Bite Me || Eric Coulter Fanfic - Divergent

16. Revenge at midnight

After the fights this morning, we were given the rest of the day off to heal and rest. I ate lunch with Chloe and the rest of our group. She had won her fights and was now above the red line. Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said about Al. He looked miserable and tense, as if he expected to be kicked out any minute now. None of us knew what to expect now.

At least I was safe. During today's fight, I genuinely thought I was going to lose it all. The only thing I lost though was a bit of weight after repeatedly vomiting in the infirmary. Nancy was kind though and let me stay until I could keep down some solid food.

No matter how tired I was after today, I couldn't sleep. That's why I was still staring at the ceiling of the dorm at midnight. Everyone else was probably five dreams into a blissful sleep.

Maybe not everyone, I thought, when I heard rustling on my left and right, but I didn't have the strength to stay alert.

Suddenly, hands are grabbing my legs while someone else drags me out of bed by my hair, placing their other hand on my mouth to keep me quiet.

Damn, I just can't catch a break, can I?

If it were any other night, I wouldn't have made it so easy for them. But as the four figures dragged me along the hallway, my body protested any attempt to resist.

Every now and then, they would kick me or punch me in the stomach or yank on my hair. The pain was searing hot but my limbs felt numb. I tried to escape a few times, but it was clear that they had the upper hand.

Panic overcame me when I saw where they were taking me. The chasm.

In a desperate attempt to save myself, I elbowed one of the figures in the stomach causing them to momentarily release my arm. Flailing my arm, I tried to cause as much damage as possible, hoping it would slow them down enough for someone to notice what was happening. My hand grabbed one of the dark masks that the figures were wearing and pulled it to reveal a very familiar face.

Al.

He looked horrified, remorse and guilt swimming in his eyes. That's when my ears caught the voices of the rest of the figures. I recognized them as Peter's friends from today's fight.

Seeing Al made my whole body freeze, finally resigning. If I couldn't even count on my friends for loyalty, what was the point of resisting this? That moment of hesitation was enough for the three others to throw me over the edge of the chasm.

It turns out that instincts of self-preservation are stronger than physical exhaustion, because I managed to grab onto the railing with both hands. I knew I was just prolonging the inevitable. I definitely didn't have enough strength to hold on for long or pull myself up and then continue fighting. I just closed my eyes, waiting for them to kick my hands away from the railing.

But that never happened. Instead, I hear grunts and shouts as well as punches and kicks finding their targets. My eyes shoot open when I feel two strong hands grasping my own and pulling me up and over the edge.

I was so relieved to still be alive that my body took this as a sign to start shutting down. My head felt heavy as I looked around me, trying to understand what was happening. I felt like my legs would give up on me any moment now, but a strong, warm arm around my waist supported me and held me close to someone.

In front of me I could faintly see Four sending a final punch to one of the boys; the other three were already on the floor, looking down at their feet in fear. They got caught and they knew that any outcome would not be in their favor.

Then, I turn to look to my left, at the person who pulled me up and was steadying me all this time. I was shocked to see Eric; jaw tense, eyes blazing as he pierced the four boys with his gaze. With a nod, Four gathered the boys and led them away from the chasm.

At last I felt the final bit of energy leave my body. Eric must have noticed the change in my balance because his head whipped towards me. His eyes held alarm and panic, but they were still as blue and beautiful as ever.

"Iris, hold on. Just a little bit longer" he said. His voice was unwavering, strong and gentle all at once, as he began walking us away from the chasm. This behavior was so uncharacteristic of Eric that it made my head spin even more.

All the tension and exhaustion of the day finally got the better of me.

"Eric, I can't..." I heard myself say faintly, before I finally gave in to the darkness that had been beckoning me over.