Troublemaker (Divergent Eric )

Chapter 24: The Chasm

"I'll arrest myself, I'll wear a shield!" I sing along to the vinyl playing. Pops got me a record player for my birthday this year along with every Nirvana record ever. Johanna said she wanted them off her compound because they were 'disturbing'. 

The days of initiation  flew by so quickly for me. Training initiates is much better than completing paperwork. Tonight was a big night for the initiates, they would be playing Capture the Flag. Eric went with Four to play while I would stay home dancing to Nirvana records. 

I close my eyes, grabbing my hairbrush to use as a microphone. 

"Smell her on you." I sing the last words of Kurt Cobain into my imaginary microphone. As the song ends, there is a moment of silence in before the next one starts. As quiet envelops the apartment, I hear a squeak of a sneaker. It was quick, but enough for me to tell that I was not alone. 

"Hello?" I call stupidly and the song echoes my voice. 

"Hello, hello, hello, how low?" I glance around me quickly before quickly diving towards the bat near the door. My fingers nearly grasp the handle of the weapon, but a hand roughly yanks me backwards by my arm. 

Before I can comprehend anything, more hands grab my frail body. A hand covers my mouth and muffles my screams. I flail my body as much as I can, and hands grab my legs and lift me off the ground. My eyes frantically look around to see five guys all dressed in ski masks. I inhale the scent of whiskey and predict that they are drunk. Even if they're bigger than me, my soberness gives me an upper hand. 

"With the lights out, it's less dangerous. Here we are now; entertain us. I feel stupid, and contagious. Here we are now; entertain us!"I sink my teeth into the dirty hand over my mouth, and scream as loud as I can. My scream echo off the for split second before a fist connects with my stomach, knocking the air out of my lungs.

"Shut up." A mysterious man growls in my face. and I can smell the alcohol on his breath. I struggle against them as they quickly carry me towards the chasm. I struggle harder as I hear the water crashing against rock get louder. We near the railing when I feel a pair of hands let go of my feet.

"I'm sorry. I can't do this. This is too fucked up. I'm not drunk enough for this." I hear one guy say. Another pair of hands disappear after he says this. 

"Yeah, you would need to pay me more for this." A deep voice slurs, and two other men seem to agree. So someone was paying them? A hand lifts from my mouth and I hear footsteps running away. I scream as loud as I can and struggle against the only person left but they quickly throw me off the railing, holding onto my ankles.

I look down, even thought I shouldn't, and start to feel light headed. 

"Hey!" I recognize the voice as Everret and feel slight relief. "Put her down, or we'll shoot."

The man slowly lifts me and sets me back down onto the floor. My head feels like it's in water as the man takes the fabric from his face. 

It's Bryan.

He looks at me, his eyebrows pulled together with a look of remorse on his face. I can see his lips moving but don't hear anything. I'm pulled too far into my head to comprehend anything. 

"Help! Go get help please! Hurry!" Her voice is forever embedded head. I know now that monsters don't sleep under our beds, but inside of our heads because it's the last place we check.  

A tear slips from my eyes as I exhale a shaky breath. I see Max dragging away Bryan, who was yelling.  Everret walks towards me, pocketing his gun in his back pocket. 

"Are you okay?" He sounds distant even though he's crouched right in front of me. I stand up by myself, and wobbly walk back to my apartment. 

"I'm not tumbling in the chasm am I?"

~*~

Eric POV

On the ride back to the compound I sit slumped against the train wall. I jump as I hear Everret's voice on my walkie talkie. We rarely used our walkie talkies but when we do, it's important.

"Hey Eric, how far are you from the compound?" He says out of breath.

"We're like five minutes away, why are you asking?"

"Um, something happened while you were gone..." Worry fills my stomach as I hear his nervous voice.

"Where's Vana?"

"Uh..." 

"Where's my girl, Everret?" I raise my voice this time, and silence falls over the initiates. Everyone looks towards me as my ears heat up.

"Look, she's fine. Tell Four to get to the meeting room. Vana's in you guy's apartment. She really needs you right now." With that, he hurriedly disconnects  with me. I wave Four towards me and quietly tell him to meet Everret in the meeting room. 

The train soon nears the compound and I jump off and sprint to my apartment. I hurriedly open the door and am welcomed with silence. 

"Vana?" I call, into the room. I hear bare feet slap against the concrete, and she turns the corner and I instantly notice tears running down her face. She jumps up, wrapping her legs around my waist and gripping my hair. She buries her head into my neck and I wrap my arms around her. 

"Are you okay?"

"I don't know, all I know is that you're here with me."

Songs: Nirvana- Lounge Act and Nirvana-Smells Like Teen Spirit