Back To You // Peter Hayes

metanoia

the journey of changing ones mind, heart or way of life

"Dauntless born you go with Lauren, transfers stay with me. Go." the Dauntless-borns followed a bald woman I assumed was called Lauren, "Most of the time I work in intelligence, but during your training I'll be your instructor. My name's Four."

I couldn't help but laugh at his choice of name and I guess someone else at the front was having the same idea "Four like the number?" she asked, giggling,

"Exactly like the number." he replied, deathly serious,

"What happened? One, two, three were taken?" everyone around her laughed, but Four stepped forward, no smile, no chuckle, completely serious,

"Remind me, what was your name again?" he walked up to her, his head towering over her. Her smile faltered and she stepped back,

"Christina."

"Well, Christina," he patronised, sneering as he said her name "the first lesson you learn from me, if you wanna survive here, is keep your mouth shut. Is that clear?"

"yes." she mumbled, he really knew how to make people fear him,

"Good. Follow me." he lead everyone away from net and into the building. We entered a room with a high ceiling and different platform levels going up, the place was made of stone and areas of the walls were patterned by crevices where people were climbing up them. The room was filled with the sound of energetic music where groups of people were dancing around and having fun, "This is the Pit, the centre of life here in Dauntless."

Four carried on through the compound and led us into a dimly lit bunker room, filled with around 50 beds, "You're gonna be sleeping here for the next ten weeks." he said,

"Girls or boys?" Al questioned,

"Both." everyone groaned in annoyance but Four chuckled at us, "If you like this you're gonna love the bathroom." at the back of the room there was an open area, filled with toilets and showerheads, but no cubicles. It was all an open space. "You should feel right at home, Candor. Everything out in the open." Murmurs of complaints arose from the group as Four told us all to pick a bed and get changed,

"Great. Shower anyone?" the Candor asshole, joked. I rolled my eyes at him as I walked with Will to find a bed next to him, but all were already taken. Will sent me an apologetic smile and I turned around, looking for a vacant bed. Of course, with my luck being very low today, the last bed was in the corner of the room, next to the same guy who made the shower joke. With a heavy sigh I dropped my clothes onto the bed and began to change into them, I was pulling my jeans down as I heard a snicker from the guy beside me, "Nice legs, Nose" he teased, flashing a bright smile and a wink my way. I felt my cheeks heat up as I glared furiously at him, this wasn't going to be a fun or easy initiation.

Will caught up to me as everyone moved out and walked towards the mess hall, "Sorry about the beds thing." he said,

"It's fine Will, the guy next to me isn't so bad."

"Seriously?"

"No. It's gonna be hell, he's intolerable." I said, stating the obvious "and I hate you." I joked

"Shut up, you love me. I'm irresistible." he laughed. We searched the canteen for Edward and Myra, being the only other people we knew we thought it would be the best option. But of course, they were eating each others faces off rather than eating the food on their plates, so that was a hard pass. "What about over there?" Will pointed to a table in the middle of the room where Al was sat with some other people from Candor. I shrugged my shoulders at him as if to say 'why not?' and we sat down. "Hey Al." Will said,