The Initiate Chapter 6

Chapter 6 

I fell through the air at first I felt my full weight but now feel weightless. And free. I feel like a bird taking its first flight. I didn't care what was at the bottom, I wouldn't have cared if it killed me because I would have died smiling.

I got the feeling (the first feeling in what seemed like an eternity) of a net throwing me back up, then calming down after I had landed on it. I was pulled down by a large hand. 

"Ah well, over the past two years Abnegation initiates have jumped first. I think you lot are a set of dark horses." Said a young male with dark hair and bronze skin smiling he had white teeth. "I’m Uriah and you are?" He asks lowering his smile. Then it comes to me that only 35 year old married women are called 'Sonia' not 16 year old girls with their entire lives ahead of them. 

"S-Sonia." I say. Uriah lowers his dark eyebrows along with the corners of his mouth. Judging by that look he thinks the same. 

"You can change it if you want to." Uriah quietly says. He's right a new faction, a new name and hopefully a new life. 

"It's errm R-Ruby." I say. Ruby I have always liked that name maybe it is because it links to my favourite colour red. 

"Nice I like it." Uriah nods his head. "First jumper Ruby. Welcome to Dauntless." Uriah says over the cheering from the observing Dauntless members.  I then walked over to the side. And listened as the Candor male jumped down into the net. 

Eventually everybody jumped into the net. There was a buzz between the Dauntless born and the rest of the transfers. 

"Ok Dauntless born initiates are with Christina and Charity." Uriah says pointing to two tall willowy females, one had dark brown skin with short black hair the girl next to her was pale with wavy brown hair with pink lipstick. I vaguely remember her from somewhere Amity? No it can’t be Amity transfers to Dauntless are rare, there again so are Abnegation transferring at all and Olivia is an Amity born. Speaking of Olivia she is standing by Connor and the Candor male still shaking from the jump. The Dauntless born all walk over to the two women and soon disappear down a tunnel leaving a crowd of teenagers in different coloured clothes; blue, black, white and even the gray and the red and yellow from the two Abnegation and Amity. “Alright those that are here are with me and Four.” I look past Uriah’s shoulder and I see a familiar face shine in the dim light, I can’t be I can’t be…as the figure comes closer my fears become more real. It’s Tobias my older brother the one who abandoned me.

Despite wearing Dauntless clothing he looks the same as he did all those years ago. The hooked nose, olive skin, the dark hair, the tall and muscular frame all take me back to the choosing ceremony three years ago. Where he selfishly poured his blood on to the lit coal of the Dauntless leaving me with Marcus and his daily beatings. Tobias of Four looks over to me his eyes widen and his mouth opens. I don’t if he is surprised to see me, surprised I am alive or surprised that I have chosen Dauntless. He closes his mouth and swallows.

“Follow me.” He says the crowd follows him and Uriah and all I’m doing is standing still in shock. I guess the anger hasn’t kicked in yet.

“Move it stiff!” Shouts the Erudite girl shoving me out if the way. Her two friends follow her one was a female with brown hair that had blonde streaks running through it the other was a skinny pale skinned male that had a small mouth and a dimple in his chin. I begin to catch up with the crowd until I was standing by Connor, we go through a dark tunnel the walls were jagged rocks and every footstep echoed. We walk until the crowd stops in front of metal bridge that had roaring water underneath it.

“This is the Chasm, a reminder to us here in Dauntless that there is a very fine line between bravery and stupidity. If anybody jumped into the water then they would be dead instantly.” To- Four says, his voice has become stern and cold like. I notice the sharp rocks of the water and the waves submerging them. As we carried on being shown the Dauntless compound I notice to points on the back of Four’s neck that come out from his black t-shirt. No doubt a tattoo of some sort. We arrived to a large open space that is full of life, Dauntless life; people sparring, climbing walls, getting more tattoos and running. There were blue lanterns hanging from various points and there were step steps and narrow walkways that connected this part to other parts of the compound. “And this is the Pit, the heart of Dauntless where life happens.” Four says. The more I look to the Pit the more I am drawn in, the glass roof, the buzz of life and a potential vision of what my future life could look like. I glance between Four and The Pit from my old life to my new life. I wonder why Tobias calls himself Four; is it significant? Is it to help escape our shared wounded past? If it is then I can’t blame him that is part of the reason as to why I have officially become Ruby. I really hope the Sonia part of me can go to a better place now.

“Alright initiates that is the tour over we’re going to take you to your rooms.” Uriah says clapping his hands. The crowd follows Four and Uriah, my frustration is building up all I want to do is punch Tobias’s face or push him off the chasm. I’m scared the new me is becoming vicious, like Marcus and no doubt what Tobias has become. But that drives me to be different from them and my Mother…Evelyn. I walk beside the closest things to friends that I have here Connor and Olivia and ignore the occasional glares of Jessica and her fellow Erudite friends and the stare from Tobias. We arrived to a dark room that had beds in rows and black tiled walls. “Ok this where you will be staying for the rest of initiation and before you ask yes it is boys and girls.” Uriah says.

“Oh no…the stiff has failed I forgot you aren’t in to that sort of thing are you?” Jessica spits tying her messy hair into a ponytail.

“Yes well you are going to love it. By now Jessica you should be used to being with a load of guys at once.” Connor replies. Jessica’s face turns red and she turns away.

“Ok initiates get changed and be in the dining hall. For today you can relax as the upcoming few weeks will almost break every single one of you.” Uriah says soon him and Four leave the room. Me and Olivia pick a bed next to each other whilst Connor chose to be next to the Candor males, I need to say thank you to him for standing up for me earlier despite us being from the factions that despise each other. I get changed into a large black vest that exposed my arms and upper chest and shoulder and a pair of black jeans and red trainers. Not wearing any robes or thick pants makes me feel naked but free this is the first step in losing the old me. I undo my bun and tie my dark brown hair into a ponytail. Olivia has now dumped her Amity clothing for a loose fitting t-shirt and black trousers she lets her ginger hair hang down.

“Wow you look…different now that you are wearing Dauntless clothing.” Olivia says shoving her Amity clothing in a nearby drawer.

“I feel it. It certainly is a change, I barely recognize you in your change of clothes.” I reply. I look to see Tobias approaching me slowly but I don’t want to speak to him now or ever. He’s Four now and I’m Ruby as far as I am aware we are no longer associated. “C’mon lets go dinner.” I say. Me and Olivia walk to the dining hall following Connor and the dark skinned Candor male.

“Well don’t you two look beautiful?” Connor says with a smirk. I can’t help but blush a little. Him and the Candor male and even Olivia look convincing to be part of Dauntless where as I feel as if I am playing dress up and judging from the smirks of Jessica and her friends I look it too.

“I’m Shayne and you two are?” The dark skinned Candor male says holding out his large hand.

“I’m Olivia.” She shakes his hand with a smile.

“I’m Ruby.” I reply. Connor, Olivia and Shayne all lower their eyebrows.

“I thought you were that Marcus Eaton’s kid; Sonia.” Shayne says bringing my past up I guess there is no completely getting away from your past. At first I just want to punch him for bringing my past up but he doesn’t know the full story.

“She is look at her arms they are evidence of years of abuse from a corrupt faction. I wonder what has happened to her older brother.” The skinny male beside Jessica and their friend says. Everyone looks at my arms covered in scars from the lashings of belts over the years. Most people run a mile when they first see these.  

“He has probably transferred to escape that monstrosity of a faction.” Jessica says. The three all share a laugh. I look over to Tobias who is slowly making a fist, despite having some of our worse years there Abnegation still is our old faction and I don’t want it to be bad mouthed. There are still a lot of good people in that faction Mr and Mrs Lopham, Dwayne, Mr and Mrs Prior and many others. They don’t deserve to be bad mouthed because of Marcus’s doings. I glance over to Tobias who is making a fist with his right hand.

“Well if you Erudite knew everything then you’d know that isn’t true. Even if it was true it is none of your business.” I say walking to the dining hall. Connor, Shayne and Olivia follow me. The dining hall was a large open space with many tables and steel walls. And the sounds of clattering knives and folks underneath the sound of shouting and cheering.

“You ok?” Connor asks touching my shoulder I move to the sensation of skin touching skin for the first time. It was like a shock from a live circuit and I couldn’t help but flinch.

“Yeah I’m fine are Erudite always like this?” I ask grabbing a red metal tray.

“Those who don’t matter.” He replies. Olivia and Shayne catch up with us.

“You ok Son-Ruby?” Olivia stumbles with her words.

“Yeah fine just annoyed.” I reply we all grab some food and sit on a table that other Candor are sitting on and as usual they are debating about something.

“So is it true about what Marcus did to you and your brother is that why you transferred?” Shayne asks taking a bite out of his food.

“For the billionth time no it isn’t true, I transferred here because…I’ve always admired Dauntless’ bravery.” I reply. I take a drink of water from the cold steel cup.

“So why did you change your name?” He asks lowering his eyebrows. Although I just want to punch Shayne to keep him from asking questions I can’t really blame him, his faction teaches him to always be clear and say what is on his mind and after all the line between honesty and bravery is similar to the line between bravery and stupidity; very thin.

“I’ve…never liked the name Sonia and I have always liked the name Ruby so a new faction and a new name I suppose.” I reply lying to keep the waters calm like the Amity usually does. I still don’t understand how I got Candor on my result in the aptitude test if I find it this easy to lie.

“Anyways enough questions, that is the thing about Candor they are always honest and clear even when you don’t want them to be. So in other words they have no filter.” Connor replies with a smile.

“Well at least we are honest, Erudite are intelligent but vain.” Shayne replies. I stare at the food on my tray and picking it with a fork. “It’s only a hamburger it isn’t going to kill you.” Shayne says with smirk. His front two top teeth overlap each other and there is a gap between his bottom two teeth.

“Yeah I know it’s just that I have never eaten one before.” I cut a slice of it with my knife and take a bite off it. The meat tasted strange but got better the more I chewed on it.

“What does Abnegation eat? I’ve heard it’s really boring.” Olivia asks whilst she takes a sip of water from her cup.

“We eat plain stuff like oatmeal and bread along with colourless food like chicken, food in Abnegation isn’t too good.” I reply if I was still in Abnegation now I’d be accused of trying to take attention for myself and therefore be indulging myself.

“No wonder you left then.” Shayne replies with a slight laugh. “What do the rest of you guys eat?” He asks.

“Well in Amity we have this really nice bread other than that we consider fruit our main delicacy.” Olivia replies I’m not surprised everybody from Amity smells of either fruit or flowers. Olivia smells of strawberries.

“In Erudite we drink soda.” Connor simply says.

“Soda?” I ask lowering my eyebrows. I quickly glance over to Tobias holding hands with a girl, the same one who administrated my aptitude test and the only one who knows about my Divergence. Was her name Tris? I could do with talking to her as I want to know what is so dangerous about my Divergence.

“Soda is a type of drink in Erudite, hard to explain its fizzy and sweet lemon flavoured it tends to be.” Connor says. “What about Candor?” He asks.

“We eat ice cream, I don’t really like it neither does my Dad it makes my teeth hurt and it makes my hands all sticky.” Shayne replies.

“Will you guys shut up? I don’t want to know about your old factions you are Dauntless, for now anyways.” A deep voice; cold and stern say behind me but it’s recognizable. I turn my head to see who has interrupted us. Tobias. My suspicion is correct. “Ruby a word please.” He says. Olivia, Shayne and Connor all stare at me whilst I got up from my seat. I followed Tobias to a corridor that had the familiar jagged rocks and dim blue lights as the rest of the Dauntless headquarters did.

Tobias looks at me with a smile.

“I can’t believe it my sister here in Dauntless, look at you, you’ve grown so much you look like Mom.” He says about to hug me, I push him away.

“Well I am bound to change after how many years is it since you abandoned me now? Oh yes three years.” I reply the frustration that I felt earlier has made its inevitable return. Hopefully it will become unnoticeable if I have the rest of my life here now. No doubt for the next forty years or so that I’ll be seeing him and Tris holding hands, getting married and having children. But I don’t want to feel the need to punch him, but I don’t want him to be my brother I don’t need him or anybody.

“Sonia? What is wrong with you? I’m your brother Tobias the one that raised you up practically.” He lowers his eyebrows and lowers the corners of his mouth, I’ve hurt him with the words I have said.

“No you’re not you abandoned me Four just like Evelyn did all those years ago. As far as I am a where we aren’t family now. You are Four now and I am Ruby we are not associated with one another. Have a nice life.” I say walking away.

“What has happened with you? The sweet girl who I gave piggybacks to?” Four asks with a subtle cry in his voice. I turn around and fold my arms to try and conceal the scars on my arms.

“She’s no longer with us.” I reply, I turn and leave Four in the corridor and head back to the other three at the dinner table all of them eating chocolate cake. A Dauntless speciality. I sit back down and drink the cup of water to calm my shock. I’m not shocked that I saw him, I’m shocked at how it was easy for me to sever all ties with him like slicing through a piece of ribbon or silk.

“Are you ok you seem a little tense?” Olivia asks. She’s seen me shake from the adrenaline and my skin become paler.

“Yes I’m fine thank you.” I reply.

“What did he want you for?” Shayne asks. I have to bite my tongue to prevent me from telling him to mind his own business but he seems to be one of the few people willing to be my friend. I’m starting to realise that I’ll be associated with my previous life in Abnegation for a while. And considering how Abnegation has been under scrutiny for a while I doubt many of the other transfers will be wanting to associate themselves with me.

“Oh just about my scars on my arms and how if I wanted I could change my clothes to conceal them.” I lie becoming uncomfortable with how comfortable it is becoming for me to lie.

“Oh right, you and Four look pretty similar.” Connor replies, he has probably studied the many faces of this city. I look over to Four who has paled like me, he slowly walks over to Tris who has a concerned look on her face.

“No we don’t.” I say denying our similar features.

“Apparently he has turned down Dauntless leadership several times.” Shayne says quietly.

“Why?” Olivia asks.

“I don’t know maybe he can’t cope with responsibility.” He replies. Tris looks over to me, no doubt that she is gonna blurt out about my Divergence in front of everyone. No, she won’t she can’t. Otherwise my blood will be on her hands.

“Or maybe he is too much of a coward.” I simply reply turning away from my past.

“Ooohhh. You do realise is our instructor he could make initiation twice as hard for us.” Connor says.  

“What?! A part of bravery is honesty.” I say biting down to my piece of burger. There is clanging sound coming from the tables around us. I look to see that all of those who are banging their silver cups against the tables were looking up to a railed balcony. A dark skinned male with lines on his face was leaning against the railing looking over us. It’s Max my new faction leader.

“Initiates stand.” he simply says his voice is naturally loud. Me, Shayne, Connor and Olivia all stand along with the other initiates transfers and born alike. Even having had the eyes of the world looking at me whilst I made my choice, I’m still not used to being starred at. Everybody looks at us; Uriah, a light brown haired girl beside him, a girl with a shaved head and rosy pink lips and of course Four and Tris. “You have chosen to be in the warrior faction that has the honor of protecting the inhabitants of this city. We believe in ordinary acts of bravery and the courage that drives a person to stand up for those incapable of standing up for themselves. Do us and yourself proud.” He says before loud clapping erupts from those who have gone through Dauntless. All of a sudden a large male with half of his hair shaved picks me up into the air and I’m carried along the rows of Dauntless. Soon the other initiates are picked up and passed along.

I get a feel of adrenaline rushing through my body. A brief glimpse of what I will get every single day if I become a member of Dauntless. All I can do is smile easily.