Daring to be Dauntless (A Divergent Fanfiction)

Chapter 8- Dauntless

When I walk through the door I'm on the edge of a building. The air is rushing through me. I lose my breath. I fumble back, away from the edge. I hate this fear. 

I know I have to jump; it's what I have to do every single time. The wind sounds like I am standing two feet away from a train.  

I back up till my legs feel the cool metal of the railing. I close my eyes and run, at first I get that crazy, wild feeling that I'm doing it and then I'm like "Oh Crap why in the heck did I do this".  

I start spiraling down through the air, flipping and flipping until I hit the ground, and I'm alright.  

As soon as I stand up right though my knees begin to shake.  

For a moment nothing happens. I start to believe that maybe my claustrophobia has gone and then the wall hits me. I smack my head on into another. A wall pops up on my side and immediately I crunch into a ball. It's always what Tobias did when Marcus pushed us in the closet. I squeeze my knees and breathe in and out. It doesn't help.  

"Breathe slower, you must slow down your heart rate," Jeanine says.  

"I'm trying!" I scream looking up. Another wall crashes into to me and all I'm staring at is steel grey.  

"Not hard enough," she says.  

I put my head in between my knees and begin breathing deeper. It feels like my chest is about to explode. I grab my mental blanket and wrap myself in it. 

"You're doing good, keep it up," Jeanine says again.  

I honestly wished I could believe that. I dig my nails into my legs and scream so loud I feel like I am busting my own eardrums.  

Then the walls shatter and I scuttle off the ground. "Very nice," Jeanine purrs. "Now for the real show."  

I suck in my cheeks. She means Marcus.  

I close my eyes and when I open them again and Marcus is in front of me. The belt is snaked around his hand as he steps forward.  

"You've been a bad girl," he whispers. His lips curl into a grin as he whips to his side and a shriek breaks through the tension.  

Tobias is huddled on the floor. His shirt is off and a whip mark is dripping with blood. I set my jaw.  

"Stop it!" I yell to him.  

He raises an eyebrow and still looking at me, he whips his hand back and down again against Tobias's bare skin.  

I stomp towards him and he pulls his arm back, in attack mode. He whips the belt at me but misses. I run into him, my shoulder connecting with his gut and bringing him into the grass. His fist connects with my jaw and suddenly I'm seeing stars.  

I shove my elbow backwards and hit him in the jugular. His head wrenches backwards and knocks me in my shoulder. I release and quickly pick myself up. He is still hunched over. I swing my foot towards him and my toes connect with his ribs. The throbbing in my toes is making the pain in my jaw unbearable.  

He groans and when he looks up his eyes are black pits. I kick him in the chin and a spray of blood comes from his nose. He growls and lunges towards me. I throw myself back so his arms catch my legs instead of my torso. I fall on my behind and he pulls me towards him. He's on top of me. His feet press into my hands and his face is so close to mine.  

He breathes out into my face. "How dare you," he whispers harshly. His nose brushes against my cheek as he leans closer to whisper in my ear. "Now, for the punishment."