Find the Shadow (FOUR'S SISTER)

2. Choosing a fate

Tobias woke in a sweat. His breathing was heavy, he had been having that same nightmare for a while now. Well, not a nightmare, a memory. The bed above him creaked and brown hair toppled from the bunk. Mary peered over the railing, concern painted across her face. "You okay?" She asked. Tobias nodded analyzing Mary's face, her eyes were an ice blue colour, much like his own, her hair was long and wavy and her cheeks were sunken in. Tobias felt the guilt crawl its way back into his heart, the sad reality was that he could never truly save her.  Mary frowned before leaping from her bunk to his without touching the floor. "What's up Tob?" She asked as she landed softly on top of him. "You're an elephant you know," Tobias chuckled throwing her off him. She watched him carefully, "Worried about the test tomorrow?" She asked as Tobias nodded again, trailing his fingers through her hair like his mother used to do to him years ago. Mary drifted back off to sleep in her brother's arms.

When the dawn came both siblings were up and ready. Tobias left early for school and his day went considerably smoothly. Well, that was until he received his test results. Abnegation. He dreaded this moment, but now he had a choice to make. Staying meant more abuse, more hiding and more hell. Leaving meant abandoning his sister for the year she had left until her own choosing ceremony. The sun had set before he returned home. He entered the ghost-like house and headed straight upstairs. Pulling out his collection of trinkets in the hope that they would help him choose the right thing. Tobias was so immersed in the decision for tomorrow that he never heard his father come up the stairs. "Tobias open this door now!" Marcus growled, quickly Tobias attempted to hide the objects before opening the door.

Downstairs in the kitchen, Mary was picking herself off the floor and ran some cold water on her burnt hands. She was busy mopping the floor and didn't realize she burnt the chicken. Marcus had forced her hands into the hot pan. She pulled out some bandages wrapping them around her hands. "Sir, the choosing ceremony." She heard Tobias cry out. Mary knew he was in trouble before the first blow. Tobias grunted and yelled out in pain as Mary covered her ear, tears streaming down her cheeks. Marcus was soon finished and ordered Mary to sleep on the couch for the night as Tobias had a lot of 'thinking' to do.

The next morning rolled around and neither of the Eaton Siblings slept. Mary busied herself as Tobias and Marcus had breakfast together. "Now Tobias, don't embarrass me today or your sister might suffer," Marcus instructed sternly before leaving for the ceremony. The house was again silent. With Marcus already at the ceremony, the two siblings were enjoying the moment of peace. "Mare...I.." Tobias gave his sister a hug, "I'm sorry." He whispered. From that Mary knew he was not coming back. 

The hall was crowded with hundreds of teenagers and their families, anxious to make the most important decision of their lives. Eventually, Tobias was called up. He wished the Mare could have been there, sitting next to him. Telling him it was all going to be ok. He made his way to the podium where his father held out the knife to him. "Remember Tobias, Abnegation!" Marcus ordered. Tobias nodded. And transferred into Dauntless.

Mary suffered that night and many other nights, for a year. But she knew Tobias did what was right. She was proud of him in a way. He had finally managed to escape. Now she had to survive the year before she too could escape the nightmare that she lived. 3 weeks after the choosing ceremony Mary's life as she knew ended. She had been helping the newly joined abnegation transfers to build up their community service hours. As Marcus' daughter, she had a responsibility to teach the new initiates how to be selfless. She had been a mentor for the last 3 years but she didn't complain after all only 1 or 2 ever transferred into Abnegation. She was handing out food to the fractionless as one of the assistants to her father came to her to inform her that Marcus had requested she came home immediately.  Mary had a sinking feeling in her stomach felt like lead, she forced her wobbling legs to move as she dashed home.