A/N: Hello faithful readers! I'm sorry for my sporadic update schedule, work and family have been demanding every free moment but, I promise all of you have been on my mind the whole time. In my last update, I mentioned this chapter would be up pretty soon, but while I was looking over and editing things, I realized I didn't like how it turned out, so I rewrote it, and then rewrote it again, and again. I kid you not. I've gone through about three drafts before I finally settled on this one. This chapter is pretty crucial to the rest of the plot, you will find out why later.

For more information on future updates, check out my tumblr blog .com . You can send me messages through clicking the "ask" option under my picture.

Sending warm thoughts your way,

Belle

WARNINGS: Non/ Dubious consent sex scene, smut, cursing.

Chapter 7: In the end We're all Alive

I'm not listening to you

I am wandering right through existence

With no purpose and no drive

'Cause in the end we're all alive, alive

Zombie: The Pretty Reckless

Waking up is a blissfully cruel experience now. When you're first blinking the sleep away from your eyes, you are numb and oblivious to the world around you, like a newborn. In that innocent fraction of a second, you don't know who are, where you came from, or what your purpose in life is— and it doesn't matter either. But, just as swiftly as that peaceful moment came, it abandons you with cruel reality. I'm Tris Prior, I'm imprisoned at dauntless headquarters, and I would rather die than spend another second here.

I squeeze my eyes shut but fat tears roll down my cheeks and my throat makes a strangled cry as I try to fight the emotion that is threatening to burst. I let myself cry until my cries became hoarse and my sobs no longer accompanied with tears—until I had no more left to cry. Then I feel as if a crushing weight is lifted from my chest after I release the emotion I've bottled up inside of myself for so long. It's funny how the body and soul experience complete numbness after a hard cry or intense emotion, I'm so numb that I wonder if I could ever feel emotion again, or if I even wanted to. Like a zombie. My soul feels like it had been broken and scattered into a million shards of glass— sharp around the edges but longing to be pieced back together and be whole again.

Now that I'm awake, all I want is to sleep again, dream again. I roll onto my side, back to the door, and gasp when my hand brushes against something under my pillow. The syringe. I remain curled up in my bunk for a while, clutching the syringe of mystery serum that always seems to be out of reach when I needed it the most. From now on I'm going to keep this glued to myself. I will have my revenge.

Eric said death was not a viable option for me. He's right, in my current condition, all I wanted to do was stay in bed forever, lying limp like a rag doll. But the Dauntless flame that flickered within me, has not faded yet, and with every passing moment, it grows stronger, no longer smothered by emotion, but kindled by hatred. I'm a warrior trapped in a weakling's body. I stiffen when I hear the door squeak open and squeeze my eyes shut.

Heavy, commanding, footsteps echo through the room a sense of doom washes over me. Eric. With my ear pressed to the pillow, I can hear my heart rate quicken. I try to slow down my breathing, like in the fear simulator and feign sleep, part of me hoping Eric would disappear like a nightmare. A rough, warm hand cupped my exposed neck in a caress, tracing the vertebrae at the top of my neck down my spine and resting on my hip. I could smell the alcohol on his breath.

"Don't touch me," I say , clenching my teeth, "I told you what I know about Four. There's nothing else." The hand on hip halts, digging into the soft flesh between my pelvis and ribcage, and forces me to roll onto my back.

"Look at me," Eric growls. I refuse to look at him, instead memorizing the wooden pattern in the bunk above me. He sighs in frustration and grabs my chin, forcing me to face him. I continue my small act of defiance and stare at the wall passed his left shoulder.

"What did I tell you about giving orders? How many times do I have to remind you before you understand?" My eyes are the only part of me that moves, carefully examining Eric's hand on my chin, before returning to stare at the wood in the bunk above me. An idea strikes me. Eric suspects me to fight him, which is why he always manages to overtake me. This isn't a battle of brute force, but of wit. I need to beat Eric at his own game— catch him off guard by doing the opposite of what he suspects. Then, attack him when he least expects it with the only weapon I have—the syringe of mystery serum hidden underneath my pillow.

"That won't be necessary," I say quietly. Just this one time, I will play along, but on my own terms. I haven't the slightest idea on how to seduce a man, especially a sadistic psycho like Eric.

"I knew you were a fast learner," Erics says, the thumb of the hand on my chin traces my lips, I resist the urge to bite his thumb off. "In this society, everyone must learn their place. You're finally understanding your place, then. Under me. Let's see how well you do. Now, sit on the edge of the bed." Eric smirks releasing my chin to cup my neck again. His hand slides from my neck down my back as I sit up to stare into his steely gaze. I swing my legs over the side of the bed, my body facing his. I stay as still as possible as he explores my chest over the thin fabric of my dress. I clench the bed sheet in my hands to keep from swatting his hands away. If I try fighting him off, he will drag me away from the bunk, and my only weapon.

"Take it off," Eric commands, stepping back. I don't move right away, unsure if I want to continue with this game with an unpredictable opponent. I swallow the lump in my throat. "Is there a problem?" He sneers, a hint of excitement evident in his tone. I meet his eyes, trying to keep a straight face, as my hands slide down my thighs to the hem of my dress. His eyes follow every move my trembling hands make on their journey down my thighs. I grasp the thin fabric in both fists and slowly pull it over my head, tossing it to the side. I wasn't wearing any underwear. I bite my lip and spread my thighs open a few inches, hoping he will take the bait and come closer. Eric's gaze drops from mine and sweeps over my pale skin before meeting my eyes again, a look of suspicion and confusion lingering in his eyes.

"Are we going to do this or not?" I say while leaning back on my elbows. My fingers skim the edge of my pillow, inches away from the concealed syringe. His face hardens slightly before he lifts his shirt up over his head and discards it in the pile of black clothes at our feet. There's something about his expression that unnerves me, it's like I could almost see the wheels turning in his head. He's planning something.

"Come here." A shiver travels down my spine when he grasps my wrists, forcing me to sit up again, eye level with his belt. My hands are positioned on his belt. "You do the work this time," he says, a malicious glint evident in his eye. He's testing me, seeing how far I'll take this in our game of cat and mouse, predator and prey.

I fumble awkwardly with his leather belt, my fingers trembling slightly as I undo the buckle. I need to step up my game and lure him back to the bed, back to the syringe that was currently out of my reach. I tug at his belt loops, pulling him onto the bunk, until one of his knees rests on the bunk between the thighs. I let one hand linger on his thigh while the other carefully pulls his belt from the loops and tosses it to the side. His breath hitches every time my hand brushes passed the protrusion in his pants. His fingers twitch in annoyance and impatience.

Next, I unfasten the button and zipper of his black pants, slowly revealing a pair of grey briefs beneath them. I stare up at him and he nods for me to continue. I can almost feel the impatience and frustration radiating from his body.

"I don't have all day, Tris." I stiffen at his use of my first name and bite my tongue to keep from spitting back a reply. I nod and hook my thumbs in the waistband of his briefs, pulling them down in one, quick, fluid motion. His cock spring free, semi erect, the head glistening with precum. It's becoming more difficult to maintain this act and my stomach lurches slightly. He isn't close enough to inject the serum 's avoiding my eyes, trying to feign indifference to my actions, but when his eyes meet mine, I can tell I'm succeeding.

"Touch me." Eric takes my hand in his and wraps it firmly around his member, easing it down to the hilt and back up. He repeats this a couple times until I take over and move on my own and his hand wraps around my wrist instead, controlling the pace. With each journey down his length and back up, his cock stiffens and pulses slightly in my hand. My hand starts to ache after a few minutes, but I don't dare complain.

"Stop," Eric says and tugs my wrist away.

"What now?" I ask softly, gazing up at his dark eyes innocently

"Lay back," Eric commands, pushing my shoulders into the mattress. I fight the urge to smile, as my hand snakes under the pillow to clutch the syringe. I'm lying naked, and exposed in front of the man I hate most but I was far from vulnerable. I'm in complete control of what was happening to me for the first time.

Eric taps my knees impatiently and I part my thighs for him. I'm not ashamed of my body as it's one of my only weapons against Eric. I gasp in surprise when I feel a finger brush across sensitive folds. Unlike last couple of times, Eric is being gentle, as if he wants me to enjoy this. I watch him as he kneels between my thighs, a small crease in his forehead as if he is meditating. I involuntarily arch my back, bringing myself closer to my enemy when I feel another finger position itself over my clit, tracing small circles. I bite my lip to keep from crying out again as shallow waves of pleasure cloud my mind. A sharp pain at my entrance brought me back to reality as Eric forces a finger passed my entrance and quickly removes it, rubbing his other fingers against it to check the level of lubrication.

"Not enjoying this, Stiff?" I moan in pain when he inserts another followed by more stimulation to my clit. Pain and pleasure battle for dominance. I grasp the syringe tightly and use my thumb nail to remove the covers over the cap and plunger while Eric continues his assault.

"It doesn't matter," I reply.

"Tell me what you want me to do next," he says, withdrawing his fingers.

"Come closer." I whisper. Eric smirk sand crawls on top of me, one hand positioning his cock at my entrance, the other holding himself upright. My right hand shoots forward and grabs his shoulder, pulling him closer until my lips almost touch his ear. He's let his guard down now. This is probably my only chance.

"I want you to. . ." I purr, my voice trailing off slightly as I slowly removed the syringe from its hiding place, careful not to make any quick moves that may catch his attention. The syringe is hovering inches from his neck now. "Go fuck yourself, bastard." I yell into his ear, plunging the needle into the side of Eric's neck and push down the plunger, inserting the serum into his bloodstream.

Eric yelps in pain and surprise and bolts upright, noticing the triumphant look on my face and the emptied syringe in my hand. "Hurts like a bitch, doesn't it?" I smirk.

"You. . . Bi-" Eric's hand wraps around my neck but fails to squeeze. The anger and surprise on his face melts into a calm, blank expression, and his body slumps over mine. I lie there, blinking several times is disbelief. I'm a leap closer to freedom. I struggle to breathe under his crushing weight but manage roll Eric's limp body away from me and spring to my feet. The syringe in my hand falls to the ground and breaks into hundreds of tiny shards. I pull the dress over my bare shoulders and search Eric's pocket for a key. I don't feel a shred of sympathy for the bastard.

I can hear the distinct clicking sound of the camera in the corner zooming in, searching for me. I probably don't have much time until someone stronger bursts in, alerted by whoever was in the control room. I find an old key in his back pocket and run towards the door, shoving it into the padlock. The door squeals open and I take off into the dark hallway toward the pit. The pitter-patter of my bare feet hitting the floor echo throughout the empty tunnel as my heart beats faster than a run-away train. My lungs burn, my legs ache, but for the first time in a long time, I feel alive. I force my trembling legs to run faster when I hear shouts behind me and a stampede of heavy footsteps gaining on me. I quickly duck behind a small alcove and press myself tightly against the wall.

"Are you sure she went this way?" A masculine voice fills the hallway. I hold my breath and suck myself further in to the wall.

"See the blood on the floor back there? The bitch cut her foot on the glass. She definitely went this way," another answers. I look down and see a shallow cut on the side of my foot. I had been too focused on escaping, that I hadn't felt the shard of glass.

"Where did she get a hold of the memory serum? Eric won't even know his own name when he wakes up." The shadow conceals me as two Dauntless guards jog passed my hiding place. Memory serum? I shake my head and try to concentrate on the task at hand. I take a deep breath, close my eyes, and plan my escape.

If I'm going to get out of here I will need to find an unconventional way out. There's a rumored hidden tunnel at the bottom of the pit, nearly touching the chasm. If I manage to make my way to the bottom in time, I could slide through the entrance unnoticed. It's a shot in the dark, but I'll make it— I have to make it. My heart is beating wildly, pumping adrenaline throughout my body, ignoring its protests against the strain of sprinting when I push myself from my hiding place. I make it to the cavernous pit and run down the rocky slope toward the bottom. I'm halfway there, when I collide with another body and am tackled against the wall, face first.

I struggle to breathe beneath the weight of the figure above me, digging my nails into the stone wall, trying to claw my way out. I've made it this far, I'm not going to let someone drag me back.

"Are you fucking insane? You are trying to get yourself killed!" A voice hisses into my ear. Large, calloused hands find their way to my wrists and yank them behind my back. This is too frustratingly familiar. I'm so close to the freedom of the chasm— I can hear it, smell it. The beast inside of me, fueled by hatred, springs to life. I refuse to back down against my attacker, shoving my elbow back, and feeling it collide with a hard wall of muscle. I thrust my knee up feel it collide with a groin. My arms are freed as the attacker doubles over in pain. I push myself off the wall, stealing a glance at the man on the floor. Peter fucking Hayes.

"I told you if you ever touched me again, I would kill you," I seethe, while backing away away.

"You can have the honors of killing me later. If you want to see daylight again, you need to get down, right now." He catches my ankle and I tumble to the ground. Just as I fell, a group of armed Dauntless rebels run passed us in the direction I was headed.

"This side is clear," Zeke passes us last and nods to Peter. So Zeke actually is here? More and more Dauntless make their way into the pit.

"They're searching for you everywhere. I'm going to bust you out of here, but you need to trust me." He grabs my hand and runs in the opposite direction, toward the bridge across the chasm, half dragging me as I struggle to match his pace. He was faster than me even when I was in peak condition, as an initiate. I will my legs to carry me faster, refusing to panic, or even think for that matter, but a thought relentlessly springs into my head. Why am I trusting Peter Hayes? The last time I trusted him, dug me deeper down the metaphorical hole I was desperately trying to climb out of. I dig my heels in to the rocky ground and catch the safety rail of the chasm, stopping Peter from dragging me any further.

"I'm not going any further with you. I don't trust you." I grasp the railing and painfully try to yank my wrist from Peter's grasp. "Let go of me," I grit my teeth. Peter releases my aching wrist and puts his hands on my shoulders

"Goddamn it, Tris. I'm trying to save your life. We're running out of time. They will kill you for what you did to Eric." He shakes me, as if trying to shake me to my senses while surveying our surroundings, panic evident in his eyes.

"Hey, she's over there!" A voice echoes from below us. Several armed dauntless sprint in our direction from across the chasm. "Peter's got her!"

"No," I whisper to myself. "Let me go!"I struggle against Peter and manage to shove him away from me. I dart across the bridge, but freeze midway when I see Max approach me from that other side, a dangerous glint in his eyes. I'm unarmed and trapped, on a rickety bridge, suspended 50 feet above the bubbling water in the chasm.

I quickly hop the safety bar and clutch the slippery rail to temporarily anchor me to the bridge. This had been the same place Eric made Christina dangle over the chasm and presumably the same place Al jumped. The black water below is churning, creating tiny white foam bubbles on the surface. The hissing sound of water cascading against rock was fills my ears. The black water makes the chasm seem like an abyss, carved deep in to the rock, when in reality, it's pretty shallow. I could die a fool's death by trying to jump, but I'd rather escape or die trying than stay here a moment longer. My friends wouldn't miss me, they've already mourned my preemptive death.

"What the hell are you doing? Grab her! Damn it, Peter! I told you to bring her to me alive, not throw her in to the chasm again!" Max growls and takes a hesitant step closer.

"She's fucking crazy!" Peter's eyes are wide. I have a choice. Let myself be captured again or Jump. I narrow my eyes in Peter's direction as he put one foot on the metal bridge.

"Don't come any closer!" I yell. "Any closer and I will jump!"

"Tris, calm down. Just take my hand, okay?" He offers me his hand, his eyes urging me to take it.

"You should be happy Peter. I'm doing you a favor. I'm finishing what you started back when we were initiates. You wanted me dead then, right?" He furrows his brow and his outstretched hand returns to his side.

"Don't do this Tris." I ignore Peter and release one hand from the rail. The railing is slippery and the spray from the water hitting rocks below dampens my body. I relished this brief moment of freedom. For once, I had a choice.

Just as Eric granted Christina three options, I also had three options. Try to double back the way I came in Peter's direction, dart in Max's direction, or take the risk of jumping in to the chasm with the slight possibility of finding an exit if I survive. The chasm seemed the most promising right now.

"Climb back over. You don't want to fall and I don't want to fish your body out of there later." I'd been too busy looking at Peter to notice Max had taken several large steps in my direction.

"Eric said death isn't an option, if I tried to kill myself, you would kill everyone I loved. You're a fool. Everyone I love is dead now or where you can't find them. I'm not afraid of you or death." With every passing second, my one-handed grip on the rail became looser and looser.

"You wouldn't last five seconds in the chasm." Max barks. He has his gun trained on me now.

"What are you going to do, shoot me?" I take fierce pleasure in being one step ahead of the enemy for once.

"Careful, I won't ask you again. I'll give you until the count of three to climb over on your own." Max is trying to bargain with me now. This is a battle of wits, I remind myself. Not strength. I have to outwit Max just like I'd outwitted Eric. Faking my own death may be the only way out of here. After all, they can't kill you once you're already dead.

"One." Max starts his count. I leaned forward and searched the water for a safe place to jump.

"Tris," Peter hisses, he was in mid-step, one foot hovering over the bridge. I ignore him. It's too late to back down now. Several dauntless guards have gathered behind Peter and Max.

"Two.".

"Three."

"Be brave." I say under my breath and jump in to the cold water below.

A/N: Cliff Hanger! Or should I say, Chasm hanger! Anyone? No…? Okay. Let me know what is on your mind in a review. Do you think she will survive? What do you think will happen next?