Just as I am about to let myself succumb to the thread that is yanking me down, I raise my head one last time and look towards my mom. "I don't want to die." As soon as the words leave my mouth I can feel the bitter sting of my unselfish words linger on my tongue. I start to apologize but my mom quickly shushes me.
"You've done well, darling. You do not need to apologize for wanting to live. I would have done the same thing if I had the chance." She bends down and presses her lips against my forehead. "I am so proud of you," she whispers as tears start to rush down my cheek. "Take care of your brother, he really is sorry for everything he's done." I quickly close my eyes, and she wipes the lingering tears from my cheek. I open my eyes to say one final goodbye, but she is gone.
I stay still for a few moments, trying to recollect my thoughts. My trance is quickly broken by the sound of a gunshot. I look down and see Matthew standing behind David, pressing a gun against his temple. David slouches, dead, and I hear a scream from behind them. Caleb pushes Matthew out of the way and runs to my limp body, not even trying to hold back the tears. I feel a pang of guilt rush through me as I see what he sees: my body is ghostly pale and blood is pouring out from my wounds. I want to shout to him that I am alive, but I can't find my voice. All I can do is sit and stare.
Matthew rushes over to my body, prying Caleb off of my chest. His hand hovers over my mouth as he checks for breath. Caleb's hopeful eyes bear into him, as he slowly shakes his head no. His hands then move to my neck, checking for a pulse and he emits a slight gasp. "She's alive," he whispers. Immediately, Caleb lifts my still limp body into his weak arms, and starts to tremble under my weight. He hands me over to Matthew and runs off in the direction of the hospital.
As soon as Matthew takes his first step towards, I feel that same thread start to pull on me. "Not this time." I mutter to myself through gritted teeth, and I follow my body down the long hallway. Drifting above Matthew and myself, I remember my trip on the airplane. It feels like a lifetime ago. The thread is pulling on me even harder now, but I resist with all my might.
"Tris!" The word echoes down the empty hallways, but all I hear is the pain and loss that is contained in that small word. My heart breaks as I see Tobias rush next to Matthew and crumble to his knees. "Is she-"
"Not yet, but we have to hurry." That's all Tobias has to hear before he takes my body from Matthew's arm and sprints down the hallway. As I follow him, I turn around to look at Matthew. His arms are trembling and soaked in a dark red liquid. Just as I am about to round the corner, I see Christina catch sight of Matthew and turn away before I can see her collapse.
Tobias and I burst through the hospital doors to see Caleb explaining something to a confused doctor. The memory serum, I completely thought that I released it. As soon as he sees me, however, his instincts take over and he takes me out of Tobias' arms and rushes me through some more doors, followed by several other doctors. I want to stay with Caleb and Tobias, but the thread is pulling me too hard. I am pulled into the room with my body. It is only then that I realize what the thread is pulling me to. I let myself give into the force, and everything goes black.