Urgent

Chapter 18

The second stage of initiation has been testing my patience. For the last hour or so, we have simply been sitting in a dark hallway, waiting. It's so boring. Four has disappeared through a door and hasn't come back since. It makes me wonder what is happening behind the door. 

I have already drawn many conclusions, and I think behind the door, Four is setting up some sort of torture machine for us to endure through. It sounds like something the Dauntless would do to their initiates. It will still be better than waiting - everything is better than waiting.

'So,' says Lynn, scuffing the floor with her shoe. 'Which one of you ranked first, huh?' No one answers at first, until Peter finally clears his throat. Peter whom I have not spoken to in a long time. 

'Me,' he says. He doesn't sound as proud as I expect him to. Perhaps because he feels guilty for - you know - stabbing Edward in the eye. But this is Peter. He won't feel remorse - he's pure evil. He wouldn't have done it if he thought he would've regretted it. 

'Bet I could take you.' She speaks casually, turning the ring in her eyebrow with her fingertips. 'I'm second, but I bet any of us could take you, transfer.' I doubt that. Although with his faults, I doubt someone could beat Peter up without suffering afterwards. He has a way of getting revenge. Take Edward for example. He beat Peter up, now he's not only factionless, but also missing an eye. 

'I wouldn't be so sure about that if I were you,' Peter says, and his eyes are glittering. 'Who's first?' 

'Uriah,' she says. 'And I am sure you know how many years we've spent preparing for this?' It's an intimidation tactic. I know that, and yet I still am intimidated. I look to Peter, who opens his mouth to respond but is cut off as Four opens the door. 

'Lynn,' he says, beckoning to her. She walks down the hallway, the blue light at the end making her bare head glow. I look away, turning to Will, who is facing Uriah. 

'So, you're first,' Will says to Uriah. Uriah who simply shrugs his shoulders. 

'Yeah.' He looks at Will. 'And?' 

'And you don't think it's unfair that you've spent your entire life getting ready for this, and we've been expected to learn it all in a few weeks?" says Will, his eyes narrowing. I see his point. We have an automatic disadvantage having come from different factions. Edward was the only one of us transfers who had previous training. 

'Not really,' says Uriah, shrugging his shoulders once more. 'Stage one was about skill, but no one can prepare for stage two.' He smiles slightly. 'At least, so I'm told.' 

No one responds to that, not even knowing what to say if they gathered the courage too. Instead, we sit in silence. For at least twenty minutes until the door swings open and Four calls another name. 

'Peter,' he says. Peter looks afraid - not quite as cocky or confident as I have grown so accustomed to seeing him. He walks to the door, and soon he has disappeared. It's after another twenty minutes that he calls me forth. 

'Ariadne.' He deliberately calls me by my name, knowing quite well that I don't wish to be called it. I'm usually annoyed - today, I'm too scared. It's with shaky legs that I march over to the door, forcing a smile which looks more like a grimace than anything. 

My poor attempt at a smile fades as soon as my eyes adjust to the darkness. 

At the center of the room sits a reclining metal chair. It reminds me strongly of the chair on which I sat during the aptitude test. Even more familiar is the machine which sits by the chair. I recognize it from the aptitude test, and its concerning to see it in this room.