CHAPTER SEVEN

I am not paying attention to where I run. It takes the stitch in my side to slow my pace to a walk. My hand grabs below my ribs, massaging the sore spot. As my breathing slows, I process my surroundings.

Oh! The grey houses, doors hung open, deserted streets: I am in the Abnegation sector.

I drop to the ground as guns go off around me. I can hear bullets ricocheting off of the concrete buildings, others going silent as they hit their mark. I feel the heat of the blasts as children scream around me and adults beg and plead for salvation. I can feel the gun in my hands, even though my arms are wrapped tightly around me. I stay crouched on the ground, hugging my legs to my chest, barely able to breathe while the sounds of death echo around me.

"Timidia!"

Only that, only the sound of my name, can bring me back to reality. I am a no body, so whoever is calling my name must actually know me. The curiosity is enough to pull me from the ground. My eyes scan the streets around me.

I see people about 200 yards to the left, lightly illuminated by the still-rising sun. As I squint, I hear my name again, "Timidia!" It's coming from behind me.

I run towards the sound quickly, trying to escape the notice of the people approaching from the street to the east. I just noticed they are wearing black and blue.

I literally run into the caller of my name and find myself wrapped in Carter's strong arms. "It's okay," he murmurs, smoothing down my hair in a similar fashion as did Tajee. "It's okay."

I raise my eyes to him, uncomprehending. "Who are they?"

He freezes. "Who are who?" he asks.

"The people. Coming towards us. Wearing black and blue," I say.

He looks confused for a second, so I turn around and point. The mob is approaching fast, but I still don't think they've noticed us, tucked around the corner of a building.

He looks scared, so I take that to mean these people aren't welcome.

I grab his hand and tug, trying to pull him down an alley to the right. "Come on!" I urge, "Let's go."

As if in a daze, he follows me a few steps, and then finally bursts into a run.

We dart in between houses until we're at the last row of the Abnegation houses and the army is far behind us. I want to keep running, but Carter grabs my hand and pulls me to a stop.

"Hold on," he says, "the rest of them."

"The rest of whom?" I ask, still tugging his hand. I want to run. Run away, the only defense mechanism I have against the world.

"The other Factionless. We were raiding the houses, trying to find food," he looks at me apologetically, but then continues with desperation, "We should've warned them! They're still in the houses!"

"Carter, we have to go!" I say loudly. I am desperate to be on the move. "They'll be fine!"

Torn, he looks between me and the Abnegation houses. Finally, he lets me pull him away, back towards the Factionless building and my safe little corner.

I'm still holding Carter's hand when we make it to our building. There are people milling around outside the door, sharing cans of food around various campfires, as if nothing of importance is going on in the world.

"Hey, Evans!" calls one of the boys to the left of us. I want nothing more than to walk straight pass them and into my corner, but I don't want to let go of Carter's hand either.

And he's walking towards the boys who yelled his name.

They form a U as we approach, letting us into their circle. I notice Derek standing across from me, but none of the other boys I recognize. They are a mix of torn, dirty clothing of various colors that indicate their status as Factionless. Some of them have long, uncombed hair and dirt-streaked faces, but others look a bit more put together.

Carter clearly recognizes everyone, and lights up when he sees them. "Derek! Sam! David! Jayden!" he shouts, grabbing the shoulder of the boy next to him. "I thought for sure you were goners!"

"Us?" the one named Jayden laughs, "Ha, we weren't the ones running straight for an Erudite Dauntless army!"

"Yeah, man," Derek says, "you're insane, going out there like that. We saw them as soon as you were gone and booked it outta there! Managed to steel some loot though," he gestures proudly to a loaf of bread held by the boy to my left.

Carter reaches over me to grab it out of his hands. "Thanks for the warning, bro," he says between bites of bread. He offers some to me, but I shake my head. I'm nervous standing out here with everyone. "I didn't see anything 'til Timidia here told me. Would've walked straight towards them if it wasn't for her."

At this everyone turns to look at me. I feel my face flame, and I don't think it's because of the heat of the fire.

It's quiet for a second, and then Jayden speaks again, "Hmm, guess she's worth saving." The boys around the fire snicker, and one of them gives out a loud woof-whistle. I could not be more uncomfortable.

Carter, however, could not be more in his element and he laughs alongside them. The boy to the left of me, Sam, tries to snatch the bread from him and the two nearly push me out of the way as they fight over the small loaf.

"That's for not warning me," he says as he puts his knee into Sam's stomach. For a second I'm shocked, but then I see there was no force behind the kick, and Sam is fine.

"And that's for laughing at me," he says, stealing the bread back from him.

"And this is for being such a lame group of friends," he's smiling as he turns and walks away, dragging me, my hand still entwined with his, behind him.

At this, the boys go wild, breaking into fits of laughter, shouts, and inappropriate comments. My face is hotter than the fire by this point; when I get the courage to look at Carter, I can see a faint blush creeping up on his.

"Ignore them," he mutters.

That's hard to do, but in no time at all we're back in the dim building, winding down the hallway back to my corner.

The boys seemed nice enough, despite their teasings, but I'm glad to be back inside. The dark, crowded spaces: they feel safe now.

The world outside this building does not.