Disclaimer: Heyo! As I have stated many times, Divergent is definitely owned by a particular author who goes by the pseudonym "Starscape". Yeah, totally. It's absolutely not owned by someone named Veronica Roth. You guys ever heard of her? Yeah, me neither.
In case you weren't aware, the entire passage above was sarcasm, and meant the exact opposite.
A/N: Oooh, you guys get two chapters today! Have fun reading them!
"They're jumping off!"
I am started from my light sleep by a yell. I stretch to try and relieve some of the aching muscles in my upper back. I don't know how long it has been, probably less than an hour. The train seems to be moving slower. Looking over, I see that most of the Dauntless-born initiates are gathered by the door of the car.
I feel a hand grasp my wrist and instantly tense. Part of my mind says it's Marcus, about to beat me again, but the rational part of my brain, thankfully, stops that train of thought. Looking up, I realize that it's Lavender who's grabbed me. "Let's go see what's going on!" She cries.
I get up and let her drag me and Ethan to the doors, pushing past the other initiates. As I peek out the doors. What I see makes my eyes widen. The Dauntless in the cars ahead of us are jumping onto the roof of a building. A building that's seven stories up.
I knew the Dauntless were crazy, but I never thought they were this crazy.
I'm starting to get dizzy, and it's not because of the height, at least, not directly. Just the idea that someone could end up on the ground, like a pancake, that's what's making me dizzy.
It's also partially the fact that if that does happen, everyone will say that it's a part of initiation that they couldn't complete. They weren't fit for Dauntless. Their death, in the Dauntless' eyes, would be a form of weakness, and therefore justified.
My mind drifts to that Dauntless-born, Rowan, and his words. When it's time to jump, don't be afraid. Is this what he meant?
Focus, Camilla.
The initiates start forming a line in front of the door. The Dauntless-born in this car are in the front, and the transfers are near the back.
I can't be sick now. I have to make it onto that roof. If I don't, I'm going to be forever remembered as the weak Abnegation girl who thought she was good enough for Dauntless.
I'm not bothered by people's perceptions of me, though. I'm more bothered by the fact that if I get that title, I'll be dead.
People have started jumping off the train, in groups of two or three. It seems like mere seconds before it's our turn. Before I can protest, Lavender grabs my hand, along with Ethan's.
"One, two... three!" Lavender counts down as the car passes the roof. On three, we leap out. For a second, I feel like I'm flying. Then, I hit the ground hard, and feel the gravel of the rooftop digging into my lower leg. I didn't land on my feet, but most transfers probably didn't. It's our first time jumping off a train, after all.
I let go of Lavender's hand, and push myself up. As I do, a chuckle comes out of me, turning into a small laugh.
"That was amazing." I comment.
Lavender nods enthusiastically. "Definitely!"
We've started to drift to the other side of the roof, where everyone else is going. Ethan looks like he's about to vomit. "You all right, Ethan?" It's going to take time to strip me of my Abnegation habits.
"Yeah." Ethan clearly can't lie. He's clutching his stomach and leaning over as he walks. Suddenly, I realize what's wrong.
"Let me guess, you're afraid of heights?" I question.
He looks at me guiltily. "I was never comfortable with heights, but I never knew how deep that fear ran until I jumped off the train." He admits.
I just nod, because one of the Dauntless, a dark-skinned man with hair that's starting to turn gray, has started speaking.
"Listen up! My name is Max! I am one of the leaders of your new faction!" He looks older than the other two people up here with him, and his voice is deep. He seems perfectly comfortable standing on the ledge. "Several stories below us is the members' entrance to our compound. If you can't muster the will to jump off, you don't belong here. Our initiates have the privilege of going first."
"You want us to jump off a ledge?" A boy asks. I recognize him as the boy who backed up Zayden. Ethan called him Dante. He looks like a football with dirty blond curls. His expression is shocked.
With that attitude, I'm not sure how long he'll last.
Max rolls his eyes at us, his mouth twitching into an amused half-smile.
"No, I want you to swim off the ledge. Of course I want you to jump off the ledge! Who's first?"
"Is there, like, something to catch us down there?" Someone else questions.
Max shrugs. "I guess you'll find out."
The crowd has moved to the edges of the roof, making a clear path to the ledge for the initiates.
I know that there will be something to catch us. They can't just kill all the initiates. But, as much as my mind tries to make my feet move, they won't. They refuse to carry me to the ledge, refuse to let me jump first.
For a few seconds, none of the initiates make a move. Then, a Dauntless-born girl steps out of line, walking toward the ledge. She's facing away from me, so I can't make out her face. But she has auburn hair that is sun-bleached in several places. I hear cheers coming from the crowd, and a few from the other Dauntless-born initiates.
Max steps out of her way, and she steps up on the ledge, only using her leg and her arm to get up. She looks down for a few seconds, then turns to face the rest of the initiates. Her eyes hold a challenge. Without warning, she jumps off, backflipping into the hole. As she disappears, the shouts and cries of the Dauntless follow her. Whoever this girl is, she holds some sort of status within the Dauntless, even before her initiation.
After she jumps, I notice that the lock on my legs has released itself. I step forward next. I hear some snickers and taunts, as well as a few shouts of encouragement. It's a far cry from what the Dauntless-born girl got.
I use both my arms to pull myself onto the ledge, and stand, looking down, into the darkness of the hole. Somewhere down there, that girl is being welcomed to Dauntless. I want to be Dauntless. So, I have to jump.
It's windy, but not enough to throw me off balance. My gray Abnegation robes swirl around me. I can't back down. If I do, it will prove that I'm the coward all these people think I am.
I reach up to my hair, which is in the traditional Abnegation bun. I quickly pull out the rubber band holding it in place, and my hair falls. It's loose, and blows to the side, being pushed by the wind. Just the way I like it.
I stare into the hole for a second more, trying to get my slight dizziness under control.
Then, without contemplating any more, I jump.
I feel my hair streaming around me as the ground grows closer and closer. My heart is beating very fast, and my throat throbs to the same pulse. I let out a brief scream that ends as soon as it started. I know, from experience, that it's not good to tense up when you fall. That only makes it hurt more. So, I try to get my panicking body to listen to what little rationality I have left, as I'm falling into darkness.
I hit something. It sends shocks of pain through my arms and legs, but they're only briefly. It collapses under me, and acts as a cradle for my body.
It's a net. I realize. I try to laugh, but it ends up coming out as a wheeze. Thank goodness I landed on my stomach, otherwise the rough landing might have opened up the cuts on my back. The impact just knocked the air out of me. I try again, and this time it comes out as a soft laugh, like I intended.
I just jumped off a roof. Ask me a year ago what I would be doing this year, and this would be near the bottom of my list.
I roll onto my side, and notice that there are hands extended to me, to help me off. I grab the closest one and use it to pull my body across the net. I reach the edge of the net and hop off, looking at the person who helped me.
My breath hitches as I look up at him. I would recognize those dark blue eyes anywhere.
Tobias.
A/N: Next chapter, you'll get to see Camilla's tour of Dauntless. Fun, fun, fun!
Have a wonderful day!