Ordinary Acts of Bravery [A Divergent Fanfic]

Chapter 4 - A New Life begins

"If thought is life, and strength, and breath, and the want of thought is death. Then if I live of it I die. "

         With a soreness I had seldom felt, I managed to fall asleep in the dark room that would be our accommodation for the next nine weeks. It would be our home for the full duration of time we trained to become full-fledged dauntless members. Only then would we be completely submerged in dauntless faction life.

Tonight the silence was barely disturbed by any voices because no one truly dared to utter a word after we had returned here. Despite the fact many had been awake, trying to wrap their heads around the events of the day. The only reason there had only been silence. I had tossed and turned in the new surroundings, trying to find the sleep but it hadn't come easily to me. I kept my eyes closed as my thoughts drowned my subconscious.

Then the lights was turned back on after what had only felt like a very short while. An extremely loud banging of metal against metal alarmed us all, stirring me from my sleep. I jolted awake with a sharp intake of air, jerking upright into a seated position, muscles taught and ready to jump into action at a moments notice. I was ready for whatever could come at me within seconds.

"Get up initiates." The raspy voice of Four radiated in the room, making my attention snap up to him. He stood beside the staircase, a large piece of metal in his hand—a crowbar. I raised an eyebrow and snorted. It was what he had used to create that annoying loud sound earlier. I groaned and tugged at my sore ears as Four threw the piece of metal bar into the air. It spun once before he caught it again. Show off. I scoffed to myself and shook my head lightly, hair whipping around my face.

"I want everybody dressed and in the pit. You have five minutes!" Four ordered, his voice tight and none negotiable before he left the room again, but not after another show of throw of the metal bar. It spun twice in the air this time before he caught it again.

Leaving no room for hesitation, I swung the covers away, swinging my legs out over the bed to place them on the floor. I winched when my bare feet touched the cold floor. I was shivering when I reached for my clothes. The warmth I felt when tucked beneath the covers, had vanished from my body in a matter of seconds. And the unfamiliarity of the situation kept me on edge as I quickly got dressed.

I jumped a few times when pulling my pants up over my rump. It was both to adjust them but also to alleviate the painful numbness the cold floor created underneath my bare feet. I quickly closed the front of my pants and shredded the shirt I had been wearing. I did not care at all for the indecency of the situation. I had been wearing underwear and we would be stuck together for nine weeks, they would all see much sooner rather than later.

Then Roxy landed on the floor next to me, rather gracefully actually. She had leap off her bed, bending her knees to soften the landing before pushing some strands of red hair away from her face. She sent me a cheeky smile when reaching past me for her shoes, positioned right next to mine as I pulled a shirt over my head. We had chosen to occupy one of the bunk beds. She had taken the top and I the bottom.