That night, I wasn't able to sleep. Then, at 5:13 am, I heard something I'd never heard before (probably because i'm normally asleep at 5:13 am). A train whistle. I grinned. It felt weird on my face; I hadn't smiled since...since... since I was kidnapped.
So we weren't in the middle of nowhere. We're near train tracks, which meant something. The train tracks in Chicago went to Los Angeles, which led to Boston, which led to... heck, I don't even know. That's where my brain memory topped, but I once knew the train location that went through Chicago for at least 10 stations. So that was ten possible locations, but only from my memory. We could be anywhere. It was hard to think when you're trapped in a coffin with no idea where you are, have been missing for over three months, and most of your family is dead.
Wait. I've been stuck for over three months? I thought about it, and realized I was correct. Three months. Three months, including the time Peter played with me. It seemed like a lifetime.
Hart finally woke us up at around 6, after the trains were gone. We went into groups and followed Peter to the training ring. Suddenly, I noticed a girl about my age, and her eyes were filled with wonder. I nudged her, and she jumped, startled. "Excuse me?"
"Did you hear the train?" I mumbled.
"I wasn't the only one?" She gasped. "I've been asking around, but no one else heard it!"
"How far away did it sound?"
"A few miles or so." She answered. "By the way, I'm Samantha."
"Nice to meet you, Samantha." I shook her hand. "My name is Tris Prior."
"Samantha Smith." She said. "My parents were killed in the mass killing that we saw on the news yesterday."
"My sister was killed and my mom critically injured." I said, barely keeping back tears.
"Really?" She thought for a moment. "Wait... we're related! My cousin's other aunt is the person who founded Prior Dance Academy!"
"Wow!" I exclaimed. "So... we're... cousins?"
"Let's just call each other cousins, it's too difficult to think through all the complicated stuff. Effort and all that."
"Hart sickens me."
"Me too. Poor Katie..."
"Silence!" Hart bellowed. Everyone quieted down in about a second, not wanting to be the last one who talked, as they'd be put to sleep. That is, everyone except the boy behind us. He was the last one to utter a sound... but Hart picked on Samantha. He walked up to her, and everyone backed away. He pushed her against the wall and tore her clothes, dragging her up the stairs to the fighting ring so everyone could see. I was seething with rage.
"This is who she really is!" Hart yelled, shaking poor Samantha like a wet dog. "If you don't follow the rules, you'll all be exposed."
"But it wasn't her who talked!" A boy next to me shouted. Hart brought him up to the fighting ring and tore his clothes, too.
"Guilty until proven innocent!" Hart shouted in his ear, making him wince. "Why don't you and your girlfriend have a nice time together, Holden." He pushed Samantha and the boy (whose name was apparently Holden) together, locked the doors to the fighting ring, and led us out. He didn't let either of them out till dinner.
"I could use good news right now." I sighed that night, plopping down into a chair next to Tobias.
After comforting Sam (Samantha), I had been forced into my coffin early for helping her. Holden was shaking from being so close to Samantha, and unlike what everyone was obviously thinking, Holden and Samantha actually hated each other before today. Sam and Holden had obviously done something while in the ring, because she blushed whenever I mentioned him to her. Finally, I had to confront her.
"Fine!" She had blushed. "Holden and I liked each other through all the hate and we kissed and stuff." I had then congratulated her, joking that for once Hart had done a good thing, but inside my heart was breaking, my lips aching for Tobias.
"Well." Tobias started. "I left.