan.

The psycho breaks out into laughter as he rolls onto his back, sprawled up as if he's about to make a snow angel in the gravel.

"Admit it. It was kind of fun, wasn't it?"

Seeing Uriah's wide grin draws one out of me too. "You're insane," I tell him, but that only makes him laugh harder. Like a couple of idiots, we lay on the gravel laughing.

"It was liberating," Uriah insists as he gets onto his feet offering me a hand.

I accept the help being offered to me, "It was." I couldn't deny as he pulls me to my feet.

"You'll fit right into Dauntless." Uriah chuckles, giving me a friendly pat on my bruised back.

I wince at the contact. Unfortunately for me, Uriah must've caught the movement, judging by the frown on his face.

"Are you okay?" The genuine concern in his voice makes me feel slightly guilty for even thinking about lying to him.

Thankfully, we were interrupted by a booming voice before I even got the chance to reply.

"Alright, listen up!" The deep voice bellows across the rooftop.

Uriah and I quickly join the crowd forming by one of the ledges.

Standing on the balls of my feet, I struggle to catch a glimpse of the man speaking over the wall of broad shoulders in front of me.

Straining my neck just a little further, I finally manage to steal a glance of the tattooed specimen of a man addressing the crowd.