Chapter One
I tap the send button repeatedly and watch as a little blue circle appears on my phone's screen. I look at the signal icon – only one bar left. My lips purse in impatience and I glance out the window. The last of the Erudite city lights have long disappeared into the night.
"Would you like something to drink Ms. Matthews?"
"No, thank you Rodney." I stare down at the still spinning blue circle on my phone screen and hit the send button again - no response. I sigh and drop the electronic device into the handbag at my side. My eyes fall closed and I lean back, relaxing against the headrest. My mind considers all of the things I could be accomplishing during the two weeks I will be spending on the outskirts of civilization.
"You haven't taken a single day off since the end of the war." Johanna had argued. "As your friend, I highly recommend you take some time to relax and unwind… Besides, it's been far too long since you've been out to see me."
I had only chuckled at first. But soon, my inbox was filled with images of a small cottage on the edge of Amity. Each image was accompanied by some reason for me to visit; quiet, secluded, away from the city, no traffic, etc., etc. I hated the idea of leaving Erudite, but I also knew Johanna was right – I needed a break. The war, the breakdown of the faction system, it had all weighed heavily on me. Dark circles now seemed to take a permanent residence beneath my eyes, and small wrinkles had formed at the corners. Eventually, I agreed to Johanna's offer and decided to visit.
When the car finally pulls into the driveway it's past midnight and the exhaustion of a full day is weighing down on me. Rodney unloads my suitcase from the trunk. I give him some extra cash for picking up a late shift and send him on his way promising I'll make it into the cottage okay.
When I turn to face the cottage; it's smaller than I had expected. But, I don't really mind since it will just be me for a couple of weeks. I follow the stone walkway up to the front porch and stare at the door for a moment. There's no keypad to input a combination or scanner to read my thumbprint. I reach out and turn the knob, the door is unlocked. I shake my head, there's no way I would ever leave my door unlocked at home. I pull my suitcase behind me and step into the cottage.
For appearing so small, it proves to be quite spacious on the inside. The wood floor is a light shade of pine and a stone fireplace stretches from the living room up through the roof. I pull my suitcase through the living room, past the kitchen and to the bedroom on the far side of the cottage. When my eyes land on the bed tension releases from my shoulders and I feel myself start to relax.
I step out of my heels, heft my suitcase up on the foot of the bed and begin to organize everything into the closet. When everything is in it's place, I change from my business suit into my favorite pair of silk pajamas. I make my way out of the bedroom and back the kitchen. When I turn on the lights I notice a note on the counter with familiar cursive handwriting.
Jeanine-
I'm so happy you are here. I hope you enjoy the cottage and find everything to your liking.
I wanted to let you know - It takes a minute to get hot water so if you're going to take a shower make sure to start the water early. Also, there's a bicycle on the back patio if you want to go for a ride. Of course, you are welcome to anything you'd like.
Make sure to come up and visit me while you're here!
Enjoy,
Johanna
A grin tugs at the corner my lips. Johanna was always looking out for me, even when I didn't deserve it. I leave the note on the counter and open the fridge only to smile again. Johanna had held out no stops. The fridge is stocked full enough to feed an army. My fingers wrap around a bottle of merlot and I pour myself a generous glass. I sip it slowly, appreciating its smoky flavor as it warms my throat. Placing the bottle back in the fridge, I decide to further inspect the cottage.
The living room is furnished with brown leather furniture and a large cream colored shag carpet. It's a far cry from the glass, stainless steel and solid black granite of my house in Erudite. But, I had come here for a change of view, and I had certainly achieved my goal.
I wander through the dining room and open a sliding glass door leading to the back porch. I flip the light switch and a solitary light bulb buzzes to life. The sound of chirping cicadas and tree frogs fills the air. I step out to the edge of the porch and lean against a post. My eyes scan over the moon lit field behind the cottage. It seemed to stretch out forever, like an ocean of dark waves. I take another sip of my wine and my eyes wander up to the sky.
I take a deep breath as the infinite amount of stars overhead fascinate my eyes. The city lights usually keep most of them out of sight. But here, here you can see every single star in the sky. It's a beautiful array of twinkling lights. My mind easily draws up the definition, Star: a fixed luminous point in the night sky that is a large remote incandescent body. I breathe in the stillness and take another sip of wine as my mind drifts away into memories.
What's that one called daddy?
That one? That's Ursa Major.
And that one?
That's Leo,
And that one's Orion's belt!
That's right Jeanine, very good.
It's my favorite.
Oh yeah? Why's that?
Because there are three of them. Just like you, me, and mommy.
That's right honey… You know, anytime you see Orion's belt, you'll know that mommy and I are with you.
I don't want you to leave daddy.
I know honey, I know.
I swallow hard as tears threaten to well up in my eyes. I push the memory to the back of my mind, down the rest of my wine, and return inside. Leaving my empty glass on the kitchen counter, I make my way back to the bedroom. I slide in under the hand-sewn quilt and cotton sheets. Before long my mind is overtaken with memories and dreams.
When I wake the next morning I'm surprised to find its past 7AM. I stare at the ceiling basking in the extended silence which is suspended in midair. No cars, no horns honking or sirens blaring – nothing. I lay in bed for a few minutes realizing that I don't actually have to do anything today. I have no agenda, no meetings, no phone calls or emails - nothing. I furrow my eyebrows at the thought. I can't remember the last time I actually had 'nothing' on my list of things to do.
I stare at the ceiling and an emptiness starts to creep in around me. Work, I don't have anything but work, and right now I don't have any work to do. Perturbed by the thought, I throw the blankets back and propel myself out of bed. I clean myself up, make the bed and change into a blouse and khakis. I return to the kitchen and stare at the eggs in the fridge door before forgoing them and starting the coffee maker.
The old machine slowly whirs and hums to life. I'm both grateful and instantly relieved when steaming black liquid pours into the old glass pot. I wander around the cottage as the scent of fresh coffee permeates the air. There are book shelves on top of bookshelves lining the cabin's walls. I trace my finger over the spines wondering what stories they hold. I wish I had more time to read, but running an entire faction doesn't leave much time for personal things.
I pull a familiar title off the shelf. "Hello Jane." I flip through the familiar pages of Charlotte Bronte's novel Jane Eyre. The coffee machine starts to gurgle and I return to the kitchen, book in hand. I pour myself a mug of the dark steaming liquid and take a sip savoring it's bitter sweet taste. The warm summer air meets me at the door as I step out onto the back porch again.
I take a seat in a wooden rocking chair and look out to see the field behind the cottage filled with tall stocks of hay. A breeze comes and the golden hills roll and again they remind me of the waves of the sea. I take another sip of coffee and set my mug to the side, picking up the book and opening it to the first page.
A few hours go by before I look up from the book again. I stretch my arms over my head and my toes start to tingle as they wake up. I dog-ear my place in the book and stand from the chair deciding to go for a walk. The air is already getting sticky and I want to explore a little before it gets too hot.
I step out the front door of the cottage and look to my left and right. To my right – a steep incline. To my left – a steep decline which I would only have to climb back up after I was tired. I give my shoulders a good stretch and start up the dirt road.
Admittedly, the hill was steeper than I thought. By the time I reach the top I am panting like I've never walked a day in my life. I close my eyes, clasp my hands together on top of my head, and silently wonder what my heart rate is. Once I have started to catch my breath I take a moment to look around and spot an old blue truck pulled over on the side of the road. I stare at it for a moment before my curiosity gets the best of me and I decide to go investigate.
As I walk closer to the truck I spot a young woman crouched beside the driver's side back wheel. My eyes quickly scan up and down her body. She's thin, with tanned skin and dark brown hair piled up in a messy bun. Her denim shorts are frayed at the ends, and I can see the outline of a black sports bra under her sleeveless white- t. I squint in the sun as my eyes travel further down to the flat tire she is struggling to remove.
"Would you like some assistance?"
Surprised, she spins on her heels falling back onto the gravel road. Brown eyes flash up at me wide with surprise. "Where the heck did you come from?" She spits out staring at me before bringing her hands around revealing bloody gashes from where she caught herself.
"I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean to startle you. I'm staying at the cottage just down the hill." I gesture over my shoulder needlessly. "I was just out for a jog and I saw you. I thought, well I thought you might be in need of assistance." The words fall unfiltered from my mouth and I wonder if I am even forming a coherent sentence.
"In need of assistance huh?" Her brown eyes rake up and down my frame unabashedly. I swallow hard and stand tall, refusing to let it phase me."You must be Jeanine," she says conclusively, looking back down at the ground.
I nod my head in confirmation. "Yes, that is correct. Now, may I help you or should I be on my way?" She looks back up at me with defiance in her eyes. "Well, seeing as you just caused me to fall on my ass, I would think you'd like to help me up."
I stare at her blankly, unwilling to let my professional facade break.
"Unless you're as mean as everyone says," she challenges.
I bit down on the side of my cheek. I know she's baiting me. Trying to get a rise out of me, but I swallow hard and refuse to give her the satisfaction she desires.
"So be it." I take another step toward her and offer both my hands to help her off the ground. She stares up at me for a moment, like she's debating whether or not I am going to knock her down once she gets up. My heart sinks slightly, but I continue to look at her expectantly. Her eyes lock onto mine as though she is trying to find my soul. She must have given up, or thought she found something, because next thing I know, her hands are in mine and I am helping to pull her up off the ground.
Once she is up, I turn her hands over to reveal bloody scrapes on her palms. "These will need to be cleaned and bandaged."
"S'nothing." She pulls away and bends down picking up a wrench. Internally, I debate whether or not to argue the probability of infection if her hands are left untreated. But the determined look on her face makes me drop it for the moment. "So what seems to be the problem?"
She hits the flat tire with the wrench, "Can't get the tire off. Damn bolts have rusted." My eyes go wide at her crude language. But I quickly focus my attention on the problem and crouch down to get a better view of the problem. Just as she said, each bolt, or lug nut, has rusted together. So far she has managed to get all but two off. I glance at the wrench in her hand and back at the offending rust.
"Can you bring me the dipstick from the oil?" When she doesn't respond I look up to see her staring down at me with a questioning gaze and an arched eyebrow. A small moment of silence passes before I ask, "Do I need to get it?"
She seems to snap out of her trance, hands me the wrench, and turns on her heels to retrieve the dipstick. When she returns I wipe the oil residue onto the bolt. "We're going to need to do this a few times." She nods in understanding and we repeat the process. Finally, when I think there is enough oil, I ask her to help me use the wrench. Ever so slowly the rust gives way and we turn the wrench until the bolts come completely off.
"Oh thank God." She says with a relieved sigh. "I never thought that thing was coming off," she smiles at me.
I pick the bolts up off the ground and hand them to her with a triumphant smile of my own, "Well it is now."
She nods her head and inspects the rusty bolts, "Thank you."
My heart swells a little in my chest, "You're welcome."
"I'm Tris by the way," she adds standing and offering me her hand to help her up. I stare at it's bloody appearance and give her a questioning glance. "Right, sorry," her hand falls back to her side.
"It's okay." I push myself up off the ground. "It's a pleasure to meet you Tris." I give her a warm smile and she returns it. A moment passes before I break the silence. "So, where's the spare?"
"Oh!" She quickly steps around to the back of the truck and returns with the tire. The rest of the tire change goes smoothly and I am surprised at how quickly she is able to get the new tire on. "So what can I do to repay you?" She asks dropping the wrench into the truck bed.
I start to say 'nothing' but then I get another idea, "You can let me bandage your hands."
She looks down at her palms apologetically. "I don't have a first aid kit with me."
I purse my lips into a tight line. I'm sure I must be scowling because Tris' cheeks instantly go pink when she looks back up at me. I bite my tongue and swallow my lecture on why everyone should have a first aid kit in their vehicle at all times. "Fine, then you'll just have to come back to the cottage with me. I'm sure there's one there."
She nods in acquiescence and opens the truck door. "Want to ride?" I stare at her for a moment. "Come on, it's just down to the cottage. You don't trust our handiwork?"
I look down at the tire and back to see a smirk on her face. I struggle to suppress my smile. "Fine. But wipe that smug look off your face." I grin and climb into the truck sliding over to the passenger's side.
"Yes ma'am," she teases and climbs in the truck beside me.
"So where did you learn to do that?" She asks when we're on the road.
"Um," I stumble for an accurate answer. "Erudite University." She looks over at me incredulously, "You learned how to fix rusted bolts in college?" I shrug my shoulders, "Kinda. I studied quantum mechanics for a couple years."
"Oh well now it makes sense," she teases. We both laugh and I roll my eyes at her antics. She parks the truck in front of the cottage and we go inside.
"So how long have you known Johanna," she asks walking toward the kitchen.
"A long time," I slip into the bathroom to retrieve the first aid kit. When I return she already has her hands in the sink running them under cool water.
"Done this before," I tease.
"Mmm," I set the first aid kit on the counter and watch her eyes go distant as she methodically cleans out the cuts. "Spent a couple years in the Dauntless miliary. I have my fair share of scars." My eyebrows raise in surprise, "I see."
"So you've known Johanna since you were kids?" she asks patting her hands dry and offering them to me to be bandaged.
"Yes." I begin to inspect the cuts, thankful none of them are deep enough to require stitches. "We met in middle school when she was still part of Candor." I apply disinfectant and Tris hisses at the sting. "We weren't instant friends, but we learned to like each other with time." I cover each cut with antibiotic ointment. "People weren't so kind to her after…" My mind trailed off into memory.
I remember when Johanna came back to school. Stitches, from the gash a factionless man had left, stretching nearly the entire length of her face. She had been questioned, even bullied, and as we got older. They couldn't see she was the same girl. They couldn't see past her scar. And, Johanna, she never let it show, how much their teasing hurt. But I knew it did, I knew it was hard not to fit in. So, we befriended each other.
"After what?" Tris' voice brings my attention back to the present and I open new bandages.
"After she was attacked by a factionless man and left with her scar," I said, my voice filled with emotion. Tris remained silent as I applied the bandages and started to wrap them. "I guess we developed a kind of mutual respect for each other because I didn't treat her any differently than I had before."
"Sounds like you were good for each other," she smiles at me.
I focus on securing her bandages. "I'm not sure how good I was for her. But, she always helped me keep my humanity in tact, reminded me that it's okay to have fun sometimes." I finish sealing the bandages and start to put things away.
"So who does that for you now?" Tris asks from beside me. I let out a breathy laugh, "Still just Johanna I suppose, though I don't see her nearly as often anymore... She's the reason I'm here today. She was convinced that I needed some time away from the office." I pack the first aid kit up and return it to the bathroom.
When I return to the kitchen Tris has her hip propped against the counter with a smug grin on her face. "Well, Jeanine, I'm glad you're here," she lifts her hands above her head. "Couldn't've done this all by myself." She laughs and I just shake my head and grin.
"Would you like something to drink," I offer pulling a glass down from the cupboard. "Nah, I really need to get back to work."
"Oh."
"Yeah, gotta start getting that," she gestures out the sliding glass door to the hay field behind the cottage, "Into bales while the seed is still on."
"So you work for Johanna then?"
"Yeah. It's hard work, but it's good for the soul," Tris smiles.
I pick up on a reverent tone in her voice and a smile tugs at the corner of my mouth. I know what it's like to do fulfilling work. "Well, I won't keep you from your work. We wouldn't want Johanna upset with us." Tris turns to me with a flash of mirth in her eye and I wish she could stay longer. I get the feeling there is much more to her than a retired soldier working on an Amity farm.
"That's true. Well, thanks again for your help," Tris says turning and walking toward the front door.
"Anytime," I hold the door open as she stops on the front steps turning to face me. "Hey Jeanine?"
"Yes?" I watch her shift nervously and she kicks at the boards beneath her feet. "There's a bonfire tonight..." She trails off and scratches at her cheek before glancing over her shoulder then back at me. "Maybe you'd like to join me? I mean, you don't have to. But, seeing as you just got here… It might be fun to get out and do something, rather than just hangin' round this cabin."
"Ahh," I consider the invitation for a moment. "Will Johanna be there?"
Tris' eyes tighten together and her lips curl into a contemplative expression. "I doubt it. Haven't seen her at one for a while."
I consider my dog-eared place in Jane Eyre and look back at Tris who is nervously waiting for a reply. I wish Johanna would be there. I really don't like showing up to places unprepared, not knowing anyone. My eyes wander over Tris' figure and my eyes zero in on her bandaged hands. A grin pulls at the corner of my lips, "Yes."
She looks up at me with bright eyes. "Yes?"
"Yes." I smile at her obvious excitement.
"Okay great!" She bounces on the balls of her feet happily. "So I'll see you around seven thirty?"
I nod my head in confirmation. "See you then."
I lean against the door frame and watch as she walks down the stone pathway. She climbs into the old truck and I wave her goodbye, closing the door behind me.
I want to know where you'd like for this story to go. Reviews are always appreciated :)
