Ruby is among the last to jump, right after Ty. Their flailing bodies drop, one after the other, and the net dips under their weight. Once everyone is gathered in a loud, crazy crowd, Scarlett and Hannah clear their throats--but alas, we are Dauntless, and we are untamed and free and noisy. After Scarlett yells and has no success, Hannah takes a gun from her belt and fires at the ceiling.
Everyone grows quiet and Ruby almost seems to shrink into her skin. Ty elbows her and smiles mockingly.
The sisters, who are obviously short-tempered, proceed to give us all a lecture about how less considerate Dauntless would have us lined up against the wall and have shot everyone and that we must learn to be more respectful. It is not so much as a lecture as it is a scolding, and Scarlett screams whenever she hears the tiniest whisper. Seconds later, three Dauntless burst out in laughter, and Hannah stalks up to them and presses the barrel of the gun to each of their temples in turn.
"Shut up!" she hisses.
Scarlett glares and runs a hand over her short-cropped hair. "Welcome, Initiates. This is the Dauntless Compound. My sister and I will give you the run down--Dauntless-born, go with Hannah to your living quarters, as I trust you don't need a tour. Transfers, to me."
We follow the sisters down a tunnel with torches in five-foot intervals, and there is a dim space in between each torch. I see a boy and two girls in a tangle of limbs in the shadows.
The tunnel splits into many, and Hannah turns down one while we follow Scarlett down the opposite. It comes to an end and we emerge into an underground cavern. The ceiling is made entirely of glass, and the floor is so far down I cannot see it. It is huge, with large spaces carved into the wall, probably for clothes, food and leisure activities. The closest is not but a hundred paces away from us, and a sign across the top reads, "Tattoo Parlor." Connecting these together are steep paths and walkways, and narrow stairs, all of which are lacking railings. Blue lanterns hang from various places, casting light and shadow across the cave.
"This," Scarlett says, "is the Pit. It is the center of Dauntless life." She makes a wide gesture around the place, and the Initiates scour the area with their eyes. I, too, gape. "Come. If this is so awe-inducing, wait till you see the Chasm."
As we decend the death trap that is the Pit, I look around and watch as Dauntless members scale the jagged sides of the Pit. A boy no older than ten races up a path at full sprint, a girl in tow behind him. The girl rides a strange contraption, a long board with wheels, and speeds down at a quicker pace than her playmate. It is not long before they crash and go tumbling down, which causes me to take a sharp gasp of air. But the two get up and laugh, examining the scrapes on their knees and yell about whose war wound is bigger. Then the girl picks up her plank and pushes off, her friend jogging after her.
"People here are crazy," Pest whispers beside me. I jump--I had forgotten he was even there.
"It's chaos," I whisper back. "I think it's fantastic."
Pest gives me a puzzled look. "Are you crazy?"
I look at him and feel a smile begin to spread across my lips. A sudden urge overwhelms me--an urge to be as wild as the Dauntless that I will soon join. "No, just insane."
Pest snorts and turns away.
Scarlett leads us to to middle right of the Pit, and as we near a dim spot, I hear rushing water. I peer over Pest's head and realize that I am a foot from an iron railing, so close that the roar of the water is almost deafening. I look over the side and am almost immediately greeted by a spray of cold water to my face. I stumble back and drag the heel of my hand down my cheek, spitting liquid from my mouth and snorting it out of my nose. Ty and Ruby snigger behind me.
