Someone tells me to go to the control room and monitor something. I thought I didn't know where the control room was, but my feet seem to have a will of their own and somehow I get to the control room in a few minutes.
The control room's walls are covered in screens, showing every part of the city. I sit down in a chair by a desk and look at the screens. I remember that it's important to make sure that the Dauntless dressed in black kills every grey Abnegation that they see, because we're at war, and this is the only way to win. The Abnegation have done something wrong and this is how they'll pay. They deserve this.
I'm alone for a couple of hours, watching the screens and making sure the computers and the system work as it should. The time goes by pretty quickly until I hear that voice again.
"Tobias."
It's a small, blonde girl. I remember her. I think I wanted to get rid of her. But why?
I stand immediately, drawing my gun. I notice that she's armed. Dangerous. Enemy.
"Drop your weapon", I say sternly.
Tobias," the girl says, "you're in a simulation."
"Drop your weapon," I repeat, "Or I'll fire."
Why isn't she doing what I tell her to? She must be aware that a small, weak girl like her can't take me down.
"Drop your weapon!" I shout as my patience snaps.
"I did," the girl says. I frown and look down at the floor. She's right, the gun's no longer in her hands, it's at her feet.
Suddenly, she lunges at me, grabbing the wrist of my hand that's holding the gun pointed at her. I automatically fire as soon as she starts moving, but she ducks, avoiding the bullet. She suddenly kicks me in the ribs, catching me by surprise, and twists my wrist hard, making my hand go limp. I hear the thump of the gun hitting the floor.
She immediately reaches down for it, but I grab her arm and shove her to the side. She looks up at me, and for a second I'm distracted by the familiar brightness of her eyes, before I punch her in the jaw. She stumbles away from me, lifting her hands up to protect her face. At the same time as she cringes away from me she drives her heel into the gun, making it slide further away from me.
I'm filled with hatred. I won't let her succeed with whatever she set out to do, maybe destroy the system.
She kicks me in the stomach, pushing the air out of my lungs, and I take the opportunity to grab her foot and pull backwards, making her loose her balance and fall down on her back. I lift my foot to kick her when she rolls onto her knees and reaches for the gun. Before she gets to it I grab her hair and yank her head to the side. I feel her small hand wrapping around my wrist the moment before her head hits the wall.
"Tobias", the girl says, her face filled with pain.
I suddenly remember something. Mist touching my skin, this girl sitting next to me.
All of my anger fades away and instead I'm confused. Do I know this girl?
As my anger faltered, apparently so did my grip, because she suddenly twists and kicks me in the leg, her hair sliding out of my hand. She dives for the gun again and this time, she reaches is. On her back, she points the gun up at me. I start toward her.
"Tobias," the girl says. "I know you're in there somewhere."
A name flashes through my head. Tris. I frown and hesitate in the middle of a step.
Is that her name? Tris. Where do I remember it?
"Tobias, please." Her voice is soft and tears are streaming down her face. "Please. See me."
What is she talking about? I see her. And I know what she is. I start moving towards her again.
"Please see me, Tobias, please!" Her voice is desperate now.
I scowl at her. Her face is filled with so much pain and despair. Who is she?
A memory of a kiss floats to the surface. Tris and I, kissing. I remember a tattoo of three birds. Not crows, ravens.
Why do this girl remind me of Tris?
Suddenly she does the strangest thing. She turns the gun and presses into my hand.
I don't take the time to think about why she would do that. It's time to end this, once and for all.
I press the barrel to her temple. She isn't crying anymore. I click the bullet into the chamber. She reaches out and places her hand against my chest.
Every part of my body tells me to shoot her. My brain screams that killing her now is the right thing to do. And yet I can't bring myself to do it.
"Tobias," she says, her voice weak. "It's me."
And then she wraps her arms around me. I stiffen. A wave of emotions courses through me along with my memories and with every returning memory comes the pain of a punch in the stomach.
I feel the gun slip out of my hand. Tris. Tris. This is Tris. She's here- she's alive. Barely. I almost killed her. How could I not have seen her?
I suddenly feel dizzy and I grab Tris's shoulders. She's really here. My Tris.
I push her back a little so I can see her clearly, and she cries out. Is she afraid of me, or is she hurt? I remember the bullet wound, and try to be more careful, but I can't think clearly, because I thought she was lost forever, and then I almost killed her, but now she's here, with me.
"Tris", I breathe, trying out her name again, and this time I know her, I see her.
I kiss her hard, wrapping my arms around her, lifting her up and pressing her as close to me as possible. I feel my entire body shaking with relief and joy. I put her down again and I just look at her, letting my fingers slide over her forehead, brush her cheek and gently touch her lips.
I cry out and pull her close to me again, because I need to fill this empty space inside of me, like something's missing, because she was missing.
I press my lips against hers again and I don't care that I'm crying, all that matters is that she's here now.
Then she leans into me, presses her face to my chest and starts to cry. I let my hand slide up and down her back, aching because she's hurting, because I hurt her.
"How did you do it?" Tris asks, her voice shaking.
"I don't know," I say. "I just heard your voice."
She saved me. She saved herself. She's amazing.
Oh my gosh, I almost started crying while writing this. Not because my writing is so good, but because the story is so amazing. What did you guys think? I hope I did it justice! Please leave a review and tell me what you thought, and I'll see you in the next chapter :)
- Johanna
