Chapter 1: Living in Abnegation

Cayden POV aged 12 ½

I officially hated my life.

I wince as the belt comes lashing down again onto my burning back, I know Marcus wouldn't stop until I bled. I was being punished for conversing with erudite our 'enemy' faction, I was trying to selfless to avoid being punished, but the poor erudite girl had fallen and I'd stopped to pick up her books but she was arrogant and pushed me off, Marcus always made poor assumptions and thought I'd been spilling abnegation secrets. After he's done 'punishing' me I can barely move let alone cook dinner, my older brother Tobias offered but allowing him it will be classed as selfishness so I have to do it. My hands are shaking as I try to cut up the bland, simple ingredients and I'm gripping the knife so hard to avoid crying from pain, that my knuckles are white I can't see properly because I'm blinking back tears. As I place the meals on the table Marcus spits, "This meal has been hastily as a result of your laziness and self-thought and will not tolerate it, you shall prepare the evening meal again tomorrow."

(Later)

Hour after ,after hour passes and I couldn't sleep it wasn't just the mind numbing pain everywhere in my body but it was Marcus echoing voice sending shivers down my spine,

"This is for your own good, I'm just making you better, and you need to learn," he would calmly whisper as he would slash the metal and leather against skin carefully so the ugly marks would peek out under my simple abnegation clothes. But I was more scared of being stuck here forever living my life under Marcus's torture than anything, I couldn't be stuck here forever.

Tobias POV

Steadily I open the door of Cayden's room a bottle of anti-septic and bandages in each hand it was 11pm, an hour after Marcus and gone to sleep so we were safe – for now. Trying to make aware of my surroundings in the dark was hard because abnegation furnishing were all grey and boxy looking, I heard mild groans, Cayden I thought.

"Cayden, you okay?" I asked worryingly.

"Tobias," he replied rubbing his eyes and sitting up, "We can't stay here."

"Well what's our options," I said wearily, while dabbing anti-septic onto his blazing back.

"Amity are weird, I could never be one anyway," he told me though gritted teeth from the sting of anti-septic, "To be honest (get it ), I could never do Candor initiation, you know the spilling you secrets part."

I nod in agreement, wrapping a limp bandage around his bruised shoulder,

"So we've got Erudite and Dauntless, I'm not smart enough to join erudi…."

I interrupt him, "Oh come on you ace your classes,"

"Fine but two abnegation brothers joining erudite is going to cause a lot of reports we don't need, so we're left with Dauntless I guess."

I'd heard about Dauntless initiation before, that it got more brutal each year, there were even rumours if you weren't good enough – you became factionless.

"You know if we are going to join Dauntless we'll have to train," I warned him.

"Train?" he asked puzzled.

"Fighting, shooting knife throwing – stuff like that, we can jump onto trains too"

"Really, where could we do that and where could we get knives and guns, Tobias,"

"Well there's a …"

He stops because we here thumping footsteps coming down the hall. – That meant one thing.

Marcus

Cayden POV

Great, I think as Tobias is literally dragged out of my room by Marcus. I try lying down to sleep but all I can think of is Tobias stuck in the closet, I know what it's like in there – terrible especially if your claustrophobic he'd prefer the beatings.

The next day.

I wake up early to let Tobias out of the closet, he looks a wreck; bags under his eyes and horrible scars and bruises on his skin (I imagine I don't look to good either). He doesn't say anything as I open the door but gives me a nod of approval. There's no better time for me in abnegation than the shower, the coldness of the water numbs my backs and eliminates all pain. Breakfast is mostly silent as usual with Marcus telling us about his day like nothing ever happened last night.

I walk to school with Tobias, right pass the factionless sector, when I was younger I was scared because of some rumours that they are ruthless and murderous but I've walked past the grim wasteland they call home so many times it doesn't startle me anymore.

"So you thought anymore about where we could get weapons for you know training," I say with an excited grin, this was the most exciting thing to happen to an abnegation.

"Well, there's this old fairground place no-one visits so that's where we could train as for weapons I have no idea – you're apposed to be the smart one," Tobias replies, smirking.

"Yeah well you're older!" I retaliate.

By now we at school each faction lining up carefully, all but dauntless who always arrive last. Perfect I think as the usual Candor bullies approach, I know them from my classes – Peter and his lackeys Drew and Mollie.

"You okay - stiff is just your backs a little straight and stiff!" Peter taunts, "Did daddy do this to you," he jeers in a childish tone – more Erudite reports I expect, I wanted to shout and admit that they are true but I can't Erudite want nothing more than to cause war on abnegation and there greatest leader abusing his kids was a perfect reason to overthrow the government. Sighing I ignore him and wait for the dauntless to arrive. It's amazing you don't even have to look you just hear they shouts and laughter – that could be me I thought.

"Thinking about joining them stiff I bet you wouldn't last five minutes!" Peter sneers.

"We'll see about that," I reply trying to be serious.

They laugh and strut away, I shouldn't let it get to me Tobias says but most Candor are cocky smart mouths that don't when to shut it. Just then the doors open to class I say goodbye to Tobias as I head to computer technology and he heads to advanced maths.

At lunch the abnegation are silent and keep their heads down not to draw any attention to themselves, but the dauntless are laughing and cracking jokes, I feel a pang of sadness I wish I could be there instead of here.