Aunt Taylor's Library

Chapter 7 (Lily)

(Lily)

Once all the initiates had jumped, Lauren and Four led us down a narrow tunnel. The walls were made of stone, and it was dark, and was starting to feel claustrophobic when suddenly Kylie stopped abruptly in front of me. I walked straight into her, almost knocking her over, but Christina caught her arm.

The initiates were divided, Dauntless-born with Lauren, transfers with Four. There were ten of us in all, and, looking around, it wasn't hard to recognize everyone.

Of course, there was Christina, with her dark brown skin and eyes. She was tall and slender, and with her short black hair, she was really pretty.

The pale blond boy next to me must have been Will. His white teeth caught the light as he smiles at me, and his green eyes betrayed how excited he was.

The largest boy was obviously Al. He had big ears, big eyes, a big nose. He was just huge, like a human mountain.

Molly stood next to him with her arms crossed. She was ugly, just like the book said. She was muscular, tall, and bulky.

Drew's dull orange hair looked like an old carrot. With his small stature and his shoulders hunched, he kind of reminded me of a little dwarf.

Peter's dark, shiny hair gleamed in the dim light. He looked... Angelic, really. It would be easy to be taken by what he says, especially since he's from Candor and supposedly can't lie, but I knew the truth about the sneaky, conniving, butterknife-wielding little weasel.

Edward looks like an athlete. His dark brown hair looked black in the light. Myra looked weak and frail, and, of course, I knew she was. She stood next to Edward, and his arm was wrapped around her.

Four cleared his throat, and we all shut up and listened. "Most of the time I work in the control room, but for the next few weeks, I am your instructor. My name is Four."

"Four? Like the number?" Christina blurted out.

"Yes," Four said icily. "Is there a problem?"

"No."

"Good. We're about to go into the Pit, which you will someday learn to love. It-"

Christina snickered. "The Pit? Clever name."

Four walked up to Christina and leaned down so his face was inches away from her. She gulped; by this time she had stopped laughing.

"What's your name?" Four asked quietly, which is scarier than if he had shouted.

"Christina," she squeaked.

"Well, Christina, if I wanted to put up with Candor smart-mouths, I would have joined their faction," he hissed. "The first lesson you will learn from me is to keep your mouth shut. Got it?"

She nodded quickly.

Four turned around and walked towards the shadow at the end of the tunnel. The initiated followed him in silence.

"What a jerk," Christina mumbled.

Kylie shrugged. "You did make fun of him. I don't blame him." Christina frowned at Kylie, but I don't think she noticed.

Four pushed open a set of double doors, and we entered the Pit.

"Oh," Christina whispered. "I get it."

The huge underground cavern was so huge, I could barely make out the other end from where I stood. Uneven rock walls rose several stories above my head, and built into the walls were places to get food, clothes, and supplies. Narrow paths and steps criss-crossed each other above our heads, connecting everything. There weren't any railings to keep people from falling. Gosh, I hoped I wasn't afraid of heights. I'd never been very high before, so I really didn't know.

The roof of the Pit was formed by panes of glass. Above that, there was a building that let in sunlight. It must have looked just like any other city building from above. Blue lanterns dotted the cavern, growing brighter as the sunlight died.

People dressed in black were everywhere, all shouting and talking. A group of children ran down one of the narrow paths, in danger of falling to their deaths, but apparently oblivious to that. They were laughing and giggling, and I guessed they were playing tag.

"If you follow me, I'll show you the chasm." Four said loudly. He led us to the right side of the Pit, which seemed to be set apart by an iron barrier. I heard the roar of water far below.

I looked over the side, and saw that the floor dropped off at a sharp angle the river was several stories below us, but the spray blew high. The water was white, battling with rock, forming rapids.

"This chasm reminds us that there is a fine line between idiocy and bravery!" Four shouted to be heard of the roar of the water. "A daredevil jump off this ledge will end your life. It has happened before, and it will happen again. You've been warned."

Four led us away from the chasm, across the Pit toward a gaping hole in the wall. The room beyond was well-lit, and I could see that it was a dining room. I hadn't noticed how hunger I was, but my stomach growled at the thought of food.

We looked for empty seats. Christina discovered a mostly empty table at the side of the room, and I sat between her and Will. I saw Kylie sitting across the table, next to Four, and a hint of jealousy blew through me. I shoved that thought down. Four and Tris were soulmates. Neither Kylie nor I stood a chance.