I can't move or breathe or think. My entire being is focused on getting out of there. The water surrounds me, I feel the minutes ticking by, my lungs burn. I cry out.
"Tris!" Christina's warm hand presses me to my bed. I gasped for air. It was just a dream I tell myself, just a dream. Its been nearly a month since the simulations ended, since I took my place here at Dauntless headquarters. I let myself fall into my pillow, hands draped over my forehead. I had nightmares every night. Sometimes it was the crows, sometimes the water tank or the faceless people, sometimes a combination of them all.
I heard footsteps and the sound of the running tap. Christina handed me a glass of water then leaned in the doorway of our shared bathroom.
"The nightmares aren't getting any better?" she asked as I sipped my water. I shrugged.
"I don't know. Will they ever? I mean they aren't that bad." She laughed.
"Not that bad? You're the one who wakes me up in the middle of the night screaming bloody murder. I'll be the judge of that." I forced a laugh and set the glass down on the nightstand. I missed Four. He has been gone for the passed week on some official Dauntless business. Something about negotiating access to the truth serum from Candor. Probably another effort to try to uncover the divergent. They must not know that were immune to that too.
"Four's coming back today." Christina said through a yawn. I nodded. We haven't talked much about him since that day at lunch when we kissed. I knew she and Will were a little uneasy at the thought of me with our instructor.
I glanced at the clock by my bed 4:43.
"You should get back to sleep. We have a couple of hours until we have to be at the security headquarters."She nodded and turned back to her room. We agreed to share an apartment considering that we had both spent the past 6 weeks sleeping in a room with 9 other people. It would have been weird sleeping alone.
"Ugh. Working at Faction security is fun and all but why do we have to be there at 8 every morning." I laughed and pushed my blanket off my feet. I slid a loose cropped tee Christina gave me over my tank top and a pair of black leggings.
I shut the door slowly hoping to not wake Christina again. I turned the corner toward the Cafeteria, jogging down the hall and passed the entrance. I made my way towards the roof where I planted myself firmly on the edge, feet dangling over. I sighed loudly, feeling as if a huge weight was lifted off my chest. I loved the compound but sometimes in order to feel truly free, I had to come out here. I missed him so much. It had only been a week but I still felt a dull ache in my stomach whenever I thought of his face. I closed my eyes, letting my hair whip around my head covering my face.
I don't know how long I sat there, an hour maybe two before I opened my eyes again, squinting at what I thought was blinding light. I stood up and stretched combing my hair back through my fingers, it was getting longer, the length made it feel thicker. It was darkening too, to almost a caramel color. I checked my watch, the only thing I was allowed to keep from my time at abnegation.
6:14
I began to make my way back to my room, pausing at the cafeteria to watch the kitchen staff set up the tables for breakfast.
by the time I got back to our apartment Christina was up and combing her hair by the sink.
"Hey." she said as she tied her hair into a knot at the back of her head. " Where'd you go?" I shrugged and collapsed on our couch.
" Just out. I wanted to get some air. Ready to go to breakfast?" I asked her trying to sound casual.I knew that Four would be there and I wanted to see him so much it hurt. She nodded and pulled open the door, leading me out into the hallway. Together we walked side by side to the Cafeteria silently. My relationship with Four was like a weight hanging over our friendship.
Once in the Cafeteria, Uriah waved us over to him. Now that we were members, Christina, Will, Al and I sit with Uriah and the rest of the dauntless born.
" Hey." Uriah said to me, but I barely heard him. I was to busy scanning the room for Four. He wasn't here yet. I could feel my face fall.
"What's wrong Tris?" A familiar, deep voice whispered in my ear. I felt his calloused hand on my shoulder. I felt a smile spread back on my face. "Tris it's me-" I don't give him a chance to finish because my lips were already on his. I could feel him smile through the kiss as he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me closer to him. I wanted to be alone, I wanted him to pull me closer and closer and never let go. His hand slid from my shoulder to my lower back and rested at my hip lifting me into him. I heard conversations at our table fall down to nothing, I felt eyes on my back but I didn't care. Evidently he did, because he was the first to pull away setting me back down onto the bench, cheeks red.
" If I knew Stiffs kissed like that I would have joined abnegation." Eric appeared out of nowhere, clapping Four on the back before planting himself next to Zeke, Uriah's brother. Four forces a laugh but Uriah piped up.
" That's because they don't, Tris is dauntless now." he smiled at me proudly and I felt my face fill with blush. Four slid into the seat next to me, his hand brushed my shoulder sending shivers down my spine.
"Muffin?" I offered him, but his face was suddenly serious.
"I need to talk to you" he said in a hushed voice. " It's about my trip." I nodded slowly.
" Okay, what is it?"
"Not here. Later, meet me later." he hissed through clenched teeth. His eyes weren't on me though, they were on Eric who was eating toast quietly.
"I don't understand. I though Erudite was backing off? I thought the serum was for Dauntless?" He shook his head quickly, a little to quickly.
" No, the serum is not for Dauntless. It's for Abnegation." he says, though barely moving his mouth.
" Abnegation? Wha-"
"Not here. Later, meet at the training room at seven. I'll explain everything."
I didn't understand. What would Abnegation want with the truth serum. Then it hit me. With people like Marcus in charge, there was only one thing they could want.
Revenge.