Hiya guys! Thank you to the people that have started to follow this story or have favourited this story, but is it too much to ask for some reviews? Anyway, this is chapter 5, chapter 6 will be updated next Saturday, and I hope you enjoy. I'm planning to make chapter 6 longer and have it hold more information than the other chapters of this story, so I'm hoping it will be better than the usual.
So enjoy this chapter and please review:) Thanks for reading XxxxX
Chapter 5 – To the Lake
Tris's POV
I knocked on the door seventeen times before it opened to reveal Sasha Trimsley. Her hair was tied back unlike this morning, but her green eyes were as alert as ever. When she realised who was standing at the other side of the door, her hand flashed to the button that signals the door closed. Unfortunately for her, my foot placed itself quickly in between the doors before they came together – and health and safety proved that the doors had to slide back away again.
"We're going," I stated simply.
"Um, I disagree," She argued, relaxing from her alert posture and leaning her weight to one side. "I just did my nails five minutes ago, and they still haven't dried. Not only that, my hair is an absolute mess!"
"I couldn't care less. Now, as I said previously, we're going." Unlike Sasha, I kept my posture alert, and she seemed to catch on that the only place to go was wherever I was dragging her off to.
"Fine, but at least let me change my shoes."
I looked down at her feet and found the pair of flats I was sure she'd worn this morning, making them fine for outside wear.
"Nope," I chirped as I took hold of her arm and pulled her through the doors. I quickly reached inside and pressed the button that closed them – as I'd probably broken something when I hadn't allowed them to close properly by putting my foot in between them – and linked my arm through hers.
"What are we, besties?" Sasha retorted.
"I'd stick needles in my eyes before I'd ever let that disaster occur."
Tobias's POV
"Where's Six?" Laura asked as I returned to the Council Meetings room.
"She's away to collect Sasha and Thomas, meanwhile I am to finish this session and inform you on a decision that has been made."
"A decision concerning what?" David wondered.
"The decision concerns these council meetings. There will be no future sessions until everything gets back to normal."
Protests began, and the only thing I could do was repeat myself over and over until they realised that I wouldn't be changing my mind any time soon.
"You are all dismissed."
Tris's POV
This time, there was no answer. None whatsoever.
"Thomas!" I called through the closed doors, but no reply came.
"Where is he?" I demanded of Sasha, understanding that if anyone knew where he was, it was her.
"I don't know. The last time I spoke with him was after the Dissembly, and we didn't part on good terms."
"What do mean by that?"
"Nothing," She sputtered.
"If something's wrong..."
"Of course something's wrong! I'm nothing to him, just a doll he carries around. I have no say. Ever."
"You, as much as everyone, have a say. Actually no, you're a council leader, you get a bigger say than so many people in this faction."
"I'm not really a council leader; I'm barely a council member..."
I was on the verge of asking her, yet again, what she meant when a voice called out behind me.
"Six?" I recognised Thomas's voice from along the corridor, and I turned my head to see Sasha shed a tear, although she quickly wiped it away. "Have you been standing there long? I apologise profusely for the wait, what is it that I may do for you?" As he reached us, it was clear that he was completely ignoring the fact that Sasha stood with me.
"You're coming with us."
"Of course. Allow me to just..."
"If you wish to make it up to me for waiting here for such a length of time, you can come right now, if not, you are coming anyway."
"Well, alright. Where we going?"
"I'll ask the questions, thank you."
Tobias's POV
I'd been waiting for twenty minutes since arriving at the lake, spending my time recalling the council meeting that Tris and I had attended one month ago.
"We have discussed a number of issues throughout the month, more than usual," Sasha had begun, "but there have only been three things that have been completely agreed within the council."
They had discussed plenty issues as Sasha had said, but if there had only been three issues that were agreed on, how many issues hadn't been agreed on for the entirety of the council? And what exactly were those issues concerning?
Sasha said, "Our first issue is a simple one; it concerns the sanitation of the contents of the lake. Divergents have been known to go out running in the past, and there have been reports that they have needed water badly enough that they drank from the lake. In most circumstances they have been a little sick, nothing too serious, but we think that this should be addressed for future circumstances."
That had been taken care of; I was standing here now watching the purely transparent water flow through the trees. It was like the perimeter of our faction, although one more natural than a giant wall, which told us where Divergent began and where it ended. The lake was here before we had even thought to protest against the unfair treatment of Divergents, now it bordered the whole of the newest faction – not purposely, just coincidently.
"Our second," Laura continued after all matters of the first issue had been addressed, "involves the eating arrangements of our faction. We all obviously know that this faction hasn't been around for long, and there are still many things that need to be made official – including the eating arrangements of our fellow citizens – but we have a faction council for a reason, and we all agree that there isn't enough routine as to when and where we are to eat (the cafeteria not having yet been completed playing a big part in this), or as to what we eat. This faction is one of the more intriguing and important factions as we all have multiple abilities that the citizens of other factions do not or cannot have and may like. We need to keep healthy, and we need to keep to a routine."
The cafeteria – we had been told – was planned to be complete in three weeks, all going to plan. And even without any specific eating place, there is a kitchen within the Ditel that any of the Ditel residents are free to use – with a fridge and freezer that are filled up often.
Thomas had said the last one, "Our last issue that we plan to address today also concerns the lake. We have lived our lives being trapped by a wall that could only be opened by few, and even though there is no wall, the lake that circles our entire faction is enough to make some people feel uncomfortable – as if they are trapped once again."
Tris had stopped him before he continued if I remembered correctly. She had stated, "The lake isn't man-made, and so there isn't anything we can do about that. The only thing we could do is build a dock of sorts and allow the Divergents to leave and go whenever they please, but we don't believe that this faction is yet ready for something like that."
"Six is right, the lake isn't a way to keep our citizens here, it isn't even a way to keep other faction's citizens out. If any of you feel trapped in any way, please come and speak with either me or Six. We will take time to come up with plans to solve the other two issues, but remember that we are just beginning to make this faction into something secure for our citizens. We can't risk losing that so early on."
It had been a test. They were questioning when we planned to reconnect with the other factions and they got their answer when we put aside that particular issue. The council had discussed it, but the majority of the council had not been aware that the discussion was taking place.
Tris's POV
We reached the lake within five minutes, and when reached it we found Tobias leaning against a tree with his eyes glued to the stream of water that coursed through the forest area.
"Four?"
His eyes wandered to mine, and I saw realisation hit him.
"Sasha, Thomas, you are free to go."