A.N. sorry for the kind of long wait for a second chapter, I was working out how the story is going to go. I was considering breaking this into two chapters because it is so long, but I don't know where I would put the division so it's just one. Again, this is my first story, so it would really help me out if you could review to tell me what I can do better next chapter..
Chapter 2, The first run.
Tris P.O.V.
That night at dinner I push my peas around absentmindedly while my parents talk. Though it has eased, the feeling is still there. Not good enough. I decide that focusing on myself like this is being immensely selfish, so I tune back in to the conversation.
"-already hurt him enough when it happened, the last thing he needs it a reminder!" I raise my head, perplexed by my dads words.
"A reminder of what?" I ask. Caleb shoots me a warning glance, but I
don't meet his gaze.
"Marcus, from down the street. His son chose to go to a different faction 2 years ago, and it nearly broke the man. Now some students in erudite have been posting articles online mocking him, saying he didn't raise his son well enough. Some even claim he used to abuse him!"
"Oh, how terrible." I say
"Beatris." caleb says sharply. "Why don't you let dad speak? I am sure it would be greatly appreciated." I nod and go back to my pea pushing.
After dinner is over, we all automatically get up to clean. It is like a peaceful rhythm dance we have done every day for as long as I can remember. When there is not so make as a spec out of place, I approach my parents.
"Mother, Father. May I be excused to go on a run?" I know their answer is most likely going to be yes, as we are early diners, and it is only 5:45.
"Of coarse! It has been so lost since we have had time, I am sure you are very excited. Now go, but be home before 10:00."
They usually only let me out until 9, so after a moment of shock, I quickly thank them, pivot, and I am out the door. As I am walking down the street of identical, simplistic houses, I hear an exited whine deep within me.
I smile. My wolf, Athena, is just as eager as I am. I can't contain myself. I planned on walking the whole 10 miles, but now I start to run. After a moment I remember to pace myself, and I slow to just faster than the average human sprinting. We would not like to have the fact that we are inhuman come to light.
After over an hour of running, I have just started to get a stitch in my side. I stuck to back roads pretty well in the way here, so instead of walking over the the official entrance you supposed to take to get inside, I just hop the fence closest to where I am.
At last, I am enveloped by nature. Still feeling unsure, I walk for another 10 minutes until I am sure I am alone. I quickly undress, and then close my eyes.
I focus on Athena, coaxing her forward. She is as excited as am, and it doesn't take more than me thinking about running to feel the shift in my body. Athena can by a fickle creature, changing when I don't want to, or not changing when I want to. But this is the truth that I live with, she has the majority of the control of our body, I have majority control of our mind.
I open my eyes, closer to the ground that I was before. I stretch quickly, and then start to trot through the forest. My wolf form looks a lot like I do as a human, though not everyones is like that. I am small, even as a wolf, and covered in blonde fur. My snout is slightly longer than most other wolves, and I have the same bland blue grey eyes as a human and as a wolf.
As I start to run, I feel the knot of tension and anxieties in my chest begin to unravel. I begin to forget myself, focusing instead on the green-brown blur of the forest I ran past, and the peaceful thrumming of four legs rather than two.
I begin to approach the crest of a large hill, and run as fast as I can. When I reach the top, I stop, tip my head back, and begin to let out a long, full throated howl from deep in my chest, pushing out the last of my tensions with it. I hear the snap of a twig near me, and my howl dies with a choked sound in my throat as I whirl towards the noise.
Another wolf, a dark chocolate color with cinnamon colored speckles on her nose and paws is crouched in a playful position near the treeline, panting, with her tail going 100 miles per hour.
I automatically spring back as she approaches. She trots normally, not stiff legged, but also not on her stomach in submission. She makes as if to sniff me, and I begin to slink back, a low growl sounding in my throat. I may not be large or intimidating, but I have a loud menacing growl.
She stops and cocks her head to the side, confused. We can both sense that the other is a werewolf, and most people would delight at this opportunity, but my parents have always taught me to be as cautious as I can when I meet strange wolves, and I am surprised and startled that there are other werewolves in the vicinity. I just hope that I wasn't too distracted earlier and invaded anyones territory.
By this point I have reached the underbrush with my retreat, so I wheel and begin running to the spot where I left my clothes. I hear the other wolf utter a soft, questioning bark, trying to convince me to come back, and for a moment Athena considers it, but i don't do so much as pause. Eventually, i reach my clothing, and change quickly. afterwards I run home full tilt, attempting to stay hidden, but at the same time not caring who sees.
I arrive back home in just under an hour, panting heavily. My watch says it is 9:27, so i head upstairs to read and think about what happened today. Looking back, I don't know why I reacted so strongly. I guess I was really scared by how careless I had been.
I have a shower to relax my still tense muscles, grab an outfit for tomorrow ( a dark grey, almost black maxi skirt, and a pale grey long sleeve blouse.) and attempt to fall asleep. The same worries from yesterday keep swirling around my head, and I eventually give in and take a nyquil to put myself to sleep.
For the next three days I go through the same schedule, waking for breakfast with my family, a tranquil walk to school, and then silently moving through the school day unnoticed. It seems that with every passing day the knot in my chest gets tighter, the leaden weight in my stomach get heavier.
It has gotten to the point where I have started sleeping in my wolf form, because Athena isn't bothered by these sorts of issues and it is the only way I can fall asleep without medication.
On friday I wake up and change back to human form. I put on the simple grey dress I layed out last night. At breakfast I am inclining my head like I am listening, but in reality I am trapped in my mind, thoughts racing.
For the past couple days I have been toying with the idea of changing factions, but today is the first day I have had to think about it seriously. I have to go to the office and turn in my form that says I am switching factions by the end of the day. If I really do go through with this, at least there won't be quite so much shame involved, as they replace all of the abnegation office managers with volunteers from other faction for the day. But do I want to go through with it?
Caleb and I arrive at school, and I get in the stream of students going towards my first class. If I am going to do this, I am not doing it with Caleb around. After my second class during our break I attempt to go again, but I just can't make myself. The bell signalling the end of break ends, and I decide that I need a thinking break. For the first time in all of my years of school, I cut a class.
The abnegation campus is closer to the woods that I went too before then my house, being only 4 miles away, so it only takes about 20 mins of sprinting through the back streets to get there. This time I find a hollow log to put my bag in because it is daytime, and hide in the foliage to change. I emerge as Athena, and begin to run, thinking through my dilemma, but also being more cautious and attentive than last time.
On one hand, I know I don't fully belong to abnegation, but on the other, where do I belong? I tell far too many small lies to be candor, and I don't think I am suited for amity either. They all were stoned all the time, and never actually solved any real problems. Though the thought of being erudite repulses me, - they had always been the ones to attack people via article, and acted superior to everyone - I have to admit that there is at least a small part of me that would belong in their ranks. But no, I will not join erudite. That left joining dauntless, and staying right where I am. It was almost funny, by choosing she would prove where she belonged, she would have to be very brave to make it in dauntless, and it would be a great act of selflessness to stay in abnegation.
Suddenly I am wrenched from my thoughts as I round a hillock and see how low the sun is in the sky. It must be almost the end of the school day! I run back to where my stuff is stashed and change quickly, and then sprint to school.
I arrive, out of breath, at 3:20, just as classes are getting out. As the students flood into the hallways I rush towards the office. I have made my choice. I push open the doors and see a woman who appears to be in her 30s, dressed in a black tanktop and black skinny jeans. She glances at me, stands up, and begins to walk towards the back of the office.
"Follow me" she instructs over her shoulder, and it is only then that I realise that I am standing frozen. I take an abrupt jerky step forward, my legs suddenly shaking. "My name is Tori" she tells me as she leads me to a row of curtained stalls, and pulls the door of one open. "Should you choose dauntless, I will be your arts teacher. Here's how this works, you write your name on the top of this page," as she leans over to set it on the small desk, and I see a tattoo of a hawk with red eyes on her shoulder blades. Unable to contain myself, I ask her.
"What does the hawk stand for?"
She gives me a look. "Most students from this faction are not usually this curious." I look down, a faint blush tickling my cheeks. Tori gives a faint sigh. "It symbolises the sun. I figured it would help me be less afraid of the dark. You check the box of which faction you attend now in the first list, and then which you would like to be in in the second. Then you sign at the bottom."
I nod numbly, thank her, and step into the booth, closing the door behind me. I grab one of the provided pencils, and sit in the rickety chair. Without Tori to distract me from my nervousness, my whole body begins to shake. I try to write my name, but even if my hand wasn't quivering so hard, my eyes have blurred over. I take a deep breath, trying to quell my nervousness. Outside of the booth, I hear Tori's explaining to another soon-to-be transfer. This student is acting more like the usual, and the conversation is mostly one sided.
By the time I hear the door close behind them, my trembling has slowed, and my vision is cleared. I write my name at the top, and check abnegation in the first row. My hand spasms with slight tremors as I write a shaky check in the box in the second row.
I am dauntless. I am brave.
I quickly sign and exit the booth, walking rapidly towards the front desk to turn it in. I hear the door of the booth next to the one I used squeak open, another traitor done. There is a sudden inhalation of breath behind me, and I turn at the sound. I stand there, frozen, unable to breath, to move, to even think. Only one word escapes my gaping mouth.
"Caleb?"
A.N. oooh, cliffhanger! I know the story is moving along slowly, but I want to have a good base for the story to build on, and I hate when the stories are rushed. As always, please review and offer me any suggestions for improvement, and tell me what you think of the addition of the new wolf, or any theories you might have about it. Also, should I make athena a bigger character, or give her a bigger part in this? I will try to write the next chapter quickly so you won't have to wait long. Bye!