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Chapter IX. The Knife That Pierces

BEATRICE

We jump into the train. And unlike the train ride on the way here, the whole car is filled with chatter. Eric's team is scowling, while we are chatty and talking.

"I can't believe I missed it!" Al says.

"Well, you weren't on our team." I state.

"Life isn't fair Albert." Christina says.

"Yeah, true." He mumbles.

Peter and his trio keep throwing dirty looks at us. I'm worried if he tries something, he seems to hate me. I mean, I already showed him up during guns and fight practice, then I whooped his ass at fights, then I beat him in Capture the Flag.

-o0o-

We continue talking about random things, including Dauntless cake, which is amazing, until the train stops. "Initiates, training tomorrow morning again in the training room. Don't be late." We nod and hop off the train. "We should celebrate!" Will says.

"Yeah! How?" Christina asks.

I shrug. "I don't know about you, but I'm hungry. Let's eat Dauntless cake for dinner in celebration!" They smile.

"Al, you coming?" He nods.

"Sure."

We walk to the dining hall and eat Dauntless cake while chatting. "THIS. IS. HEAVENLY." Christina exclaims. I laugh.

After our celebration, Will, Christina, and Al head back to the dormitory. "You coming?" I shake my head. "Going to walk around the Pit."

They nod. Christina is about to open her mouth but I interrupt her. "No, I don't have a boyfriend." She closes her mouth and pouts. "Fine." She harrumphs, and they walk into the dorms.

I walk to the tattoo parlor back at the Pit. "Hey Tori!" She looks up from sketching something. "Hey! Back for more?" I nod.

We walk into her private office and she locks the door. "What you want?"

"Can I get something on my back? To cover the scars?" She nods.

"What'd you like?" I think about it. What would I like permanently on my back?

"The five faction symbols engulfed in flames." She looks shocked.

"Are you sure? People will know you're…" I can finish off her sentence in my brain- Divergent.

I nod. "I really doubt I'm going to let anyone see my back." I say laughing to brighten the mood. It does, because Tori smiles. I lay on my stomach. And the tattoo needle hits my skin.

-o0o-

After about thirty minutes, she finishes. I look at my back in the mirror. My whole back is inked with the five faction symbols vertically; Dauntless, Abnegation, Candor, Erudite, and Amity, with flames and designs swirling to the back of my shoulders and part of my neck. The small white scars are barely visible, but can still be seen if you look closely.

"You like your tat?" I nod and smile.

"How much?" And just when she is about to open her mouth to decline, I cut her off.

"And don't say no because I already feel bad."

"If you pay me, you won't be able to come back. It's fine, I don't want any points. I enjoy tattooing people." Tori says.

"Bu-" I am cut off by Tori.

"No charge!" I sigh.

"Fine! Thank you!" We hug. She bandages the tattoo and I leave.

I walk back into the initiate dorms to find everyone asleep. I tip-toe into the shower and let it wash away my stress. I change into my training outfit for tomorrow and sleep.

-o0o-

I wake up. I didn't have a dream or a nightmare last night, probably because I was so tired from Capture the Flag.

"Christina! Will! Al! Get up off your ass!" At this, the whole dorm stirs.

"What?" Will mumbles. I look at my watch. I am the only one ready for training, while the others have just woken up.

"Training's in fifteen minutes!" I feel like an alarm clock. I wait for Christina, Will, and Al, who get ready in ten minutes, so we stop by the dining hall and grab a chocolate chip muffin. In Abnegation, I never had eaten chocolate, heck, I barely ate anything at all! We run to the training room after finishing our muffins. I look at my watch, two minutes early. I sigh.

We line up. I notice new targets have been posted and each station has three knives. Knife throwing. I gulp. Eric straightens his posture. "Tomorrow will be the last day of stage one. You will resume fighting then. Today, you'll be learning how to aim. Everyone pick up three knives and pay attention while Six demonstrates the correct technique for throwing them." We all stand there, and look at him. I am afraid of making a mistake, so I don't move. "Now!" He shouts, and I scramble to pick up the weapons. I look at Tobias. The knife feels dangerous in my palm, just like with the gun.

I watch as he takes stance and throws two knives, hitting the center of the target, ending up millimeters from each other.

"Line up." Eric yells. I stand in front of a target. I look around see the other initiates throwing and missing the target. I tune out Eric's pacing and yelling from behind me. I tune out the sound of knives clattering to the floor.

I take stance and hold my arm up in the air, preparing to release the knife, when I see it.

I see not a plain old target. I see a frail, small blonde crying girl standing against a wall. A man comes in with knives in hand.

Marcus told me one day to stand at the wall. He held twelve knives, which was also how old I was. He threw them at me. I was stabbed in the ear, the side of my stomach, and nearly my heart. It was millimeters from it. I cried the whole time. Marcus was laughing sadistically the whole time.

Anger fumes in me, and the target reappears. But this time, it changes again. Not to my scarring childhood.

Not to any of my punishments.

But to my so called "Father."

My blood burns in my veins and I instantly release the knife.

It hits the right side of the target, and I am the first to hit the target.

I repeat the stance, aiming at the center.

The knife hits closer, an inch or two off of Bullseye.

I try again.

It strikes bead center.

Where I imagined Marcus' heart to be.

By now, I no longer hear the sound of knives falling onto the floor. I look up to see the other initiates are staring at me. By now, I have tears held up in my eyes. I refrain from crying. Eric and Tobias are surprised.

I glare daggers at them.

At this, the other initiates turn back to their targets. I look at my feet.

Why am I crying? Is it because I was scared? No. it was because he did that to me.

My grip on the knife grows so tight, my knuckles turn purple.

This is revenge. Marcus.

I throw the knives, and they end up millimeters from one another, next to my third knife. I go retrieve the knives, not caring if I get hit with an airborne knife.

I seem to intimidate the other initiates, because they stop throwing for me. I look at Christina, and we smile and hold back a laugh. I grab my knives and continue throwing.

-o0o-

An hour later, Al is the only one who hasn't hit the target. Edward, Peter, Christina, Will, and I can make continuous Bullseyes. Eric is getting into Al. "How slow are you initiate?!" I watch as Eric yells at him to go get his knife, which is on the floor. Al retorts.

"Everyone stop!" Eric shouts. "Clear out of the ring…all except you." Eric hisses at Al.

"Stand in front of the target. Hey Six, give me a hand here, huh?" He calls out. Tobias sighs and scratches his eyebrow with the knife he's holding, and walks over there.

"You're going to stand there as he throws these knives until you learn not to flinch," Eric says, stepping back. Oh no. I've been in this situation before. I can't let Al stand there, but I can't take his place. I feel tears on the brims of my eyes. Christina holds me while we hold back tears together.

Tobias holds the knife back, prepared to throw it. That's it. I can't take it.

"Stop it." I stop forward out of Christina's grip. "Anyone can stand in front of a target. It doesn't prove anything except that you're bullying us. Which, as I recall, is a sign of cowardice." I glare at Eric.

He smirks and picks at his nails. "Then it should be easy for you…if you're willing to take his place?" He says casually. My heart drops to my feet.

I am scarred after what Marcus did to me.

I can't do it again.

I look at Tobias.

He won't hit me, I know it, and I can't back down. I step through the crowd of initiates and I move in front of the target.

"If you flinch, Al takes your place. Understand?" Tobias says quietly. I nod. He sighs and throws the knife. I don't flinch. Even this brings back so many bad memories, I learned nor to flinch. Marcus did this daily for a month once, and he stopped and got bored when I didn't flinch or show fear.

"You about done Stiff?" He asks me.

"No." I reply coldly. I glare at him.

He throws the next knife. It lands inches above my head. I do not flinch.

"Come on, Stiff, let someone else stand there and take it," He replies in the same cold, slow, voice.

"Shut up, Six!" I yell. I cross my arms.

He throws the knife. I feel blood trickling down the side of my neck. I feel my ear. He nicked it. It doesn't seem hurt at all. I smile.

Eric smirks. "Having some déjà vu, Six?"

"I would love to stay and see if the rest of you are as daring as she is, but I think that's enough for the day." Eric says. I file out with Christina, Will, and Al.

I tense as Eric squeezes my shoulder, making me cringe.

"I should keep my eye on you." He whispers in my ear, I shudder, I don't want him near me, or even looking at me. He is cruel, like Marcus.

Tobias and I are left alone in the room. "Is your ear okay?" He comes up to me and looks majorly concerned.

"Yeah. Doesn't feel like anything." He nods.

"How? When that happened to me, it hurt for a while."

That's what Eric meant by 'having some déjà vu, Six'.

I shrug. "I'm used to pain." When those words leave my mouth, I instantly regret them. He looks at me strange.

"Since I transferred to Dauntless, I mean." I make an excuse. He doesn't push the topic.

"You should get to lunch. Your friends should be waiting for you." I nod, and leave the room.

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~WhatifTris Writing/TrissyPoo