Surviving the Same War

Chapter 15

KATNISS POV

"Come on, let's get you hooked up." Four said, leading Tris and me to a set of chairs. He placed some wires on Tris's forehead, chest, and temples, then began to do the same to me. "Here Tris, inject yourself so I can give her the shot."

She nodded and took the needle away from him, lifting her hair and giving herself her shot. Four lifted my a head bit and did the same.

"Remember when you get in there Katniss-" His advice was cut off by my mind being thrown into another universe.

"Tris, where are you?" I say, taking in the clear sunlight and beautiful fields of grass that stretched on for miles in all directions.

"Over here, but be careful, this is a simulation but you still feel the pain." Pain? What pain, there is only a field and some birds soaring above us.

"Okay, but what happens now?" A loud screeching came from above.

"That." She pointed at the black wave about to crash over us. The birds pelted us with their beaks and sent enormous amounts of pain throughout my body. "Find... A.... Way.... Out!" Tris screamed, trying her best to swat the birds away from her mouth so she could get those simple words out.

I tried looking around, but my vision was blocked by a wall of fluttering crows. I decided to crawl onto the ground to avoid most of the beaks of the crows. I found a small puddle of water and tried to crawl over it, but my hand sank. I stuck my head in and found it was almost endless.

"TRIS!" I shouted, "I found our way out!" She couldn't hear me over the caws of the crows, so I quickly darted back into the ocean of birds and grabbed her wrists. I pulled her down into the water and we held our breath.

The water around us drained away, but we were trapped in a glass box. Water rushed in and it was filling up quickly. I saw on the outside of the case were people. They were pointing and laughing, I only recognized a few of them. Christina, Uriah, Zeke, and Four.

"How do we get out of this one?" I asked, trying to find a way out.

"We have to stop the water from getting in. Take off your jacket and stuff it in the pipe where the water is coming from." I hurriedly did so, but the water continued pouring. The only difference was it was moving much slower. "Now we have to get out. Try looking around for something you might find useful."

I inspected the bottom floor, but noticed Tris just standing there. "You're not going to help?"

"I really want to, this is one of my fears after all, but you need to know what to do in your own fears. Now hurry, the water is about to fill the tank."

I nodded and continued taking deep breaths and searching at the bottom, but found nothing. The water was too high and was about to reach the top. I took one last deep breath and stared at the people on the outside. Peeta somehow appeared, telling me to close my eyes and tap the glass. I did so and it fell apart. The water spilled out, wetting the entire floor. I was exhausted, laying down on the floor I let the water soaking into my clothes, but was wakened by a wave of salt water splash onto my face.

I found myself laying on rocks in the middle of the ocean. The waves were trying to push me off, making me lose my grip and let go of the rugged rock.

"Careful!" Tris said, catching my hand and pulling me back up. "You need to find a way out of here, or do something to regain control. That's what this fear is, to lose control." I nodded, trying to figure out what to do but the waves kept splashing and interrupting my thoughts. Think. Come on.

"Tris! Take a deep breath because we have to go under!" I dove into the water and focused. Without the waves crashing into me, I was able to relax and gain control. I felt Tris splash into the water and after a few moments, the water began to drain away.

We appeared in this room that was similar to my old one back in District 12. Suddenly, a group of men appeared and tried to grab us. I squirmed but it was no use, they were too strong. Tris tried to tell me something, but the men clamped a hand over her mouth and whispered something in her ear that caused her eyes to fill in terror. Somehow, my hand freed itself from the man's grasp and I punched him, sending him flying across the room. I hurriedly ran to Tris and kicked the men where the sun don't shine. They fell to the ground in agony, then quickly disappeared. Two men and a woman materialized in their place.

"Tris, honey. It's okay, just do it." The woman said. A gun much smaller than the ones the peacekeepers had materialized on the ground in front of her feet. I stepped back, knowing I could do nothing to help her now.

"Honey, listen to your mother. It's going to be okay, just do it." Her mother, that must be her father and the other man her brother. She said her parents were killed and her brother was dead to her.

"I can't." Was all she could say.

"Pick somebody already Tris!" This sent we over the edge and tears streamed down her face. "Pick me. I deserve to die. Just kill me."

She slowly raised her gun. "Just because I'm never going to forgive you doesn't mean this won't hurt me." She pulled the trigger and her brother's lifeless body fell to the ground. Her parents disappeared along with the room.

In the middle of the desert stood a pole surrounded by dead grass and leaves. A hand gripped onto my elbow and tied Tris and me to the pole.

"Looks like your really going to be on fire now Stiff." He said, lighting the leaves under out feet. His crackling laugh echoed through my ears as I tried to find a way to escape.

"How do you get out of this?" I asked Tris.

"I don't, I have to burn as wait for it to be over." That helps. We need to get out of here, but how.

"The rope! Kneel down and burn your rope." She did so and it fell apart, freeing both of us. We snuck up to the man who tried to burn us and prepared to grab him.

"Oh you do not know how long I've been waiting to do this Peter." Tris says as she throws him into the burning flames. He is devoured by them before turning into complete ash.

"Is there anything next?" I ask, afraid to know the answer.

"I don't know." The desert turned into complete darkness and I felt myself awaken in my perfect little world.