I glance up into his darkened eyes, clouded with frustration. The tone of his voice is sharp and clear. The room is filled with a forbidding silence, while most would fear his loud and screaming rage, I fear his quiet and eerie state. As we square off in the dark room, I try to keep fear from showing on my face. His fist rears back and swings forward, aiming directly for my jaw.
I jolt awake, sit up, and frantically look around, telling myself that it was just a dream, just a dream. It takes a second to come to my senses; it was a nightmare. Frequently nightmares haunt my sleep, although this was not one of my recurring horrors. I recognize the man who was fighting me, but I can't figure out from where. He had a strikingly similar resemblance to my father, but it was not Marcus.
I push that thought aside for another time and get out of bed for my usual morning routine. First, I take a shower and get dressed in my simple grey attire. Then out of habit, I meander down the stairs to receive my breakfast. Only when I arrive in the kitchen, do I remember yesterday's events.
As I contemplate losing my father that I didn't know I loved, a flood of emotions encases me. The two most prominent being relief from assaults from Marcus, and being on edge about going to live with my brother, Tobias.
The sound of someone knocking on the door, tears me away from my thoughts. I head to the door and open it, to see the person who will be escorting me to the train platform, Mr. Andrew Prior. I invite him into my rather empty home, most of my family's possessions has been given to the factionless. I am only allowed a small suitcase of belongings to take to my new life as an Abnegation girl living in the hectic Dauntless world.
"Brooklyn, do you have everything you need to go?" He asks, placing his hand comfortingly on my shoulder.
"I think so." I nod, appreciative of him doing his best to comfort me within the limits of physical contact in our faction.
"Good, I suppose we should be on our way." He smiles lightly, carrying my medium-sized grey duffle bag that holds a few sets of clothes and a watch of my my brother's that he left behind when he switched factions.
He opens the door for me and we exit my house, shutting out my past. My past is very conflicted, I have very fond memories of my mother and my brother and even a few of my father. But after Tobias left, my father's personally flipped like a lightswitch and he did many unthinkable things.
As we head down the broken cobble street, I recall that Mr. Prior had a daughter that used to live in Abnegation. "Mr. Prior, Beatrice transferred to Dauntless, right?" I ask, Beatrice had babysat for me a few times when my dad went to government meetings or functions.
His eyes flicker slightly with bold emotions, but he quickly conceals them. "You are correct." He says stiffly.
I decide not to press the conversation further, it seems like a rather sensitive topic for him. I can't imagine two loving parents having both of their children leave them to develop traits that are the polar opposite of how they were raised. The rest of our journey to the train platform is silent, I keep my head down as we walk on the broken cement path.
10 minutes later, we arrive at the train platform in the center of the city. It has been abandoned for many years, the only people who use it are the Dauntless, and they never hang around the platform for too long. Dauntless have places to go, people to see, buildings to climb, and their own lives to risk. I know that they are supposedly the protectors of our city, but their recklessness occasionally makes me uneasy about how protected we really are. There are old ticket booths at the platform that are covered in colorful graffiti from what I guess are Dauntless hooligans. I run my hand along a cold rusty lamp post that has long been out of use. The city has a curfew so we don't need lampposts to illuminate the night. When I finally pull my eyes away from the fascinating object, I see two figures jumping from the moving train and flipping onto the platform. A boy, about 19 years of age, and a girl who I recognize as Beatrice. It takes a minute for me to realize that the boy is my brother and he is only a short distance from where I stand. It's been a traumatic 3 years since Tobias left Abnegation, and I think that I endured the worst of it.
I take a deep breath and pinch myself under the sleeve of my modest plain dress, just to be sure this is actually happening. Our eyes lock and I cannot help the small smile that forms on my lips at the sight of his chocolate brown eyes that are a mirror reflection of my own. Hesitantly, I step forward. "Tobias?" I call out, and almost immediately, his face lights up with the biggest grin I have ever seen.
I feel my modesty and selflessness kick in as I resist the urge to go towards him, I know physical contact in public is wrong, even if it is with a family member, the only one I have left. Tobias chuckles at my hesitant and concealed reaction and he runs to me.
"Brooklyn." He whispers, smiling down at me.
I look up at him with big doe-like eyes, taking in his new appearance. I become startled when my nightmare from the previous evening floods into my mind, the man who was about to hurt me, it was present-day Tobias. No wonder he looked like my father, he has changed a lot since the last time I saw him. Reminding myself that Tobias would never hurt me, I assess the features of his torso gain. His dark brown hair had been cut very short, and a light scuff decorated his now very defined jaw line. He is wearing a black v-neck and I see pieces of multiple tattoos peeking over the shirt seam. I never pictured Tobias as one to get tattoos but a lot can change when you move factions, I wonder what will happen to me...
Finally, after what seems like hours of anticipation, he leans down and envelopes me in a tight hug. "I missed you so much." He says, burying his face in my hair. HIs grip is vice-like, the muscles in his arms and back flexing as he tries to squeeze the living daylights out of me.
"Tobias!" I cough, my air supply being shortened by the intensity of his hug.
"Sorry." He says sheepishly, making his grip a little looser so I can breathe.
"I missed you too." I sigh, as he releases me from his hug, looking me up and down.
"You've gotten so tall! You look just like Mom." He smiles sadly, tucking a stray piece of hair that fell from my bun behind my ear.
I blush at being compared to such an amazing woman and then glance over at the girl a few feet to the right of Tobias. "Beatrice, is that you?" I ask, turning towards her.
Her honey blonde hair is unmistakable but the bird tattoos peeking out from her shirt collar throw me off, she was always so quiet and respectful to everyone. It makes me smile that she was able to find her true self and have tattoos as a form of self expression. "It's me." She nods with a smile, respecting the culture of Abnegation that's still written in my genes and not engaging in physical contact.
As Beatrice and her dad have an awkward reunion, I take a moment to back glance over at Tobias. He has grown since I last saw him when he was 16, if thats even possible. He now towers dangerously near 6 feet, and the muscle mass on every part of his body is insane. Tobias was never a scary or intimidating person but I can see his major personality shift just by his appearance. He wouldn't hurt me though, he is nothing like our father. It dawns on me that Tobias has no idea what happened to me after he left for Dauntless. No way he thought that his dad would abuse and take advantage of his little girl but, it's a sick city and he is a sick man.
"Are you ready to go?" Tobias asks, looking down at me and glancing at the slightly rumbling train tracks signaling that a train is near.
I take a nervous breath, "As ready as I will ever be." I shrug, realizing everything I'm leaving behind. The only thing that I can think of to miss is my room, Marcus never bothered me while I was in there. Every other part of Abnegation holds bad memories, and I'm containing my eagerness to move to Dauntless because I will be free of rules, free of my dad, and free of my physical pain.
Tobias smiles, "We'll tell you more about Dauntless once we get on the train." He says, looking over at Beatrice who nods, as if they were exchanging mental messages.
"On the train?" I gulp loudly. I knew the transition from Abnegation would be tough and I'm surprised the government even allowed a 14 year old to switch factions. I suppose that because my dad was influential on the board and they mourn for his loss, they made an exception for me.
Tobias laughs, my fear amuses him. He used to hide from things that caused fear and now he is laughing at fear as it is a meer weak prey. "Don't worry squirt, I've got it covered." He says.
I giggle softly at my old nickname and eye him suspiciously, Dauntless is the least practical faction. I hear an ear-blasting horn and the screeching of an approaching train. The sound of moving train cars on metal rails causes me to shrink into Tobias for protection, he is Dauntless after all.
"Hop on!" Tobias calls over the noise, bending down for me to jump onto his back and I do hastily. He quickly grabs my duffel bag and calls a goodbye to Mr. Prior. Tobias starts sprinting at a high speed towards the moving train, when he leaps into the air I shut my eyes tight, my fear consuming me. I feel and hear a loud thud and Tobias sets me down on the floor of the metal train car, giving me just enough time to wave goodbye to as the train speeds into the distance.
I see Tobias and Beatrice sit against the wall of the train car, so I do the same. Once I get as comfortable as possible Tobias speaks up, "Once we get to the Dauntless compound we can give you a tour, then drop your bag off at the apartment." He says, smiling lovingly at Beatrice.
Confusion flickers on my face. "You live with Beatrice?" I ask suspiciously.
"Tris." She corrects me as I become even more confused. "And Tobias goes by Four now."
"Why the new names?" I ask, looking at my hands in my lap, being respectful and not making eye contact.
"We will explain at another time, you can have a new name if you like as well." Tobias nods, biting his bottom lip at my submissiveness but not commenting on it at the moment.
"Oh, I am sorry for questioning it." I say quietly and Tobias shakes his head, chuckling. I remember his earlier statement and lift my head a little, narrowing my eyes as I think. "You two live together?" I ask, my voice thick with suspicion.
I see a faint blush on Beatrice's- Tris'- face. "We've been dating for a year, we met at my Dauntless initiation and then we finished training the new Dauntless initiates last week." She says, making my jaw drop.
I burst into quiet giggles, I never imagined my brother actually getting a girlfriend. "You have a girlfriend?" I ask, than correct myself from being rude. "Sorry, that was rude." I apologize curtly.
My brother smiles softly at me. "You're a Dauntless now, you can say whatever you want without apologizing." He says quietly and I feel puzzled. It seems weird to be able to freely speak your mind even if it was rude or uncalled for. Four's face suddenly blanks of emotions and he scratches his neck like he does when he's nervous. "Theres another thing." He says, trailing off. I nod for him to continue. "People in Dauntless view me differently than you do, since I've been recently promoted to a Dauntless leader, I can't show my soft side. I have to be intimidating and powerful to keep the respect of others. Expect nothing to be the same." He keeps a straight face.
I look slightly confused as I try to imagine my brother in a state of such high authority in a demanding and challenging faction, he must be a lot stronger than I thought. The thought of him not being able to be like this with me in public scares me but I mask that emotion like I normally do and nod. All of a sudden, a question pops into my head."Why is your name Four?" I ask softly, hoping I'm not being too disrespectful by asking that.
"You'll find out once you come to understand how the faction works." He says, as if it's quite complicated. I believe him, he would tell me if he thought now was a good time. "I just thought of a new name for you, if you'd like to hear it."
My eyes spark slightly, a new name would help me escape from my previous faction and transfer to my new one. I could have a completely new identity. "Yes, please." I say, looking up at my brother with wonder.
"Bo." He smiles. It sounds simple and short, but I like it. A short name will make me seem like a normal girl to the public but in my own reality, I am far from normal. And nobody knows what I have been through except me.
"I like it." I nod in appreciation. "Thank you." I am so grateful for him, I know he will take good care of me.
The rest of the train ride consists of Tris and Four explaining about life in Dauntless, my mind feels as if it is about to explode from information overload. I also gazed out the side of the train car, wanting to take in all the sights and parts of the city that I had never seen before.
Soon the train descends into darkness, the train taking us deeper and deeper into the depths of the city, most likely under old and abandoned buildings. Soon the train slows down and comes to a complete stop, we won't have to jump off while it's moving. I feel a giant weight of fear being lifted from my shoulders.
Four hops down from the train car first and holds out his hand for me. I take his hand hesitantly, still unfamiliar with physical contact in a public setting, and he helps me down, reminding me to bend my knees when I land so I don't injure my ankles. He then offers to help Tris, but being the Dauntless she has become, she skillfully hops down, ignoring his help.
I begin to pick up on the mindset of Dauntless members- headstrong and confident, not shy and vulnerable like me. Thinking about how much I will stand out makes me more nervous, if that's even possible. A 14 year old girl raised in Abnegation will surely stick out from the Dauntless with their daring personalities, life choices, and clothing.
As I bring my eyes up to the examine scene before me, I am taken aback at the number of people who are there, all of them shouting greetings to the trio that just arrived on the platform, these must be Tris and Four's friends. I muster up a small smile and wave timidly, I've never had so many people pay attention to me, it is quite overwhelming.
Four points to the mass of 15 Dauntless members, introducing each by their first and last name. It amazes me how he can remember their names and I don't doubt that by being a leader he should know a majority of the member's names. My mind tries to remember each of their faces with the correct name, but my mind can only handle so much information in the span of one hour.
After all of the introductions, a guy named Uriah invites us all to a welcome party for me at his apartment that evening. Four laughs and accepts, Uriah embodies a carefree Dauntless. I'm not so so sure about a party and I make a mental note to talk to Four about it later, when we are not in front of all these people.
"C'mon, we'll give you the tour." Four says, wrapping his arm around my shoulder and I stiffen under his touch. He laughs lightly, "Relax Bo, it's just me." He jokes, knowing how weird and sudden my transition is going to be. The crowd immediately parts in respect as Four leads me on, Tris flanking his side. Comfort courses through my veins at the sound of my new name, maybe I can survive this sudden change with Four's help.
Tris and Four guide me through the maze of tunnels that is the Dauntless compound. Every so often they point out significant spots and we are frequently greeted by Dauntless members crossing our path. Some of the more memorable places are the tattoo parlor, the store for female Dauntless clothes, and Four's personal favorite store, The Throwing Knife Store. I think that is about the strangest name for a store, but it is pretty blunt and straight to the point.
Continuing with casting down my eyes, I begin to notice the subtle changes in the ground we are walking on. It's slowly turning from slick black slate into dark brown dirt and rocks. Instead of the small light bulbs that illuminate the tunnels, natural light begins to reach my eyes. Like a flash of lightning, my surroundings are now lit by the natural light coming from the ceiling. After my eyes adjust, I lift my head to see myself at the bottom of a large pit, a tall glass building filling the majority of the center of it. The shiny reflexive material reaches to the surface of the earth, acting as a skylight for the underground compound.
"Welcome to The Pit." Four and Tris say simultaneously, I find it weird that they've only been dating a year and they can already read eachother's minds. But now as I fully comprehend where I am stood, it becomes obvious this faction is nothing like I could have ever imagined. The people, the compound, and the personalities provide no comfort or reassurance to my reserved character.
The Pit must be at least two hundred feet in diameter. Dirt walls rise up high enough to make the fall from the top lethal, then form an outcropping that serves as a walkway lining the rim of The Pit. There are also multiple other walkways at different heights of the dome of the pit; children shrouded in black, race along the paths with no fear, jumping over cracks and loose rocks. Not even a steel railing protects them from plummeting to their death.
Everywhere I look there are Dauntless people, walking alongside the walls, sitting together on the floor fighting each other,or laughing in clumps; it's impossible not to spot a pair or group of people together. It's an indescribable sight, never was there anything like this in Abnegation. Only little communication was all that was allowed between our friends, and we definitely could not be making as much noise as they are. I shift closer to Four, resting into his side for comfort. Four smiles at my brave act of contact. "I know it must be difficult for you to move here, but I promise everything will work out just fine." He mumbles into my hair so only I can hear him. There doesn't seem to be anybody watching us, so his small and sweet gesture will go unnoticed by the Dauntless community.
I continue to stand there basking in the amazement of The Pit, I love how rustic and innovative Dauntless is. "We'll quickly show you some other places." Tris smiles, obviously eager to get back to their, I mean our, apartment. I nod and am lead down a major tunnel that leads to a huge open room full of tables. "This is the cafeteria, the cake here is to die for." Tris laughs. I can honestly say I have no idea what cake is and how something could be good enough that you would die for it. I suppose there are many inanimate things that Dauntless members would die for. I certainly am not like that.
"It's not lunch time yet so we can come back later." Four says sternly, almost sounding as if he is scolding me. Biting my lower lip, my nervous habit, it takes me a second to realize he is acting this way because the eyes of a few Dauntless are on us and he must act a leader should at all times.
After seeing a couple less important places and some significant ones, like the hospital, my legs start to weaken from all of the walking around. Who knew the Dauntless compound was so large?
"Time for our last stop, the apartment." Four sighs in relief, eager to be done with the tour as well. He must know this place like the back of his hand so it was very kind for him to show it me.
We turn the corner and take the tunnel leading to my new home Everything is about to change...
A/N: Hi! This fanfiction is written by me, tomlinson77! I hope you enjoy this magical story all about Four's little sister, secretly I wish I was Bo. This will definitely be a fun and amazing experience for me as a writer and for you as readers. I look forward to hearing from some of you(hopefully all of you) in the comments. Thank you for reading and please, please, please vote!
tomlinson77