After Dark • Peter Hayes

Peter Hayes

Pipers POV;

Peter had been forced out the room by Four, who was now sat on his chair in front of me. I hadn't paid much attention to anything in the last 30 minutes. I could hear them arguing, but I couldn't stop thinking about what I saw.

"Piper?" I knew he was talking to me, but I continued to look down at my hands that were not long ago covered in blood. "Are you ready to talk about it?"

I wasn't.

But I had to, for Tris.

"Yea" I shuffled in the chair, finally looking up at him. He seemed concerned. Rightly so I guess, "after I- you know-" I didn't want to say I'd shot Tris. He nodded, "there was this mirror. Tris and Peter were trapped inside" he put his hand out, inviting me to take it, because I was shaking like a wuss. I did, "I could hear her behind me, Jeanine I mean, she was shouting about taking us? I wasn't sure why but I needed to save Peter and Tris." I turned away. I wasn't going to cry. Not in front of the dauntless trainer.

"So, what did you do then?" I knew he hadn't seen anything after the gun shot. A bit like Peter clearly hadn't. Something I didn't realise until I woke up. I thought it was real Peter behind that mirror. Not a simulation.

"I broke the mirror. Ran through it and they were there"

"Well that's good?" No it wasn't.

"Jeanine and a bunch of men followed, dauntless men, they had us all there, told me one of us had to die. Of course I know it's not very dauntless like but, I chose myself" I turned back to him, "she laughed and spoke about how me and Tris had to suffer? She knew about divergents but I didn't understand why I had to, I waited for her to, I don't know, kill me" when I was in there I didn't know what was real, if I'd actually die.

"But then she started talking about dauntless traitors. The dauntless that protect the divergent" as I said that, I could've sworn Four gulped, pretty loud for someone as tough as nails as he is, "they said that we had to watch the traitors die" I thought she meant me but she didn't. "She killed him Four"

"Peter?" I nodded, a single tear slid down my cheek, "and you thought it was real Peter, not the simulation" I nodded once more.

He stood up and told me to wait, that he was going to grab someone.

I did believe it was Peter. I knew going in there the dangers of it, I knew there was a chance we could actually die in there.

Part of me knew who I wanted to enter, but the stubborn part of me didn't want it to be him.

Will.

I stood up and he practically ran over to hug me, "you're all good now ok?" I wasn't though, I'd watched Peter die and it broke me. I cared about him far more than I should've. "Four told me what you seen"

"He was dead Will, I thought-" tears fell, I didn't stop it, just cried into his chest. "I thought it was the real Peter." He ran his hand down my hair to try and calm me. It wouldn't work. It just kept replaying in my mind.

"Peter told me you said you were dying in there, what did she do to you?" He asked. Nothing. She did nothing.

"Nothing"

He pulled back and looked at me for a moment, then as if he had a lightbulb he said, "dying because he was?" I nodded.

———————

I hadn't spoke to Peter for 3 days. He'd avoided me at all costs, I didn't know why considering he was warm and kind when I woke up. He'd seen everything I feared.