Lionheart

One

Another day, another harvest.

Sometimes, it seems like all the Amity know how to do.

Plant. Grow. Harvest. Repeat.

The same cycle is repeated over and over again in a never-ending, mind-numbing circle.

Don't get me wrong, the self-sufficient nature of Amity is one of its greatest benefits. And there are always dances, poetry readings, and live, beautiful music... but it doesn't really matter if you're never allowed to attend those events to break the monotony.

My uncle hates a lot of things, including me. Ever since my mom died, I've been in his and my aunt Carol's care, and he has made it his goal in life to make mine a living hell.

Most people think Amity is perfect, known for being peaceful.

But Amity has its secrets, too. Some are much darker than others.

"Ana, can you help me with these apples real quick?"

"Sure, just one second." I stand up from kneeling in the dirt, my light demin covered knees soaked through from the moist ground. I wipe the sweat from my forehead with one swipe of my arm as I make my way over to Vanessa, the head of our harvesting group.

"Will you help Avery grab that side? It's a little heavy for her." Vanessa grins at me with perfectly straight white teeth. She is beautiful in the way most Amity are, but different all at once. She is olive toned with dark almond eyes and the most long and gorgeous ebony hair you could imagine. She is my safe place.

"It is not!" Avery, the ten year old redhead, pouts. I ruffle her hair with a dirty gloved hand, sending dirt fragments flying.

"Come on, squirt. We all need help sometimes ." I encourage her, but she only grumbles, using all the strength in her scrawny arms to help me lift the large apple basket into one of our trucks.

"So, how are you feeling about the test?" Vanessa grunts as we hoist another barrel of apples up.

I try not to tense up. The aptitude test is about the last thing I want to think about right now.

"Fine, I guess." I mutter, sliding the apples further into the bed.

"Fine?" Avery inquires incredulously, and I sigh, turning to the two.

"I don't know how to feel, okay? I just go to take the stupid test that will attempt to tell me who I am. I don't see why it's all that important when we all know I'll just end up back here doing the same thing every single day." My voice is too bitter to be non chalant. Vanessa notices.

But its true. He'll never let me have a choice of my own again.

"What if you don't get Amity?" Vanessa asks, I merely shrug in disinterest despite the aching in my chest.

"Amity is my home. Why would I ever go anywhere else?" Before she can retaliate, shouts are heard from the gates of the wall, causing her to sigh.

"The Dauntless are here. Keep close and keep quiet." She says it to Avery, but I know it's directed to me as well. I've been known to be a bit passive-aggressive to the fighting faction. We are faction rivals, after all. Where we seek peace, they seek chaos. We couldn't be more opposite and it shows.

The Dauntless stroll through the gates in a small flock, guns on their hips and eyes observant despite there being nothing but farmland for miles.

"Good morning, Vanessa. I trust you're ready for inspection this time?" I've always disliked Karl. He always seems to make any good day bad with his snarky attitude and his inability to be pleased by any effort we make.

If you imagined the ugliest person in the world, I promise Karl is worse. With a much too large nose, greasy hair and cracked teeth from too many fights, he's definitely not a looker.

"Have at it, Karl." As the Dauntless search through the produce in the trucks, I pull Avery to my side and walk into the orchard. The Dauntless always make her nervous. She shakes slightly as I crouch in front of her, tipping her chin up.

"What do you bet that I can make it higher in this tree than you can?" I challenge, and the little girl smirks.

"Challenge accepted!" She shouts, and we both take off to the tree, climbing the trunk and limbs like the monkeys in our storybooks.

I feel most free in the trees. Growing up in this orchard was the highlight of my life. The work can be strenuous in the summer, but there is nothing like climbing high in these trees after a long day and watching the sunset. It helps me to forget.

I purposefully slow my climb, giving her a head start, all while smiling at her blissful laughter. I wonder what it would have been like sometimes. What would it have been like to have a happy childhood?

"Oh no, you win. I can't.. I can't make it any farther." I fake fatigue a few branches down from her, lounging across the apple tree wood gracefully.

"You're so dramatic, Ana." She accuses me and while she's distracted by picking a ripe apple, I take a glance over at the Dauntless who are finishing up their routine. That's when I see him.

I can't tell much about him from here. Just that he's clothed in the usual Dauntless black with his hair slicked back and what seems to be dark tattoos on his folded arms. The sunlight hits his piercings, reflecting the sunlight. And he just.. stares.  Even as the other Dauntless are retreating back to the gate, he watches us, quietly.

Usually I would feel frightened. Being around my uncle long enough has made me paranoid of any man, but there is something different about him. I can feel it. Sure, he looks intimidating. Like, I'm sure he could break my trachea if he wanted to... but there seems to be more to him. I can feel it.

"Eric? Let's go!" Karl calls and the stranger, Eric, follows suit behind the soldiers. It isn't until his stare is broken that I realize my heart is racing.