You Die, I Die

CHAPTER FOUR - FOUR

CHAPTER FOUR - FOUR

I finished setting the paintball guns in place, and getting the flags ready for tonight. Tonight we are playing war games with the initiates, it is meant to help them how to learn and act under the same pressure as the games, but now, I'm really not sure.

As I slowly finished setting up the equipment, Eric came over with a bunch of other Dauntless. I recognised one of them from this morning, Bud, and the rest I didn't know who they were at all.

"What do you want Eric?" I asked as I folded a rope around my hand, not even looking up at him or paying any attention to him.

"Just coming to see if you had finally done what you were instructed by me to do." Eric smiled placidly, causing the piercings in his face to squash into a crease. He has so many that eventually I lost count. He got most of the during initiation when he was trying to blend in with the Dauntless, that's also why he has a line of hair down the middle, and none on either side of that.

"Well let's not forget who is really in charge of these initiates now," I replied looking him in the eye, as I put the rope down with rest of the materials. He was only short so I had to look down. I stare at him in the eyes until he gives in and looks away.

"Well actually, they're mine. You're just teaching them what I tell you" he says as he walks away. I sigh and drop down on the platform with my legs dangling over the edge of it. As I watch the colours of the sky mix in the blue that consumes the sun, I think. I think about how my life could be different if I hadn't have chosen Dauntless. I think about how my father eats alone every night, and lives on his own. It brings me joy knowing that he hasn't got anyone to keep him company, just him and his house of horrors.

Once the sun has completely been consumed by the night sky, the stars appeared. I've always liked to believe that each one of those stars is a soul that was lost to soon, like my mother. The lights of the building flicker on and the initiates come piling out of the door. Uriah most have told them all, or got others to spread the word.

A small figure stood a few feet away from me, with their toes just hanging over the edge of the platform. They hesitantly moved closer and closer, until they were balanced on the balls of their feet. That's when I realised it was Tris. Her small body shuffles back into the platform as Christina comes jumping up behind her, Will follows Christina aimlessly. Christina seems eager to tell Tris something, and that sparks a sense of curiosity throughout her body.

She could've been in Erudite.

.......

Eric stands out the front of the group giving out orders that he believes everybody should be going by. Every time he speaks he says something dumb, proving that the Dauntless got I side his brain, proving that he is no longer an Erudite. I stood beside him, gripping onto the handle that we use to swing ourselves in. Tris is slumped in the corner with her lips pressed into a firm frown, next to her Christina is chatting her ear off, and Will is looking at Eric with big beady eyes full of curiosity.

"Four, you pick first." Eric grunts. The entire trains attention turns to me, they all look at me with their best puppy dog eyes, apart from Tris. She doesn't even want to look at me, she still must be angry about this morning when I told her to get over herself.

"Tris." I say without hesitation, she finally looks at me with her eyebrows raised. I nod and she just rolls her eyes and looks away. Part of me hopped she would be excited, but another part of me is just relived that she isn't.

"Picking the weak ones so you got someone to blame when you lose huh?" he gives a smug smile and continues, "I choose Peter" of course he does. A sliver of happiness courses through my body, knowing that I don't have to pick him.

"Okay then, Christina." I said giving a smug smile in return flicking up my eyebrows in mockery as if to say "I win", because I know we will.

"Okay then, I choose Drew" He grins, he doesn't know that i don't care. I don't like Peter or Drew so I'm happy that I don't have to babysit them, while they try and shoot everyone with a paintballs.
.....

After the teams were sorted out, Eric passed around the coloured bands to his team, and passed me our teams flag.

"You can get off first" he says "You're going to need the head start." He says smugly.

"If you say so." I reply not really caring what he thinks. "My team, get ready to jump" I yell so my voice rings throughout the train carriages, catching the attention of my team.

As the train comes close to a platform I pull open the compartment door and get ready to jump. Beside me Christina and Tris are getting ready to jump too. I turn to look at Tris and see her shaking, I look back at the ground ignoring whatever emotions that I feel towards her.

"Where are we getting off?" She speajs to me for the first time since getting on the train, she doesn't look at me, she just stares at the ground.

I frown and look at her, "we will get off at the school, and then go and hide wherever you choose."

"Okay" she says looking away holding her hands to try and hide her shaking hands. "Did your team win?" She asked finally looking at me.

"Yeah" I reply looking at my hands.

"Where did you hide your flag then?" Christina butts in. The rest of our team closes in around us making my breaths turn uneasy, I stand hunched by the handle getting ready to jump.

"I'm not telling. You have to win this game on your own, I'm not going to do it for you." I said as I leaped out of the cart. When I jump it's like leaping into the unknown, it's like everything you've been worried about just disappears behind you, it's like you're free.

Dauntless by Dauntless jump out after my as I land perfectly, with a few stumbles regaining my balance. I find my balance just as Tris comes lurching towards me, she stumbles over right beside me and others around her snicker, I sigh and extend a hand to her help her to her feet.