Guess who's back and obsessed with divergent?
To anyone that followed my last story just a quick note to say its not 100% finished. I've been working on a prologue for it but I read the divergent series and fell in love with Eric. Oops
Again this is a work in progress and shout out to my beta (All Star Imagination) for fixing some minor (major) plot holes and spelling errors because I'm basically illiterate
On the Run
Chapter 1
Alone.
I am alone.
How long has it been this way? I'm not sure. All I know is that years ago I managed to escape into the Outlands. Simply put, the Outlands are just a very large, deserted (or at least that's what the Faction leaders want people to think) section of Chicago separated by the Wall that surrounds the main city. This section was never developed by the people in the main city and to save resources it was cut off from the rest.
As I said, the Faction leaders went out of their way to lead the citizens of the city to believe that it was empty, but I learned quite quickly that that was not the case. There are Factionless people here. We are the people who chose to leave, to run away. The people who don't abide by the Faction system. We fight against it. Although there aren't many of us out here we're still a thriving community.
I gave up trying to figure out why they keep us separate, why they let us live. Or for that matter why they even tell people that nothing beyond the inside walls exists. It wastes too much energy. The Faction leaders know about us, but as long as we keep a low profile, no lights on past a certain time, no going too close to the main city and no communication with the main city, they act as if we don't exist. It's quite strange really.
Surely the corrupt power hungry Factions like Erudite and Dauntless wouldn't just let us be? I sometimes think maybe they really don't know about what's out here, but then I think of Jeanine Matthews, who really does seem to know everything, and I realise that someone like her surely knows exactly what was going on. If she was letting us live it must have been for a reason or something.
From my window I can just make out the city. The early morning sun was reflecting off the glistening windows of the Erudite tower, where no doubt everybody was already at work in there. I don't remember my old life, my family, friends or even what Faction I was in. I have no idea what kind of a person I was before the accident, as I call it. I just can't remember. Sometimes I have dreams about it but it's hard to distinguish dream from reality.
Moving away from the full length window, I pull on my clothes. Today it's a dirty grey tank top and a pair of black high-waisted jeans. This is what I woke up in all those years ago when I was strapped into a bed in what I assume were the Dauntless Headquarters, although it's much dirtier now, and the jeans have rips in the knees from where they've been worn in or snagged. My boots I've been wearing since the accident, big thick military style boots, and the kind you'd expect to see on a Dauntless. Did I steal them or were they already mine? Was Dauntless my faction? I shiver at the thought.
Viewing my reflection in the dusty window, I comb through my dark hair and tie it up high at the top of my head in an effort to keep it off my neck but by now it's too long and still manages to fall between my shoulder blades. No doubt this will irritate me later.
I like this building. I come back to it every now and again. Mainly because I like the view, especially in the morning when I get to watch the sun rise. I sit on my makeshift bed and gather my belongings. I have a torch, a few candles, a few changes of dirty clothes, a nearly empty bottle of shampoo (which I have to ration myself on) and a little notebook with a pen. I used to keep track of the days in this book but I gave up after two years. I would rather not know.
Once my things are packed away into my rucksack I scan the skyline of the Outlands and search for a building that looks stable enough to stay in tonight. I can't risk going too close to the main city, but if I go to edge of the outlands it would feel too obvious. Dauntless soldiers patrol the rim of the city and shoot either Factionless on sight. Not that that's really an issue for me though. Truthfully I want to get as far away from Chicago as possible, although that's harder than you would think it would be. Once I found an old map in a building I presume was a school but there doesn't seem to be anything past the outside fence. It just looks like a wasteland.
Sometimes I wonder what happened. Was it a war? Did the rest of the world survive? Are there more cities like this one or are we the last? But whenever I think about it I have to remind myself that I need to focus on surviving. I need to find food and water and stay on the move. I still haven't covered all of the Outlands yet. Part of me is afraid to venture too far, yet another part of me yearns to explore.
Today I think I will move further out. If anybody was looking for me they must have covered the perimeter by now, but I won't go close enough to the Fence so that I could see it. However much I like this building I know I can't stay in this area too long. I nip into the bathroom before I leave and fill my water bottle up from the tap. I was surprised when I found out that some of the bigger buildings have running water. I don't visit them too often though as most of the people that live out here tend to stick to these buildings. This one is an old hotel and even though the outside of it looks horrific and run down, the inside is mostly still intact… Well, once you got about halfway up it was a little cleaner, and up on the top floor it was probably the closest thing to luxury I think I will ever experience. The walls aren't crumbling and there are no gaping holes in the floor, so that's something.
Once I've made it down to the ground floor lobby I take a minute to brace myself before giving the heavy, rusted door an almighty push and heading outside. Today is going to be another hot one and I have a lot of ground to cover before I get to the building I'll sleep in tonight. Thankfully I won't need to make a detour today as the supply building I'll need to visit is about halfway between here and where I'm heading.
They call it a shopping mall, and before everything turned to shit I imagine that it would have been quite beautiful. It's sort of the centre of life out here. When I first got here I thought everything would be broken and uncivilised but it wasn't. I know the Factions in the main city don't like to mix with one another but out here there aren't any Factions. Out here we all rely on each other to survive.
I tread carefully on the broken road. I know somewhere around here there's a huge hole leads to the sewers underneath. That's the crazy people live. Some of them lost their minds over the grief of their past, and some of them simply couldn't hack the lifestyle of constant vigilance that we live. It took a while to get used to them. At night you would often see them running around, starting fights… or just shouting at walls. I'm glad they stick to the sewers in this particular area. It's strangely considerate of them to not spread themselves around the entire Outlands.
There's a lot of debris on the road, broken down cars and lorries are common, along with general waste. Every now and then there are roads that are blocked or broken, which means having to find another route. I tend to stick to the quieter streets but sometimes I am forced to use the busier streets. Every person I see, however infrequent that may be, looks run down, dirty and tired yet we all survive. That's what's important out here, survival. I try not to form friendships with people. I'd rather be on my own after what I did.
Once I reach the mall I head straight to where I know I will find food. Everyone out here only takes what they need, and if they can return something after it's been used they often do. Small things like this proves that we are a community. That we don't need Factions to survive. There's a shop in here that has all kinds of tools and building equipment that people use to fix their homes, and you can guarantee that when they are finished they bring it back so that another person can use it.
I run up a broken electric staircase and take a left to the makeshift food storage. I'm certain this used to be another kind of shop but it was big enough area for all the food that everyone scavenged at the start of all of this to be stored in. This area however is monitored at all times, as it would be easy for people to take more than they need.
"Morning Joe," I mutter to the old man at the desk by the entrance. He has a clipboard that he takes inventory on and keeps track of who's taken what, and how much.
"Izzy," He greeted. "I was worried something had happened to you." The old man is the closest thing I have to a friend out here and probably the only person I willingly speak to.
"I'm fine, wasn't hungry." I lied. I have been starving but last week I was nowhere near the mall, but I managed to find a little shop with a few cans of beans hidden away in a cabinet I manage to bust open.
"Why don't you stick around this time? It won't do you any good running around for the rest of your life." His tone is warning, and I know he's only saying it because he cares but it's safer this way.
"I'll think about it Joe." I lie again "I'll be needing a few days' supply, heading a bit further out." I added, changing the subject.
He doesn't say anything this time, he just hands me a small basket and gives me a sympathetic look which I try to ignore as I walk into the dimly lit unit. I head straight past the fresh food that people have grown and head to the back where the canned food is kept. I pick up a few cans of soup along with some peas and canned pineapple.
While I'm here I also pick up a few cereal bars. I like to treat myself every now and again. The back of the shop is looking slightly emptier as the weeks go by, although the front always looks fuller because of how many people grow fresh food on the roofs of their buildings I think it's a good idea and maybe if I was to settle down I would probably do the same.
Once I'm finished and it's all checked out with Joe, I stuff what I have into my pack and head downstairs, quickly running into the clothes shop to grab a clean black t shirt and some more jeans, neither of which are the correct size but I have to make do. I head back outside and find that it's gotten even hotter since I have been in there. It must be at least midday by now. I hurry along the streets, sticking to the shade as I make my way to my destination. I make it halfway before the hairs on the back of my neck prick up. I suddenly feel awkward and uncomfortable, and not just because I'm sweating buckets.
Someone is watching me.
I fight all instincts to stop and look around for them. I don't want them to know I know they're there. Instead I carry on as I was, except now I take a different route, ducking into alleyways whenever possible. I only feel a little more reassured once I've picked up the pace, although I know I won't be able to keep it up for much longer I also know that neither will they.
Eventually I can't handle the heat anymore and run into what I hope is an abandoned building. I make my way quickly but quietly to the top, not being able to stay on the ground floor, and I'm relieved when I find the door to the roof. I open it and immediately shut it behind me, trying to make as little noise as possible. A quick look around shows me that this building is taller than most of those around it (which explains why I'm more out of breath than usual) but I choose to duck behind what I think is a vent box.
I feel safer up here. I can't feel anyone watching me. I take this moment of relief to down some of my bottle of water, I have to be careful to avoid dehydration although I also know the chances of finding a building with running water is pretty slim out here, so I need to save what I have left.
I stay up on the roof until the sun starts to dip in the sky which causes the box I'm sitting behind to cast a welcome shadow over me. I am getting tired now and I know the building I have picked out is only a short distance away, but the door up here closed behind me and it doesn't open from the outside.
Fuck. I'm going to have to go roof jumping.
I've done it before, but the buildings are a little further apart here so I'll have to be extra careful. I try not to think as I take a running jump at the building next to me. It's a little higher so I really have to jump. My heart stops when I run and leap off into mid-air and I panic just in case I don't make it, but I grab onto the side of the building and haul myself up over the edge. I feel all tingly as the adrenalin kicks in, and I'm straight onto the next roof which is a little bit lower down this time. I drop onto it and roll.
It feels like no time at all until I'm at the chosen building. I have to break open the door to the roof with a metal pole which I thankfully managed to find on the other side of the roof. Once I'm in I go a few flights down and look for a door that's still intact. I find one that I have to barge open and once I'm in I do a quick check of all the rooms before barricading the door closed with a bookshelf and a table. It smells damp in here and it's cold. Fantastic. I look around the room for a blanket but everything I see is covered in mould. So I settle for a cushion off a broken sofa that has one side mould free. I walk through the apartment until I find the bathroom and lock myself in. I don't know why but the bathroom always feels like the safest place. Maybe it's because there's no windows.
I set about making myself feel safer by removing the shower curtain and covering the door with it so that when I light my candles no light will get out. I then also place a mouldy towel over the crack in the bottom of the door. I check the walls for holes and then the taps for water but there is none. Surprise surprise. Once I'm satisfied that no light will escape the room I light the candles and place them on a shelf so that they light up more of the room.
I know I have to be quick when I light the candles because they have to last me as long as possible, so I rip open a can of soup and drink it cold. I try not to gag as the lumps of whatever's in it slide over my tongue and down my throat. It's not the worst thing I have tasted by all means, but I can't help but feel it would be better hot. I had a little gas cooker thing I found in a building full of camping things once, but one of those crazy Factionless men mugged me for it. I got a nice big scar from where he tried to stab me but thankfully I managed to dodge out of the way in time for him to only slice my forearm.
I lost a lot of blood that night. I probably wouldn't have my arm if it wasn't for old Joe. He has a friend who runs a little medical centre who gave me some medicine which prevented infection. Joe then stitched me up and I stayed with him and his wife for a few days while my stitches healed, and he gave me the rucksack to replace the one that got stolen. I think about that day every now and again. It was a stupid move walking around the Outlands at night. Something I will never do again. In fact I haven't been outside at night since. Can't risk a repeat.
I blow out the candles and settle down on the floor of the bathroom. It's not quite big enough for me to lie stretched out, but I don't mind. At least it feels safe. I close my eyes and I can really feel the exhaustion kicking in. I'm achy all over and I think I bruised a rib when I landed on the roof at an odd angle. Now I remember why I stopped doing that. While I lie on the floor I can't help but think about whoever might have been watching me. Could they have found me? My heart rate picks up and a prickle of fear runs through me at the thought of what they might do to me. What they did do to me…
There's a pain in the back of my head and I feel groggy. My whole body aches but I can't bring myself to open my eyes. Not yet. My eyelids are too heavy but the sharp stabbing feeling in the back of my head is accompanied by a pain in my left cheek. I can't move and the pain becomes more prominent until eventually I black out.
I wake up again. This time I feel a fresh wound on my jaw. Is it really fresh or was it there before? The pain in my cheek feels like fire and the back of my head makes me feel nauseous. But I still can't move. Once again the world goes black. How many times I wake up only to be overcome by the pain again I don't know, but I need to get out of here. Am I being tortured? Because it sure fucking feels like it.
Eventually I am able to stay conscious for more than a few seconds, and this time I am able to open my eyes. The pain in my head and face are bearable now. Barely. When I open my eyes I find that I'm lying down on a hard bed in a room full of people who are all talking at once. None of them have noticed me yet, and I realise that I am fully clothed and my hands are tied down with straps. Panic floods over me.
I glance around, desperately trying to make as little movement as possible so I don't draw any attention to myself. I can see three people standing to the left of me. Three men, all of them dressed in black. Two of the men are broader and appear to be more muscular. One has darker skin and the other has a tattoo down his neck. The one in the middle however seems leaner. I can make out his face and he's actually kind of hot, not that now is the time to be noticing things like that Izzy, you idiot. I try and focus my eyes on the other two. The tattooed one is listening intently to something that the man with darker skin is saying.
"What the fuck are we going to do with her?" One of the men says. I close my eyes at this point to try and focus on the conversation.
"Kill her." Another one suggests, I think it's the tattooed one. His tone of voice alone sounds deadly. A fresh wave of panic washes over my body. They're talking about me, I know it.
"We can't just kill her! Be rational for once!" What the hell did I do? I try to rack my brain but I can't remember anything.
"The hell we can! She tried to kill a member of the faction!" Why can't I remember anything?!
"She's only an initiate!" What's an initiate? Where am I?
"It's still attempted murder! Who knows, she may have succeeded!" No… Surely not! No, no, no! Please no! I don't want to be a murderer!
I'm fighting to remain still in my restraints. Nothing about this feels right. Why are these people talking about me? Did I really kill someone?
"Shut up you two! It's been a week, we need to address the Faction. Maybe they can help us decide what to do with her." Which one said that? I need to get out of here.
"She deserves to die for what she did!" One of them practically shouts, before stalking off, slamming a door behind him.
I jolt awake.
