Chapter 1

Feeling the needle go into my skin sends chills throughout my body. Like rain falling from the sky and washing over me, or like someone running their fingers down my spine. The buzzing of machine keeps me from drifting too far away.

"Thought I would find you here."

I move my eyes from the floor to the doorway (all without moving my head, of course) to see feet. Feet that have kicked me in the stomach and tripped me. Feet I have stomped on in frustration. The feet move toward me and a feminine face appears to meet mine. She bends down and turns her head like a curious puppy would, and searches for my eyes, and all while having a huge smile on her face. Her jet black hair nearly covers her entire face, but her eyes can be seen through all of it. Icy blue eyes that pierces through her black hair and people's soul.

"I had some extra points." I say smiling back at her. We get a certain amount of points each month, and let's just say I managed to get some extra. She stands up and walks behind me. I hear the breath escape from her.

"Oh my..." She says and I can hear her moving around the artist to look at every detail.

"Finished." The artist says handing me a mirror and step away from the chair then walking into a backroom to clean up.

I stand up and move toward the full size mirror in the corner of the room, and turn to where my back is facing it. I look through the mirror in my hand to the full size mirror. There on the back of my neck lays a dragon wrapped around and unbreakable knot. The dragon body move gracefully around the knot at every perfect angle. The dragon's body is made of sharp tribal black twists. Behind the dragon is amazing shades of purple and blue like the sky right before the sunsets. My lip begins to open to say something, but there are no words. This is more than I ever imagined, and make the meaning mean so much more. I turn around and set the mirror next to the tattoo machine, and I see the artist walking back to the area. I thank him greatly and then I stroll into the front viewing room. The parlor is covered in artwork from wall to wall. The designs range from butterflies to full body dragons, and everything in between, and it's all beautiful. Anything and everything you could possible think of is expressed on these walls. My sketch book is put to shame mostly because I stole it and nothing I have is nearly this good.

The feminine face with the soul piercer eyes is admiring a cherry blossom tree design in the left corner of the viewing area. Her is face is diamond shaped and her cheek bones are very high set on her face. Her nose is small and button like and her eyes are close together, but very large. Her hair covers most of her face which is why her striking features are sometimes over looked. Her hair is black as black could be like I said jet black, but there are low undertones of purple and fades to a light lilac at the ends. Her hair reached to almost the middle of her back, and is cut at sharp angles giving her innocent face and edge and fierce look. She has some of her hair is tugged behind her ear which reveals her ice eyes. She is wearing a black leather jacket with tight black pants and combat boots. She looks like someone who belongs here with all the black clothing, the dark eye makeup, and the style. She is what you would expect to see when you think of this place, but she's different. Something inside her doesn't belong. She sees me studying her and she grins. Her smile is pure and inviting.

"Way to ruin my surprise, Rennie." I say grabbing the hat I kept in my pocket, so my hair doesn't touch my recent marked skin.

"No, just no." Rennie says taking my hat and shoving into my hand, and moving behind me. She takes my hair and starts to braid it, and wraps it perfectly around my head much like a halo….ha. My mahogany hair looks almost deep burgundy in the poor lighting of the tattoo parlor, but the ends still look like their normal golden blonde color. Around here a girl dying her hair is a norm given an example Rennie. For myself I also fell into the "trend", but left my natural blonde at the ends of my hair for an "ombre" affect people would say. I have trouble letting go of things that remind me of my past, and this does include my hair. My bangs fall over my left eye, but are shaped to fall just out of my sight. My bang like Rennie's are as edged for fierceness. "You are going to show this off." Rennie says grinning.

We both walk out of the tattoo parlor into chaos. People yelling, pushing, shoving, running, screaming, and pretty much everything people do that is chaotic. This area is called the pit and it's the heart of this compound and its people. The Pit itself is an enormous underground cavern with the tattoo parlor, dining hall, weapon equipment stores, fighting quarters, arena and more places built into the walls. To connect these places the Pit has narrow stairs and hallways. Many lead to dead ends to confuse intruders or its current residences, like me. There are no railings or barriers on these hallways or stairs and drops it off at the edges, so if you step to far…see ya. Blue lanterns hang from various points along the Pit hallways and different rooms. The poor blue lighting gives the compound a dreaded, but calming feeling. Also it's easy to go unnoticed and slip into the darkness if needed.

"Arcadia!" I see him through all the black clothes and bright colored hair. His bright blonde hair sticks out it's a family curse. He moves through people like it's nothing. He jumps over fallen chairs, ducks to miss people flaring their arms and legs, and bottles being thrown all around. He runs into a crowd egging on a fight. I search the crowd. I can't see he's bright gleaming hair. Then it hits me…literally. He rams into my left side as hard as he can and knocks me almost off my feet, but I put my hand out to brace myself. I quickly look up to see him charging at me, again. My neck aches a little, but I smirk at him. I move to the right just in time for him to miss me and I stick my foot out. He knows what going to happen before I even move. He jumps over my leg, but I grab his foot before he lands. He is much bigger than I am and a lot stronger than me, but this throws him of balance. He falls to the floor and the air is knocked out of him. He looks up at me coughing, but with a huge grin on his face.

"You're getting better." I say grabbing his hand and helping him up.

"Ha, no you are getting better." He says smiling and brushing off his pant and shirt. His blonde hair comes down into his eyes, and I don't know how his sees. His eyes are a dark blue-green when you can see them, and shows his innocent side even if he tries to hide it. He has a lip ring he plays with when he is nervous. He is muscular like the other males at this compound because they have to be.

"I would say that either she is getting better or Kempton you're getting worse." Rennie says.

"Worse, definitely worse." Kempton says. "Since I got my job assignment you've killed my winning strike. "

"What winning strike?" I say. He just shakes his head and starts to say something when someone calls to him.

"Just wait, cousin." He says narrowing his eyes at me and laughs then turns towards to the person who called him. He high fives a couple people on the way and yells "Dauntless!" then they all run down one of the hallways. Kempton is my cousin and he is a couple years older than me. He chose to stay in Dauntless with he was sixteen. The Pit is starting to clear out since it's close to midnight. Some of the older members take the children and head for the apartments.

"I'm probably going to head to the training room." Rennie says looking past me and grinning at something. I raise my eyebrows in curiosity and turn and see a group of people around our age standing at the edge of the Pit holding knives. Rennie has a bizarre fascination and a remarkable skill with knife throwing. "Are you coming? Or…"She says looking down at me and tries to read my face, but then just shrugs. "I promise to use my skill for fun, and possible making people pee themselves as I throw knives at them. But only on the condition that you don't get caught?"

"Me? Sheath." I say giving her a smirk and she starts to run towards the group.

I look around to make sure everyone has left the Pit and I take off running. I run to the edge of the Pit and turn right. Water starts to hit my face and my shoes slid against the wet floor as I stop. I look over the iron barrier to see a gorge filled with rapidly running water and razor-sharp rocks. It's about a three story drop into the Chasm. The Chasm is holy to everyone and everything in Dauntless. The Chasm symbolizes how fear and cowardice can destroy everything in its path. I take a deep breath and inhale the smell of fresh water. Chills run down my spine and arms and I can't help, but grin. I start to run again and I turn at the first hallway. I start running up the stairs. My breathing starts to become heavy, but I keep running. All I hear are the pounding of my feet and heart that's trying to break through my chest. I finally make it to the top of the stairs and am now on top of one the main building. The fresh cold air goes right through me like I am nothing, but a ghost. I look to my left and faintly see the train coming. No lights, no sound, no anything, so I know I have to right one. I start running toward the railway and turn to be parallel. The train blows past causing the lose piece of hair to fly in all different directions. I count the cars as they go by…one...two…three…as soon as the fourth one begins to pass me I throw my body over the railing. I land on my side and roll till I'm on my feet again.

"Welcome Arcadia." And chills fall down my spine then throughout my entire body.