Life during a war

Chapter 4: Questions

I sit in the chair that Tobias was sitting in just moments ago. I wipe my neck with the antiseptic wipe and Niles goes to inject me with the serum, but I pull back. "I would rather do it myself." I say.

"Do you know how to?" He asks.

"Yes." I say.

He offers me the syringe and I inject myself. Someone comes over with a trash can and I throw the needle in it.

"What is your name?" He asks me.

"Beatrice Prior."

"But you go by Tris?"

"I do."

"What are the names of your parents, Tris?"

"Andrew and Natalie Prior."

"You are also a faction transfer, are you not?"

"Yes." I say.

"You came from Abnegation? And chose Dauntless?" He asks.

"Yes." I say again.

"Why did you transfer?"

I strain, the way I used to strain when I could almost remember the answer to a test question but couldn't call it to mind.

"I wasn't good enough for Abnegation," I say, "and I wanted to be free. So I chose Dauntless."

"Why weren't you good enough?"

"Because I was selfish."

"You were selfish? You aren't anymore?"

"Of course I am. My mother said that everyone is selfish," I say, "but I became less selfish in Dauntless. I discovered there were people I would fight for. Die for, even."

"Tris, would you please tell us what happened the day of the attack?"

"I woke up and everyone was under the simulation. So I played along until I found Tobias."

"What happened after you and Tobias were separated?"

"Jeanine tried to have me killed, but my mother saved me. She used to be Dauntless, so she knew how to use a gun." I say. "She distracted the Dauntless soldiers so I could get away, and they killed her. I kept running, and I found my father and my brother. We formed a plan to destroy the simulation. We infiltrated the Dauntless compound, and my father and I went up to the control room. He fought off the Dauntless soldiers at the expense of his life. I made it to the control room, and Tobias was there." I say, trying to fight of the tears.

"Tobias said you fought him, but then stopped. Why did you do that?"

"Because I realised that one of us would have to kill the other, and I didn't want to kill him." I say.

"You gave up?"

"No!" I snap. "No, not exactly. I remembered something I had done in my fear landscape in Dauntless initiation… in a simulation, a woman demanded that I kill my family, and I let her shoot me instead. It worked then. I thought…" I pinch the bridge of my nose. My head is starting to ache. "I was so frantic, but all I could think was that there was something to it; there was a strength in it. And I couldn't kill him, so I had to try." I blink the tears from my eyes.

"So you were never under the simulation?"

"No." I press my hands to my eyes to push the tears back so no one can see them. "No," I say again. "No, I am Divergent."

"Just to clarify," says Niles. "Are you telling me that you were almost murdered by the Erudite… and then fought your way into the Dauntless compound… and destroyed the simulation?"

"Yes." I say.

"I think I speak for everyone when I say that you have earned the title of Dauntless."

The Dauntless in the room cheer and pump their fists into the air.

"Beatrice Prior, what are your deepest regrets?"

"I regret…" I say.

What do I regret? I don't regret choosing Dauntless. I don't regret shooting the guards outside the control room. What do I regret?

"I regret the fact that I couldn't save my parents, and that they died for me. They died to save me. To protect me. To show they loved me. I couldn't save them. That is what I regret." I say and this time I don't stop the tears as they come. I let them fall.

I hear the words, "Thank you for your honesty." Everyone in the room says it. I stand up and walk over to Tobias, slowly, tears pouring down my face.

Tobias wraps his arms around me and I cry into him.

"Tris." I hear Christina say my name. I turn my head to look at her.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know your parents had died." She says. She holds her arms open for me and I go into them. She embraces me and I cry into her.

"We should take them to the place where we've been sleeping." Will says.

Christina nods and I dry my eyes with my hands and take Tobias' hand in mine as Christina and Will lead us to the place where we will be staying.

Hey guys, hope you enjoyed it. Sorry the chapter was so short. The next one will be longer, I promise.

Please review.