fearless

Chapter 10: Alive and Well

Chapter 10:

It's been like three days since the kidnapping. I'm already beginning to feel better, everything is pretty much back to normal, except for my ribs.

They're still healing up; there's not that much that's being done to them. A salve from the Erudite is being put on the remaining bruises, but other than that, I'm okay.

I should be able to leave and go back to training tomorrow, just in time for stage two. Zeke and my mother talked the leaders into letting me stay for stage two, kicking Angela out instead, since she helped kidnap me and almost pushed me off the Chasm.

The bruises on my face are mostly gone, so light now that they blend into the color of my skin. I still wear my clothes from that day—a loose t-shirt and leggings. Soon, my mother walks into the room.

"You're awake!" She exclaims as she comes over to hug me. I cringe when she does, and she mutters a small sorry before pulling away. "We're going home!" She says.

"What?" I ask. I thought I was leaving tomorrow. Oh well, the sooner the better. I'm sick of this dark room.

"We're going home. I'm gonna let you take a shower and get changed at home, and then you can go back to the dormitories or whatever and hang out with your friends." She shrugs.

I nod. "It's a deal." I laugh, and she smiles before pulling me to stand.

>>

I step out of the shower at home and wrap myself in a towel, putting another one on my hair. I walk over to the mirror in the bathroom and pull the towel away from my body.

The bruises on my ribs are purple-brown, and swollen. I grit my teeth when I rub a finger over the skin lightly. I wrap the towel around my body once again and I walk to my room, which is right across the hall.

I lock the door, then walk over to my closet. I dry myself off before pulling out one of my black sweaters, and then a pair of black leggings. I dress slowly, since every time I move, I feel nothing but pain. After I finish dressing, I braid my hair and then twist it into a bun. I then walk downstairs, cringing as I fold my arms over my chest.

I walk into the kitchen, where my mother is. "I guess I'll be seeing you later." I say, then hug her. She eats a cookie, then hands me one.

"See you later, Maddie. Remember, you have to be in the simulation room in an hour to go through your fear landscape." She says and I nod. "Bye!"

I wave to her as I make my way to the door, then begin walking from their apartment to the Dining Hall. I've barely eaten in the past few days, and I still don't really feel like eating, but I guess I need to if I'm going to make it through initiation without having to go to the infirmary again.

I'm halfway to the Dining Hall when I meet Zeke. "Hey," he smiles, "How are you doing?" I shrug, then cringe.

"My side hurts like hell." I wince as a shooting pain rushes through my rib cage. He grimaces, then sighs. "The guy who did that to you, he's after your parents again. He wants your mother to suffer."

I nod, then bite my lip. "I just, I just wish it wasn't me, you know?" I ask him and he nods. That's when we approach the Dining Hall doors. He pushes the door open for me, and I step inside. He follows me, and the Dining Hall silences.

The only thing I can hear is the clattering of pots and pans from the kitchen, and a few murmurs here and there, things like Did you hear? Peter Hayes tried to kidnap her to torture Tris and Four! He got his ass beat by her! I look up at Zeke, who just looks back down at me with a pitied frown on his face.