Same, But Different //discontinued//

Part 5: No, nightmares.

I lift my heavy Abnegation robes off of my back and lay face down on the table.

"Oh, Lord." Tori gasps, her eyes locked on my back. I forgot. Marcus's last 'punishment' left me with bruises. "Who did that to you?" She gasps. I look up at her. I must lie. I have to lie.

"It was an accident..." I mutter but do not elaborate. She doesn't need to know. She nods hesitantly and sets up the needles and ink.

"This is going to hurt." She mutters.

"I can take it." I say, my voice is strong, but not cocky. She nods and presses the needle into my back.

The pain is strong and immediate, but it fills me with triumph. I am finally free - free of the hold my father had over me. Free of the strangling gray robes and the shame-full glares of the other members. I'm finally free.

My face is contorted in agony as she traces the designs of the Factions. Against my will, a groan of pain leaves my lips. Tori doesn't stop tracing.

After an hour or so, she finishes detailing the factions onto the tattered skin of my back. My back feels tough and damaged, but I stand and she turns me to a mirror. They look orderly and symmetrical. I smile down at her.

"Thank you, Tori." My head bows under instinct.

"No problem." She reaches out her hand and I shake it, feeling awkward and stiff. I throw back on my shirt.

I leave the tattoo shop and stop at the Cafeteria. There are a few initiates that I recognize.

Will stands in line, talking to a tan-skinned Dauntless Born boy. I stand just behind them.

The tan-skinned boy turns to me and smiles, his teeth a ghostly white against his skin.

"I'm Uriah," He greets with a wave of his hand.

"Tobias." I say back, my voice firm and strong. He nods and turns back to Will.

I grab a tray and some food. I sit down, alone.

There's something I don't recognize on my tray. It's a piece of meat layered between bread. I look at it quizzically. What is it?

"It's a hamburger." Amar says, sitting next to me. "Try it, but put this on it." He hands me a bowl with a red sauce that I recognize as ketchup.

"Thanks." I bite into the sand which and almost moan. This is the best thing I have ever tasted.

I quickly down the burger and move on. There's a piece of chocolate cake on my tray. I lift my fork, full of the cake, and bring it to my lips.

The taste is extraordinary. It's soft and moist and sparks my taste-buds. This is the best thing I've ever tasted.

"The cake's the best here." Amar smiles at me. "They only make it here. Everywhere else, they have other special foods. Amity has their bread, Erudite has fizzy drinks, Candor their ice cream. I think Abnegation just has really bland foods." He cringes. I nod.

"The food is processed and tastes bland." I agree, finishing the rest of my cake.

"Goodbye, Amar." I resign, pushing back the chair I was sitting in.

"Bye!" He smiles and I dump my tray into the garbage and head to the shops.

I step into the Clothing Shop, aware of the points system. A man stands behind the desk. He has ginger-colored hair and dull green eyes.

"Hi, I'm Thomas. How can I help you?" He says brightly, his voice a few octaves higher than most males.

"I just transferred and am in need of some clothes." I say, uneasy. He smiles brightly and comes out from behind the desk. He's roughly my size and stands at my height.

"These should be around your size." He leads me over to a large rack. It's filled with various shades of black. Some closer to gray, but most are dark. He nods at me before walking away.

I grab two pitch black shirts and two gray ones. They are short sleeved, and make me feel naked. I also grab three pair of dark jeans, a fabric I'm not familiar with, and a pair of shorts. They are black with a strip of orange.

Thomas rings me up, deducting my points, and I leave, my clothes in hand.

The Dorm is large with several empty bunks. They girls and boys all share a room, but even then, there is extra space.

I claim an empty bottom bunk. Tris, Christina, Will and Al walk in, talking. Christina's bunk is right above mine and Tris - right next to me. Al and Will are on the bunk before them. I grab my shorts and a dark shirt before heading to the bathroom, to uncomfortable to change in front of everyone.

I take a shower and the water stings the fresh tattoo on my back. It's like dropping water onto a hot pan.

The soap also stings, but I ignore it like I've ignored the pain all these years.

After showering, I throw on the clothes. The shorts barely reach the middle of my calf and the air chills me.

I carry my Abnegation clothes into the room and stuff them in my dresser. I will not be embarrassed of my past, I will take pride in it. I survived my whole life there. I will keep my old clothes.

I climb into the bunk and my feet hit the metal at the end. The blanket is thin and rough, but it is warm.

The world fades away and I'm pulled into dreams. No, nightmares.

AUTHOR'S:

What the hell is wrong with me?! I've had this chapter written for, like, a week, but I was too lazy to edit and post it! Ugh. WHATEVER. IT"S POSTED NOW. HA.