I never know when I should update these things, so I'm sorry if I take too long! Also did anyone see the city of bones the other day? It was great. I think Lily and Jamie are perfect for Clary and Jace. I can't wait for city of ashes! Anyway thanks for waiting, this is chapter 7 which is chapter 8 in the book (I'm not sure how that happened). Please take a moment to give your opinion in the reviews, I love knowing that people are reading
We follow the rail tracks to the city. I walk along the rail, concentrating only on my balance. Suddenly, a low groan sounds, breaking my concentration. I jump down, and land not so gracefully beside Tris.
"It's coming," she says, brushing her hands on the front of her jeans. "I think we should get on."
"Even if it's run by the Erudite?" Caleb asks.
"If the Erudite were running the train, they would've taken it to the Amity compound to look for us," I say patiently. "I think it's worth the risk. We'll be able to hide in the city. Here, we're just waiting for them to find us."
We all manoeuvre ourselves from the tracks and wait to board the train. I hear Caleb speaking to Susan, I can't tell what he's saying but judging by his hand gestures and tone of voice, it sounds like he's giving her instructions.
The first car shoots past us, but we don't let it get far. I don't run quite as fast as I could've to ensure that Tris makes it on first. She runs a little further before flinging herself onto the train floor, before Caleb reaches out and helps her regain her balance. I take a hold of the handle bar and swing myself in after her, my hand on my gun secured in my belt. I look up to see that we aren't the only ones with weapons. A man stands in front of me, pointing a gun at my torso. The factionless.
"I've never seen the Amity armed before," a woman says, brandishing a knife.
I don't say anything, just keep my eyes steadily on the man in front of me, not really taking anything in.
"They aren't Amity," he says accusingly. "They're dauntless."
It suddenly clicks. Edward. I trained that kid to fight. He was pretty good at it as well...
"Hello Edward," Tris says, just as my thoughts are becoming complete.
"Tris," he addresses, turning a little to look at her, though his gun remains where it is.
"Whatever you are," the woman says, "you'll have to get off this train if you want to stay alive."
I remain silent, which is probably a bad idea because Susan speaks up, her voice shaking with desperation. "Please. We've been running... and the rest of them are dead and I don't..." she lets out a sob. "I don't think I can keep going... I-,"
I hold back the urge to roll my eyes. I know I should probably be more sympathetic since this is all new to her, but all she seems to be doing is slowing us down. I don't react though, maybe I'm just being irritable.
"We're running from the Erudite," says Caleb. "If we get off, it will be easier for them to find us. So we'd appreciate it if you let us ride into the city with you."
"Yeah," Edward replies. "And what have you ever done for us?"
"I helped you when no one else would," Tris says quickly. "Remember?"
"You maybe," he says, dragging out the maybe. "But the others?" he gestures to us, "not so much."
I decide now would be best to speak up. I've waited long enough. I need to stay on this train. I step forward in one long stride, the barrel of the gun millimetres away from my throat. My voice is firm when I say; "my name is Tobias Eaton, I don't think you want to push me off of this train."
I watch carefully as they lower their weapons and exchange meaningful looks. "Eaton, really?" Edward says, eyebrows raised. "I have to admit, I did not see that coming."
He clears his throat as I wait with bated breath. I can only hope that he doesn't mention anything about my mother just yet. "Fine you can come. But when we get to the city you've got to come with us." He smiles a little then, nothing to sinister, but again, if he brings up my mother... "We know someone who's looking for you, Tobias Eaton."
Tris and I sit at the end of the cart. My mind is going crazy. A part of me doesn't want to see her. A big part of me that is. I want to block her out of my life completely and never set eyes on her again. I want to leave her the way she left me.
Another part of me, however, wants more than anything to see her. To yell at her for leaving me, to tell her she had no right to try and contact me again after what she did. I want to make her feel guilty about what she's done to me.
And since we're on our way to seeing her, I guess I'll have to go with the second option.
"Do you know who it is?" Tris' voice stops my train of thought. Only then do I realise that my fists are clenched tightly.
I nod.
"Who, then?"
"It's hard to explain," I say quickly. Which is a lie because it's actually all too easy to explain. "I have a lot to tell you." The second part is true.
To my surprise, she leans against me. Her head resting on my right shoulder.
"Yeah," she breathes. "So do I."
A little while later, the factionless tell us it's time to be getting off. This place hits me with a stab of unwelcomed recognition. Abnegation. I'd forgotten this was near where the factionless stayed. Seeing it again makes my hands curl into fists in my lap. The memories of my home and Marcus sweep over me and I have to take a deep breath to steady myself before I get to my feet.
"What if we get hurt," Susan snivels.
Tris takes her hand reassuringly. "We'll jump together, you and me. I've done this a dozen times and never got hurt."
I can't help but envy her patience.
"On three," she says. "One...two...three!"
They leap from the train's edge, hand in hand. I don't wait any longer before throwing myself off right after them. I look over to see that everyone has managed to jump successfully, except for Susan, who is being helped up by Caleb.
We follow the factionless a few metres behind, Caleb and Susan a metre or so in front of us.
I look at Tris and bring my hand gently to her shoulder. "It's been a while since I checked that shoulder. How is it?"
"Okay," she replies. "I brought the pain medicine, luckily." She pauses. "I don't think I'm letting it heal very well. I keep using my arm, or landing on it."
"There'll be plenty of time for healing once this is all over."
"Yeah."
Our somewhat light conversation sets my mind at ease momentarily before I realise that where we are going could potentially be dangerous. I pull a knife from my back pocket and hand it to her. "Here. Just in case."
She doesn't say anything, just gives me a small grateful smile and fits it into her pocket.
We turn left onto an alleyway as the smell of garbage hits me, the kind of smell that will cling to my olfactory senses even after we've left the place. The stench so thick and cloying that I disgustedly expect the smell will permeate not only my clothes, by my skin as well.
I knew the factionless were in bad conditions but this, well this is something else entirely. Edward comes to a stop outside one of the grimy brick buildings and yanks open the door. We follow soundlessly into a large dank room. My eyes slowly adjust to see that the room is full of people.
They all sit around in small groups, talking and drinking and eating cold, canned food. It's strange to see everyone wearing a variety of clothes, black and grey and red and yellow, all the colours of the different factions. Whatever they could get their hands on, I expect.
"Come on," Edward says eventually. "She's back here."
My stomach tightens at that. I'm still thinking of a quick way to explain all this to Tris. I'm a little worried that she'll freak out in front of Evelyn.
"What's going on here? Why are you all together like this?" Tris says suddenly.
"You thought they- we- were all split up," Edward replies. "Well they were, for a while. Too hungry to do much of anything except look for food. But then the stiffs started giving them food, clothes, tools, everything. And they got stronger, and waited. They were like that when I found them, and they welcomed me."
I'm too anxious to process what anyone's saying anymore. My mind's racing once again and I feel a little nauseous. I suddenly realise I'd been subconsciously gnawing at my gums, which are now bleeding.
Edwards stop again, at another door. My heart is hammering against my chest, my jaw clenched.
"Wait, you say they were waiting?" says Caleb. "What were they waiting for exactly?"
"For the world to fall apart," Edward says. "And now it has."
He pushes open the door and there, a few metres away from us, is to my surprise, not Evelyn, but another lady.
"Strays?" she says.
"Not hardly, Therese." He points to me without even turning his head. "This one's Tobias Eaton."
Therese jut stares at me, her expression unreadable. "He certainly is. Hold on." And she shuts the door once again.
I swallow hard, my throat feel like sandpaper. My heart feels like a rock, slamming against my ribs at a rapid pace.
"You know who she's going to get, don't you?" says Caleb accusingly.
"Caleb," I say, suppressing my anxiety as best I can. "Please shut up."
The door swings open again and Therese steps back to let us into the room. It's dark but I don't let that distract me. The fog in my head suddenly clears though when I see her. Evelyn. My mom. I reach out and take Tris' hand quickly. I realise I'm probably squeezing too hard, but she doesn't say anything if I am. "Evelyn," I say, my voice trembling a little more than I hoped it would.
I feel Tris' grip on my hand loosen slightly. I freeze. I can feel her eyes fixed on me. As if her stare is a branding iron marking "liar" onto my skin for everyone to see. I hope she lets me explain.
"Hello," she walks around the table, her eyes trained on me. "You look older."
"Yes. Well, the passage of time tends to do that to a person," I say, my voice dripping in sarcasm.
She smiles. "So you've finally come—"
"Not for the reason you think," I say quickly. My heart rate has slowed down a little. "We're running from the Erudite, and the only chance of escape we had required me to tell your poorly armed lackey's my name."
Oh, if looks could kill. She glares at me, and I glare back with no other way to express my anger at this moment in time.
"I see," she says slowly, a humourless smile playing upon her lips. "Introduce me to your fellow refugees then."
I look down to our joined hands and quickly untangle our fingers. "This is Tris Prior," I say gesturing. "Her brother Caleb. And their friend Susan Black."
"Prior," she says thoughtfully. "I know of several Priors, but none of them are named Tris. Beatrice however..."
"Well," Tris says, her ever present stubbornness apparent in her tone. "I know of several living Eatons, but none of them are named Evelyn."
"Evelyn Johnson is the name I prefer. Particularly amongst a pack of Abnegation."
"Tris is the name I prefer," she retorts. "And we're not Abnegation. Not all of us, anyway."
Evelyn gives me a look. "Interesting friends you've made."
"Those are population counts?" says Caleb from behind me. Again with the questions. "And what? Factionless safe houses?" he points to the first line on the chart. "I mean, these places on the map? They're safe houses, like this one, right?"
"That's a lot of questions," says Evelyn. "For security purposes, I will not answer any of them. Anyway, it is time for dinner."
We begin to file out of the door. Caleb and Susan at the front, walk side by side. Tris follows after them, but I wait till last. I need a word with Evelyn.
"I'm not stupid," she murmurs as I join her side. "I know you want nothing to do with me – though I still don't understand why—"
Is she being serious.
"But, I will extend my invitation again. We could use your help here, and I know you are like-minded about the faction system—"
"Evelyn," I say, trying to keep my voice steady. "I chose dauntless."
"Choices can be made again."
I can feel myself losing it. "What makes you think I'm interesting in spending time anywhere near you?" I demand, coming to a halt.
"Because I'm your mother," she says self pity apparent in her tone. "Because you're my son."
"You really don't get it," I say lowering my voice. I suddenly feel a dull pain in my stomach. "You don't have the vaguest conception of what you've done to me." I inhale deeply. "I don't want to join up with your little band of factionless. I want to get out of here as quickly as possible."
She scoffs. "My little band of factionless is twice the size of Dauntless. You would do well to take it seriously. Its actions may determine the future of this city."
At that, she stalked off, ahead of both Tris and I to the front of the line. Tris slows her pace a little so I can catch up, and join her side.
"How long have you known?" she asks.
"About a year," I say, exhaustion taking over both my limbs and my brain. I slump against the wall with a small sigh and close my eyes. "She sent me a coded message in Dauntless, telling me to meet her at the train yard. I did, because I was curious, and there she was. Alive. It wasn't a happy reunion, as you can probably guess,"
"Why did she leave Abnegation?" Tris asks softly.
"She had an affair," I shake my head. "And no wonder, since my father...". "Well let's just say Marcus wasn't any nicer to her than he was to me."
My head flashes with images of my mother cowering against the kitchen wall as Marcus raised his hands. I could almost hear her pleas of mercy-. I dismiss the image quickly.
"Is... that why you're angry with her? Because she was unfaithful to him?"
"No," I say firmly, opening my eyes. "No, that's not why I'm angry."
She walks towards me carefully, as if she were approaching a vicious dog, being careful not to upset me. "Then why?" her voice is quiet.
"She had to leave my father, I get that. But did she think of taking me with her?" My voice is hard.
"Oh. She left you with him."
"Yeah," I say, anger rising inside me. I begin to kick at the concrete floor in frustration. "She did."
Her fingers find mine clumsily. I do nothing but stare down at our joined hands. I know she's trying to comfort me, but I can't seem to get him out of my head.
"It seems to me," I say eventually, "that the factionless are better friends that enemies."
"Maybe, but what would the cost of that friendship be?"
I shake my head, unable to think straight. "I don't know, but we may not have any other option."
Sorry if that chapter was a little boring. I tried to include as much of Tobias' thoughts as I could but there wasn't much room to do so. Anyway, thanks for reading!
