Oh gravy! It's been FOREVER since I updated... I'm not done yet! I'll do my best to update regularly now. Enjoy!
Settling my target into it's place, I heave a heavy sigh of relief as I brush the dirt off of my hands and admire the work of the nice factionless gentlemen that Four set me up with. Nodding to the man who is dressed as a full Amity, I grab one of the knifes from the variety collection that Four brought me. I don't say anything to the man because he disappears after I nod to him.
I take off my bright red Amity over shirt, revealing a yellow undershirt as my workout shirt. Sighing again, I raise my arm and throw the first knife.
Ever since I wrote that letter to Four, asking for some Dauntless objects, I have been getting into the lifestyle I wanted to be living. Training, moving, working, all part of my Amity life with bits of Dauntless thrown in. I roll out my shoulder as I throw the next knife. Both hit the target with a lovely thud. I walk over to it and pull the two knives free as I think about my next exercise.
I breath heavily as I lay down on the dusty floor, covering my back in the left over pieces of hay. Bringing my body up, I raise my knife. Going back down, I keep my hand steady. When I bring my body back up, I release the knife, listening for the sound of the knife embedding itself into the target. When I hear it, I continue my up and down pattern along with my knife throwing. Up is steady arm. Down is relax and aim. Up again is throw. For each of the five knives I have, each of them hit the target. Only one misses the bull's eye. I'll have to work on that one.
After finishing my sit up routine, I roll over to see my lunch bag. Sitting up on the floor, I reach over and grab the brown bag. I remember inside it I put a banana, apple, strawberries, and a turkey sandwich. Pulling the sandwich out, I stand back up to look over the barn. I run my free hand down my back to get some of the dirt off of it. As I continue to eat my sandwich, I see Lilly riding a horse around its stable.
"Abby!" she calls out, waving her hand. "Can you come down here before you go back to work?"
I laugh, raising my sandwich. "Can I eat first? I just started lunch!" She nods her head as the horse turns a corner. "Okay, I'll meet you down there in a few minutes!"
As I finish up my sandwich, I begin working on the rest of my lunch, practically inhaling it. After I finish it, I slide down the ladder, barley allowing my feet to touch the rungs of the ladder. I walk up to the stable slowly, allowing Lilly and the horse time to see me. When I arrive at the stable, Lilly stops the horse, giving the reigns to the man I notice standing watch at one end of the gait.
"Did you see me?" she asks excitedly.
Swinging my leg over the gait, I wrap my hands under her arms, pulling her over to my side."Yeah, honey. I saw you. You've been getting really good. I'm surprised Mary let you ride by yourself today."
Lilly smiles at me widely, "Mommy says that maybe, when I'm bigger, I can get my own horse."
I laugh as I tussle her hair. Taking my hand, she leads me to where the other horses are. Pointing with her finger, she shows me a beautiful brown horse with a dark mane.
"That's the one I want." she says in awe.
"I'm sure she will need a good home, when she's older." I says as I wrap my arms around the small child. "Maybe Mary will let you buy her, or something."
Lilly leans into me, nodding her head.
Glancing at the clock on the far wall, I sigh. "I got to go to work, doodle-bug." Lilly groans, her usual complain of not wanting me to leave. "I'll see you at supper, though."
Letting her go, I kiss her hair. Her small arms wrap around my waist as she mumbles somewhat of a good bye.
When Lilly lets go of me, I turn and go back to the hay area. The men that I have been working with always seem to ignore me.
It's fine, I usually keep to myself. I pull on my work gloves and set to work on feeding the horses and moving small hay stacks to a bigger stack. The past few week have been nothing but hard labut. All just to prove to Joanna that I can work.
It's fine. I usually keep to myself anyways. It gives me time to think. To think about my beloved Amar. To think about my friends back at my new home that I was just getting to know. I shake my head as I look at the ring Amar gave me on my chain. The chain that has stayed on my neck from the time I woke up, to the time I take a bath at night. I sigh as I pull on my work gloves and begin to moves small piles of hay into a bigger pile. The past few weeks have been nothing but hard labor, this being the easiest of the days, all just to prove to Johanna that I can work to keep my safety.
As I work, some men come around and make small talk to me and by supper time, my short sleeve shirt is drenched in sweat. I lean back on my rake and wipe sweat off my forehead. I pick up the rake and set it with the other tools, then pulling off my work gloves, I shake out my hands.
I sigh again when I hear the voice I had been waiting to her. "Abby! Abby, Abby, Abby!"
Lilly bounces up to me as she wraps her arms around my neck in her yellow sundress. I laugh as I pick her up in my dirty work clothes and spin her around.
"Hey, doodlebug! Why the fancy dress?" I ask as I set her down. I take Lilly's hand as we begin walking out of the barn.
Lilly looks at me with large eyes. "Mama didn't tell you? Tonight is a sing-along. We always have them after the in-init-um…."
"Initiates?" I suggest.
"Yes!" she smiles, "It's our mid-year supper with the initiates. You wanna come?"
I stop as I look at ground. Sing-along? Initiates? Won't they recognize me?
"I don't know, Lilly… I don't think that I can really do that…"
"Can do what?" A voice interjects.
Johanna. I turn to see her in her yellow shirt and pants, with a red shawl draped over the crooks of her arms. I look back at Lilly, who is smiling from ear to ear.
"Oh, uh, Lilly was just telling me about the sing-along. I don't really think it is the best idea."
Johanna crosses her arms as she looks between Lilly and I. "I think it's a lovely idea! It starts in twenty minutes. I will see you then!"
Fifteen minutes later I am towards the back watching as my class gathers around the campfire. After a few minutes of waiting, I was humming songs that I learned from when I was a child. It was nice to get away from life.
After the gathering, I head home, carrying a sleeping Lily in my arms. I chuckle as I lay her in her bed and go to my room. My last thought as I close my eyes for the night is how Lily is such a sweet kid. If I ever have kids, I hope they're like her.
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