Fire and Ice

End of an Era

A crowd has gathered around the ledge, but everyone stands a few feet from one another. Two men stand next to the ledge, hoisting the body up with ropes. They both grunt from the effort, heaving their weight back so the ropes slide over the railing, and then reaching forward to grab again.

The shape falls with a thud on the Pit floor. A pale arm, swollen with water, flops onto the stone. A body that causes Christina to sob into Tris' shoulder as A few of the men turn the body over, and the head flops to the side. The eyes are open and empty. Dark. Doll's eyes. And the nose has a high arch, a narrow bridge, a round tip. The lips are blue. The face itself is something other than human, half corpse and half creature.

"One of the initiates," says someone behind me. "What happened?"

"Same thing that happens every year," I replied as Eric looks at him "He pitched himself over the ledge."

"Don't be so morbid. Could have been an accident."

"They found him in the middle of the chasm. You think he tripped over his shoelace and... whoopsies, just stumbled fifteen feet forward?"

"What was his name?" Another close by asked as I sighed, closing my eyes "Al" Someone kneels next to Al's face and pushes his eyelids shut. Trying to make it look like he's sleeping, maybe. Stupid. Why do people want to pretend that death is sleep? It isn't.

++++++

When it comes to funerals, the Dauntless don't waste any time. We want to acknowledge death as soon as it happens. There are no people in the front room of the tattoo parlor, but the Pit is crawling with people, most of them drunk.All the people that were milling around earlier are gathered by the ledge now, and the air smells potently of alcohol. The woman in front of me lurches to the right, losing her balance, and then erupts into giggles as she falls against the man next to her. I roll my eyes as they start to get touchy with each other.

Eric is climbing onto a box next to the railing. I face him, crossing my arms to keep myself steady. I wonder what he'll say since he seemed irritated earlier when we found Al's body in the chasm.

"Quiet down, everyone!" shouts Eric. Someone hits what sounds like a gong, and the shouts gradually stop, though the mutters don't. Eric says, "Thank you. As you know, we're here because Albert, an initiate, jumped into the chasm last night."

The mutters stop too, leaving just the rush of water in the chasm.

"We do not know why," says Eric, "and it would be easy to mourn the loss of him tonight. But we did not choose a life of ease when we became Dauntless. And the truth of it is..." Eric smiles, it seems genuine but I know that he's forcing it, something has happened and I feel like my conversation with Jeanine is behind it. "The truth is, Albert is now exploring an unknown, uncertain place. He leaped into vicious waters to get there. Who among us is brave enough to venture into that darkness without knowing what lies beyond it? Albert was not yet one of our members, but we can be ured that he was one of our bravest!"

A cry rises from the center of the crowd, and a whoop. The Dauntless cheer at varying pitches, high and low, bright and deep. Their roar mimics the roar of the water.

"We will celebrate him now, and remember him always!" yells Eric. Zeke hands him a dark bottle, and he lifts it. "To Albert the Courageous!"

"To Albert!" shouts the crowd. Arms lift all below me, and the Dauntless chant his name. "Albert! Al-bert! Al-bert!" They chant until his name no longer sounds like his name. It sounds like the primal scream of an ancient race.

"Your husband is quite the speaker" Max mutters to me as we watch him drink the bottle and I nod smiling "Never knew he had it in him" we both laugh as he looks at us and he smiles back, there he is. "Things are about to get interesting around here, I want you to stay safe do you understand me" I nod at him "What is going to happen exactly? I don't like being left out and he's been doing just that Max" I hear him sigh as he leans into the railing "We're clearing out divergents with new weapons put into our possession as well as dealing with our faction issues" I nod my head "I see. What do I get to do then?"

"Keep you and your unborn child safe at all cost, that is the job given to you Jade" I nod and look at him "I Can do that"

++++++

"Eric what is wrong with you?" I ask as I watch him read a book on our couch

"Hmmmm... nothing?" He says as he looks at me confused. "I'm not dumb Eric, you were mad at me for talking to Jeanine weren't you?" He throws the book down and looks at me "Damn it Jade why do you always want to pick a fight?" I glare at him as he yells "I'm not starting a fight Eric i'm just asking is all, we have a baby on the way and you're so bi polar it's like I'm looking at one man now but in an hour or two i'll be looking at another, Jeanine's Eric not mine" He furrowed his eyebrows me and stood up annoyed, "once this is over in the next week or so, we'll be free to do what we want and be a normal family Jade just let me do my damn job" I jumped up into his face and laughed "a normal family huh? you really believe Jeanine will just let you go and we'll be able to leave her and sail into the sunset eh?" He rubbed his eyes in annoyance and laughed "It seems we're always back at this aren't we? arguing?" I look at him confused at what he's saying "I think we need to just chill out until this is over and then work on all of this" he looks at the floor "What are you saying? We're done" "NO!!!"

"Then what Eric, enlighten me here" He grabbed my face "I'm saying this is coming between us and I don't want to lose you, you're the only thing I care about, you and our baby Jade" I sigh as I pull away "Jeanine has such a strong hold on you that you're not even seeing what is happening do you?" "Yes Jade I do but you're not seeing how she's helping me" "Yeah ok Eric" I sighed as I went to bed, I knew what I had to do now, for my baby and I.

+++++

I looked around as I kept my hood up and knocked on the door in front of me waiting for it to open. It opened revealing Tori as she looked at me trying to figure out what I was doing.

"What are you doing Jade? It's late" I sigh as I walk in and turn to look at her.

"I need your help, my child and I are not safe here." She nods at me and sighs as she packs a bag with food and water and grabs my hand as she leads me to a back door and down halls with blind spots that will help keep me out of camera range and we make our way outside as I look around as she hands me a gun and knife.

"Head for candor and ask for refuge, tell them it's for safety until everything is done" I nod and hug her "Thank you Tori, I appreciate it"

"No problem girl, be careful and stay safe"

"Always"

and I ventured out into the city and the darkness that consumed it