Well hello there, my patient and loyal readers! Im dearly sorry that this chapter has taken so long (and that it isn't extremely long), I have just been extremely busy with things like rowing, school work, christmas and family priorities and my own reading and social life. I have also had major writers block.

IM BACK NOW. And even if it isn't a chapter a week, or every two weeks, I may be doing a chapter a month. The characters and the story is growing and I have my friend and BETA vcgibbs to help me. If you have any suggestions or ideas on how you would like this story's path to lead, fell free to PM me (although your idea may not be used but taken in to a count).

So, without any further ado, chapter 7...

CHAPTER 7: Firestarter

I dropped to a crouch on the cold, rough rock ground, sifting my hands over the surface, searching for my friend. I could feel the sharp edges of the legs holding up the cool metal table, the counter which held Tori's register and a layer of her scattered notes on my left. I blinked a couple of times, trying to make my eyes adjust to the pitch black and harsh, red flashing lights. I crawled over to my right in search of any other animate objects or people, particularly Christina. I again felt the area to my right, with no avail, my searching hands were only met with solid, now-icy air and the inanimate structure of the old, rock design-ridden wall.

A womans robotic voice screeched loudly on through the loud-speaker and reverberated through the shop. It said: " CODE RED. ALL DAUNTLESS MEMBERS AND INITIATES, PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE PIT IMMEDIATELY. CODE RED. ALL DAUNTLESS MEMBERS AND INITIATES PLE…" It continued echoing through the tunnels outside of Tori's shop. I wonder what code red meant? I cannot think of anything to be much of a problem, it is Dauntless...The voice was then joined by the sound of heavy feat running through the corridor, white torch lights flicked through the shop windows and I ducked out of sight, not knowing the correct thing to do. When the glare of one of the torches passed over the back of the store, it stopped as a metallic clatter-bang rang through the eery shop.

"Who's there?!" Shouted the man with the torch. I couldn't spot the beholder of the voice from my hiding spot -but even if I was in the open I wouldn't be able to tell from the brightness of the torch light.

I looked over to where the man was pointing the torch, trying to see what he was looking for but I heard nothing coming from the back of the store. I let out a sigh of relief as I saw the fleeting shadow of the man, who had given up. He ran to catch up with the rest of his group, in search of what, I couldn't say.

"Psst…" I jumped as i heard the whispered voice. "Hello? Anybody there?" I stayed quiet, it could be anyone.

"Tris… Christina?" It asked -wait…- Tori asked?

"I'm here!" I shout-whispered back. "Tori, is that you? It's Tris."

"Tris come to the back of the store, I've got a back exit we can go out of. Hurry!" She replied quietly with urgence. She must have knocked something over as I heard another tin like clatter from where her voice was.

"Wait, what about Christina?"

"Forget about her… I think she left."

"What?!" I exclaimed, my brow furrowed. "She wouldn't leave without me… or without telling me at least…"

"Look, she probably went to the cafeteria like

on the loudspeaker said to do. Now come on!" She said, her voice was suddenly right next to me. Her hand found mine and she dragged me out of my hiding spot, whispering "Crawl," and "Follow me.". She then dropped my hand so that I could crawl along behind her.

An unwelcome image came to mind and I found myself repeating my question aloud, "What does code red mean?"

"Well… it usually means…- look, i'll tell you when we get down to Ember."

Ember? That brings another question to mind, but I don't bother asking and wait till we get out of the shop.

Our knees shuffled along the hard ground, burning through the material of my trackies. My hands were all wet and clammy, sticking to the floor every time I tried to raise them. Tori was having better luck with not being too noisy. We had almost reached the back room and I am surprised as Tori carries on crawling past and towards what I now think to be her office.

Once she discreetly closed her door after we had both hurried in, I let out a breath I didn't know I had be holding. Tori seemed to have done the same, but as she skimmed her fingers through her hair I could see that her hands were shaking.

"OK. Code red usually means that there is large fire somewhere in the area, or… a breach to the security and system of Dauntless," Woah. I wonder what that is supposed to mean is happening. Tori continues. "Those men that came searching Dauntless earlier, did you notice anything odd about them? Their clothing?"

She gave me a few seconds to think this over. Now that she mentioned it, "The man had an odd accent, assif this wasn't where he came from, but he still spoke English…"

She nodded in agreement. "They were wearing odd camouflage, greens and browns. No one has seen these since way before our time, Tris. They aren't from around here. They're not from any other faction either." She said flatly. Her tone was deadly serious and I started to worry. She immediately brushed it off and insisted we needed to head to the Ember. I was still curious thought.

"The voice over the intercom, it's usually a Dauntless members voice, Four's isn't it?" I say.

She takes this into a count, weighing it up. Suddenly her eyes went wide. "Of course! They must be rounding everybody into the Pit for… what?" She must have seen my scrunched up expression and the confusion written on my face "I just can't comprehend why they would want to do so…" she trailed on.

"Yeaaah, why wouldn't it be Four's though? His voice on the intercon, I mean." I questioned.

"Well, if they've rounded everybody up, he's bound to be there as well."

"OK. Ummm… Yeah… OK."

"Anyway! lets forget about Four. He doesnt matter." She paused. I was starting to think that he did matter. " We need to go to Ember!"

She suddenly rose from the ground and beckoned me to follow her around the desk in her office, leading me to face the blank office wall, all but white apart from the random designs and drawings. I look to question Tori, but can only see the back of her head descending down a dark trap door at my feet. Wait. A trap door?

"Tris!" She whispered, waving her hand in my direction, telling me to come.

I looked behind me before I turned and tiptoed down the steep stairs, closing the hidden trap door and descending into darkness.

I could hear the soft tap tap of our feet on the old stone ground. It smelt of damp and mold, as if someone or something had once inhabited this underground… cave. As we carried on walking down the tunnel, I started to hear the faint sound of rushing water, like a waterfall.

"What's that?" I whispered to the space in front of me.

"The Chasm." The moving shape replied plainly.

The Chasm? How can we possibly be this far underground already? The Chasm is at the bottom of the pit, maybe this is the far end of it? I started to see mist further down the tunnel, like water vapor. As we walked out into the mist I realised that it is water vapor. I didn't ask questions, just waiting to see where we're going. Though through the thickening mist I could see a glowing orange color, which turned into two, then three then four then five more lights. The lights stood like old torches attached to the stone wall. Every couple of metres, one more would appear out of the darkness and join the rest, as the others behind me sank back into the wet black.

The ground was getting wetter as moss started to appear on the surface, mangling with the water and making a slippy slide. The ground started to slope downwards in a steep decline, and I had to brace myself on the wall to prevent myself from slipping from the wetness. Tori walked with ease, as if she had done this walk a thousand times before.

Suddenly, the tunnel widened out and expanded to be met with an enormous cavern, the ceiling so high, it was too dark to see the the top. Inhumane screeches came from the blackness and tiny wings battered around. Tori had walked far ahead, reaching the other side of the cavern. Her hand was placed above her head on the stone wall, rubbing small circles into the surface.

"Where's Ember?" I asked abruptly, breaking the screeching silence.

"You're inside Ember, my dear Beatrice." I jumped. A voice behind me said. I turned. Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

"Tori," I said warily, "Is there someone else in here?"

"No." She replied. "Not yet, anyway."

"What do you mean?"

A hand took hold of my shoulder.

"Oh good, you're here." Said Tori's distant voice.

I turned to realise that the hand didn't belong to some stranger.

"I'm Ember, dearest Beatrice."

The woman said with a smile. My mother.


The inspiration for the chapter name came from a song by The Prodigy, named Firestarter. The song really motivated me to carry on writing this story and reminded me of Tris and Fours relationship to be... Also the story to be.

Thanks again for supporting this story, and I hope that you will continue to do so! I love youuuu!

P.S: Merry Christmas

P.P.S: Happy New Year!

Thanks vcgibbs!

~Pom