I rewrote the Ferris wheel scene in Divergent from Tobias thoughts. I used some dialogue from the book, but used some original. Hope you like it.
She's not Abnegation
Tobias POV
"What do we get if we win?" Someone shouts from the back of the crowd,
"Bragging rights."
"Or a punch in the nose!" One of the initiates in the crowd adds; a couple of them laugh.
"Let's divide into teams, transfers go first." I scan the crowd of transfers looking for one in particular. The one girl with a black eye, split lip, and a bruised jaw, she stands in the back of the train car with a candor girl named Christina. That girl is named Tris, from Abnegation. A Stiff transferring to Dauntless, huh? Well there's a reason why she left them, I had a reason. She must have a feeling that she will be picked last since she's Abnegation. "You go first." I look over at Eric leaning against the door frame.
"Edward." Eric says without hesitation. I scan the transfers again keeping my eyes on Tris. Our eyes meet, out of silence I spoke with certainly in my voice.
"I want the Stiff." People snicker and gasp inside the train car, whispering. The moonlight catches Tris's face. I can see her frustration like she's trying to figure out whether I'm teasing her. She catches me staring wiping any sign of weakness off her face. For a Stiff she's strong-willed who hates showing weakness.
"You got something you wanna prove?" Eric smirks at me crossing his arms. Of course, I want to see how strong she can be. "Or are you just picking the weak ones so that if you lose, you'll have someone to blame it on?" No.
Nonchalant I shrug my shoulders, "Something like that, your turn."
"Peter."
"Christina." Tris looks surprised. Christina isn't small, you could categorize her has one of the less of weak ones.
"Molly."
"Will."
"Al."
"Drew."
"Myra."
As we choose the Dauntless-born initiates I smile. Eric is a fool. He's chosen broad, well-build teammates for capture the flag. I've chosen the slim, narrow built initiates built for running. Just as Eric picks the last Dauntless-born initiate he turns to me biting on one of his rings.
"Alright Four, your uh, "team" can go off second." He points his dirty finger at my team.
"Don't be so cocky. If you're so sure you're going to win why don't you go off second?" I smile waving my arm over by the moving trains exit. Eric shrugs his shoulder nonchalant, "Fine, it's your funeral. See you when we have your flag!"
As everyone got up I turned to see Tris being shoved out the train car by Molly.
Gathering everybody up I feel someone tap me on the shoulder. It was one of the female Dauntless-born,
"So, last time when you play capture the flag where did you guys hide it?"
"That is a secret." I walk off ignoring her attempts at flirtation.
"Then where should we hide our flag?" Tris speaks up for the first time tonight.
"I heard some other initiates talking about how one winning team kept the flag down by a carousel. We can go there, anyone?" Will says
Nobody says anything. Taking that as a yes I lead our group east toward the carousel.
Once at the carousel everyone is arguing where and who should stay to protect the flag. Will takes the flag; taking charge he thrusts it up in the air demanding people to stand watch. Marlene plucks the flag out of Will's hand. "Hey, who put you in charge, transfer?" Will furrow's his eyebrows.
"Nobody did," Will snatched the flag back. "But someone got to do it." Marlene and Will are face to face arguing.
"We should stick together." Drew added
"Hey! Maybe we should think of a more defensive strategy? We can wait for them to come to us, and then we strike." Someone says as the pound their fist down against their palm. I sit on the edge of the carousel, my back leaning against a blue colored horse.
"That's the sissy way out. I vote we go all out. Let's hide the flag well enough so those losers can't find it, oh, and Will stop being a baby." Uriah swipes the flag out from Will's hand.
"But no matter where we hid it we should have people guard the flag."
"Maybe you should shut your face!"
Everyone bursts into the conversation, some defending others. I roll my eyes, the game should start any moment and we don't even have a plan. I spot Tris in the back of the crowd, her gun slung over her shoulder. As much as I agree with Uriah we should hid the flag in a secluded place. Drew is wrong and we would lose if we stick together. Since we don't know where the opposing team's flag is we should have the more muscular initiates should stay and guard the flag. That way we can use brute force to protect the flag if needed. I look over at the initiates. The tall, lean initiates should stay in a group two so we can ambush. We need to spread out among the playing radius, but we shouldn't act unless we know where the other flag is.
From past games of capture the flag I know the playing radius is about two miles. When we know where the other flag is we then can create a diversion. Turning my attention to Tris I notice she's not here. It's dark and I can barely see in the distance but if I squint my eyes I manage to see her walking away. 'Where is she going?' Leaning forward I grab my gun slinging it over my shoulder. I run to catch up to her.
"Tris?" Tris is standing in front of a rusted Ferris wheel looking upwards.
"Hey."
"What do you think you're doing?"
"I don't think I'm doing anything. If we are going to win this someone has to do something, so I'm seeking higher ground." I raise my eyebrow in confusion. She can't be serious. She's going to climb that thing?
"Alright, I'm coming with you." Tris pauses trying to read me. She thinks I doubt her.
"I'll be fine."
"Oh? You think so?" She shakes her head grasping the first ring of the Ferris wheel. She's a few feet off the ground before I follow her.
"What do you think the whole purpose of this, the game?"
"Learning about strategy, and teamwork."
I laugh, "Well, there isn't much teamwork happening now is there?"
"Yea, but you're with me, so there is teamwork," She stops, looking south toward the Erudite compound. "Why are you with me?"
"People are going to think you're weaker than everybody else because you're a Stiff. You have to prove them wrong."
"I know." She sighs.
"So," I take a deep breath to cut my fear. "Prove me wrong."
"Are you alright, Four?"
"Tris, are you human? We are climbing to the top of a Ferris wheel, being up this high…"
"So, you're afraid of heights?" She teased "I think it's funny and all, you know, since you're Dauntless."
"You have to learn to control you're fears. You can't let your life be controlled by fear or you wouldn't get anywhere." Tris stopped at small platform almost at the top of the Ferris wheel. Hoisting myself up I kick my legs onto the platform next to Tris. She dangles her feet over the platform but I keep in a crouch position.
"We're not high enough." Are you kidding me? I slowly stand up ready to follow.
"Four, what are you doing?" Tris gives me a smirk noticing my issue with being this far up.
"I followed you up here didn't I, so I might as well keep going." I keep a safe distance behind Tris. One, if she falls I might be able to catch her. Two if she changes her mind I'll be the first one down. The wind is rough up here. It smacks my face, chilling my cheeks and nose. It's windy enough to knock us down. It proved my point when I saw Tris almost fall a couple of times. My thoughts were interrupted,
"Hey, see that? That's where they're hiding." Tris pointed to a distant pier. Ha, I smile just thinking about the face Eric is going to make when we ambush him.
"Let's go tell the others. They're probably still fighting about who should be in charge."
"I'll start climbing down first." The wind still whipping in my face I tentatively grab the bar beneath me. Above me Tris still seemed to be enjoying the view. Climbing bar after bar I hear a faint cry over the noise of the wind.
"Four!" She's dangling from one of the top rusted bars. What the hell. Of course in my fear of heights something had to happen.
"FOUR!" I hear my name again. Now this feels like I'm in a simulation, except this is real. The gears in my brain turn. Looking around me I try to find a solution. My eyes lock on a solution, this is reckless.
"Hang on! I think I have a solution!"
"You think!?" I hear Tris's doubt.
I climb as fast as I ever could, but it doesn't feel fast enough. Climb faster, climb faster! My shoe gets caught between two connecting bars. "Damn shoes!" I rip my foot out. Judging from how high I am to the ground I guess I can survive. Taking my chances I take a leap of faith landing on my feet. Pain shoots up my legs. Well, it can't be worse than what Tris is going through.
"Hang on!" Running over to the Ferris wheel controls, I pray they still work.
"Like I'm going anywhere!" With a loud creak the Ferris wheel comes to life. The place where Tris hangs on to comes closer and closer to the ground. Almost in slow motion I watch Tris's fingers give way as she falls to the ground. I rush over to her side, pulling her close, I check to see if she's alive.
"Tris, are you alright?"
"Y-yea, I'm alive." Tris smiles, lifting her hands to her face just to make sure she's right. I start to laugh.
"Afraid of heights, now?" She starts to laugh. I realize how little space we have between us. Tris has her hands tightly around me. "Tris, you're not going to fall. I promise."
"Oh, sorry." Her hands immediately fly off along with the warmth she gave me. She jumps up readjusting her paintball gun. "So, let's go get their flag." Tris puts her hand out to help me up.
"You really are something." I stand behind for a moment soaking in the recent events. I watch as Tris's hair swings back and forth as she runs. She runs with purpose. She doesn't belong in Abnegation. She belongs with Dauntless.
