Just a Dream?

Chapter 3

     When everyone is on the floor, in what state I can’t say, Four and Lauren, the Dauntless-born trainer, lead us down a tunnel until we part. Four introduces himself and begins to talk about where we’re heading. I know you want to hear the good stuff, so here’s a summary of what happens next. Christina interrupts and Four scares the living daylights out of her, we journey through the Dauntless compound ending in the cafeteria. Hilarity ensues and soon, we are in the dormitories getting lectured on training, rankings, and life as an initiate in the Dauntless compound. At night, I lie in bed listening to Al’s crying for what seems like hours before sleep takes over.

     I wake up too early in the morning and walk to our first task with everyone else. I am very tired still and seem to be lagging behind quite a bit. I never was good at looking awake early in the morning. Usually, I say I look like a zombie. For the first half of the day we are going to be learning how to shoot guns. Teriffic! I’m totally not going to kill anyone. I’ve actually had experience firing a gun playing paintball, but I’ve never had good aim. I stand in front of my target and fire repeatedly before looking to see if I actually hit it. Twice on the outside and once towards the interior. Humph. Maybe I’ll be better at this than the real Tris. Will, the Erudite boy next to me, looks at my target and seems a little impressed. Good. Everyone should be impressed. Wait, what? Did I just change the book by actually hitting the target? Uh, oh. Maybe I didn’t. I mean Tris did eventually hit the middle of the target.

     When we break for lunch, my arms and fingers are throbbing. I try to massage them out, but it almost gets worse. Christina invites Al to sit with us at lunch and I zone out for a bit. When she calls me back to Earth, we talk about school and when Edward and Myra kiss I do my best to just look away and not scold them. Christina tells me that my “Abnegation is showing.” I laugh it off when will points out that my face turned red. I imagine now that it looks like a beet.

     After lunch, Four takes us into the training room and teaches us punches and kicks, basic fighting skills, first to the air, then on a punching bag. We all start to practice and Four walks behind us, giving us tips and helping us. When he gets to me he says that I don’t have muscle, so I should use my elbows and knees. I never have had muscle. Four puts his hand on my stomach and tells me to keep tension there. This just gets better and better. A full body workout. Great! The fact that Four’s hand just left my stomach and I can still feel it there makes my heart pound inside my head.

     When we are released from training for the day, Al announces that he wants a tattoo. Great. I’m just not going to get anything pierced, cut, or dyed anytime soon. When we reach the Pit, Christina drags me to a dress shop as Will and Al head to the tattoo parlor. Christina makes me put on a knee-length black dress, which almost makes me attractive. I don’t really ever look pretty. She puts eyeliner on me and says, “You look...striking.”

     It really is a compliment, even if it doesn’t seem like one. We head toward the tattoo parlor and watch Al get a spider on his arm. I walk around and look at the pictures hanging from the walls. I actually am excited about getting a tattoo. I find Tori and ask for three ravens flying along my collarbone to my heart, one for each member of the family.