Shouts come from all directions around me and I put my hands over my ears pressing my head into my knees. Shut up, I scream in my head. I ignore everything around me. Bullets flash across the sky again and I bolt up and run. I don't know where or for how long, all I know is that I want to escape. I run along the side of the river, listening to the rush of the water. A piercing pain shoots up my leg and I immediately know it is not a cramp. I keep running. I do not scream or even stop. I know very well that I was shoot, but I have survived worse. Dirt kicks under my feet and trees start to blear. I hear my name being called over the gun fire and the shouting. I risk a glance back to see the whole town is in chaos. Children are screaming and running in every which way as parents try to tame them. Another shoot rings out in the air, but I still do not know who is shooting. I turn back to see a parade of men and women all holding guns, each looking also though they are ready to kill. I dive into a bush and wait. There steady feet pass by, kicking dirt in my face. Only then do I realize I still have my gun in the waist band. I pull it out silently and wait tell they all pass. Once they are all within a good meter away I spring from the bush and hold my gun up to them. I know it is completely stupid; it is me vs. one hundred of them, each with a gun. They all whip around to face me and hold their guns up to shoot. Wait, they all have shoes on and most of them are only wearing one color. How could I have been so stupid? I drop my gun and hold up my hands. I see a figure move in the crowd and Uriah bursts from the centre of the crowd.
"We thought you were dead," He says shaking my shoulders. As much as I try I cannot wipe the frown from my face. Uriah's looks at me wide eyed.
"Where's Four," He says slowly. I nod my head in the direction of the trail. Christina comes bursting out from the crowd next, than Zeke. I did not even know Zeke was here. They both stand there for a moment and ask the same thing Uriah did. I really never want to even step foot in that town again, but I know I will not a moment of peace until I show they. I sigh.
"follow me," I whisper, "put the guns down, no more shooting and stop yelling"
I lead the group through the same trail Greg, Liam, Maggie and Jack lead us through. Even though I can put up with the pain, it still hurts. When we emerge from the woods I truly think everyone stops breathing. Even though the streets are now empty and curtains pulled tightly shut on the windows it is still marvelous.
"Tris," I turn my head to see Tobias emerge from the trees with Maggie and Liam behind him. He drops his gun which reminds me that I left mine still sitting on the ground. Almost reading my thoughts, Uriah tucks my gun in my hand as Tobias approaches me.
"What is going on?" I keep my mouth shut and move my eyes to look at Christina.
"We thought she was kidnapped," Christina cries like a child. "It is not our fault; we thought we were coming to save her."
"And how did you know there were other people here?"
"It was a guess, but when you think about her, Tris was either kidnapped or just died. The person that ended the war and basically saved us does not just die, so that was our theory."
"She almost did just die in the river, if it wasn't for these people she would have," Tobias yells. In that moment it is all gone. The last bit of hope I had. I feel as though I gave up on holding on to the railing and just let go, let myself fall into the Chasm. I look at Tobias, tears threatening to spill over my cheeks.
"How could you," I scream and turn and run again. I don't get very far, because the pain in my leg forces me to collapse in a pile at the river's edge. I brush the tears away from my eyes and fold my knees into my chest.
He protruded me as helpless, useless. Like as if I did not have him or the people of anyone I would never live.
If it was not for me, he would be dead right now.
I came to help him!
A twig snaps behind me and to my surprise Maggie comes and sits down next to me. Her black hair is pulled back in a braid and her eyes stare died ahead.
"I can't apologize for what he did, because I know it is something you need to hear from him."
"Then why are you here," I shout. She turns to look at me, I except to find hurt or maybe even angry. Instead it is a look I cannot read. Expressionless. She dips her finger in the river and let the water rush around it like a barrier and prisons trying to escape.
"I'm sorry," I say quickly repeating her actions with the water. She moves her finger in a circle trapping water each rotation and freeing each rotation as well.
"Don't be." I am surprised by her words; Maggie turns to look up at me again. "I have never known what it is like to have someone that loves you, but I believe that if I did, it would be incredible. You have that feeling towards him, I know it."
Great, I think. Another lecture about relationships.
"I care if you let this separate you, but stop and think about something. I never have had a family. I mean Liam and Catlin toke me in, but I never felt like I was meant there. I was out of place."
I stop twirling my finger and look up. This time I see a flash of comfort and sadness across her face.
"You are different," I whisper. I only receive a weird look. "You act, look and think differently than others, why?" I sound like a child asking a stupid question about math.
"Everyone is different. I am Chinese. I am from a different culture that was destroyed in the war. I guess no one other then you really knows what I feel?"
"Why me," I ask silently staring at her features, her darker skin and large eyes. Black hair and large lips.
"You have lost your parents, right?" I nod. "You have had to give up your whole life to a war?" I nod again. "You understand the things other don't?" This time I pause and think. In a way I know exactly what it means, in another way I have no idea what it means. I remain silent.
"You do," She whispers, "Because you are Divergent." My heart almost stops. Do they kill you if you are, wait they can't, Amanda said in the video that Divergent's were needed. I let my mouth hang open.
"Are you," I state.
"No way to know. I am the only one that knows about all that stuff though. Catlin had found Natalie's diary after she left and gave it to me. Did not bother to read it I guess. Everything written in there was about the other world. About the fractions, the society," She pauses. "The Divergent."
I think back to the words Maggie said earlier, "You understand things others don't?" I do. But then why did Tobias not understand what that means to me when he said that? It seems to her though that I am special, not worthless. Before Maggie leaves she tosses me a folded up scrap of paper. It looks a good eight years old. I UN fold the paper cautiously. What is drawn on the paper warms my heart. Two hands joined together with a ring around them, Abnegation.